The ILLUMINATRIUM

LIFE IS SHORT

2008-07-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that life is short, so get out there and live it with expectancy and joy.

When it comes time to check-out of this crazy planet, be sure your heart is free from the entanglements of this world and is ready to meet your Maker without hostility toward any person . . . and with clean hands. Nothing is worth our losing the opportunity to receive the finer things. Don't go out of this world with the poison of unforgiveness in you inner being. Forgive.

So, today, take a deep breath and let it go. As you do, simply choose to expel all things that can bind or poison your spirit; anything that diminishes the radiance of your own soul. You can do this. You really can, but YOU must make the choice to let it go. So, loosen your grip on the offenses life has thrown at you and turn them loose. Send them away.

Yes, you will have to renew that decision many times, so just renew it each time. Over the course of time you will find that you have become free from those negative thoughts, and your emotions will eventually follow suit. I have discovered this to be true in my own life. Forgiveness comes first. It is a choice. Feelings come later. Many of one's feelings are the results of their choices. Choose to feel good. Let all that icky stuff go.

You might want to read and ponder the wise and comforting words of Psalm 23. There is a lot more there than what one might see at first glance. Reflect on each line, each word and each idea. You will be lifted up as you read it, study it, and embrace the ideas in this timeless proclamation.

There is someone who cares about you very deeply. Direct your thoughts his way today. You will be glad you did. Embrace forgiveness, and extend forgiveness to others too. Reach for goodness and light. With virtue you will not only live longer, you will live well. PEACE TO YOU TODAY & ALWAYS!
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By the way, visit my China Blog at http://perceptions21.blogspot.com/ -

HONG KONG

2008-05-25T15:47:00.001-07:00

GO HERE FOR THE REST OF THE BLOGS ABOUT OUR TOUR OF CHINA:
http://perceptions21.blogspot.com

Our first two days in Hong Kong were an eye-opener. It is both an island and a peninsula. We have spent some time on the island, but our hotel is on the peninsula. The city is full of color and movement, and the aroma of food wafting through the air. The sights of colorful advertisements of so many businesses, and giant advertisements that cover half the size of a tall building are surprising. There are people everywhere and the city is alive all day and all night.

We have had many new experiences. Hong Kong is large and beautiful and busy and warm. Being from Seattle, where the temperature stays moderate all year long, experiencing intense humidity and eighty-something temperatures was a bit of a shift for us, but there is so much air conditioning everywhere, even in some open-to-the-outside businesses. funny.

Wonderful people have become our new friends. Lori, our guide is amazing and lots of fun. Today she takes us to the mainland on the ferry, to meet a lady named Pat, who will take us to Shenzhen university where we will be teaching art, literature and writing English. It seems like everyone here wants to learn English. It has given me new insight into the power of language and the desire for people everywhere to communicate with each other across cultures.

Here is a picture I took from a high point above the city on Saturday night. It is a huge business center, kind of like a fancy mall, but more commercial and recreational. Believe it or not, we ate dinner at Bubba Gumps! How weird that was. But fear not, we are eating LOTS of Chinese food, and things I am not sure I should ask about its contents. All of it is delicious, and Connie is bravely trying to learn to eat with chopsticks. HA!

Oh yes, we were told that the government may block people from posting to blogs, but I hope we can find a way to keep you all on our tour with us.

More later.

HAVING FUN!

2008-05-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

Our flight out of Seattle was delayed three hours, so we missed our first connecting flight in Tokyo for Hong Kong and had to stay in Japan for the night. It was all good, and we had fun seeing a little of the Narita airport.

Northwest Airlines put us up in the Radisson and everyone treated us very well.

On Saturday morning, Connie and I caught a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong at 10 AM, and now we are in HK - safe and sound, and excited about what lays before us.

Here, Connie is having fun with a poster in the Narita airport that makes sport of travelers who through fits over not being able to carry certain forbidden items onto the air craft - like lighters in their suitcase - duh. We are having fun. :-)

Next, pictures of Hong Kong and updates.

PORTALS & WORLDS

2008-05-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Today we step through a new doorway into a bright world; China! The dragon is awakening.

Though itineraries have been set and refined, what awaits in these next five cities and universities is still a mystery in many ways. In the next three weeks that mystery will unfold.

In addition to universities, we will also be visiting an International School to explore the "Arts and the Imagination" with children from Kindergarten through High School. This is going to be delightful!

In every place, from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, from Xian to Nanchang, people are excited about inviting us into their worlds. Yes, we go as teachers with much to share, but more than that, we go as students with even more to learn. That sounds like a cliche', but it is truer than truth itself.

This journey will be wondrous in many ways, and we are so grateful to all of our friends who have made this journey possible. Thank you! - thank you for participating with us in this adventure. We are so full of appreciation for special friends like you. You know who you are - and we do too :-) Your generosity will not be forgotten.

C'mon along! Stay with us to see what unfolds. Visit The Illuminatrium often.

My next blog will be from China!!!

COMPLETE PAINTINGS IN AN HOUR

2008-04-30T02:49:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I paint in churches during worship and sermons. It is fun and people seem to enjoy it, plus, ironically enough, God seems to use it to inspire both artists and non-artists. The comments people make always give me joyous insights into how God ignites the creative process in us, and how he uses us to do that for each other.

If you, or someone you know would like for me to come paint in a public event, go ahead, give me a shout. Let's make some notable art together.

No two paintings are alike. I do something unique for each and every service and group. There are no canned images, no formula-paintings. Each creation is fresh and special. Every painting is a "one-off" work of art done specifically for that group experience in that moment of time.

Sometimes groups auction off my paintings for various fundraisers, and sometimes they frame them immediately and display the art in their churches, schools, or group gathering places on the spot.

Paintings are brought to to various degree of finish, depending on what people want. Some paintings I take back with me to my studio and spend a few more hours tidying up and bringing the artwork to higher refinement, and some paintings go right on the wall after the public painting session.

To see more of these paintings, you can find them on my website at http://www.danielriceart.net/ and click on the GALLERY link. You will find more of these panels as well as other interesting things to look at. I do hope you enjoy it.

WE ARE HEADING FOR CHINA IN MAY

2008-04-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

Many of you are aware that Connie and I are going to China. We leave May 22nd and return June 15th. Five cities and four universities will be visited during this time.

Our itinerary takes us from Seattle to Hong Kong, to Shenzhen, to Nanchang, to Xian to Beijing and back to Seattle. We will be teaching in four universities across China, about writing, the arts, tourism in English speaking nations, and much more.

This trip has been a dream of ours for a number of years. Now, thanks to the generous gifts of friends and relatives, this trip will be a reality. Thanks to everyone of you who has made this trip to China a possibility.

If you would like to be part of or team but have not had the opportunity to contributed to this venture, we invite you to do so today. Thank you for giving generously to the China team.

Check out the special gift for you described in our mid-April China team flier. Go here to take a peek. http://www.danielriceart.net/CHINA/update_d.pdf

A LOVE FOR THE TRUTH

2008-04-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

This painting is called, "The Triumph of Truth," by Peter Paul Rubens. Why do you suppose he depicts Truth naked, and who are these other figures? What is Rubens trying to tell us?

Loving truth and recognizing truth requires a number of things. Not everyone loves the truth, not everyone loves the idea that truth exists independently of them; beyond their own personal perspectives, and not everyone is prepared to give truth a welcoming embrace - especially when it militates against their sensibilities and beliefs. Truth can seem harsh and unflattering. Truth can be hard to take. Truth can cut you down as well as lift you up. Truth is tough stuff.

Truth has to do with what "is;" that which is independent of us, not that which comes from inside of us. Truth does not originate from us, and is not dependent upon our approval for its existence. We do not decree what is true or false, truth is something we learn to recognize, something we discover, something we come to love or not. The discovery of that truth is often unsettling, and sometimes shocking.

What I mean is, truth is truth whether I consent to its veracity or not. Truth is never subjective. It is always first objective, then it becomes personalized as we adopt it, but North American culture does not like to see it that way. Truth, in contemporary America, is often described as the subjective product of emotion and personal preference. We say, "What is true for you may not be true for me,:" and that might hold strong in some circumstances, like saying vanilla ice cream is better than strawberry, but it does not hold true across the spectrum of life. Sometimes truth (in the form of facts) mean little or nothing to a person who wishes to place their own perspectives at the locus of highest esteem, but this does not mean that their own preferences or personal perspectives could ever equal truth. They don't.

Even when it comes to simple facts, people are not always convinced by facts. People don't always recognize or welcome truth either. The fact is, our beliefs and personal viewpoints are continually being colored by our preferences and our emotions. Truth is colored by nothing. Truth colors all other things. Someone said that a person's philosophy is dictated by their morality, and not the other way around, but this is not how truth works.

Truth is the judge of all philosophies, and determines their soundness, not the other way around. This is an unpopular thing to say, because as soon as one starts speaking about truth they get labeled as a fundamentalist. But to say truth does not exist is equally fundamentalistic because it asserts something as true. It is inescapable. Each of us has ideas about truth whether they are well formed or not. Each of us believes in truth of one sort or another. The only difference is whether our beliefs reflect the reality that stands beyond us.

People frequently believe what they FEEL to be true, and some people believe what they WANT to be true. For all of our wonderful complexity as human beings, for all of our intellect and thinking, we are still majorly influenced by our moral preferences and our emotions. This is upside down living, and it leads to despair and brokenness. Take for example our emotions themselves . . .

Emotions get the best of us and make fools of us all, yet which of us would give up their emotions for cold calculating bald intellect. Why? Because emotions take us places and provide us with richness that the cold intellect never can. A purely scientific mind can might use sex for purposes of procreation, but lovers make love. Procreation to them is a byproduct, not merely an end. We lament over the troubles our emotions cause us, but if there was a surgery that would remove our emotions once and for all, precious few of us would go for it. It seems that those pesky, unpredictable, troublesome, infuriating emotions of ours are some of the things that make us feel most human. I have often wondered about this oddity . . . emotions.

Art is often about emotions. I wonder if the arts could exist without emotions. I don't see how they could. Here is an even weirder thing, the Bible speaks of God's emotions. Is the Bible merely speaking in the language of accommodation for the sake of our understanding . . . so WE can relate to God . . . or does God really and truly have emotions like us? Can it be that such a view of God is not provincial, not merely anthropomorphizing the deity? Can emotions be important in the heavens?

The profound mystery of the "incarnation" is that God took upon himself human flesh, and we see that God in the form of Jesus of Nazareth displaying really honest emotions. I don't know about you, but that kind of Divine identification with human emotions says something wonderful to me about our own thought life as well. Jesus' own words are profound and meaningful when he said, "Be angry, but sin not." He is not denying us the use of our emotions, not even of anger. He says, USE THEM, but don't let them lead you into the wrong path.

Emotions may be as transformable as the surface of the water, but this does not make them worthless. Emotions are not our enemies. Emotions are important to the intellect, to wholeness as a human being, but let us never forget that reason is given to balance out the inherent weaknesses of mere emotion. Logic is not merely a construct of Modernity, it is part of human civilization in every culture. Emotional maturity, that is, putting emotions to their proper work for us, is a mark of maturity and wisdom. It is both winsome and wise.

When we construct our personal belief systems, let us not forget the need for emotion. Let us retain it and embrace emotion, but let us never give our emotions the final say. The last word belongs to our minds, our reason, our intellect and our ability to make sound judgments -- but beyond that, our maturity relies not in our intellect but in Truth itself.

I never want to dismiss logic because my emotions are telling me something different, and I never what to reject the Truth simply because my intellect cannot get it's mind around the Truth.

I never want to fear when there is no reason to fear. I never want to despair or be overly optimistic either. I want to know the Truth. Only the truth has the ability to set one free from the tyranny of emotions and the restrictions of the mind.

I hope, as I grow, that I can correct the excesses of my emotions and bring them into useful service to my mind, and I pray I can bring my mind into conformity to the Truth itself.

Here is a curious scripture in the New Testament. It relates to the issue of Truth, and the importance of loving the Truth.

2 Thess 2:8-13 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie
12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. NIV

It is interesting to consider that Jesus said, "I AM THE TRUTH." In one of his prayers he said to God, "Your word is truth." I wonder what he meant by that, and I wonder if anyone ponders those words very deeply. The apostle Paul said, "The truth is in Jesus." (Eph 4) Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24 NIV

WE WILL ALL PASS THROUGH THE FIRE

2008-03-16T23:38:00.001-07:00

Dante, we often forget, was just a Medieval Italian author, a good one, to be sure, but just human. His ideas of heaven and hell are not the Bible, they are just Dante's ideas that made it convenient for him to tell his entertaining, and often instructive tales. Still, most images and ideas of hell we see depicted in art or discussed in conversation are quite Dante-esque. I am not sure at all that Dante's ideas are Biblical ideas, though his are quite profound and often amusing. I often have remarked how convenient it is to believe in hell, especially when one has enemies.

I have noticed how people seem strangely comforted to imagine their enemies roasting in hell. What a bizarre thing this is to me.

Theologically, I am not a universalist; believing that all people will be ultimately saved. No, I think some people's destiny will shape up badly. I don't see universalism in scripture, but I also think we will all be surprised on "that day," when we see who gets in and who does not get it. Oh, I think there is going to be a great deal of surprise on judgment day, to say nothing of shock and awe. One thing for sure is that the first will be last and the last will be first. The powerful will find themselves cast down and the weak will find themselves exalted. I do believe that justice will prevail in the end, and that every mountain and hill will be made low, and every valley and ditch raised up. There will come a reckoning, I do believe that.

The fact is, the Bible, although it frankly speaks about hell (there is no getting around that), does not really give us that much to go on, and I am glad. I think we should be talking about the "Good News" a lot more than we talk about the bad news, and thank God, the Bible actually does that.

The biggest idea about hell we get from the Bible is that we REALLY don't want to go there. Hell is a state of existence we want to avoid at all costs. Sometimes the Bible describes the nether world as a burning place, and sometimes as a sterile place, such as outer darkness. There is not one single word that describes hell in the New Testament, but several. Much has been written by religious folks about this place, but, every description leaves me cold. :-) Whatever it is, I do NOT want to go there. I have my own ideas about it, but I hate thinking about it.

But, as for the subject of fire, a much more important subject in the Bible, we would definitely do well to ponder it. The Bible teaches that we will ALL pass through one kind of fire or another. Fire, can be a metaphor for suffering, or it can be referring to fire as a purifying agent; as punishment, or as judgment. It can be "good" or "bad." It can be many things. The end of the world will be with fire. Fire is God's cleansing agent. When Christ appears, he will appear, "in fire," and so forth.

This morning I was listening to Handel's Messiah, which by the way is about the entire gospel story, Christmas, Easter, and the world to come. I listen to Handel's Messiah all the time. There is hardly a week goes by but that I listen to some portion of it. This morning the section I was listening to was taken from Malachi chapter three, and it really caught my attention - and my imagination. Here it is.

Malachi 3:1-6 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years. 5 "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. Robbing God 6 "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.

It would be great to unpack everything here, but suffice it to say, this is a place in scriptures that speaks of God's people as going through the fire of judgment, and that is more important than the fact that some will go through that "OTHER" kind of fire.

Malachi talks about the fire that will purify the sons of Levi; that they may offer righteous sacrifices. John the Baptist talks about one who will come after him who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Fire is always associated with God, and God with fire. "Our God," the writer to the Hebrews says, "is a consuming fire." This is a strong theme in the scriptures.

Yet, there is a principle here that bears consideration. It is that God's fire, though it purges away impurity, does not consume the believer, just the impurity.

6 "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. In the King James version it says, "so you sons of Jacob are not consumed."

