The afternoon air was windy and warm and weighted by artist-chatter. In a turn of topic, the conversation slowed. Steadied. Our words were short steps onto a path untrod–were we allowed to explore? Were we allowed to ask? Were we allowed to see ourselves in the prophets? They looked so familiar:
- The weird lifestyle and ideas.
- The creativity and counter-culturalism and symbolism.
- The tormented drive to get what was in them out, like fire shut up in their bones.
They sounded so artist-like. Maybe with all their poetry and sculptures they were. Maybe these poet prophets were our very own Biblical example of the life and voice of the artist. She passed these suspicions along to me in the same way that she’d been given them–a legacy of hushed questions.
And these questions whispered in me for weeks. I decided to ask aloud. I looked over to my brilliant Bible-scholar husband and, with brave release of breath held back, I dove right in:
“Do you think the prophets were artists?”
His answer came easy–carried on an air of confident clarity.
“Yes.”
Relief.
He showed me what the translations didn’t: Style, Form, Imagery, Patterns, Lyrics, Poetry, Art. David and Jeremiah wrapped their message in poetry so memorable that the words were etched on the hearts of God’s people. Truth so creative. Truth so deliberate. Truth so beautiful.
“Well, then, why do we never hear these things? Why is this not preached?”
Pastors and teachers focus on what the prophets are telling us, and don’t give emphasis to how they present their prophecies. Yes, we can see it in the original language, but it’s a sub-point that’s just not taught. Besides, it’s very difficult to maintain the poetic-devices of a language when it’s being translated. Most miss it because the artistry of the prophetic word is literally lost in translation.
A part of my artist’s heart jumped to life with his explanation. And another part of it died.
He sensed the dying before the words escaped my mouth. He said maybe artists would feel more at home in the Church if we took the time to reveal the care and beauty and artistry with which these passages of Scripture were originally presented.
Yes yes! Show us their art. Teach us what they did. Teach us how to be artists.
His preacher-words were the sermon I needed to hear. And his husband-words were the permission I needed to be given.
My mathematical genius left-brained preacher-husband validates the voice of my soul, in all its rhymes and photos and paintings and drawings and writings. It is not frivolous. It is not petty. It is not selfish. It is the artist’s voice.
And, on the other side of our conversation, I found myself a step further in this exploration of my voice. This path is safe. I will walk. I will listen. I will write. I will share.
I remember being so amazed that one of my English teachers was rumored to be an atheist and yet he spoke so eloquently of the Bible. Now I wish I could go have coffee with him and say, please oh please, share your version of the Bible with me. I have ears to hear now, and I want to hear it as you do, as a beautiful piece of literature. As art. Donald Miller wrote this recently, “I like the Bible. Now that I no longer see it as a self-help book, it has infinitely more merit. It has soul, I guess you could say.” Teach us how to be artists. Teach us how to be prophets. Teach us how to use our odd little voices in big risky ways. Teach us how to have grace with ourselves, so that we can live with our ever increasing internal dialogue and translate it into art.
Oh yeah, and teach us how to do it anyway, when the critics want to stone us.
amen and amen sister
I love it! Oswald Chambers was an artist before he began preaching–loved it!
No way! Oh wow Sherry. Somehow that fact never made its way to my brain. I’m going to have to dig into that a bit more. Thanks for sharing!
LOVE this. Thank you for showing me this. I needed it.
You and me both, Ben. You and me both. Please do hop back over here to leave more thoughts as this sifts its way through your heart this week. I’m very very interested in how this resonates with others.
I just am so happy that you married the right man for you! God is certainly the giver of GOOD GIFTS!
You’re not kidding!
Mandy I’ve often thought that there had to be artists in the Bible. Poetry is art. God is the ultimate artist. Both through His Word and through His creation. Yet at the same time we lose sight of the artistry of God’s Word and the way in which the prophets spoke because artists are labeled as odd. fanatics. “out there.” loonies. It’s not that we aren’t welcome – sometimes our gifts aren’t validated…as much. I don’t mean that from a me-istic viewpoint either. It’s true. I’ve been in vocational ministry (my primary role is an associate pastor) and we (as church leadership) fail the art community or minimize their/our gifts and callings.
This has become harder for me as the past few years have gone on. I feel like the artistic side of me isn’t as important as the rest of me within the church. It’s a tension that has been building and I don’t know what to do about it. I love writing music and being used by God. I love being creative. Yet often those things are stifled (within the local church) and it’s hard. Really hard.
Are we just selfish? I ask that because the past 1.5 years I’ve felt that…or have been made to feel that.
Thanks so much for this post.
Chris:
Wow. Thank you for your honesty here. I mean that.
My heart has been tender towards this topic for some time now, and I’ve found such beautiful validation in having my husband see the artistic struggle I sometimes face as a church staffer. This takes some guts to admit, but I’m finding that my most fulfilling work is actually done outside of the church. It’s true. It’s just true.
Ironically, I asked your question this morning, sitting in the home studio of a local potter who has recently accepted my request to mentor me. This was our first official session and we talked over paper-makings. Your words were my words. I asked if we were selfish.
She was shocked, maybe even offended, at my question: “Selfish?! Selfish?? Art isn’t selfish. It’s sacred. It’s creating. God was a Creator. And we create, too. It’s sacred, not selfish. Look at what you’re making. You’re going to give this away, to someone else. Now how is that selfish? It’s sacred!” After her 50 years of creativity, I think she’s earned the right to shut me up and put me in my place. Besides, I asked for it.
