The Nature of Art

Last night at church, Pastor Tim was talking about (among a lot of other things...it was a great sermon) using our gifts to praise God and reach people for him. The purpse for which he gave us said gifts is the bring about his glory. After church I had a conversation with a friend about the sermon, and it turns out that we took away many of the same things from it. Both being antisocial artists, we both had some realizations about the way we're using our gifts.

But I think this is absolutely a case in which each answer leads to more questions: what does it look like to use writing and painting to God's glory? Where should I be using these gifts? Is this really what God wants me doing, or should I be using other gifts right now instead (and more correctly stated, where is the balance)? The list goes on.

Tomorrow I plan to busk. Thursday I'm performing at a show something I wrote.  A store is about to start carrying my book (probably/hopefully). But what else? I don't know.

A few years ago I read an article in CCM (certainly not a magazine I read regularly) in which the vocalist from Switchfoot said, "A Christian artist does more than paint crosses." I was later told that this was actually a quote from Frank Schaeffer. Whatever the source, it raises some interesting questions: I mean, what DOES a Christian artist do? The obvious, general, overarching answer is simple: create art to glorify God. However, it's difficult to determine what this looks like on an artist to artist basis.

What I mean is this: what makes the art of Thomas Kinkade better than that of Damon Conklin? I have nothing against Thomas Kinkade. I've never met him, so I can't speak of him as a person. Regardless, I certainly don't like his position as patron saint of Christian bookstores. As for Damon, I go to church with him and know that he sees incarnation in his art. Not only that, but my neighbor mentioned to me on Saturday that when he went to Supergenius to get his tattoo and saw Damon's art, he saw incarnation. It's visible to others.

I think that's one of the biggest parts: Christianity is not exclusively between you and God, but also about community. If people only see you and not God, you're doing something wrong.

Last night at church, Pastor Tim was talking about (among a lot of other things...it was a great sermon) using our gifts to praise God and reach people for him. The purpse for which he gave us said gifts is the bring about his glory. After church I had a conversation with a friend about the sermon, and it turns out that we took away many of the same things from it. Both being antisocial artists, we both had some realizations about the way we're using our gifts.

But I think this is absolutely a case in which each answer leads to more questions: what does it look like to use writing and painting to God's glory? Where should I be using these gifts? Is this really what God wants me doing, or should I be using other gifts right now instead (and more correctly stated, where is the balance)? The list goes on.

Tomorrow I plan to busk. Thursday I'm performing at a show something I wrote.  A store is about to start carrying my book (probably/hopefully). But what else? I don't know.

A few years ago I read an article in CCM (certainly not a magazine I read regularly) in which the vocalist from Switchfoot said, "A Christian artist does more than paint crosses." I was later told that this was actually a quote from Frank Schaeffer. Whatever the source, it raises some interesting questions: I mean, what DOES a Christian artist do? The obvious, general, overarching answer is simple: create art to glorify God. However, it's difficult to determine what this looks like on an artist to artist basis.

What I mean is this: what makes the art of Thomas Kinkade better than that of Damon Conklin? I have nothing against Thomas Kinkade. I've never met him, so I can't speak of him as a person. Regardless, I certainly don't like his position as patron saint of Christian bookstores. As for Damon, I go to church with him and know that he sees incarnation in his art. Not only that, but my neighbor mentioned to me on Saturday that when he went to Supergenius to get his tattoo and saw Damon's art, he saw incarnation. It's visible to others.

I think that's one of the biggest parts: Christianity is not exclusively between you and God, but also about community. If people only see you and not God, you're doing something wrong.

The Nature of Art