Moses saw the burning bush, but it was NOT being consumed. This was strange, and it drew him aside. The "consuming fire" spoken about in Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire, is not the kind that devours God's people. The irony, if it be that, is that Hebrews 12 discusses God and fire before verse 29 and says, 18 You have not come to a mountain . . . that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

He then comforts us by telling us the kind of wonderful place we now inhabit with God - read it for yourself. It is awesome -- then comes back around to the issue of God as fire . . . and not just any kind of fire, but a "consuming fire." Do a study on the subject of fire. You will be amazed at what you discover.

So, this fire of God is different than other kinds of fire. This fire is a safe fire. Safe does not mean it does not burn. Safe does not imply it does not hurt. Safe does not imply that it is all sweetness and light. Nope. This fire is a raging burning, churning, furious, vigorous burning that consumes the dross, the impurities, the wood/hay/stubble of our lives, and leaves only purified substance in its wake.

Make no mistake. We shall all pass through the fire; some to destruction and others to a purified life, by which we will be able to make acceptable sacrifices to God . . . in righteousness. God deserves the best, and he is determined to get it. Fire is the means. Purification is the desired effect. The revelation of God's splendor is the end.

From the beginning of the Bible to the end, fire is God's agent of transformation. If you have ever prayed for God to change you, then you can expect the fire of God to purge you. If you have never prayed for God to change you, you can still expect to encounter the fire of God, but you won't like it. As for me, I prefer one over the other. I trust the one kind of fire to do for me (and for my God) the best things imaginable. I want to offer my life as an acceptable sacrifice, and though I tremble and struggle at times with the implications of God's fire in my life, I will not refuse him. I will welcome that burning which transforms me from what I am to what he desires for me to be. Without such a blaze, there would be no hope for me. A fate worse than purging is the fate of being reserved for a different kind of fire. Our choices are never fire or no fire, but ever and only, which fire will I embrace.

John the Baptist said it best when he said, "There is one coming after me, whose shoes I am unworthy to untie, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Yes, Jesus. Baptize me with that Holy Spirit and that fire.

BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS

2008-03-13T00:23:00.000-07:00

There are realities beyond sight, beyond measurement, even beyond belief.

It is that fact that keeps me enthralled with life and this wonderful world in which we live.

If you like biology or astronomy, physics or art, you don't have to go far before you discover a vast world of wonder. The universe is so full of amazement. It is overflowing with things we cannot comprehend, and would never have imagined on our own. Praise to the Creator for having made such a rich and abundant cosmos. "Open our eyes, Lord, that we might see what yet lies beyond our meager perceptions."

May God grant us the grace of seeing that which reaches beyond our wildest dreams of wonder.

MIND-FREAKING PARANORMAL GHOST HUNTING SUPERNATURALISM ON TV

2008-03-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

Our society boasts about how thoroughly we have been freed from the superstitions of religion by science and technology, but the presence of paranormal subjects in the movies and in the programming on TV continues to haunt the realm of entertainment. What is up with that? How, in such a technological and savvy global culture, can interest in the paranormal remain so strong?
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This is not unusual; we have seen resurgence in interest in the realm of "the mysterious" numerous times in the last two hundred years. It was very strong in the Victorian Age, it was very strong during the Great Depression, it was very strong in the later in the 1960s, and it is very strong right now. In the Victorian age it produced a spiritual awakening, not only in the world in the area of spiritualism, but in the church as well, and so these two strains of spiritual pursuits have often walked hand in hand.
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The interest in the paranormal is almost normal for our culture. I have heard many people make fun of cultures in less "developed" countries for allowing superstitions to influence and guide their lives, but are we any less superstitious than they? It is a question worth asking, especially when politicians and powerful leaders in our nation consult astrologers and mediums before they make decisions or act on important matters of state. How are we any different than the Roman leaders when they sacrificed animals to pagan deities and then examined their entrails to determine when and how to go to war? It begs the question whether there are any "developed" nations at all.
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Before the Enlightenment, during the Reformation and Renaissance, the Catholic Church had been dealt heavy blows to its credibility and authority. From the challenges of Martin Luther all the way to discoveries of Galileo, the Catholic Church lost its exclusive hold on the culture. They rallied with a Counter Reformation and an Inquisition, but nothing could stop the slide of European societies away from the authoritarian stranglehold of the Church. This was good in some senses but it also opened up gnarly questions about issues of truth and spiritual guidance.
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After the Enlightenment, when all forms of religion and supernaturalism were nearly banned from France, it affected the rest of Europe and America as well. In that process a spiritual vacuum was created. Where once churches filled the place of truth and spiritual guidance, now no institution could seriously claim that place of privilege with any final authority. Those days faded the moment the Protestant Reformation began.
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Religion, that is Christianity, was nearly swept out of France altogether, but that did not mean (as some foolishly thought) that people would cease to be interested in spirituality; quite the contrary. A thirst for the supernatural, much to the chagrin of the intelligencia, remained deeply imbedded in the general population. Not everyone was as "liberated" and as "enlightened" as the intellectual fathers of the French Enlightenment. The result of the loss of spiritual leadership and its resultant cultural vacuum in the public sector eventually produced a movement called Spiritualism, which took many forms, not just in France, but particularly in England. A look at this phenomenon produces curious discoveries. Not only did this vacuum reveal an interest in the supernatural, but that vacuum was filled up with all sorts of teachings and experimentation with spirits, specters, ghosts, and the ability to communicate with the dead. It produced a fascination about witches, magic, and fairies too. One famous example of this is the beloved Dickens story, A Christmas Carol.
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Here we have Dickens showing the shallowness of the Enlightenment ideals through Mr. Scrooge. He typifies result of those horrific effects on humanity, via the Industrial Revolution, within the context of English society.
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Scrooge talks to ghosts, and is thereby brought to his senses (interesting in itself), and ultimately to a very Christian kind of redemption. Not all "supernaturalism" led directly to the devil, as some might fear. Some of it, especially in this case with Charles Dickens, led back to church, to Christ and to salvation.
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In this, the Englishman's (Dickens) spirituality differs from the French forms of his era. In England it is still possible to believe in the Christian ideal, but not so much in France. This is a very curious phenomenon, and I would love to comment more on this point, and I may do that in a later blog if there is interest by readers for me to do that.
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I would only give you a hint that the same possibility of turning a populist interest in supernaturalism toward Christ rather than toward the devil can work in the context of New Age ideas too. It may be possible to turn the general postmodern openness to the spiritual and paranormal "realities" toward Christ in a redeeming way. I think it is not only possible, but it may be the only truly beneficial direction it can be turned. Ministers, rather than fearing and denouncing postmodern spirituality, might do well to reconsider the benefits such interests create for the possibility of dialogue. Of course, dogmatists won't get this, they never do. But those who are alive with the Spirit will quickly understand this concept.
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The interest in fairies and spirits of the earth has been around since the dawn of pagan mythology, but these ideas surged up again during the Victorian age. As noted, I believe that happened because it was a "safe" non-dogmatic kind of generic happy spirituality that became available to the masses at a time when they were spiritually curious. It satisfied the masses' thirst for something spiritual without the heavy moral baggage of religion. In a video link to YouTube (below) I have given you access to a painting by Richard Dadd, called the Fairy Feller's Master Stroke, which has been updated with a song by Queen. It is entirely entertaining, profound and humorous. This is a kind of proof that the fascination with fairies and such things is with us for some time to come.
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We all know that the Age of Enlightenment produced the Industrial Revolution, and in the midst of those revolutionary movements, we have a corresponding deluge of interest in the occult and in spiritual subjects. These two things are linked together. But here is a very interesting thing to consider, there was also a spiritual awakening within the Protestant churches at the same time.
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At the end of the nineteenth and early part of the twentieth century, there was a spiritual-earthquake that shook the Western world. Its ripples continue out to us today - but instead of those ripples growing weaker and farther apart as they move outward from the epicenter (the French Enlightenment), it appears like they are growing larger, as does a tsunami when it reaches the shore.
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There are many similarities and some significant differences between the belief in and experience of the supernatural since the Enlightenment. Some of those are the inclusion of women in the role of spiritual guide. In séances and spiritualist meetings, women were thought to be the more sensitive mediums. In the development of Post-Industrial society, the women's movement gained greater and greater momentum, as did the inclusion of disenfranchised peoples in society and marginalized individuals, such as bohemians, transcendentalists and other "free" thinkers.
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It is an irony that in the spiritual Protestant awakening in the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, women also began to enjoy greater respect and inclusion in the spiritual life of the church; the Reform church and the Baptist churches notwithstanding. It was not only the spiritualist movements like Christian Science, Theosophy, Spiritualism, and séances that sported women proponents, but so did the new Christian movements. The Evangelist Charles Finney championed not only Abolishionist Issues, but Women's Issues too.
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The newer denominations from branches of the Wesleyan line, Nazarene churches, Holiness churches and the growth of the Pentecostal churches (both black and white), all permitted women to participate in ways they had not been allowed in previous generations. Modernism produced some unexpected twists for spiritual communities, and that resulted in benefits for women within communities of faith. All of these events helped create the foundations of Postmodernism because each played its part by creating openness to new spiritual ideas. Once the central place of Catholic authority had been removed, anything was possible, in any direction.
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Once religion and spirituality had to compete on equal terms with other ideas in the marketplace, it made new spiritual commodities possible (if we can call them comodities). Now, one's spiritual wares will remain viable in the market place only if the product offered is perceived as credibly meeting personal needs in a way that other options cannot. This trend toward interest in the supernatural continues today, and is a subject worthy of our study. The Postmodern view includes all sorts of possibilities and perspectives once thought unthinkable in a modernist mindset; a mindset which was predominantly empirical.
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Postmodernism is, by contrast, existential; that is, experiential in nature. A Postmodernist might consider data and empirical information, but emotions and personal perceptions are every bit as authoritative as is empirical data. This is problematical for scientific methodology, yet even good scientists are often swayed by Postmodern sentiments.
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Another nineteenth century example is the philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, who made a tremendous case for the necessity of an existential approach to faith. Unfortunately, errors of which Kierkegaard is not guilty are sometimes laid at his feet. His approach to personal spirituality placed an emphasis on the experiential "leap of faith" from the heart rather than the intellectual assent to knowledge. It was the heart not the head, that is required for one to embrace the things of the Spirit -- or anything supernatural.
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An over-simplified Kierkegaardianism works for just about any kind of supernaturalism, which is helpful in some cases and not so much in other cases. Kierkegaard himself would not approve of the way his ideas have been kidnapped. He was a Christian through and through, but his ideas, which were intended to speak to the issues of Christian faith, have been torn from their settings and made to apply to any and every experience of life -- spiritual or not. This degrading of his ideas was an unfortunate development. Many books have been written on an existential approach to spirituality, and perhaps, one day, I will write one too, but suffice it to say that interest and belief in the supernatural, paranormal, ghosts, specters, fairies, and spirits of all kinds is here to stay. Science has not stamped it out, The Enlightenment has not quelled our hunger for spiritual experiences, and, for better or worse, these curiosities are part of our permanent cultural/spiritual landscape.
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It is, in my estimation that -- and not mine only -- that "God shaped void" within us, described by Paul Tillich, cannot be satisfied with a purely naturalistic explanation of the universe. We feel deep within our being that there must be something more to the world than can be explained by science. Never was that more obvious than it is on TV and in movies today.
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Is it the angst produced by Modernism that fuels Postmodernism? Is it the notion that matter is all that exists the force that provokes our desire for "more" than a material reality?
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Whatever it is, the desire for spiritual things is basic to our nature. We not only want to believe . . . we do believe that there is more to the universe than meets the eye. How we go about satisfying our hunger for spiritual things may be dramatically different than our neighbor's method, but the essential thing is the same, that is, we believe there is something "out there," and we want to make contact with it, even if it scars the bejeebers out of us.
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Finally, I will make a kind of BFO (blinding flash of the obvious) prediction. If it is true that a general curiosity about the supernatural can (and has in the past) produced an attraction to the gospel, and if it is true that such an interest has always been accompanied by an outpouring of God's spirit (which it can be demonstrated that it has), then it is not too much of a stretch to see that the current interest in the paranormal, and such things, will be also accompanied by the Spirit in our present time. What we can expect, without a shadow of a doubt is that a fresh outpouring of grace and power is not far off. It only requires people who will open up to it.
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Those who understand this will prepare themselves to receive that mysterious move of God that will transcend the present materialistic preoccupation of the churches. Those who don't understand this will baulk and resist that move of the Spirit, just like a certain churches resisted the work of the Spirit in previous generations. As for me, I don't want to miss this next move of God, and you can bet money on the fact that it WILL come. If not through me, then perhaps through you, but if not through us, then it will come through someone else. The one thing that is certain, though, is that it will come from somewhere, and I pray it comes soon.
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I wonder what will become of those ministers and congregations, those institutions and groups who miss it? I want to be prepared. Will it come as a rushing mighty wind or a soft and gentle breeze? Only God knows. But however it comes, it will come in a form we least expect, and it will be a form that is perfect for the age in which we live. My prayer is that I am ready to receive it. How about you?
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NOTE: Here is that cool YouTube short about Richard Dadd's "Fairy Feller's Master Stroke," a sample of non-traditional spiritual ideas in mid-nineteenth century England. Check it out. It might amuse you. Cheers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoRaXAK2RCY

TO BURN OR BURY IS NOT THE QUESTION

2008-03-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

Today's blog entry discusses ideas about cremation vs. burial - or - how one ought to treat the human body. The picture to the left is of the resurrection of Christ by Matthias Grunewald, from the Isenheim altar - 1515.

The link to the article above (click on the headline) will give some ideas about this subject, but suffice it to say that burial is a particularly Christian practice - not that others don't bury their dead, they do, but Christians have done it for different reasons.

In paganism both burial and cremation were practiced. When Christianity appeared in the Roman empire, it began to practice burial exclusively. Some of that may have been a reaction to the practices of Rome, but certainly the practice of Christian burial became the result of the teachings of the Apostles.

Paul, in I Corinthians 15, gives numerous pictures why Christians should bury their dead. Though this is not contrasted against cremation or anything like that, it is a treatise that stands on its own. This teaching was radical in his day. It seemed like a strange teaching because it was associated with the idea of the resurrection. Paul suffered much and was mocked, ridiculed and dismissed as a nut for preaching the resurrection. Just check out how people reacted when he talked about the resurrection. From rulers in Palestine to philosophers on Mars Hill, Paul was scoffed at when he preached the resurrection. Today people still baulk over the idea of the resurrection, both for Christ and for us, but resurrection is at the center of the gospel.

It use to be that the Church, meaning the church of Rome, forbade cremation. It was considered a sin, and if I remember correctly, it was a very bad sin, one that was said to condemn the soul.

Well, I am not sure that it is a bad sin, or that it is a sin at all, but there are some strong reasons for choosing burial over cremation. I do know that some attitudes about the body are probably sinful, or at least ignorant, and that might be more to the point.

The church has often interpreted things in moral terms that need not be placed in that category at all. Cremation vs. burial may be one of those. Issues of burial are, as far as I can tell, more of a didactic issue than a moral consideration. In other words, it is what "Christian burial" asserts and teaches about the human body that is more at the core of the practice than the way one may care for the body after death. I believe that people can have the right or wrong ideas in their heads regardless of their funerary practices. The inverse is also true.

Some will argue that it is not hard for the God who made the body to call it back from ashes, any more that it is an obstacle for him to reconstitute the body after it has been reclaimed by the earth, therefore cremation is not a problem.

Of course that would be true if God's abilities were the issue, but it is not. Jesus said that God was able of the stones, to raise up children unto Abraham. In other words, God is able to do not only the impossible, but also the unimaginable.

Some believe that the body is just a husk that will be discarded in order to set the soul free to be with God. First, this is not a biblical view. It is a view that comes partially out of pagan ideas and partially out of Greek ideas.

