Intercessory Art: Intro

Posted by Brian on Apr 24, 2010 in Blog, Intercessory Art Series | 0 comments

I’m going to begin here with a series of messages about creativity. Better said, I will begin a series on creativity as I have had it gifted to me. If you don’t think this will be for you I have to say, “Try it.” I’ve heard too many people say that they don’t have a creative bone in their body and can’t disagree more. You are inherently creative because of who made you. You may not paint, you may not produce films, but you are creative in one way or another. The problem is that we simply don’t know how to explore the creativity with us.

I heard Lauralee Farrer speak a few years ago. She discussed the artist as an intercessor between God and man and how it is not only our purpose but our duty as artists to communicate God to others in our own unique ways.

Rob Bell mentions the ongoing creation of the world and asks if we are participating in it. Sometimes I have to answer no to the question. But most of the time I think I’m there, doing my part, although sometimes my part seems horribly inconsequential.

I never spoke to Lauralee when she finished speaking. I was a mess. I had nearly given up when I entered the room. I was ready to quit my job for the wrong reasons – a job provided by a church for the purpose of communicating God in creative ways. But though I couldn’t speak to her afterward I still know what I would say. “Thank you for saving my life.” Sounds extreme, but I’ve never been the same.

I can’t say these entries will do the same for you. But I hope they will.

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I’ve got no real plan for where these entries will go. But for now I plan on spreading some encouragement that I have received over the years, talking about brainstorming (you’ll be surprised), and then the nuts-and-bolts to what I do (programs I use, church communication, basic presentation tips, film editing, cameras, developing a website, etc). Most of it will be focused on churches, but a lot of it should also bleed over into personal and professional use.

I also have plans to hold a training day or two. If you want to learn Photoshop, Lightroom, iPhoto, computer basics, design basics, etc., please reply here, email me or send me a message on Facebook (syllabus coming soon). It won’t be free training but it will be affordable and worth it. Right now I only have plans for a basic course but I can offer more advanced and specialized training by request (also comes with a reasonable fee).

Joy

Posted by Brian on Apr 18, 2010 in Blog, Walking With God | 0 comments

So much happens in life. In one moment I am enjoying time with friends and teaching lessons that I love. The next moment I sit in the stage of denial, hoping against fact that what I learned about a friend is actually not true. And still the next moment, I sit in a chair and hear nothing in my home but quiet – the first time this has happened in weeks because of allergy issues keeping us all up at night. It may not last, but it is quiet for now.

Here’s a section of one of my favorite books. I used this tonight when talking about God’s grace. I can rarely sum up my emotions on my own. I usually have to turn to a film or a book or a song, or even a painting, to hear God say “It will be okay. I promise.” This time it’s a book.

“I am not accustomed to rejoicing in things that are small, hidden, and scarcely noticed by the people around me. I am generally ready and prepared to receive bad news, to read about wars, violence, and crimes, and to witness conflict and disarray. I always expect my visitors to talk about their problems and pain, their setbacks and disappointments, their depressions and their anguish. Somehow I have become accustomed to living with sadness, and so have lost the eyes to see the joy and the ears to hear the gladness that belongs to God and which is to be found in the hidden corners of the world.

“The father of the prodigal son gives himself totally to the joy that his returning son brings him. I have to learn from that. I have to learn to ‘steal’ all the real joy there is to steal and lift it up for others to see. Yes, I know that not everybody has been converted yet, that there is not yet peace everywhere, that all pain has not yet been taken away, but still, I see people turning and returning home; I hear voices that pray; I notice moments of forgiveness, and I witness many signs of hope. I don’t have to wait until all is well, but I can celebrate every little hint of the Kingdom that is at hand.” ~ Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son