Rilke asks the same question in his Letters to a Young Poet. I actually think it’s in the first letter–something to the effect of: “Can you live without making poetry? If you can, then walk away. But if you must, then do it and stop questioning yourself.” (my paraphrase of course)
I keep coming back to this matter-of-fact “just do it” sort of answer. Or maybe it keeps coming back to me. Either way, I know this: Something inside of me will DIE (and it has before, by others’ hands, and by my own hands) if I stop creating… and I mean really creating, in that deep honest pit-of-my-soul sort of way.
But that’s just me. And I will soon pour a bit more of my creative energy into things other than ministry. I cringe at the thought, but I also find it radically liberating.
Mandy I realize it’s not selfishness. I think what happens though is that Satan knows pride can be an extremely dangerous thing for people…but especially for those involved in the arts. We take great pride in the things we do. Sometimes in a very healthy God honoring way. Sometimes in a very selfish me honoring way.
I strive and fight to honor God in every song He crafts through me. I really mean I fight to honor him. It’s tough because at times I want to be known. I want to be accepted. I want to be loved. If I’m honest most of the time I want those things for me…not for Him or by Him or through Him. It is a struggle.
I love your short matter-of-fact answer, “just do it.” The past year and a half I have taken that same approach. I am just doing it – doing the thing God has given me the ability to do…be used by Him in the area of music. I am taking more worship leading opportunities for events (retreats, camps, CD release events) in an effort of trying to; (1) give God glory for the talents he has given me by using them to glorify him and (2) to try to figure out what God wants me to do with this. It has been a really rough year for me in some ways and incredible in others. I am so grateful to see God continue to open doors for an unworthy man as I am.
In my flesh I am unworthy. In the blood of Christ I am purchased. redeemed. loved. cherished. and worthy to do the things He has called me to and to use the gift-set and abilities he has given to me for His sake.
Now you’re talking, Chris. I think the vein of pride can run deep in the selfishness that I shy away from as an artist. Oh man you’re on to something here. but, you know, I’m realizing that the world needs the beauty that only artists can offer it. And yes I agree that sometimes we can be seen as pushy & self-serving, and there are artists who are exactly that, but there are others of us who just don’t know what else to do with that fire shut up in our bones than get it out–get it out–get it out.
I recently attended the Refuge retreat down here (captained by Fred McKinnon) and I’ll never forget the tears in Trent Smith’s eyes as he talked about how he felt so utterly compelled to take the beauty of music and play it in the streets of his city. He stumbled over himself to get the words out, because he didn’t want to be perceived as self-serving. We, a room of worship leaders and right-brained musicians, were touched by his words.
The church we met in had a very large atrium entrance. One morning I came in early to help with a few things–about an hour before the rest of the crowd. Trent stood in the atrium with back to the door, playing his violin. And playing the fool out of it. I probably stood there for five minutes listening. Nothing about that moment felt prideful. Trent was not showing off. No one else was in the atrium at that time. But good gosh the beauty in the room was palpable. It stunned me. And I’m so thankful that he was brave enough to stand there in the stillness and wash the room with his music.
As as songwriter who’s rather afraid of singing my songs in public, I think my tendency is to hide the beauty–not share it–not offer it to the world. So I’m trying really hard to find ways to convince myself it’s ok. Trent helped me see that.
Thanks for the comments. I’m enjoying this interaction!
mmm love your thoughts here.
did you know that God called artists to make the Mercy Seat?
Exodus 31:5-7
mmm yes. A small snippet of history that speaks to the need for creatives to help in the construction & beautification of God’s house.
It’s good stuff, isn’t it?
imagination, muse, creating…all characteristics of the creator. I was struck by this even before I got through reading your post. regardless of translation, there is the poetry of David, describing the weaving together in our mother’s womb; in genesis even, the hovering of the spirit over the waters…the imagination. I am not to sure how to truly honour the uncreated creator, but to worship with creativity. for some this is cerebral/linear/right-brained, and therefore more acceptable in church circles. but yet the creator also made me in his image, and I’m not so linear. the yearning I have to imagine and hover there is a God-thing. the desire to create, that’s a God-thing too. has the church taken it’s sweet time accepting this? yes. are we [the church at large] missing out? absolutely. is it time to forge a new/well-worn path both in accepting ourselves as artists and braving the elements to bring our creativity to the table, demanding that the church changes? I think so. many brave people have forged that path before us; we can’t stop now.
It’s new and well-worn all at the same time, isn’t it? Beautiful words, Cori. I’m glad you’re on this path with me! Let’s keep walking.
Oh wow, such thoughts that had never entered my mind. This makes me want to pick up my Bible and read the poetic words, something I’ve not had the desire to do in a while. Thank you for sharing this. For inspiring, lifting my spirits. My head knows the truth that I am loved by my Father but my heart feels rules and religion, those things that are taught. I’m searching for the poetry within the truth. This is what my heart needs to work out this salvation that overwhelms me.
Wow, Heather. I’m honored that these words resonated so deeply with you. Thanks for sharing!
I was taught those things too…i know VERY well what you mean. It wasn’t until I was almost 30 that I began to discover grace, and then my world changed…you are so brave!
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I suspect it is easier to train artists than it is to train prophets…
Mandy! Dude! I loved this post! Thank you SO much for sharing it in my little list of best stuff from 2011… this certainly fits the bill!
I’ve heard others talk about this connection between artists and the prophets. I think it was in Dave Gibbons’ book The Monkey and the Fish (which I think you might like). In it he talked not only about this artist/prophet connection, but also how they fit in with other types of people in the Church to help accomplish the work that the Body of Christ should be doing. Really cool stuff…
oh I’ve gotta ask my man about that book. Thanks Dan!