The immortality of the soul is Socrates idea (as well as others), and it is not a scriptural concept; resurrection is the biblical view, and that is very much different than notions about the immortality of the soul.

Second, the view that the body is worthless and can be discarded in anyway one wants comes close to promoting the lowest view of the body possible; again, not biblical. And THIS is the real issue at hand - a low view of the body. What do we believe about the body? This issue is central to the historical Christian faith.

This importance of the human body has been the battle ground of many theological "discussions," which may be at the root of why the Catholic church, to their credit I might add, has taken the treatment of the body into the arena of morality. Believers in Jesus do, without any doubt, have a moral/spiritual responsibility to the human body. The Catholic church may be wrong in its particular conclusions, but if it is, it is probably not far from the "spirit of the law" regarding this matter.

Further, some will argue that the funerary culture these days is a racket that preys on the emotions of loved ones in order to make a profit. This may be true, but it is a fallacious on numerous levels. It is a distraction from the core issue, i.e. one's view of the body, and makes it an issue of economics, of which it is anything but. This economic view leaves one with the same low view of the body. It does nothing to retrieve us from the unfortunate error of a low view of the body.

Not only this but such a view ignores the possibility that those who run crematoriums can be just as greedy, just as ignoble as those who sell plots and caskets. It further implies that all those companies that provide plots and caskets are insensitive and greedy, and that is too sweeping to be true. It is too stereotypical and emotional to be an accurate picture.

In the news, we have at least one horrible example of a crematorium owner dumping bodies all over his property rather than cremating them, because it was too expensive to cremate them. Can the view of the human body get any lower than that? I hope not.

So, the argument that one part of the funerary industry is more virtuous than another does not hold water, and is, in itself, an sufficient reason to choose cremation over burial. Greed is ubiquitous. It affects everyone. Not only this, but all one need do then to provide a cheaper means of burial and the tide of opinion will swing back to burial. But, again, this is to reduce the treatment of the body to an economic quotient. That seems rather crass and utilitarian to me. It is entirely a modernist construct that views the body as nothing more than material, without any intrinsic value, without any inherent dignity. The body is ultimately junk, like a broken automobile, and should be disposed of in an efficient and economical manner. This is, again, a low view of the body.

The reasons why Christians buried their dead from the first century onward, and in fact the reason why the Jews buried their dead before Christianity, is for entirely different reasons than what we discuss about the dead these days.

The reasons Jews and Christians bury the body was for at least two reasons (there may be more). First, Jews and Christians buried rather than burned the dead because they had a high view of the body. This is key. They believe that the body is more than dirt, that it has dignity because it was created by a good God, and that it has a destiny beyond the grave.

The body, as we are told in the beginning of the Bible, was made in the likeness and image of God. Some seek to relegate that "image" and "likeness" to the confines of the human soul alone, but this would be to read into the scriptures something it does not say. The body, in some mysterious way, is part of that image of God. Just because we cannot conceive of its entire ramifications does not mean it is not still true. Not only this, but Paul give us some hints as to its deeper implications when he refers to this body as a seed of a new body. I wonder if we have even yet began to ponder the implications of this truth. It is only the small mind that would think that God looks like some wise old man with a beard, and yet, there really is something to the idea that the human body is part of the revelation of God in this world. I will leave that for you to ponder. The human body is important; far more important that most have considered. Selah.

Not only this, but Christ himself (as far as Christian teaching is concerned) took upon himself a body. Phil 2:5-9 . . . Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, NIV So, not only was man made in the image and likeness of God, but God was made in the image and likeness of man - in Christ. The incarnation is the ultimate scandal. Heb 10:5-7 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, 'Here I am — it is written about me in the scroll — I have come to do your will, O God.'" NIV

For the remainder of this article, please go http://www.danielriceart.net/ILLUMINATRIUM/body.html -
I think you might appreciate completing the entire thought.

Painting: Resurrection of Christ, by Peter Paul Rubens

HOW SWEET THE SOUND

2008-02-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

. . . that saved a wretch like me.

Sin, wickedness, evil, ungodliness, iniquity, wretchedness these are all concepts used in the Bible to describe human beings who are out of sync with God, in danger of judgment, or worse.

When I was a child in Sunday School, I did not think much about those words. I knew both from the Bible and personal experience that people do wrong things. By the time I had become a young man, I knew myself as being among that number. I recognized that I fit the description of a sinner well enough, but I never considered myself wicked, or evil. But when I was eighteen, while reading the Psalms, the use of the term, “the wicked” disturbed me. At first I denied that I was wicked. That was just too much. Sure, I was a naughty sinner, but wicked? Never!

All that year, the Bible descriptions of sinfulness plagued me. I found myself in varying degrees of mental and emotional discomfort. Now I know that it was the Holy Spirit dealing with me about repentance. I doubt there were any of my compatriots who worried about such things, but it bothered me.

Many conversations with my mother, a Christian, and other Christians followed. I protested that the Bible would use such pejorative language. What right did anyone have to call another “a sinner?” It seemed like the worst kind of insult. Are not all people basically good? Well, I launched all sorts of arguments and disapproving remonstrations that year. It was a controversy with me. I took it personally. After all, why use such a heavily laden word as “SIN” to describe mere human behavior? Why make any human behavior an issue between human beings and God? Why not just assign it a more general term like, ignorance, or selfishness, or personal perspective? SIN? That was going too far. It was coercive and judgmental. How dare anyone use such language? Such things should be stopped. That was my view at that time. I hated it.

Well, many things happened that year that brought me to my knees, as they say. If you want to know what, let me know, I’ll direct you to an account of those things that you can read for yourself. It is far too long and involved to go into here. However, the upshot of the story is that I no longer disagree with the use of such terms. I believe they are very good terms, and that they bring things to the surface in such ways as to give clarity and aid for one such as I.

After I became a Christ-Follower (and that was NOT easy for me), I ran into similar objections about the use of the word sin in the churches. Many folks, even Christians, did not like to think of themselves as sinners. They protest. They fudge. They wiggle and squirm, but not I. No longer do I chafe under the weight and implication of that word. It is okay if others do not wish to think of themselves as sinners. God is able to convince them otherwise. That is not my task. Besides, I would just mess that up like everything else I lay my hand to. Without God’s help, I have never – and will never – do anything worthy of praise in my life. The only good has been what has been done in God. I screw up everything else. I cannot help it. I am broken beyond repair. I don’t need a fix; I need a complete death and resurrection. My lot is hopeless without Christ. Jesus is not my crutch; he is my complete salvation. Without the Spirit of God, I am a completely wicked man, without hope in this world, and certainly without a place of rest in the next. When people notice that I am still wicked today, they should not be surprised, they should nod their heads in understanding that my sinful condition is every man’s lot. My wickedness is the reflection of every woman’s condition without God. My wickedness it a reminder of their own.

Here, then, is the point to this blog entry. The Bible, if read aright, is not a book that will comfort the heart, until the heart is ready for repentance. It is an offensive book that will infuriate and polarize the rebellious soul. In its reading, one will either turn toward God or away from Him. There is no middle ground with God, one must yield with one’s whole heart, or miss the high calling to which God has called all of his children.

Where does that leave me now? Well, it leaves me low – and high. An understanding of my own wickedness has brought me low. It has not merely humbled me in some nice religious sense, it has utterly humiliated me – but in that humiliation I have found a place of peace in this life and (hopefully) a place of rest from the weariness of sin in the next.

I cannot, and do not, claim that my soul is completely well. It is not, but it has received with Francis Schaeffer calls, in his book, True Spirituality, "Substantial Healing." And I see evidence that healing is coming to me gradually, but substantially. I no longer love that which I loved earlier in my life. I once loved my sins and hated Christ, but now I love Christ, and hate my sins; a sign, the Bible says, that I am being saved. Things are better than they were, but I am not nearly what I ought to be - not yet.

God is doing a truly wonderful work in my life, but there is SO much more ground to cover. I have been brought so very low by my sins, but I am hopeful about the future. Not that I might become better than all those OTHER sinners in the world. No. I cannot speak for others, and I do not judge any other person. I am merely hopeful that there will be a day when my own sins will cease; forever.

I have an inexplicably solid and joyful expectation that there will be a day when I enter into rest from the sins that have plagued my soul these many years. I am joyous that one day, my repentance will be complete, when I look on the face of my savior, Jesus Christ. I tell you, I trust him alone to do that work which religion never could - not in a million years. He alone is the healer of my soul, and I love him for it. It took me a long time to see that Jesus did not come to make my life unpleasant, but to bring to me a quality of life that can only come through an impossible operation of the Spirit.

I see more all the time what a sinful man I use to be. I am grieved every day about the evils that still linger in my heart. But, I am hopeful that in the future, this agony will be soothed with the sweet comfort of a new body, a new mind, a new name, and full access into the benefits of God's merciful eternal life. The thought is staggering; one day will see my Lord's dear face, and he will give me a new name, a good name, a right name, a strong name; he will heal me and I will be changed.

As my brother Paul said, “I am chief of sinners.” I know what he meant. The longer one walks this road with Christ, the more intolerable one’s sins appear to themself, and the more anxious one is for the change that is promised.

God never asked any of us to “be nice” so we could go to heaven. That is not what being a Christ-Follower is about. God commands us to come to the cross of Jesus and to die with Christ. It is only through his death that we will be released from this world of sin. It is only by conforming to that death that we will have an opportunity to be transformed by his resurrection.

The kind of death we choose is the only issue at hand. Will we choose a death of our own making, or will we choose the one of God’s making? It is not the fact of our death that is important, because that is a foregone conclusion. We all will die. A little while, and we will be what the great artist Michelangelo called, "dust in the sun."

It's not the fact of our death that matters, it is the nature of that death that matters. Will we die without Christ, or with we die in Christ, for the dead in Christ will rise again. No grave can hold them down.

The message that we are sinners - that we must come to the cross of Jesus - that there is but one path to salvation is NOT a negative message, it is part of the GOOD NEWS, for without it we would never seek the Lord, or learn to respect him.

The Good News, is that there IS a path - a sure path - an open path to God. When a humble soul hears that message it is glad. It rejoices that there is a definite path to God and it does not protest that there ought to be more. The proud soul, however, will stumble over that message and will certainly miss the best for themselves. God, in his great love, calls us to humility, to weakness, and to singleness of heart. He calls us to a salvation that is certain in Jesus.

The Apostle says it best when he writes, “ 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 1 Cor 15:51-54 – NIV

The good news is that there is hope for such a one as I, and if there is hope for an old wicked sinner like me, then without a single doubt, there is definitely hope for you, dear friend. Do not despair. Do not give up. Do not dodge or duck the truth of what we are. Just look up, and call on Jesus today, because our redemption is growing closer with every tick of the clock.

DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR

2008-02-12T18:58:00.001-08:00

I love this picture. It captures, in a delightfully mocking manner, the exact spirit of the disease someone called, "delusions of grandeur." This image is actually a parody of a painting of Napoleon by the famous French Neoclassicist painter, David; a contemporary of Napoleon, and the formal painter of the French Revolution. (http://www.danielriceart.net/Napoleon_horse.jpg )

Look around the world, heck, for that matter, look around your family; you will see people eaten up with this disease. Most of them, however, are completely blind to it, and to its destructiveness. Make no mistake, only grief, pain, sorrow and remorse awaits the one who is consumed by this disease.

There is, in the gospels, a story about a "rich, young, ruler" who came to Jesus and asked how he might acquire "eternal life." Sounds like a nice question, but the answer unraveled him.

This is one of those stories told in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), so it must have been a pretty important story.

This is what Mark's gospel says, "As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good — except God alone. Mark 10:17-18 NIV

Well, there is a lot to unpack in that question, along with the fact that Jesus' response caused the man to walk away a few moments later, unable to follow Christ. But it is interesting to note, that the scriptures records that Jesus felt compassion for the man. He did not condemn him. Ponder this whole account. It has many nuances. See what YOU come up with.

Why did this man decide he did not really want to follow Jesus after all?

This man's problem is every person's problem, we think wrongly about just about everything we think we know, especially wrongly about ourselves. Without a better vantage point, our "perspectives" will not only remain insufficient, but they will be quite incorrect as well. It is our perspectives that need to go, not Christ's. We are the ones in need of an attitude change. We are the one's whose paradigms need to be replaced. Our desire for success in the world's eyes might, in fact, make us an enemy of all that is holy.

I can just imagine what Jesus Christ would say to Donald Trump. Trump may be a wonderful man, I do not know, but I know he has great wealth and thinks very highly of himself. This is always a dangerous combination. I wonder what Jesus would say to him. Would he give "the Donald" special treatment because of his success in real estate and business? I am pretty sure the answer to that question would be "no."

Though God loves "the Donald" as much as any other of his creatures, and not one ounce less, I am guessing that Jesus is not really that impressed by Trump's "ability" to succeed in business. Trump's abilities don't impress God one bit. God is the one who gave him those abilities in the first place. Probably what God is more interested in is Trump's "availability" to lift the burden of poverty and suffering off the lives of those to whom God would send him. Probably what God is interested in is whether Donald is available to build God's kingdom rather than his own.

I am kind of thinking Jesus might say something like, "Well, Donald, you know I love you with an enormous love, and I gave you profound gifts. You have been very diligent in making them work well for you, and I am pleased that you are faithful with the gifts I gave you, but have you yet imagined that I might have given them to you in order that you might do great good in this world - that you might use my gifts in a way that would change the world for the better? What will you gain in the end, my friend, if you end up owning all the real estate in America and yet missed your truest purpose in life, or lost your own true self? What good will all your awesome business transactions serve, if you never become all I intended for you to become?" Of course, Jesus would say it much better than that. It would not only sound cooler, but, of course, it would be more succinct and penetrating.

Is "the Donald" doing what God wants? I don't know, but whether it is him or me, I do know that success is NOT the measure of a man, but faithfulness is. Only time will tell if "the Donald" and I have wasted our lives, or invested them wisely. One thing I know I do not want to hear from God is, "You're fired." Hearing that might give one a rather sick feeling in the pit of their stomach.

There is in everyone of us, whether Christ-Follower or not, a sense that our life matters, that we are significant, that we were created for something great and wonderful. We long to discover and to fulfill our purpose on this planet.

The Bible is VERY clear that we were meant for greatness, but it is equally clear about the fact that none of us will ever understand what that greatness is, what that purpose is, what that significance is without first having humbled ourselves beneath the might hand of God. Yes, YOU were meant to be great, and powerful, and influential, and all that grand stuff, but the closest any of us will get to it is miles away from what was intended without the right approach.

Human beings who try to achieve greatness on their own ruin their own lives and the lives of others. We botch everything we touch. There is no way we can become truly great on our own - not in the sense in which it was intended by God. It takes the Creator to fulfill the purposes of each individual; only he can make you all you were intended to be, yet most people will not go to him to become all he intended for them - though, thank God, many will.

Imagine what the "rich, young, ruler" could have been had he done what Jesus told him to do. As it is, he was great in his own eyes. He was wealthy in his own eys. He was good in his own eyes, but he missed his purpose in life by a million miles. Imagine it . . . he literally had the opportunity to be a genuine follower of the historical Jesus, and he passed it up . . . for material wealth. We can see how ignorant that was for him, but aren't we doing the exact same thing when we would rather hold onto our own values and our own ideas about ourselves than to let them go and serve Christ -- and those he loves?

Here is something to think about. Napoleon is a great example of this, as are countless other despicable characters in human history. Had Napoleon's tragedy not been so enormous; had thousands upon thousands died at his hands; had Europe and the world not been brutalized by the arrogant scourge that was Napoleon, he would have been a laughable character. He was one of those who was completely devoured by his own "delusion of grandeur."

