Art, Beauty

I feel like life is SO busy right now. I'm doing many wonderful things. My students have quite quickly become a HUGE part of my life. Every day I'm teaching one place or another. There's days that it gets stressful... but I feel so blessed to have work - and not just any old work, but work that I love. Work where I get to help others discover how to use their God-given creative spirits to the fullest potential!

I get really passionate when I think about art, creativity and our Creator. I came across an article by T.M. Moore not too long ago and have included below a short excerpt from "Why Art Matters".

Why does God consider art so important that He made such varied use of it for communicating His will to His people?

Many reasons come to mind: art’s ability to appeal to the imagination and engage the affections; its value as an aid to memory; the balance between form and freedom inherent in the arts, suggesting both parameters and liberties for our lives; the experience of delight and pleasure art can provide; the universal appeal of art; and so forth. Far from being a mere frill, art has always played a central role in human society. Their souls are impoverished, as is their experience of life, for whom art has little importance.

But by far the greatest value of the arts to the Christian is their ability to nurture the sense of beauty and, thus, to train our hearts and minds to know, enjoy, and relate better to Him who is the Perfection of Beauty. Modern and postmodern artists have so relativized the concept of beauty that even to discuss its role in the arts is to risk appearing passé or uninformed. But this is a strictly recent phenomenon. The history of art is replete with discussions of beauty and its importance in the arts, and, where Christians have entered those discussions, they have argued for the role of art in nurturing our sense of beauty and helping us to know and worship God.

This is exactly why I love art and creativity in all its forms. True art has the ability to slice through barriers to bring us directly to the brilliance and beauty of our Lord. By revealing the Truth (and exposing the opposite for what it really is) we are able to revel and thrive in His gracious love... and beauty. This, to me, is what makes any art worth doing and working and being. I love it. Michael Card, Madeleine L'Engle and Calvin Seerveld have also written some amazing things on this topic. I may quote them in later posts. Suffice it to say I get so excited reading, conversing, discussing, doing... and teaching about these very things.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us the spark of the imagination and creative vision!!!

Ode to a Parking Lot Attendant (October 2008)

I know not, sir, quite how much time you might have on your hands
With such an illustrious job you execute on Thursday's stands
What joy you have in granting entrance to eligible beings
What power lies in your position, fulfilling and so freeing!

I know you are quite busy, keeping faithful watch each moment
You might not have much time to read this poor attempt at sonnet
I openly admit I'm not a poet or magician
Especially when writing for illustrious personage

Forgive me then, most honored sir, when feelings took the dive
As I was pulling in last week to teach my class of five
I work quite hard, get little thanks and even smaller earnings
And now I'm pegged quite negatively as a child's help for learning?

What made you think, if I may ask, I teach for my profession?
Was it the color of my eyes, or perhaps my clothing choices?
Surely you couldn't help but notice my less-than-athlete's figure
I admit I don't run twenty miles to give me verve and vigor.

But! I'm proud to be a teacher - love my students through and through
Providing them with tools to brighten home and life - who knew?!
Music, such a treasured gift to share with those around
So why, then, was I mortified from your pronouncement loud?

Quite the knowing tone of voice, the looking down your nose
As you proclaimed my fate, forever pegged as one of "those"
I couldn't help but wonder how many others you have slighted
Categorized and boxed away, because you are short-sighted

I beg you not to make this same mistake through all your days
For teachers change the lives of those whose minds they set ablaze
The spark of knowledge mixed with passion - oh, the combination
Can forever steer one's course in life - a precious education.

I'm sorry if you had a horrid time in school and such
I can't pretend all educators have students' best at heart
But next time you decide a person looks to be a teacher
Your gentler realization would be much appreciated.

Losing my religion?

What is church?

What is it? What should it be? Should church have a "should be" tag attached?

"Losing our religion"... if religion is defined as "a set of beliefs which characterizes how one lives"... how Jesus lived was just as beautiful as how he died... and resurrected. How we live DOES matter to God. I don't want to "lose my religion". That doesn't even make sense. It might sound cool to some... but that someone is not me.