#22 - Godless Art (Guest Post)

On the heels of our Good Friday Experience, I thought Wendy's thoughts here provide a great perspective - not just about the artwork that was on display here at the church, but about all forms of artistic expression.  Perhaps this is why movies speak so deeply to me, even the ones (especially the ones?) that have no overt spiritual themes.

by Wendy Scott

The Chilean poet, Gabriela Mistral, once wrote, “There is no godless art.  Although you love not the Creator, you shall bear witness to Him creating His likeness.”

How does that statement sit with you?  I’ll be honest.  My first reaction to her statement was complete disagreement.  I can think of so many offensive pieces of art I have seen in museums (remember that exhibit in New York that was in the news a couple of years ago?) and books over my lifetime that seem not only godless but made intentionally to defame the Creator.  It seems as though there are some artists who live not only to be shocking in their art, but who use it as a platform to blatantly blaspheme.

Upon further consideration, however, I think I see what Mistral was saying.  It’s not whether the art an artist creates is specifically intended to venerate God or not.  It’s that the mere act of creating anything portrays likeness to the Creator.  We are miade in His image, and He is first introduced in Scripture as the supreme Creative Being.  Whatever creative juices we have, whatever art we conceive, construct or produce is merely a shadow of the creative characteristics of the Ultimate Creator who formed us with the capacity to create.  If at any moment, man creates something, whether it honors God or not, he exercises his God-ordained ability.  Man’s mere act of creating, therefore, confesses that there is another Creator, and that One greater than himself.

I don’t pretend that this makes me feel better about some of the terribly disturbing art that has been created throughout the history of man.  But just as with any other ability God has given man, he can either choose to use it to glorify Him or dishonor Him.  It does, however, make me feel better that God will foil all attempts of man to mock Him.  Those who choose to exercise their creative ability to blaspheme the Holy One only end up playing the fool, because God will be glorified no matter what.

#21 - Diary of a Creative-tician

by James Baker

Because I know you’ve been dying to peer behind the creative arts curtain at Friendswood Community Church, here’s a glimpse at my diary entries on the creative process used for a typical Sunday morning service.

Monday (2 weeks out) – Dream up jaw-dropping video concept with Toby…cool villain…plot twists…surprise ending…oh yeah, and it’s spiritual…too important to call a video, more like a short film…best original screenplay nomination at Academy Awards a distinct possibility…practice  ‘surprise’ face in front of mirror…happy that we’ve got a good idea and 2 weeks to produce it

Tuesday – Propose idea to Rick…seems excited…thinks it has potential...asks how much it will cost to produce…he laughs, but not in a good way…sulk the rest of the day… on way out of the parking lot, decide to key Rick’s car

Wednesday morning – Depressed…sleep til noon

Wednesday afternoon – Brainstorm scaled down version, this time without the pyrotechnics and skydiving hippos…land on idea that will include Kenny G soundtrack and adorable puppy…term “video” now seems very appropriate

Thursday – Toby and I fight over creative control of the project…he thinks it should be filmed in color, I say black and white…decide to arm wrestle for it…I come to conclusion that color would create highest impact

Friday – Still mad at Toby…awkward tension…buy him an HEB salad and we make up…I apologize for being a little gruff…he’s sorry that he’s an idiot…finally get around to storyboarding…as the day wears on, more excited about the idea…on way home, think this might be the best video we’ve ever done

Monday (one week out) – Hate the video idea…scrap it completely…scan YouTube for other church videos…become sidetracked by “Charlie bit my finger” video…wonder how such drivel can have 300 million views…watch 10 more times, laughing harder each time…find a powerful, God-inspired video beautifully executed by another church…decide to rip off their idea

Tuesday – Pitch revised concept to Rick…likes it, but says he thinks he’s seen it before…assure him that he hasn’t…reluctantly agrees to idea…beginning to wonder if he regrets hiring me…he asks me if I know anything about his car getting keyed…tell him I don’t even know what that means

Wednesday – Begin shooting…production halted three times because of rain…decide to move shoot indoors…filming commences against painted backdrop of rainbow and monarch butterflies…review footage – hate the shot – looks fake…quick meeting with Rick updating him on video progress…use the last 2 hours of the day to update resume

Thursday – Scrap idea again…thinking about just using a clip from Schindler’s List, or maybe Tommy Boy…call mom to tell her my frustrations…tries to cheer me up by sending forwarded emails of kittens dressed up like “The Village People”…more depressed than ever

Friday – 48 hours out from Sunday, and still no good ideas…eat lunch, stare out office window at passing cars…begin to think about the movie, “Cars”…decide that “Toy Story 3” was a much better movie…scan Wikipedia to find out how old Tom Hanks is…spend half-hour wondering how they filmed the ping pong scene in Forrest Gump…startled by phone call from Rick…asks how video is coming along…tell him that good art cannot be rushed…he assures me that it can

Sunday morning – Toby and I up till 2am, creating video slideshow of “The Village People” kittens

Sunday evening – email inbox full…consensus is, best video ever…sleep well that night…job well done