C. S. Lewis, in his book, The Great Divorce, has a paragraph about Napoleon. You might want to dig it out and find that passage. It is quite interesting. In fact that book is quite fascinating, especially with regard how this particular disease affects certain characters in the book. I don't think he ever uses this term, but you will be able to locate those who meet its criteria.

Here is the cure for this disease. It comes from the Apostle James. He says, "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:6-10 NIV

God really does have greatness planned for your life. You know in your heart that it is true. You feel its power inside your own soul, but you will never have it in the way it was meant to be, unless you humble yourself before the one who alone knows how to bring your life into true fruitfulness. Why not pause right now and ask him to give you more grace? He will do it. For it is only through his grace that true greatness will find you. Change your life and change the future history of this planet. Humble yourself now, and see what God might do through you.

PROPHET AS ARTIST

2008-02-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

Photo/Dale Guldan

Here's an article worth pondering.

Prophet sells his art for $100 or $1,000 but sets no price on reading people's souls
Posted: April 4, 2002 - by Crocker Stephenson
SOURCE: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=32387

The first time I visited the prophet, it was maybe three years ago.

I had seen him, in the dead of winter, out on North Ave., not far from the Oriental Theatre. He was wearing several hats and several coats, as was his custom, and he was standing in front of a fence. Leaning against the fence were three or four of his paintings, the paint on them not yet dry. He was asking a hundred dollars apiece for them.

I knew that in a gallery, a painting by Prophet Blackmon could cost well over $1,000, and I knew that sometimes, when he was out of money, Prophet Blackmon would go into the galleries, pull his paintings off the wall, and sell them in the street for whatever anyone was willing to pay him.

I stopped at his place the next day. It's a tattered old tool factory on the north side. It's surrounded by a chain-link fence, the fence topped with barbed wire and always padlocked, even when he's inside.

"Prophet Blackmon!" I called.

A few minutes passed. Then the door opened, and Prophet Blackmon stepped out. His face was covered with soot, and black smoke billowed out from the door behind him.

Before he became a full-time street preacher and a part-time artist, Prophet Blackmon was a full-time street preacher and a part-time shoe repairer.

Between coughs, he told me he had run out of lumber for his three wood stoves, but God had provided him with plenty of extra shoes, and, cold as it was, shoes were what he was burning for heat.

"Shoes make a good fire," he told me, "but they make a lot of smoke before they get going."
Last year, someone opened a lumberyard beside Prophet Blackmon's place, so I haven't had to worry about how he's keeping warm. But I still stop in to see him from time to time. Usually, we walk a few blocks west to Jake's Deli on North Ave. A lot of local movers and shakers eat lunch at Jake's, including Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig.

There's a sign behind the counter with Bud Selig's picture on it. It says: "This is the Only Bud We Serve."

Prophet Blackmon is 81 years old. He shuts his eyes tightly when he talks, opening them only at the end of his sentences. He enjoys the corned beef sandwiches at Jake's; he can turn a single sandwich into a couple of meals.

At lunch the other day, Prophet Blackmon leaned out of our booth and toward a woman across the aisle.

"Somebody in your family is sick," he told her.

The woman came over to the table and emptied her heart. Four people in her family were ill. As she spoke, Prophet Blackmon smiled and comforted her. Before she left, he plucked four paper napkins from our table's dispenser, blessed each of them, and told the woman to tuck them in the beds of her sick loved ones.

He jotted his address down on a card and gave it to the woman.

"Here," he said. "If you feel led to send me something, send it here. Also, if you know anybody who would like a painting, tell them about me. I am an artist."

BOOK RECOMMEND

2008-02-03T00:16:00.000-08:00

"If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:7)

Jesus is the great stumbling block of faith. It is in him that Christianity finds its uniqueness among the religions of the world. He is the Incarnate Son of God, the unique revelation of the Father. Yet so often, we begin the process of theological formulation not with the person of Jesus, but rather, with philosophical arguments about God's existence and logical constructions to determine God's nature.

How would our understanding be affected if we instead took Jesus as our starting point for doing theology? In Let's Start with Jesus, respected biblical scholar Dennis Kinlaw explores this question, revealing answers that are profound.

In seeking to describe the nature of the relationship God desires with us, he explores three metaphors--royal/legal, familial, and nuptial--which serve as motifs for his reflection. Taking familiar theological categories, Kinlaw views them through the primary lens of the person and work of Jesus, and finds that Jesus reveals rich pictures of the nature of God, the nature of personhood, the problem of sin, the way of salvation, and finally, the means of sanctification via perfect love.

The distilled wisdom of one of this generation's greatest thinkers. Dr. Kinlaw leads you deep into the inner sanctuary of the Holy Trinity and shows you three distinct persons relating to each other in pure reciprocal love.--Robert E. Coleman, Distinguished Professor of Evangelism and Discipleship, Gordon-Conwell Theological SeminaryEvery time I read something written by Dennis Kinlaw my mind is stimulated and my heart strangely warmed.

Let's Start with Jesus is another important book from a truly gifted man.--Lyle W. Dorsett, Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

Kinlaw's revolutionary approach to doing theology is much more than that--it's a revolutionary approach to life. Kinlaw locates ultimate purpose in a place the church has almost totally neglected, and he does so graciously, with powerful, tightly reasoned biblical argumentation.
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Information from electronic data provided by the publisher. May be incomplete or contain other coding. Library of Congress subject headings for this publication: Theology.Jesus Christ -- Person and offices.

AND NOW . . . FOR SOMETHING AMAAAAAAZZZZING

2008-02-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

Catch this video of a digital painting of Evangeline Lilly (Kate), from LOST. Just go to the link below.
It takes a couple minutes to watch, but the music is cool and you will be impressed by what you see.

http://www.leechvideo.com/video/view2996404.html

Digital painting is interesting in speed mode, but this work had to have taken hours. I am not sure why anyone would want to paint this way, other than for the sheer tedium of the experience. I am amazed that this artist prefered a digital method to real paint and canvas. To each their own - as they say. Digital painting still has a long way to go, but it has promise.

Regardless of media preference, this task would not have been easy in any format, especially in pixels. This person really knows what he/she is doing, I will give them that much. :-)

DO YOU NEED GOD'S HELP? I DO.

2008-01-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

From Charles Spergeon's devotionals

"I will help thee, saith the Lord."

Isaiah 41:14

Today let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: "I will help thee." "It is but a small thing for Me, thy God, to help thee. Consider what I have done already. What! not help thee? Why, I bought thee with My blood. What! not help thee? I have died for thee; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less? Help thee! It is the least thing I will ever do for thee; I have done more, and will do more. Before the world began I chose thee. I made the covenant for thee. I laid aside My glory and became a man for thee; I gave up My life for thee; and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now. In helping thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already. If thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it thee; thou requirest little compared with what I am ready to give. 'Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. 'Help thee?' Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency. 'I will help thee.'"

O my soul, is not this enough? Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither thine empty pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather up thy wants, and bring them here--thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs. Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply; what canst thou desire beside? Go forth, my soul, in this thy might. The Eternal God is thine helper!
"Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismay'd! I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid."

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Believe it, becasue it is true.
Do not be afraid to trust him for help.

ATONEMENT - for harmful words spoken

2008-01-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

"Atonement," a World War Two romance about two lovers torn apart by a family betrayal and the conflict in Europe . . . " (REUTERS)

BRAVO for a truly excellent film! If you have seen the film ATONEMENT you already know why it won the Golden Globe award for the Best Film Drama. It is a masterful work.

The cinematography, the acting, the sets, and above all the story are all phenomenal. There are moments of tender love and personal loss and sorrow so real, so palpable and so deep that they took my breath away. If you live long enough, or love deep enough, you will identify easily with the sensitivity of emotion dug out in this film; not just with regard to the two lovers, but with the one attempting to make atonement for her own sins. This is a "must see."

This film, a cautionary tale about the power of words to give or destroy lives is much needed in our own time; when people are so deliberately reckless with their words. It reminds me of the Proverb that says, The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Prov 18:21 Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Once I heard the Lord whisper to my own heart, "If you speak less, you will sin less." Hmmmm. Something to think about. There are so many scriptures in the Bible about "speaking." I have broken every rule about good speech many times over, to my own shame.

Jesus said, "And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." Matt 12:36-37 Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

The words I have spoken in this life thus far, could have been better. This is my growing edge.

Oh Lord, Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable, my strength and my redeemer. (Ps. 19:14)
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Quote Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1333194020080114

LESSONS FROM A PENNY

2008-01-12T14:39:00.000-08:00

I usually delete internet folklore before I read it, but one of my favorite cousins sent this story to me today, so I read it - and I am glad I did.

This story reminded me that there are opportunities for truth and widsom all around us - if we are perceptive.

Most of the time, if someone asked me if I thought I was perceptive, I'd say, "Not so much." Take for instance, the lowly penny. Here is a short account, whether true or not is immaterial. The content is the real point to the story, and a true lesson to all of us. I hope you enjoy it. I think this one really is a keeper.

CATEGORY: Internet folklore
Life-lessons from cyberspace - or - Messages imbedded in the culture. This is an exegesis of, and an exposition from, a penny.

SUBJECT: Don't Miss the Small Opportunities to Reflect

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story; gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached i! nto his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words " United States of America " "No, not that; read further.""One cent?" "No, keep reading.""In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?""And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful, and, God is patient. - End of the cyber-story -

Now, personally, I would only add one thing. Notice the other word on the face of the penny. It says, "LIBERTY." Much could be said about that word, but I will say only this, "When one places their trust in God they WILL have greater liberty, be that as a nation or in one's own personal life."

Freedom from fear and the ability to live life freely does come from trusting in God. So, I am determined to take the slogan, "In God we trust," and will trust him in anticipation of expeciencing greater liberty in my own life. I am pretty confident that the two are closely linked, but even if they are not, I know it is always right to trust in God, and leave the outcome to his goodness and wisdom. That itself is a kind of LIBERTY anyone may know and enjoy.

ARTS,CULTURE & MINISTRY

2008-01-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Just as Bob Dylan proved that one need not have a traditionally well-tuned voice to be considered a singer, Nam June Paik has proven one need not stay with conventional forms to make art.

In fact, it is no longer necessary (or even desirable) to make art that is either beautiful or useful, comprehensible or relevant to anyone but the artist.

There was a time when artists like Leonard da Vinci said that art was about taking one's lessons from nature because nature is the master of the artist; art is about nature. From the Renaissance to today, the fine arts in the west have moved from being associated with the natural world and beauty, to an artist's personal exercise of entirely inward, psychological, and personal expression.

By the time Picasso came on the scene in the twentieth century, (as he states it), "Art is about everything but nature." Nature has no say at all about what art is or should be. Art, to Picasso, was concerned entirely with the internal landscape of the human psyche.

There are reasons why this has happened. These ideas are primarily the results of dramatic shifts in the philosophies in the west. One would need to take an art history or philosophy course to understand these changes clearly, but suffice it to say that art is so different today that it does not resemble the art of the Renaissance in almost every way.

Art today has become entirely the expression of the artist, plus an existential brian-state of the viewer and nothing more. It is a bio-chemical experience without meaning, without virtue and without God. It is frequently anarchistic and cynical at it core. It does not believe in the exsistence of truth or of meaning beyond the personal truth or meaning one gives to it, or receives from it. There is no "big-picture," just an infinite array of "little-pictures," having neither certainty nor hope.

Artists "in the know" are not unaware of this radical shift, but the general public is still in the dark. Confusion and incoherence is the general condition of western culture toward the arts today. There is less continuity, less agreement, less community in the arts today than at any other time before. Considerations once thought important, such as decorum and depiction of the sublime, have been so thoroughly rejected by contemporary artists that one would be laughed out of town to even imply that an artist has a responsibility to either these ideas or to their audience, or to their culture, or to their patrons. This is a core element in the debates that rage over monies spent on and for the National Endowments for the Arts.

Where once the Church was a major patron of the arts, supporting art and artists alike, the past one hundred years has seen precious little activity of the Church in the arts. I don't know of one important artist in the twentieth century who claimed to be a Christ-follower. There may have been, but I don't know of any. If you do, please let me know. I would genuinely like to know about them.

With all due respect for those who have purchased a certain style of painting with which to decorate their home, please do not mention Thomas Kincaid. He is not a serious artist in our culture, and never will be, not on the same level as a Picasso, a Goya, or a Leonardo. Kincaid is merely a commercial artist who sells tons of decorative paintings produced on a production line (much like a car factory), which are designed to exploit the sappy emotions of the generally art-illiterate public for the sake of his own personal profit -- and he is famously successful at it. This is not a criticism as much as it is an observation. Take it for what it's worth. But I must make a distinction between that "sentimental" stuff and the kind of "serious" art that transforms cultures, survives the test of time, and does more than titilate the fickle art-fad-consumption of the masses.

Most of the art produced in the twentieth century, according to art historians and art commentators (see Michael Woods', Art of the Western World, and others), tell us that twentieth century art depicted not only the purely psychological qualities, but also that which was violent, brutal, erotic, cynical, often hopeless and fearful; projecting human alienation, angst, despair and decay. These are not my evaluations; they are the evaluations of people who claim to be in the know. Neither he nor I would laud such content, but it is there nonetheless. It was what was in the psyche of western civilization, and it was mirrored in the bloody wars and civil strife of that century. There was good resons for that century to have such depictions in its art.

Hans Rookmaaker, an art historian who wrote the book, Modern Art and the Death of a Culture, ( read more at http://www.wheaton.edu/learnres/ARCSC/collects/sc18/bio.htm ) tells us much about the art of the twentieth century from this point of view. I commend this work to you. Read it. You will be amazed at what Rookmaaker says. You may even disagree, but you will not be able to refute the validity of what he says without a good deal of thoughtful consideration.

Today, there are many Christ-followers who are emerging as this centuries new "Creatives," and some of them are making some tremendous strides in the contemporary art world. I am glad about this. Believers in Jesus ought to be intensely engaged in ever category of the culture, minus sin (e.g. entertainment, but never as sex-workers; artists, but not anarchists). There are limits to the activities of believing-artists in the arts, just as there are limits to believing-contractors in the building trade. This should not surprise us - BUT - those limits do not hinder the work of the Christ-following-artist at all. God does not need sin, nor does he employ sin, as a means of working in this world, even though he often allows us to be instructed by the destructiveness of sin -- yet he himself is never its author.

All of this to say, gone are those dark days of the twentieth century when Christ-followers were held out of the art world by both churches and curators -- or walked out on their own. Thank God. Today Christ-followers are engaged in all of the arts in our culuture, and working hard at it every day of the week.

From painting to film, from the performance to music, believing artists are fully engaged and making their mark. Many of them are deeply serious about the arts, about engaging the culture and about the incarnational ministry of Christ through their work. Others, unfortunately, are still wandering around, dazed and confused by the insanity of the last century. Some have not yet sorted it out, and some probably never will.

The Church too, or some of it, is still in confusion about the arts, but that is changing. It is my firm belief, and hope, that Christ-followers involved in the arts will find new ways to do thier art, will invent new forms of expression and communication, and will develope new skills with which to express their creative work. There are infinite possibilities by which an artist today can affect the culture for good (and for God), and can produce new kinds of ministry to the world; things no one has yet seen, but it will require courage, resources and persistance. May God grant us the courage, the faith, and the patience to put our money where our mouth is with regard to supporting the re-emergence of the arts in the Church. We all will need to open our purses and wallets and start buying art, attending performances, and supporting artists of faith, if their ministries are going to succeed in the coming century.

There is a truly amazing thing happening in the arts among believers, and there is an amazing thing happening in believers among the arts right now. I can't wait to see what new forms of ministry will appear in this century through "Creatives" who are faithful to both their God and their art.

