Tag Archives: God

Life begging for art.

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We have a saying around the church office that goes something like: Life begging for structure, not structure begging for life.

We use this phrase when we are facing necessary innovation, struggling to come up with structure as we see the craziness of life that comes with, well, people.

But let’s not dig too deeply into that.

The whole point is that I’m also seeing moments where life is begging for art. Where profundity sneaks up on us and can only be properly captured and properly framed through art.

Just a few weeks ago, in response to Gitz’ decline, Jen commented:  ”I dug out my old prayer book from my Anglican days, and let the most beautifully worded prayers speak the grief and longing of my heart. But I have none of my own.”

In that moment, her heart and emotions begged for art.

Moments like those–the great milemarkers of life and death and growth and memory and significance–need art. They need words and images of beauty to help the soul express what is sitting and stirring and rising inside.

I’m realizing how we, as a people of faith, in our stripped down warehouses of contemporary worship, have lost the beauty and transcendence that those true moments of worship deserve.

And our artists are awkwardly worship and wait in the corners of the sanctuaries, hoping to paint murals on the walls.

Thankfully, they are picking up their paintbrushes. Watch the beauty unfold.

Come and rest in my world. Seriously.

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Ian Morgan Cron will be in my world in a few months–starting October 23rd, to be exact. And he will bring his wisdom and words to us. And we will sit and listen. And soak up all he has to say about finding rest and devotion and communion with God, the sort of rest that tired creative souls really need.

And I’m confident that this will be “just what we need” because “we” are the ones planning it. “We” are a group of local creatives who need a bit of a break–a moment to breathe in the salt air of our Golden Isles while words and worship wash over us like waves on our beaches.

We are unapologetically selfish in how we are planning this week, because we know we aren’t the only ones who want this kind of break. We are planning time to meditate. Time to play. Time to pray. Time to sit. Time to sing. Time to listen. Time to eat. Time to rest.

These three days won’t be packed full of sessions and speed and speakers and static and stuff.

These three days will be open… breathing… honest…

If you’re interested, let us know. We’ve got a spot for ya: RefugeSSI.com

 

Write now.

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7/11/11, 10:02am

I’m realizing now, more than ever, that I crave solitude and silence. I’m “one of those people.”

This affirmation came from a short convo with our bass player yesterday. It also came from two little ones who are hanging out at our house all week–holding me happily captive between the words “Aunt” and “Mandy.”

And, right now as my fingers hit the keys, I’m sitting in my kitchen in my favorite spot. And I’m the only one in the whole house. And I can hear the whirrrr of the refrigerator and the buzz of the insects outside who are calling for the rain. And look out the window to check on the weather conditions that might chase my niece and nephew off the beach and back into my house.

But in this moment there’s enough external quiet to help me find some internal quiet. And the internal quiet is really really quiet today. And it’s telling me that I’m at peace with very many aspects of my life right now.

And, sometimes that’s all a girl can ask for.

The quiet is telling me that I love my husband in more ways than I can imagine. And I’m so thankful to be by his side as he starts this new campus. And, even though I don’t know what our lives or our family will look like by January, I wouldn’t want to walk this adoption road with anyone but him.

And the quiet tells me that we aren’t crazy. We’re just …. us. This is how we do things. We have time. And we have energy. And we have dreams for our church and our family and our pursuits. And why not just go for all of them at once? I honestly can’t think of a good reason not to.

Honestly.

Oh. And also, the quiet tells me that I’m ok with myself right now. I’m ok with my new routines and my new world and all that is new and all that will be new in just a short amount of time.

Your turn to write now. What’s going on?

What’s your ether? Here’s how you can find out.

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What’s your substance–at your core? What’s the quintessence of who you are? This is a question Randy asked us during Recreate last week and it’s echoed in my brain every since then… Geeze, this is a question I’ve been asking myself in various forms for a few years now, and I’d bet that y’all are tired of hearing me talk seeing me type about it. (And you probably won’t much anymore. I’m done asking. I’ve got my answer. And all the permission I need.)

But, I believe it’s a question worth asking. And then worth asking again. Because, in order to be the best “you” that you can be, you’ve gotta know who you are. Yes, some things in life are all about you. Does that sound self-serving? Let me rephrase it:

We cannot steward the gifts God has given us unless we know and embrace how He’s made us.

Read that again: We cannot steward the gifts God has given us unless we know and embrace how He’s made us.

Do you hear me? Do you know and embrace how He’s made you?

That’s why I’m asking you to fill in the blank “I am _________.”  Sure, each of you can fill in that blank. But there’s a risk. There’s a putting-ourselves-out-there that has to happen as well. Part of embracing our identity is in the willingness to stand up in front of others and say “Hi, my name is _______, and I am _________.”

And we all say with a smile: “Hi ________.”

There is power in that moment.

So I don’t care a lick (sassy country-talk here, because I’m getting fired up) if you send me a picture or a video or whatever that fills in your blank. I just want to give you a safe risk-free excuse to begin the embracing.

And, by next Tuesday, we’ll know how well we know and embrace ourselves.

groupvid[at]mandythompson.com

Where are the miracles?

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We know they happen overseas, in 3rd world countries where only shamans practice… We know reputable missionaries and seminary professors and pastors who have witnessed miraculous healings with their own eyes. It’s hard to mistake a limb growing back.

But we rarely (if ever) hear of true unquestionable miracles happening here, in our physically comfortable 1st world societies. You can’t tell me it’s because we Americans don’t have enough faith; and it’s not because we didn’t pray hard enough; and it’s not because God isn’t able.

I looked him in the eye recently–this man that I trust and respect and admire–and asked him why we don’t see them here. He surmises that part of the purpose of miracles is to draw people’s attention and hopes to God’s future kingdom that He’s going to take us to: A better place–the age to come–the age of Christ… And miracles are taste of that, and are supposed to help us long for that.

But here we’re so comfortable that miracles would only make us more comfortable. And to ask for miracles is to ask God to make our time here better. It doesn’t necessarily draw us to a future place or time.

Living in a 3rd world country, even with miracles, there’s no way we’ll feel comfortable enough to be satisfied with “here.” There’s still massive want and need, and miracles in a 3rd world country will simply inspire hope and longing.

Miracles here will just reinforce comfortability.

Or at least, that’s his speculation.

What do you think? Where are the miracles?