A CHURCH WITHOUT GLORY

2007-12-30T00:08:00.000-08:00

This first picture, the church at Auvers-sur-Oise, is one of my favorite van Gogh paintings. If you click on the photo you will be able to see an enlarged image of both paintings. You will need to do that to see what I'm trying to show in this blog.

The first picture shows a person at a crossroad outside a church. It is hard to tell what the person has chosen, but it looks to me like they have chosen to walk on the shadow side of the building. The church tower holds a faceless clock, and no light shines from the building's windows. The inside of the church is as dark as the night sky.

Van Gogh was the son of a Reform minister, and Vincent was, himself, commissioned by the Reform church as a missionary to the poor -- then he was fired because he did not minister in the way THEY thought he should. Van Gogh was rightfully disillusioned with the Reform church, as are many today, and he shows us this sad picture of a church in which no luminosity exists for him -- for anyone. The glory of the church was, for van Gogh, no longer visible.

Compare that top picture with his "Starry Night," just below it, and you will see a great contrast between the splendor of the heavens and the darkness of the first painting of the church building. For van Gogh, the splendor of God still existed; it was obvious in nature, but it had ceased to exist in the church. Note the church in the lower center of the canvas in the second painting, "Starry Night." There it is again, there is no light in the church, much like the painting of the church at Auvers-sur-Oise.

Do you think, maybe, Vincent had an opinion about the church? It looks like it to me. To Vincent, the church had not only failed to set forth the GLORY of God, it had obscured it. There was no longer any glory left in the church for van Gogh. The glory had departed. Vincent was alone in the night, but in awe of the splendor of God that he saw in the universe. There is much to think about in these pictures.

Things have not changed in the church in some ways. Many people fail to see the glory of God in the church, and, sorry to say, many churches really know precious little about what it means to "glorify" God in his church.

GLORY is one of those all-purpose words in the Bible, but that does not mean that it is a weak word, quite the contrary. To define it would require a million tongues to sing it, a billion voices to proclaim it, a trillion paintings to depict it, and an infinite flow of creative expression to approach even a pale manifestation of his unfathomable radiance.

The word "glory" feels like an old fashioned word in these days, but the word glory is as relevant today as in every age before. It is we who are out of sync with its relevance. What is "glory?" just one of the coolest ideas in the world.

Just some of the ideas bound up with the word glory are, SPLENDOR, EXCELLENCE, BEAUTY, WONDER, MAJESTY, MAGNIFICENCE, and so many other superlative concepts. Glory is one of those huge little-big-words that takes in a lot of territory.

Do a word study on the word "glory" and its various permutations in the scriptures. It will open your eyes.

What are we commanded to do with glory? We are told to make the name of the Lord glorious. How is that possible when God is already majestic? We do it by "magnifying" the name of the Lord, that is to make it visible and beautiful in the eyes of the church and world. Why should we do it? Because without it, precious and sensitive souls like van Gogh will be lost to it, and as he did in the end, they will dispare and perish.

A church without glory, is the cause of great loss in this world, not only to itself, but to the whole world. There is nothing sadder, nothing more unnatural in the spirit-world than a church which trades the glory of God for cultural relevance, political power, social correctness, legalistic ritualism, propriety and process, or passionless religion; especially when there are an infinite array of ways to glorify God.

This notion of glory is so foreign to some that it seems odd, quaint, and unsophisticated to even think about DOING, ACTING, and MAKING things by which one can glorify God. After all, can't God do that all by himself since he is so great? Can't people look at the created world and "get it" for themselves? The simple answer is, "No." Most often that does not happen, and it will likely not happen, unless we who know the "glory" of God point it out. Are you pointing out the glory of God to others?

Think about what it would take to make the name of the Lord glorious in the eyes of others. What would that look like? What does it mean to "beautify" the name of the Lord, or to make him radiant and "splendiferous" (my word) in the eyes of those who do not know him, or worse, who have despised him. What would it mean to glorify God in your body, and with your mind and soul?

Have you considered on putting this command into practice? If not, let me encourage you to do so. Use your imagination and your resources, your energy and your skills to make something worthy of the glory of God. This requires thinking, work and persistence. It involves loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Do you honor God in that way?

What would Vincent think of your faith? Would he think you demonstrated the glory of God, or not so much? Would he see light in your life, or paint you like he painted this church, dark and empty and irrelevant in his world?

Have you considered how you will make God's dwelling place glorious?

What will you DO to bring this about?

Think beyond mere religion.

Think beyond buildings.

Think beyond church programs.

Think, "Starry Night," and then ask yourself how that majesty can be communicated through the PLACE you worship, through the SONGS you sing, through the lives you TOUCH.

How will you bring "GLORY" into your daily life, into your hopes and dreams, into your fears and failures, and into your works and words. What will you INVENT or EMPLOY that will MAGNIFY the Lord in the eyes of all those who do not yet know him, and could never get to the place of recognizing God's splendor without your expressions of his glory?

What will you say or do that will beautify the name of Christ in this world. Really, think about it, MAKE A PLAN, and do it. I really wonder what would happen if we got serious about bringing back the "glory" of God in this world through the things we make, say, and do.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

2007-12-27T00:50:00.000-08:00

Without a doubt, there is much discussion of the gospel in the New Testament. From Matthew to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, there is an unfolding of the Good News. But, if you could only be left with one explanation of the gospel, whose would you choose?

Would it be Paul and Romans, or Peter and his letters? Would it be master Luke and the Acts of the Apostles? Would it be the teaching about Christ in the book of Hebrews, or the Lord's brother, James and his book to the Jewish believers? What would you select as the best description of the gospel?

This week I will celebrate my 36th spiritual birthday. In over three and a half decades of being a Christ-follower, I can tell you that I can find no words more profound in all the Bible than those spoken by my Lord in his Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5:1-7:29, and a similar sermon of his, sometimes referred to as The Sermon on the Plain, in Luke 6:17-49.

I have heard many commentaries on these passages of scripture, some good, some just plain cop-outs. I have read these words, pondered them, studied them, measured myself by them, and wrestled with them for over thirty years - and though I LOVE the entire New Testament, regarding it as the Word of God, the words of Christ are more than sufficient to stand as the gospel for me if no other documents had ever been written.

The bottom line for me is this, Christ Jesus is my savior, and him alone. I need none other. Though Paul and all the apostles write under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they are not my savior. They are not the "one and only," as John calls Christ. One word from the mouth of Jesus outweighs all the words of the apostles put together, for they indeed preached the Word of God, but this Jesus IS the Word of God. The words of the apostles are great and wonderful. They lend us much insight and instruction, but Jesus says this of his own words, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." NIV (Matthew. 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33) This is not true of the apostles. Paul does not even claim that everything he writes is the Word of God. He sometimes says things like, "this is my opinion," and sometimes he says boldly, "this is the Word of the Lord." The words of the apostles are mixed. The lives of the apostles are not without error. They are not infallible, and never ever claim to be. They are mere men, but Christ is perfect in all things, sinless and without error in all things. This, even the apostles admit.

Can you imagine the apostles turning to each other for a "Word from God" when Christ was in their midst? Can you imagine them deciding for themselves what he meant? No, they asked him, just as should we. Yes, they did debate his words amongst themselves many times, but in the end they always compared the soundness of their own thoughts about his words by asking him directly, and then comparing their understanding to the words of Christ himself. Why do we find that so alien? We must always compare the words of the apostles to the words of Christ, and if there is a dispute in our own minds as to what is a right interpretation on a subject, lean into the words of Christ over what it might appear the apostle is saying. Christ always has the last word on a subject, not a prophet, not a preacher, not an apostle or evangelist, not a pope or a cardinal, a bishop or a priest. Christ's words are the gospel, and only those words that line up with his words are the proper echoes of the gospel message. Nothing else is the gospel. Nothing.

After so long a time of following Jesus, after a fair bit of Bible study, and after a sincere desire to live the life of a Christ-follower, I have come to hold the sermons on the mount and plain, as the core of the gospel itself. Though some have said, "If anyone wants to know what Christ meant, let them read the apostles, for they explain the words of Christ," I would prefer to say it just the other way around. This is how I would say it, "If anyone wants to know the meaning of the apostles' teaching, let them read the words of Christ. Let them compare and interpret the apostle's words in the light of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, in my view, can we begin to really know what the gospel is or is not. If we get this rule of interpretation backward how can it lead to anything but error? As for me, I will hold to the words of Jesus as the gospel, and interpret the apostles (and all other words), in the light of his words.

THE BEST MINISTRY FOR YOU

2007-12-24T01:23:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Then Paul goes on to describe how this is possible and came about, i.e. his triumph over the devil; what those gifts are about, to bring about unity; and how they are to be used, to build up the Body of Christ in love. Paul is referring to degrees of grace, special abilities, not particularly the daily grace we need to live as Christ-followers. This explains why ministers and ministries are different . . . and they are different, not only in kind, but in degree.

For this reason, it is a good practice to be thankful for two things, first, the fact that God has given each one of us gifts so we can serve Him in this world, and in His church. Second, that there are a variety of gifts and each person is given a specific measure of that gift of grace by Jesus Christ himself. This takes a lot of pressure off of the one ministering. None of us can minister beyond that measure which Christ apportioned to us, and all of us can minister to the fullest degree to which Christ has enabled us, if we will exercise those gifts in faith and in on-going faithfulness.

When we see someone do a great job in their ministry, even though it is limited, we can be thankful and appreciative of them and what they do. We don't need to put more pressure on anyone than Christ has. We don't need to expect more of others than what Christ expects of them. BUT, we CAN encourage others to step up to the plate, as it were, and get busy with the ministry to which Christ HAS called and enabled them. We can hold each other accountable to live up to that grace -- and we do that with love, in the spirit of bringing greater unity to the Body of Christ, so it can grow, be healthy, minister in this world in Christ’s stead, and bring beauty to the name and character of the Savior.

There are enough pressures in ministry to Christ; the unnecessary pressures of either taking on too much, or of doing that for which Christ has neither called nor gifted us, can be dismissed without guilt or shame. The faithful servant does that which Christ has commanded, and to do that in the grace which Christ has given and that is all. Not that one can't do nice things for others just for fun, but the work of one's "ministry" is a specific task, or set of tasks based on one's "portion" of grace received. Only that is "ministry." Beyond that is either ignorance, arrogance or folly. Those are what gets one into difficulties.

Ministry according to the grace-limitations Christ has placed on each one of us will not burn a person out. One only burns out when they work without the grace of God; either through neglect of their spiritual life, or when they are trying to do that for which Christ has not given them grace.

Burn out is usually the result of ministry beyond the grace given. I have personally experienced burn out in my own life, and I learned a hard but wonderful lesson; namely, minister according to the grace given and don't try to do more than that. If you try to work beyond your limitation, you will burn out. That is a certainty. But, if you work within your limits, you will enjoy ministry much more, others will be grateful for what you do, and God will be glorified by your simple obedience. Forget about doing all those superhuman stupendous feats of daring, or engaging in endless labor. It is not godly, and you are not called to that. No one is.

Finally, as you find yourself limited (and you surely will), remember that Jesus Christ has given each of us gifts of grace. Your limitations are where another person's gifts become essential for the work to go forward. So, make room for others; invite others in to do all that which you cannot do. You will discover the wonderful way of Spirit-filled service if you do. What if others won't do their part? I'll comment on that in up-coming blogs.

____________________________

Eph 4:7-14 - 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
8 This is why it a says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." 9 What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. NIV

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

2007-12-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

WHY AM I SO TIRED ?

The population of this country is about 237 million.

104 million are retired.

That leaves 133 million to do the work.

There are 85 million in school, which leaves 48 million to do the work.

Of this there are 29 million employed by the federal government, leaving 19 million to do the work.

2.8 million are in the Armed Forces, which leaves 16.2 million work.

Take from the total the 14,800,000 people who work for State and City Governments and that leaves 1.4 million to do the work.

At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals, leaving 1,212,000 to do the work.
Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons.

That leaves just two people to do the work.

You and me.

And you're sitting at your computer reading jokes...

STICKS AND STONES . . .

2007-12-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

Prov 2:12 - Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse . . . . NIV

FUNDAMENTALISM:
Everyone is a fundamentalist
No one is a fundamentalist

The way the term "fundamentalist" is used today is so unhelpful and prejudicial in nature that it makes me wonder what kind of purpose it has, other than to divide people and create barriers of communication. I think it generates murkiness rather than clarity, and unfriendly attitudes rather than openness. Anytime we label others, or even label ourselves, we create false unnecessary barriers between ourselves and others, and define limits for our perceptions about who we are, who others are, and about possibilities of communication between people. At present, there is no universal interpretation for the term "fundamentalism." It is merely used as sharp stick to jab and harm people. It has no beneficial purpose that I can tell, and it is certainly not descriptive in any useful way.

Once, in a rather tongue-in-cheek manner, I suggested to a person with whom I was having a discussion about fundamentalism, that the term had a very precise definition, and he needed to be careful about how he used the word, and who he labeled as a fundamentalist. The gentleman agreed with me, and fired back with a definition of fundamentalism based on an early twentieth century description of Protestantism that he had once read. I could tell he felt very proud of nailing me with his knowledge. I did not respond to it or disagree with him. That would have invited an endless argument; not something I'm fond of. I just smiled and let it pass.

But, this encounter underscored for me what I had already suspected, that the term fundamentalism is tossed about without much understanding, and without much relevant contemporary definition. Usually the term is used to indicate someone who is intolerant of others, resistant to ideas that do not line up with their view of reality, resistant to change, closed-minded to new ideas, forceful and persistent in presenting their own views to the exclusion of another's views, and unkind to those who hold different beliefs; maybe even willing to use violence to promote their ideas, or to suppress alien ideas. Of course, this is not a precise definition, only a summation of the way I hear the word being sometimes used.

But that is just my point. There is no completely articulate definition of the word, especially as it is being currently used in the media. It is employed more as a dismissive label about some rube who has no common sense, no connection to the modern plurlistic world; one who wouldn't recognize the truth that there is no such thing as truth, if it jump out and bit them.

If fundamentalism can be described in at least some of the ways I put together in the previous paragraph, then, if I use that as a lens to look at people and groups, families, and governments, church leaders and philosophers, scientists and school teachers, it would seem that everyone I've ever met was a fundamentalist at some point, and many people at numerous points. This is the problem with the use of the word. It has no substantive meaning, other than to indicate, in a rather intolerant way, that some OTHER person is intolerant, but not the one using the term. The term "fundamentalism" itself is an intolerant label. It oozes disgust the way it is employed. That is curious to me in such a culture of tolerance as we claims ours to be.

The word "fundamentalism" is a bomb that whoever uses the term first automatically holds the moral high ground, and the other person (the person being accused as a fundamentalist - and that is what it is, an accusation), must prove they are NOT a fundamentalist. The burden of proof is placed on the so-called "fundamentalist" to deny it in some tangible way. The use of the term is demeaning and coercive in the manner in which it is wielded.

The employ of the word is a kind of labeling, like using the "N" word to demean another person, or like placing "the scarlet letter" on some one's coat, so all can see the "undesirable" person in the midst -- the outcast -- the sinner -- the freak. It marks one in the eyes of others and dialogue becomes pretty much impossible, to say nothing of dignity and camaraderie. The term is pejorative.

Some people don't seem to mind being called a fundamentalist. In my view, this is much like when a dog owner calls their dog unkind things in an pleasant tone and the dog wags its tail, thinking the owner is saying something nice. Some people are just a little too slow to understand the depth of the insult. This is unfortunate, and it is sad. At least to me it is.

Let's face it. We all have beliefs we think are right - or best - as opposed to ideas we think are not as correct, or not as good. How else can one develop any kind of personal opinion at all? One has to make decisions about ideas; which ideas are worthy and which ideas are less worthy. To imply we don't do that is just plain dishonest. It is not possible to have no opinion. Even if one tried, it would indicate that one is of the opinion that that is preferable. So, in that sense, we are all a little fundamentalistic (is that a word?)

We are living in an impossible world today. No one wants to be seen as intolerant, so they down play their beliefs so as not to offend someone else. This will prove itself unproductive in the end. I personally don't mind if someone has views different than mine, even if they think my ideas are crap and theirs are totally right on. I can listen to divergent views in an open and engaging manner without either capitulating or wanting to retaliate. I want people to own their beliefs, just as I would like the freedom and courtesy to own my own beliefs. Is that bad?

I too would like the respect of being allowed to hold my own beliefs without being labeled as cultural-undesirable, or a fundamentalist. Or, here is another solution; I will allow others to call me a fundamentalist for my beliefs, if they will allow me to call them a fundamentalist for the things they believe. Then we might be at least closer to an understanding of how unnecessary the term is. It is one of the many useless words floating about in our language that does more harm than good. Words in my opinion, should be used for good, not for harm. This is what I am striving for, and, perhaps, making some headway . . . I do hope and pray this is true.

There are certain words I think we should call a moratorium on and never use again. One of those is of course the "N" word, as well as slang for Mexicans, Jews, Italians, Polish people, and so on (I'm of Italian decent, so I know the pain words have caused my grandparents and mother - I am not immune to it). But the words I think we should ban from our ordinary speech are words like Right-Wing, Left-Wing, Christian, Conservative, Liberal, and Fundamentalist . . . among numerous others. These words create more confusion than they remedy. They no longer clarify, they only falsify an idea about another human being. All such falsification through labeling is bound to be less productive and more divisive, more intolerant and less respectful, than learning to know each other as people, and being able to share our views openly and freely, even if we have views to which we hold passionately.

Listen for the word fundamentalism in the news, in the speech of others, in the public square, and see for yourself if it doesn't have a prejudicial quality to it. See for yourself if it is not spoken with disdain. Then ask yourself, if the one using the word about others, is doing so because they believe their own views are more "fundamentally" true and better than the one whom they have labeled as the "fundamentalist?" Couldn't such a person also be considered a fundamentalist of their own worldview? I am hoping that we all can start listening to ourselves a bit more analytically, and ask ourselves if the words we use are not only accurate and helpful, but if they are respectful and enlightened. Words really are important.

ARE YOU AN ICONOCLAST?

2007-12-20T00:43:00.000-08:00

BREAKING OF IMAGES

We all know what a religious icon is. It's a painting, usually by an artist of the Eastern Orthodox Church persuasion. The painting of icons is an antique practice that survives till today. But the idea of an icon includes MUCH more than religious images. It includes ideas and values of all kinds, religious and secular. An icon, generally speaking, is a symbolic image that represents ideas, beliefs and values. The term icon has even come to include the tiny images on a computer monitor, or a telephone screen.

A person who uses icons is called an iconophile -- image lover, and one who does not like icons and tries to destroy them is called an iconoclast -- or image breaker. When iconoclasts in the past have gotten together and gone around breaking images, these events, and sometimes whole movements, are called iconoclasms.

An iconoclasm happens when one group of people break (destroy) the images of another group of people. This is not just true in the world of religion and art, it is also true in the area of culture. We have all heard the term Postmodernism, and there are many facets of Postmodernism, some good, and some not so good, but one of the central features of Postmodernism is its iconoclastic tendencies.

Postmodernists (at times), tend to through the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. In a wholesale approach to defacing, rearranging, or outright destroying previous notions of culture, Postmodernists occasionally employ iconoclastic techniques to rearrange everyone's world. It can be very coercive, authoritarian, and elitist, while claiming that no one has the right to dictate to others how they should live. It is often self contradictory.

This tendency to "break" the images of others is not just true of Postmodernists today, but it was true also of many groups throughout history, from the Protestant reformers to the revolutionaries of the French, from American patriots to people who burned the records of the Beatles in the 1960s. Some of the English Protestants of the Seventeenth century even took to smashing stained-glass windows, hacking off the faces from religious statues, and whitewashing over artwork in the churches that they found offensive.

There have been lots of iconoclasts through history. iconoclasm is as old as civilization itself. Every time there is an revolution, the old icons are gathered up and destroyed, and new icons take their place; images that are imbued with their own "new" ideas, meanings, and values.

The irony is, every succeeding generation of iconoclasts believes with complete confidence that the old must be removed to make way for the new, only to find that within a very short time (usually within about two generations), the new is not doing as well as it thought it would.

It then becomes the stuff against which the next revolution will rebel. It is a vicious cycle, and one would think we'd learn something from this screwy process. Some optimistic souls believe that each revolution bring us up one more rung on the never ending ladder of human / social / political / religious evolution. You gotta love that kind of optimism.

Iconoclasms may be unavoidable, but there is no guarantee that they are a means to progress. Progress is basically a myth of western culture. To what are we progressing? What does progress mean? Progress is basically an antiquated idea left over from the French Enlightenment that was made possible by the Christian Humanism which preceded it. The idea of progress makes us feel good about ourselves. It gives us a sense that there is meaning in the universe, even if we could not say exactly what that meaning might be.

There is, in fact, no way we can know if we are "Progressing," or "Regressing," or going nowhere at all. The notion of progress is one of those non-scientific left-overs from an age when faith itself was valued because of the influence of the Church on society. The idea of human progress is a construct of faith, not fact, yet it continues to be a deeply held idea in many Western societies - even within our scientific communities. It is an idea that will eventually give way to scrutiny, then ambivalence and ultimately decay. Then a new civilization will replace us with new ideas and will smash our precious icons to pieces, instituting images of their own. History has proven that this is the way of all flesh, in every case, without exception. We Americans will not escape the process. Today we are still safe because progress is a value we continue to hold dear.

It is important, I think, to make a case for the continuity of certain things; for history, for antiquity and for all that came before. The Russian Marxist/Leninist thought to bring about a utopia by sweeping away the icons of Czarist Russia, and what did it do? It left a permanent scar on the face of the earth, and an eternal lament in the hearts of many of the Russian people. Stalin killed millions of his own countrymen and women, in search of the progress that would liberate humankind from the tyranny of Capitalism, so he thought, yet Stalin is dead and Capitalism is still alive and VERY well in this world. So much for that agenda, yet Capitalism is not the savior of human kind, and it is its own kind of tyranny. The story is not fully told.

Sure, things do change, and even more needs to change than has. Change feels like the only constant in the universe, but not all change is beneficial, just as not all iconoclasms are helpful. Much irreversible and unfortunate damage has been done in this world due to such behaviors and attitudes.

Today, however, we are in an iconoclastic age. The images of Modernity are being destroyed "left and right." Maybe some of this is good, but I'm willing to bet we will look back and regret some of the changes we are making these days. For those of you who have time, find Leonard Cohen's song, "The Future," and listen to it for awhile. See if you don't hear the echo of some of the same things I'm trying to get at in this blog.

It is probably important to accept the fact that not all conventions need to be swept away. Only an immature or twisted mind would think such a thing. Not everyone over thirty is untrustworthy, not every young person is irresponsible, not every old person is to be tossed aside for the sake of "hipper" generations. Some categories, like family, authority, virtue, and human kindness, need to remain stable, long-lived, protected, and honored from generation to generation. The gospel is another one of those things. Art, not a particular style, but art in and of itself, is another one, and should remain part of one's spiritual life, both individually and corporately. Many things should, regardless of innovation, remain constant in our civilization.

The next time you feel tempted to trample on an older person because they are in-the-way of your progress, push aside someone from a different ethnicity because you feel threatened by their color or their practices, ignore the values of your parents' generation because you think yourself more enlightened, mock your grandparents for being irrelevant in modern society, reject a pastor's wisdom as outdated or out of touch, or curse your leaders because they represent ideas you do not embrace, think again. Things are not always what they seem.

The next time you feel like smashing an image that represents ideas from before your time, or from before America's time, reconsider your feelings. It is not always necessary to crush an idea the preceded your own. It is not necessary to hate/fear people with whom you disagree.

The next time you feel the urge to join the pack and deface the meaningful images others give to the things they value, ask yourself if you are just being a knee-jerk iconoclast, or a thoughtful contributor to human society.

I am very aware that church folks are just as guilty as any one else in these things, and often more so. It only takes a moment of rashness, unthoughtfulness, religious zeal or personal passion to become an Iconoclast. It take a bit more gray matter, godly virtue and wisdom to know what images need white-washing (if any), and which images simply need a fresh coat of paint.

THE CRISIS OF THE SACRED SPACE

2007-12-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, people took pride, the good kind of pride, in the things they made for God. They gave the best they had and they made the best they could make. They made the name of Jesus beautiful with the works of their hands.

Then came along those who criticized the things made with hands, and they called those works idolatry and wrong. They smashed the beautiful things and replace splendid spaces with bare halls and empty walls, all in the name of being holy. The beauty of sacred places was suppressed.

Today, people meet in gymnasiums and nightclubs for their church services. They believe they are more relevant to the culture this way. They have either forgotten or rejected the notion of the importance of sacred spaces, and of making things with one's hands to beautify the name of Jesus.

As a result, in my personal opinion, the church and the world have become impoverished by this attitude. The world sees religious people who have no love for beauty, not respect for beatutiful things, no interest in aesthetics, and they ask, "Why should I be like that?" Exactly. Why indeed?

FROM SPURGEON'S DAILY DEVOTIONS

2007-12-12T00:52:00.000-08:00

"His ways are everlasting."

Habakkuk 3:6

What He hath done at one time, He will do yet again. Man's ways are variable, but God's ways are everlasting. There are many reasons for this most comforting truth: among them are the following--the Lord's ways are the result of wise deliberation; He ordereth all things according to the counsel of His own will. Human action is frequently the hasty result of passion, or fear, and is followed by regret and alteration; but nothing can take the Almighty by surprise, or happen otherwise than He has foreseen. His ways are the outgrowth of an immutable character, and in them the fixed and settled attributes of God are clearly to be seen. Unless the Eternal One Himself can undergo change, His ways, which are Himself in action, must remain for ever the same. Is He eternally just, gracious, faithful, wise, tender?--then His ways must ever be distinguished for the same excellences. Beings act according to their nature: when those natures change, their conduct varies also; but since God cannot know the shadow of a turning, His ways will abide everlastingly the same. Moreover there is no reason from without which could reverse the divine ways, since they are the embodiment of irresistible might. The earth is said, by the prophet, to be cleft with rivers, mountains tremble, the deep lifts up its hands, and sun and moon stand still, when Jehovah marches forth for the salvation of His people. Who can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou? But it is not might alone which gives stability; God's ways are the manifestation of the eternal principles of right, and therefore can never pass away. Wrong breeds decay and involves ruin, but the true and the good have about them a vitality which ages cannot diminish.

This morning let us go to our heavenly Father with confidence, remembering that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, and in Him the Lord is ever gracious to His people.

JUSTICE IN OUR SPEECH - Weighty Words

2007-12-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

Who in the world can define justice, yet we all have the feeling that we know what it is. We all complain when something is not fair, when our rights or our dignity have been attacked, but do we show justice to others as much as we desire it be shown to us?

One of the litmus tests of a good person is words. Our words indicate what kind of person we are. Are our words sneaky, meant to hide our intentions and our true feelings? Are our words guarded in such a way as to make us look good, while hiding anger, hostility, pain, or deceit? Nothing is more revealing about a person than the words they choose to use. I don't mean swear words, sometimes swear words are necessary, even fun, though some of my more pietistic brethren would disagree with me, but what the h*** do they know. :-)

There is something far more important than just "making-nice" with our words. Do you hear someone running down another person, you can bet they treat all their acquaintances and friends the same way. If someone gossips about one person, they gossip about all. Gossip is not committed by occasional accident, it is a way of life. It is one of those "gifts" that keeps on giving.

What is gossip? It is speaking of another person's problems, flaws, station in life, habits, weaknesses, viewpoints or actions in a manner that, though possibly true (possibly not), is intended to demean another in the eyes of the one with whom that information is shared. Sometimes this is called slander, but that word is too narrow, gossip is more insidious than straight out slander. Gossip has nuances only hell itself has names for. One thing God's Kingdom lacks is the filthy-pleasure of gossip.

One teacher defined gossip as "Sharing information about a third party with someone who is neither part of the problem, nor part of the solution." There are probably some other good definitions out there as well, but we all know what it is and what it is intended to do to another person. It is always meant for harm. It is never meant for good. It is always satanic, it is always evil. (James 3:13-15)

Has anyone ever gossiped to you about someone? You can be absolutely certain they gossip about you too. Gossip is one of the most unjust acts of violence in existence. It is always against another person. No one spreads rumors about themselves. Gossip is an attack against another person - it is suppose to be as secret and as subtle as an IED; and before long, many are mutilated by the explosion. It is especially bad because the person(s) whose character is being calling into question is not present to defend themselves, and they have no body armor with which to protect themselves. That seems to me, very much like punching someone who's handcuffed -- and when it happens to you, it feels like just about as much fun as being water-boarded. It is sheer gut-wrenching torture. So why do we do it?

Until we recognize that this is the only way a coward knows to fight we will continue to be its victims. The coward feels compelled to say nasty things about others behind their back, because they would never dare to say the things they say about others to their face, in polite company, or in the open public. A coward uses words to harm others by sniping at them. All gossips are snipers. All gossip is cowardly. A gossip's words are calculated to hurt, wound, damage, and diminish others. The terrifying thing is, it works, and it works all too well.

I suggest we stop listening to gossips. We might even speak frankly to their face, that we will not permit them to harm others in our presence. Why do we listen to it? Is it that we share their desire to wound others in secret? Does our listening give us a sense of power, of being on the inside, of being privileged to know the dirt others don't? Does gossiping and listening to gossip give us a sick sense of power over others? Do you like to read the gossip columns, or enjoy the wicked things people say about others on the Internet. May I suggest that we would grow wiser and more virtuous if we stopped reading and believing such things about others - whoever the "others" are?

Think of the gossip as a coward who commits acts of violence against people who cannot defend themselves. Does this sound like what spiritual behavior should look like? NO? Well neither does the Bible. God is very specific that the gossip is living out of sync with God's Spirit. For He has never, and will never, speak evil of anyone, no matter who they are, or what they have done. He may speak the truth, and the truth may hurt, but He will speak it to your face, never behind your back. (Titus 3:1-6)

The tongue is an unruly member in our body, James the Apostle tells us. No one is able to tame the tongue. It is a world of evil, full of poison. (James 3:8-10) It is like the spark and flame that set ablaze hillsides, destroyed homes, and cost individuals their lives and livelihoods in Los Angeles this past autumn. It is, in short, a destructively powerful and terrible weapon that we each wield against others as though there would be no consequences to the things we say.

Yes, I am guilty of gossip, maybe more than most. It has caused me enormous heartache, and has wounded friends and family. May God forgive me -- but more -- may God deliver me from the careless words I speak. This is my prayer. May God teach me the justice of good speech, and may my words become both just and fair, wise and winsome. My I always speak well of others.

My mom use to tell me, "Dan, you better sprinkle lots of sugar on those words, 'cause someday, I guarantee you, you will have to eat them." Yes, mom, you were right. I wish now I had put more sweetness in them. Some of the things I've said have been pretty bitter and pretty sad.

Here's to sweet words, and fair speech, and good reports about everyone. Paul says, "Speak evil of no man." May God teach me this lesson, not only for my tongue, but for my heart as well.

GOD IS NOWHERE - GOD IS NOW HERE

2007-10-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

Where is God?

Odd, that we don't ask that question very often when things are going well.

"Where is God?" is usually our question in our tough times, not our the easy times. I wonder if it is because we feel that God exists to make our lives better - easier - more successful - more prosperous - more of everything we LIKE and less of everything we fear and loathe.

Years ago, I saw this interesting spelling GOD IS NOWHERE and GOD IS NOW HERE. It stuck with me. Where is God? Where does He live? Where does he work? Some time back, Jone Osborne asked the question in her song, "What if God was one of us?" It was a penetrating lyric with excellent music to match. I have that song on my iTunes playlist, and I play it from time to time. It always moves me, because . . . God IS one of us. The man Jesus is, as the Nicene Creed declares, "is Man of true man, God of true God . . .." Along with that, God tells us clearly where He is, where He lives, where He works, and where He hangs out.

God is in the midst of His people. God speaks to us intimately through the Bible. God is even in nature, showing us His eternal power and deity (Rom 1:18-21), and God is in the world working every day. He is not far from anyone of us, He is near. GOD IS NOW HERE.

But for those who require Him to show up where they want Him to be, there will be only silence and disappointment. Go where God IS. You will find Him in His house. You will find Him in the midst of His people. If you say you love Him, then love His bride, His church, His family, His friends. If you want to be near Him, you can be. Go to God's house this week. Find a church that believes His word and embraces the mystery of intimacy with His Spirit. Go there. Many churches believe and practice "knowing God." Find one. Go with an open heart. You will find God waiting for you with open arms.

ARTISTS; RESIDENT IN THE CHURCH?

2007-10-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

The Artist-in-Residence program at Durham Cathedral is a testimony to the enduring legacy of the need for artists in the church. You can observe their program at their website, and get a sense of its history as well as its contemporary relevance. http://www.artschaplaincy.org.uk/projects/air.html

The works of these artists transcend a merely self-centered notion of person creativity; these artists are producing works that are connected to a centuries old tradition that ministers to others and glorifies God.

Their work becomes timeless, because they are joining their lives and their labors to something bigger than themselves. They are, in a sense, hitching their wagon to a star, and because of this their works will remain a testimony of their own creative spirit as it is joined to the work of countless others through the life of the Church.

In these works one sees a continuity with the artists of the past, energetic contemporary expressions of living creativity, and fellowship in an artistic tradition that will stand the test of time. Would to God, more churches employed the arts in their worship, in their sacred spaces, and in their plans for the future.

It would be wonderful if more "artist in residence" programs were established. If you love the arts, talk to your church leaders about including them more integrally into your regular worship. If you are really bold, encourage your church and its leaders to look into creating an "artist in residence" program. It need not be grandiose. You can begin simply. Any enrichment of the worship experience is better than none. Begin where you can, and see the wonderful places that journey will take you.

Look for more information about this subject in coming blogs. Creating such programs is possible, and well worth our time, resources and energy to investigate. Imagine the rich possibilities and the diversity of advantages for humankind if churches returned to the arts, and art was once more created for the glory of God. There is not a single facet of the Church that would not directly benefit. There is not a single area of culture that would not be greatly enriched.

(Painting above: The Annunciation by: Edward Burne-Jones, a Pre-Raphaelite)

ANCIENT - COMPELLING - RELATIVE

2007-10-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

There is a kind of mania in the churches today about being relevant to the culture. Frequently that means being new, fresh, trendy, culturally hip, faddish, or edgy. Relevance is rarely that in any case except for those contexts where trendiness is the over-arching paradigm.

Who today would think of St. Augustine as being relevant to the current and prevailing cultures of the west? Probably not many, but a closer look will find this man someone not merely to venerate as a saint, but one who ought to be considered as truly relevant for believers today. His works transcend time and culture, remaining a great source of inspiration and wisdom.

Augustine was, in his early years, a profligate and an intellectual. He was formally trained as an orator and became a teacher, but his personal life was a moral mess. One of his most famous statements often quoted was, "God, make me chaste, but not yet." We smile at the honest foolishness of that request, and see our own desire for God as it is often eclipsed by our reluctance to fully follow Christ.

Augustine is one of those saints who has caused more soul-searching and controversy than most others. That alone qualifies him for examination. Any religious person who wants to fit in and make nice will not like what Augustine has to say. Those who want to be thought spiritual while living like hell will out and out despise what he has to say. But, those who have an open heart, unafraid of the mystical vision he preaches will find in Augustine a fountain of refreshment and inspiration. Read Augustine. He is not just ancient, he is also relevant and compelling for our own day.

Here is a link to a teaching by John Piper about the life of St. Augustine and what it might mean to us today. Piper is speaking to a group of ministers, and he refers to numerous early church controversies with heretics as well as references to the "Reform" churches and Reform theology, but never mind all that . . . those are references intended for that particular audience. Just ignore that, but listen closely to the things he has to say about Augustine himself. I think you might find it a bit more than interesting. I hope you find it compelling as well. http://www.danielriceart.net/AUGUSTINE/

When you get to the folder you will see a single file. Just click on the MP3 file to download or open the subject matter. Note, this is a 40 meg file, so it may take a minute (or four) to download it if you have a cable connection. Piper's entire message is over an hour, but listen to what you can. You will get the feel of it pretty quickly. This is superb content on Augustine, delivered by a passionate and intelligent contemporary public speaker.

PATRON SAINTS OF ARTISTS

2007-10-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

There are a number of patron saints of artists. They are St. Catherine of Bologna, St. Bernward, Fra Angelico, Michael the Archangel, and St. Luke, the writer of the gospel of Luke, the book of The Acts of the Apostles, and traveling companion of St. Paul on his missionary journeys.

In Renaissance Florence, St. Luke was a favored patron saint for the painters, goldsmiths, gold workers, stained glass workers, lacemakers, brewers and sculptors.

( http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintl06.htm)

In the 11th century, St. Bernward was a remarkable artist and churchman who accomplished amazing things in the creation of sacred spaces and for the beautification of the worship of God. His story is truly impressive. (http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintb44.htm)

I love the idea of having patron saints of the arts, because the arts should be thought of as sacred in nature, and blessed by heaven. This may not seem true in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in the general public - not yet anyway, but it will - especially as common artists like myself and my friends have anything to say about it . . . and we do.

Many believers working in the arts today are beginning to make a difference in the art world. New York City now has the Museum of Biblical Art (http://www.mobia.org/about/), of which I hear some good things - and Gordon College houses the CIVA organization. CIVA stands for Christians in the Visual Arts (http://www.civa.org/), a worthy effort for the arts among believers. Publications like IMAGE Magazine and Relevant Magazine (two very different kinds of publications) are raising the consciousness about excellence in the arts.

There is so much going on that churches too reluctant or too afraid to patronize the arts; or unwilling to become supporters of artists in their midst, and patrons of their works may discover that they missed a great opportunity to be in the middle of what God is doing in this generation. They missed their best opportunity to connect to the culture, to bless their world.

Shortly, I will be sharing more with you about the patron saints of the arts and what that might mean for us today, regardless of one's spiritual affiliations.

REPRODUCTIONS OF THE MASTERS

2007-09-11T02:09:00.001-07:00

These reproductions of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling are charcoal on toned board, dimensions: 5.75" x 6.75"; perfect for classical decorative elements in your home or office, and delightfully unique gifts for your cultured friends and family members. Do you have a favorite artist? Daniel can reproduce their work in a variety of ways, from large wall murals to cameo-sized accents like these unique handcrafted translations of great masterpieces.

To see more of Daniel's work, visit http://www.danielriceart.net/

EMBARRASSING AS HELL

2007-08-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

Hell isn't what it use to be . . . at least in its place within society. People seem to be embarrassed to talk about hell, and preachers rarely discuss it or talk about it. When asked about one's belief in hell, many people hesitate and blush. It is an embarrassing question, especially for people who think of themselves as intellectually enlightened.

This painting is from an amazing fresco called "The Triumph of the Name of Jesus," by an artist named Gaulli. This is just the lower corner of the enormous ceiling painting. I saw this fresco in 2006, on my last visit to Rome. This portion of the painting depicts devils and the wicked being cast down to their condemnation.

It seems curious that the topic of hell, once so common in churches and theological discussions, has become an almost forbidden topic. It is hard to talk about hell without people expressing their strong emotions, or energetic objections to the subject. Why is this?

Even Evangelicals' ideas and belief in hell has slipped from what it once was. Where once most of Evangelicals believed in hell, now most are conflicted by the subject. There are some very strong feelings about this subject, and it makes me wonder why there is such a strong reaction . . . and reaction it is.

Not all beliefs in hell are identical. There is the eternal conscious punishment version. There is the nihilistic version of it. There is the idea that hell, and/or Purgatory, can be redemptive rather than entirely punitive. Then there is the view that no such place exists at all.

Ask almost any Christian these days, regardless of the denom, and you will find a generally uncomfortable response to the question of one's belief in the existence of hell.

Of course, a belief in the existence of hell is not a requirement for entry into heaven, or at least I don't see it listed as such anywhere in the Bible, but there are, nonetheless, quite energetic feelings about this subject.

Strangely, the subject of hell is one of those topics that can provide one comfort as well as a sense of dread. If one has suffered injustices, or if one has intractable enemies, it is oddly comforting to think that perhaps your enemies will end up in hell.

There are clever statements in films where someone will tell their enemy, "I'll see you in hell!" and there are those witty retorts when told to go to hell, the response is, "You first." Which is usually followed by someone killing the one who insulted them.

Hell can be a convenient doctrine to bandy about. Infidels always end up in hell. Ask any faithful Muslim. Jews, however, have very different views on the subject. Christians have mixed feelings, and various views, and the general population has reached no consensus on the subject at all -- yet people remain very emotional about the subject.

The notion of hell, however, is not relegated to the three Middle-Eastern religions, other cultures and various religions have their own idea of hell. It could even be said that Buddhistic concept of reincarnation is not a happy idea, but is their idea of hell. One really does not want to come back. One is trying to break the cycle and to get out of the endless repetition of life and death. That to the Buddhist is Nirvana . . . which is more about release into nothingness than it is fulfillment of personalty.

I'd love to do a painting about hell, but it is difficult to conceive of an idea of hell that would be meaningful for this generation. The subject matter, as an artist, fascinates me.

I am interested in people's emotions about this topic almost as much as I am in the subject of hell itself.

Why do you think people get so worked up about the idea of hell?

What is it that lies beneath the emotions that provokes such strong responses?

Does the subject bother you?

Have you ever argued one side or the other? If so, why?

What is to be gained by such discussions on the existence of hell?

Why do you think we all feel that this subject is an important subject?

I'd like to know your thoughts on this.

FIFTEEN "NANOSECONDS" OF FAME?

2007-08-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

In the later part of the last century, Andy Worhol coined the phrase, "Fifteen-minutes of fame." He was pointing out that media was such a strong force in the world, that everyone on the planet would have fifteen-minutes of notoriety . . . that would be all.

The media is powerful enough to reach everyone on the planet, but it will not provide any single individual with lasting fame. That was then, when the world was slower and less media-intense.

Andy died before the Internet was a available to the masses. I am sure he would have something clever to say about the proliferation of new forms of media these days. Perhaps he would think there would only be fifteen nanoseconds of fame. Fifteen minutes is an eternity by comparison. I mean, just think of how many Youtube spots there are to view. How does any single video rise to the top of that dog-pile? And, who in the world has the time or the opportunity to view them all?

In conversations about the arts and entertainment, I have often heard people comment about how nearly impossible it is to make anything that is meaningful to the masses, in any long-term sense. Ours is a throw-away society that tastes everything and digests nothing. All it seems to produce is massive amounts of waste. I wonder, are we receiving any nutrition from our gluttonous consumption of everything new?

My son-in-law, at lunch today, quoted someone who had said that there use to be one-hundred great bands, each with ten-thousand fans. Now we see ten-thousand bands, each with one-hundred fans. It is true. How can fame find anyone in a world such as this, yet our culture continues to morph in this fashion.

So, is any form of longevity possible . . . for art, for knowledge, for culture, for society, for religion, for individuals? Is it possible to leave a legacy for the generations that will follow us? Or, does this contemporary pastiche mean that all that which was classical and time-honored is no longer relevant? Does relevance exist for anything that is not part of the wave of the nuevo-culture?

If only that which is new and novel is valued, what hope is there for cultural continuity through time? Is cultural continuity even a value in this nation anymore? What will the perpetual-change-machinery of pop-culture, technology, and media produce for our world in the next fifty years? Will this tsunami of the "new" wash away earlier cultures and replace them with anything worthy to be called culture . . . in the old sense of that term? Is history relevant?

I'm reminded of the words of Jeremiah, the Jewish prophet, who said, "This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.' Jer 6:16 NIV

What does it mean to be out-of-date, old-fashioned, antiquated? Is there such a thing as "going-back" in order to go forward? If one misses one's intended off-ramp on the freeway, is it "progress" to keep going? Is it enlightened to think that all off-ramps lead to the same destination? If you were going to keep something from the past in such a world of change as ours what kind of thing(s) would you keep. What ancient things might one always consider to be contemporary?

Any nanothoughts?

THE ILLUMINATRIUM ART EXPERIENCE

2007-08-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

FREEDOM FEST went well, except for the few hours the rain nearly washed us all away . . . BUT, the Illuminatrium Art Experience went pretty well.

I imagine there were probably 300 or more people who went through the Illuminatrium, many of whom stopped long enough to make some pretty cool art.

Between painting, drawing, face-painting, origami, clay and coloring books, there was a ton of art produced in those 50 or so hours. It was inspiring. By the end of Freedom Fest, there was over 120 works hanging on the gallery walls . . . a tribute to the creative spirit of children of all ages.

This is just one of the many cool works produced.

To see more, visit http://www.danielriceart.net/ILLUMINATRIUM/Illuminatrium.html

UNSELFISHNESS IS NOT ENOUGH

2007-08-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

C. S. Lewis is a fairly renowned author on a number of subjects. Among his diverse writings are scholarly works about Medieval literature, science fiction stories, theological papers, and even children's books, such as The Chronicles of Narnia.

Over the years, I have returned to one of his works over and over. Actually it was a public address he gave in Oxford in 1941, but has been printed in a variety of places since.

"The Weight of Glory" is still fresh and relevant today, and it is one of the most amazing essays I have ever read. It is about the greater meaning of the Christian idea and experience, as it pertains to the after-life and eternal reward. It is simply profound.

Of course, I try to use the term Christian carefully, because I do not want that word associated with mere denominationalism or anything short of its biblical meaning, i.e. those who follow Christ himself. It is one thing to belong to a religious organization, it is quite another to be a Christ-follower.

People often use the word "Christian" to refer to varoius sectarian approaches to the Faith, such as Fundamentalism, or Evangelicalism, or other "isms" of one brand or another. The word has lost nearly all of its original apostolic meaning. If I could, I would replace it with a different, better, less abused term for following Christ.

But, for the moment, click on the link below and read the essay for yourself. It is rather long, but "weighty" matters are always worth working through.

To view the pages, you will need to click on each link separately.

These are all JPGs.

Happy reading :-)

http://www.danielriceart.net/BLOG/WEIGHT_of_GLORY

SOURCE for The Weight of Glory
The Essential C. S. Lewis
COLLIER BOOKS
MACMILLAN PUBLISHING COMPANY
866 Third Ave, New York, NY 10022
ISBN 0-002-019550-8

MY KID COULD PAINT THAT!!!

2007-08-15T14:26:00.001-07:00

WOW.

Watch this trailer and tell me what you think.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony/mykidcouldpaintthat/

ATTACK OF THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER

2007-08-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Over the years one picks up a piece of information or three. This is one I have come to lean on.

I have noticed through my life that when someone is rejoicing, someone else may not like it. They are sour and cannot rejoice with those who rejoice, they refuse to celebrate the happiness of others; but rather feel like saying or doing something to bring the happy-one “down-to-earth,” “back-to-reality,” “in-balance” with the rest of the world.

I truly do not understand why this is part of human nature, but it seems to be true at times. People just get green with envy. They become jealous of others who are doing well. This was part of the dynamics of Cain's hatred of his brother, Able. It led to the first recorded murder. This kind of attitude is not only unbecoming, it can be problematic. Often, it is jealousy that is at the root of quarrels between people. The Apostle James said, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:1-3 NIV)

Happily, over the past decade or so, I have been conscious enough to recognize those subtle “kill-joy” voices (I believe they are also probably “devilish” voices), and counter them with kind words, sincere congratulations, and heartfelt like-rejoicing to the ones who are in their moment of happiness. The burdens of life will unfortunately return soon enough and often enough, so I enjoy perpetuating “the moment” of joy as long as is possible – especially when it is the moment of someone else’s joy. This is a gift to them. It is a blessing I have the power to grant or to withhold. I choose to grant it . . . with gusto! J And, I am delighted to do so.

Life, as they say, is short, and we all forget that fact from time to time. I have found that celebrating things in which my friends are rejoicing brings me gladness of heart, and a kind of participation in their joy . . . which is often very wonderful. I have found that I must “check my spirit” from time to time and consciously reject negative thoughts . . . or worse, no thought at all about the other’s joy. Someone once said, “Envy is the only way the wicked know how to pay a compliment.” That really hit me. But, rather than envy another’s achievement or station in life, we can celebrate it – which seems to me to be a higher path.

One of the ways I know how to tell if I am walking in God’s Spirit is how I feel about the success of others. I am happy to say that, over the years, Christ has been working this precious gift inside me. Today, I learned of some colleagues who have successfully and beautifully completed a truly amazing building project. I cannot tell you how happy I am for them – for us all, because when one part of the Body of Christ is exalted, all are beneficiaries. This achievement of theirs is truly wonderful.

It may be that I may never personally benefit from their triumph, but I can genuinely participate with them in their happy moment. What a joy and a glory it is for them, and I would not rob them of a single beam of their delight. Rather, I add to it with a hearty “Way to go!!” “Well done!!!” I rejoice with them. I exult with them. I am grateful to see the blessing of God in/on/with/through my brother’s and sister’s lives. Doing so enriches us all. I know it enriches me. In the end, it will all boil down to that final statement that we all so deeply long to hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” I choose to echo praise for others in anticipation of its ultimate bestowal. Perhaps, in my congratulations to my brothers, they will hear something of the voice of the one whom they love so dearly.

James 3:13-18 . . . 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. NIV

WHY SO LITTLE ART IN THE CHURCHES?

2007-08-09T01:14:00.000-07:00

Of course, there are churches that are quite aware of the arts, and they are very active in numerous levels and expressions of art, but there are many more that aren't and don't. This is not an exaggeration, it is pretty much true across the board, regardless of denom.

Arts and culture are popular buzz-words in the many churches today, but there is really not much of either art or culture going on. Again, this is not a criticism as much as it is an simple observation.

To prove the point, just ask the average church leader how much of their budget is dedicated to the purchasing of art, and how many artists are on their staff. You are likely to get some answer that says they encourage the artists in their congregations to "volunteer" for things, but less often will one find churches hiring artists to place on their leadership staff. Most churches simply do not put their money where their mouth is. Many say they value the arts, but do nothing to promote them within their congregations. Often they discourage artists from being taken seriously, relegating the artist's works to "special-moments" of expression, but not to share in the accepted and regular forms of ministry.

Some churches do, however, hire artists, and commission them for various tasks - but these are often punctiliar tasks, works for the moment; irregular. The visual arts is one area that needs to see growth in all churches. It actually is growing in some spots, but in others it is little more than a fuzzy noise in the background.

But in all fairness, how is the church to think of the arts today? For nearly a hundred years the visual arts were almost completely absent from the church, and any one who got involved in the performing arts was suspect. Their faith was very often questioned. The arts were often seen as a backdoor to worldliness and sin. Only ministries of music have grown with any regularity in the Protestant churches during this past century. Music is truly wonderful, but it is not enough if it is the only art form in the church. Though music is essential and necessary, it is too narrow a focus all by itself. It will never be enough until all the arts are seen to be just as necessary for worship as is music.

What is needed to bring the visual arts up to snuff in the church? Several things. First, knowledgeable people in art ministries; people who are not afraid of the visual arts. Second, regular education in the arts for the church, so that congregations can know what is "good" and what is "better." Third, visual artists with education and existing ministries need to be ordained to positions of leadership that carry as much weight as does every other leadership ministry in the church. Fourth, resources. That is as plain and simple as it gets. The arts need money and space. A place for the arts must be created and regularly supported. It may not be that great to begin with, but it's creation and growth must be committed to, or nothing will change.

In short, the arts must cease to be marginalized and take a place at the center of church culture, alongside the rest of the regular ministries of Word and Spirit. Until the visual arts cease being a quaint novelty, or an occasional luxury, and are seen as the essential ministry of communication and worship that they are, not much will change in the church. Without all the arts functioning fully in the church, it will remain impoverished in many ways. It will lack the fullest expressions of God's interaction with humankind.

Church history has shown us over and over that when the arts are at the center of worship and spiritual education, the church grows, thrives and benefits -- not only in the immediate sense, but across time as well.

When the church takes the long view, and invests in the arts as a means of communicating God's presence over time and space (rather than merely a pop expression for the moment), then great things are possible and Spirit-filled artists will emerge from within the church itself . . . but what church leaders have either the vision or the courage for such a commitment as that?

Something to think about. :-)

(NOTE: Painting at top by Scott Erickson - See more of Scott's work at http://thetranspireproject.com/)

WHY HAS ART CHANGED SO MUCH?

2007-08-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Why is the art of today so different than the art of yester-year?

To answer that question adequately, one would have to know something of the philosophy and culture of previous ages. Art both leads and follows the path of a culture's development. It is probably true and most accurate to say that philosophy drives art.

In the west, say, in the Middle Ages, the artist was a crafts person and most art was utilitarian - functional in nature. It was decorative and filled the ordinary lives of people. In the Renaissance the status of the artist changed and they moved from being a servant of the patron to acquire celebrity status. This was a significant change.

In addition to the celebrity status of the Renaissance artist, the artist was called upon to invent all sorts of things -- from the composition of the subject to the ways in which the art would be used, or seen.

As the merchant class grew, more people could afford art, and the Catholic church was no longer the primary patron of the arts. Now, the church, the wealthy, the merchant class and the average person could afford art. In Italy, the Medici family spent fortunes on art, not only buying it, but in creating a market for it. They were shrewd enough to realize that there was real money to be made from the production and purchase of art.

In the twentieth century, some artists think of themselves as as much more than celebrities. They think of themselves as autonomous from the culture, doing what they want and serving nothing other than their own sensibilities.

The old patrons of the arts have all but disappeared - though new ones have emerged. Rather than making art to beautify the world, many artists of today express only themselves for themselves. They say they are making "art for art's sake," but we see that the result of some of their work is not as beneficial for culture as one might think it could be. Much are has become pathologically narcissistic.

Finally, there are so many more areas of the arts than before. Now there is everything from fashion to animation, from computer images to installation art, from painting to hip-hop. Art spans not just the visual arts but performing arts and music as well. The boundaries have been blended and blurred, not accidentally but deliberately under the banner of creative freedom as well as necessity.

Art in the west has evolved and continues to evolve.

What do you think art will become in the future?

Where do you think all this "creativity" is going?

Do you think it is good for the art world to be where it is, or is it not so good, and why?

What are your thoughts on the evolution of the arts in our own culture, or even cross culturally?

(Photo at the top is Raphael's depiction of removing the dead Christ from the cross.)

DRAWING IS THE FOUNDATION OF COMMUNICATION

2007-08-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Drawing is our first language. Before we can form sentences, and long before we learn to write, we draw. It seems to be hardwired into our nature.

We talk with pictures. We represent ideas with images. Why? Probably because our most powerful response to the world is visual.

We see objects and events, and we try to depict the things we see. We mimic what we visualize. We communicate our understanding of the world through the pictures we draw. It is probably true to say that there is no right or wrong way to draw, just successful or unsuccessful ways to do it. Whether one lays down meticulous lines or scribbles and smudges marks together, the only question to ask is, "Did you accomplish what you wanted?"

Beyond that, accuracy and effect are factors that certainly do matter to the process of drawing. From the time we are children we seek better and better ways to draw. There really is no end to it. When people go out for coffee and try to share an idea with a friend, often they will grab a pen and a napkin and will draw a picture of it. The response is often, "WOW!" or "Yup, I get it."

Drawings can clarify what mere words never can. I suppose each has its own limitations. A great drawing is always exciting. I know of very few people who are unmoved by a great drawing. It is important to draw, and it is important to learn to draw better.

There are many WONDERFUL things that happen to the human brain when one draws. Learning to draw is a journey of a lifetime rather than a destination at which one arrives.

Both educational and scientific studies have clearly indicated that people who draw expand their capacity for learning in many areas; from math to science, from conceptual ideas and spacial intelligence to manual dexterity and visual acuity.

In short, drawing is good for us.What makes a drawing great? There are objective things that make it great, and there are personal things that make it great.

What are some of the great drawings you've seen, and why do you like them?

Here is a pencil drawing I did on the beach in Hawaii. I hope you like it.

ART-TENT / Freedom Fest 2007 / August 17-19

2007-08-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

HEY - August is Awesome!

If you haven't already looked at the Freedom Fest website, go there after reading this. http://www.freedomfest.org/ It is full of cool stuff about this important event. There you will find a list of bands and talent of all kinds. You don't want to miss this.

From the 17th through 19th you will absolutely enjoy some of the best fun of your entire summer. Beyond the bands, the food and the fun, Freedom Fest is hosting their first ART-TENT, where lots of creative fun will be happening all weekend long. The program is rich in creative material for you and your friends, or for families and kids. There is something for everyone from 2 to 102.

Among the happenings at the ART-TENT will be a TAG-WALL; ART-DEMOS - "how to" draw and paint taught by a professional artist; READINGS from C. S. Lewis by Connie Rice - Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters; COMMUNITY-MURAL where you can paint with other friends during the course of the weekend; FACE-PAINTING for the kids; CONVERSATION-PIT where you can sit and chat with your friends about ARTSY subjects and other cool things; RIBBONS for best drawing and painting per related age-group will be awarded; OPEN-SESSIONS where you can just come in and do art till your heart's content; and TONS-MORE. You are gonna totally LOVE the new ART-TENT -- and what is the ART-TENT called? What else . . . THE ILLUMINATRIUM! What is an "Illuminatrium?" It's a place where resplendent light shines on the creative spirit.

Really - if you love music and art and fun in the sun, this event is for YOU!
Go online and get your tickets today. Don't delay!!! :-)

Connie and I will be there the entire weekend, so drop by the ART-TENT and say "Hi!"

ART & CHURCH BUILDINGS

2007-07-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

It use to be that Christians took great pride in the arts. It showed up in everything they did, especially in their buildings - be they large or small.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the Christian church heavily influenced all the arts of the western world for nearly sixteen hundred years. That is quite a long time. These days, the church is barely in the arts at all - except perhaps for Evangelical music which has experienced a huge boost in popularity in the past century, especially the last thirty years.

However, other than with a few examples, most church structures have gone from being monuments of the creative-worshipful-spirit to ultra simple configurations.

Some churches today don't even own a building. They meet in warehouses, shopping malls, theaters, and gymnasiums. The idea is often expressed that this is a good thing because more money can be spent on evangelism, social work and missions, and other such things; but that argument sounds somehow hollow to my ears. I am not sure why, but it always makes me feel that the one saying such things has other agenda . . . like the disciples complaining about the woman who broke the alabaster box of ointment on Jesus. They complained that it was a waste of wealth, and that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus did not agree with them.

Yes, sometimes money can go to better things than to buildings. I get it. I know this sounds sensible and financially wise, but is it really the truth? Is it really wisdom? For sure, there can be excess with anything, and money can be spent on useless items, but is putting money into the arts for the sake of enriching spiritual experience unwise? Is it always wrong - is it ever wrong to spend money to enrich one's spiritual experience? How does one decide that?

The nagging questions in my mind are, "Who will remember the gymnasium-churches of today?" "Doesn't their very transience demonstrate an unwillingness to think and plan for the long-term?" "Does choosing the easy low-brow-architecture meeting-place of the gymnasium demonstrate a disdain for the notion of the permanence of the Kingdom of God, to say nothing of the need for enduring creative-arts?" "Is the Church to imitate the pop fad-culture of 'here today, gone tomorrow' - disposable-everything - including the place where the Almighty is said to be worshiped?"

One thing is for sure, the cathedrals of the past still stand as monuments to the historic Christian faith, and every stone of their structures proclaims a richness of faith that has endured through the centuries.

The argument that these structures were built on the backs of the poor does not hold water for several reasons. One is simply that cathedrals were also centers of culture and they belonged to the people. They provided respite from the poverty of a person's common life, instructed the mind, lifted the spirit, and provided comfort for those who used them; and almost everyone used them - from the rich to the most poverty stricken. Cathedrals provided many benefits, despite their obvious expense. In fact, it is their enormous expense that speaks so loudly about their value and their enduring contribution to culture.

I know that some will say that the cathedrals are dead and that no one worships there anymore, and this is true with some of them, but here is a picture of Wells Cathedral, where vibrant worship continues unbroken from the day it was begun until now . . . and so it is with many of these sacred places. Sacred places are important, and continuity with previous generations is vital for the Christian faith. When both are combined, it makes for a compelling story that ought to be respected.

My personal sense is that a false sense of piety has stripped the church, and world, of a very wonderful influence, i.e. magnificent, creative, enduring architecture, as seen in the things made by those who worshiped in previous generations with their whole mind, body and soul.It makes me ask the question, "When splendor in worship is no longer a sacred value in the church, how will the world then associate the brilliance of the Creator-of-the-universe with the people who claim to belong to Him?

How could this phenomenon of prejudice against great architectural structures of worship have happened, and what can be done about it? Does anything need to be done about it? Yes, it is true that one can worship anywhere. That is not my point here. My point is, when one CAN make something to glorify God, and chooses not to do so, what does it say about that choice?
Your thoughts on these questions are welcome here. Even if you think me completely wrong on every point. The purpose of the blog is to respectfully explore ideas together. I look forward to seeing your comments here, and to learning something new. :-)

WHY ARE FACES SO COMPELLING?

2007-07-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Few things are as compelling to look at as the human face. Not just portraits, but any human face, whether we know the person or not. We are drawn to magazine ads, cameo shots for the silver screen, and just about any kind of photo-shot that focuses on the human face -- especially if the face has a particularly interesting expression. Talk about body language; face language is totally absorbing. The language of the face is recognized not only by grown-ups, but by children, by infants, and by animals as well. Even my cat watches my face to try to understand my communications. Does anyone have any ideas as to why the face is so important to us? Has anyone read any studies about this? What do you think?

INVITE OTHERS TO BLOG

2007-07-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Print this image off and pass it around.

Leave some at the coffee shop.

Invite others to the blog that is about Arts, Culture & Spirituality.

2007-07-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

WHAT'S THIS BLOG ABOUT?

2007-07-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

IF YOU LOVE ART, ARE FASCINATED BY CULTURE, OR ARE INTRIGUED BY SPIRITUALITY AND PHILOSOPHY . . . then this blog is for you. These pages are dedicated to sharing ideas freely and openly, in a spirit of friendship and respect for others. That said, you are welcome to address a wide variety of subjects. The sky is the limit. Passion for one's views is always welcome, rudeness, of course, is not. C'mon. Join in. Let's explore the world together.