Thriving as an Artist in the Church: Hope and Help for You and Your Ministry Team
272
Thriving as an Artist in the Church: Hope and Help for You and Your Ministry Team
272eBook
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780310542605 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Zondervan |
| Publication date: | 08/05/2009 |
| Sold by: | HarperCollins Publishing |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 272 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving artists in the church (www.heartoftheartist.org). A songwriter, speaker, church leader, and consultant, Rory is also the author of three books, all published by Zondervan: The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide For You and Your Ministry Team; Thriving as an Artist in the Church: Hope and Help For You and Your Ministry Team; and The Worshiping Artist: Equipping You and Your Ministry Team to Lead Others in Worship. Rory currently serves part-time as Pastor of Worship at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, contributes regularly to Worship Leader magazine, and also leads worship for the Transforming Center, a ministry that cares for the souls of pastors and leaders. Rory graduated from the Chicago Musical College at Roosevelt University with a degree in theory and composition and served as the music director at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois
Read an Excerpt
Thriving as an Artist in the Church
Hope and Help for You and Your Ministry TeamBy Rory Noland
Zondervan
Copyright © 2004 Willow Creek AssociationAll right reserved.
ISBN: 0-310-25732-8
Introduction
It's Not Easy Being an Artist in the ChurchCould you reach deep in yourself to locate that organ containing delusions about your general size in the world-could you lay hold of this and dredge it from your chest and look it over in daylight-well, it's no wonder people would rather not.
In music school, I studied composition with an accomplished composer whom I deeply admired and respected. He knew I was involved in the music ministry at my church, but we rarely talked about it. Except, that is, for one brief moment near the end of my college career. During one of my lessons, several sheets of score paper accidentally fell out of my folder and onto the floor. As I gathered them up, my professor quickly noticed there was music he didn't recognize written on these sheets. When I explained the music was something I was working on for church, he grimaced and said, "I thought you would have gotten this church thing out of your system by now." I shrugged my shoulders because I didn't know what to say. Then he asked, "Why would anyone waste their time doing church music?"
That's an interesting question, isn't it? It's one I've asked myself often over the years. Why would an artist opt to share his or her talents with the church? After all, that's not usually the first place people think of when it comes to excellence or innovation in the arts. It's certainly not the place most artists think of when they dream about where they hope to express their talent. In fact, many artists are apprehensive about the church. They're afraid it might stifle or limit them, and they are concerned that church people won't accept or even understand them. Or that they won't fit in. Artists tend to be free spirits and non-conformists, and let's face it-that doesn't go over well at most churches.
One of the most tragic examples of an artist mismatched with the church is the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. As a young man, van Gogh desperately desired to follow his father into the ministry. He trained for it, but he was not a good student. Nor was he good at public speaking-a definite problem for a potential preacher. Because of his dedication, an ecumenical Protestant organization gave him an opportunity to serve as a lay evangelist in a poor coal-mining town in what is now southwestern Belgium. While there, van Gogh became deeply concerned about the plight of these downtrodden people. He began to draw pictures of them, depicting their everyday chores, their work in the mines, and the hopelessness etched in their faces. Although van Gogh's superiors expressed admiration for the way he cared for his flock, they withdrew his appointment after six months, citing his deficient preaching skills. He tried to continue without their support but was soon living in abject poverty. Bitterly disappointed, van Gogh gave up his dream of becoming a minister and never set foot in a church again. He spent the rest of his life in extreme emotional, relational, and financial turmoil, which drove him to suicide at the age of thirty-seven.
In 1889, a year before he died, Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night (plate 1). Many regard this as his most spiritual work of art. To van Gogh, the evening sky symbolized God's presence, and the prominent cypress bush in the foreground appears to be reaching heavenward with fiery zeal. If you look closely at the buildings in the foreground, however, you'll notice all of them have light coming from the windows except one-the church. Furthermore, from an architectural standpoint, the Dutch Gothic steeple, similar to the one on the church van Gogh grew up in, is incongruous with the French countryside the painting represents. In another painting called Church at Auvers (1890), a cathedral is featured on a bright sunny day. But the church is dark and also appears to have no door. Van Gogh's feelings about the church are obvious-it's a cold, dark, close-minded place.
One can't help but wonder how different van Gogh's life might have been had the church encouraged him to be what God obviously made him to be-an artist. I wish a caring Christ-follower had come alongside him and said, "Hey, Vince, maybe preaching is not your thing. But God gave you this amazing ability to paint and draw, so why not serve God with your art instead of trying to be a preacher?"
I think that might actually have happened today, as the arts are playing an increasingly greater role in the ministry of the church. More and more artists are getting involved and experiencing the rewards of ministry. Still, we are also discovering just how difficult church work can be. Whenever I speak at a conference, it's not uncommon for an artist to pull me aside between sessions and ask me for advice on how to handle a troublesome situation at church. At some point in the conversation the person invariably says something like, "I don't know how much more of this I can take. If things don't change, I don't know if I can survive another year." I receive many similar desperate cries for help through letters, emails, and phone calls from leaders and volunteers. They are overwhelmed by the challenges, worn down by the conflicts, and discouraged by the adversity involved in doing ministry in the church.
It's hard enough being an artist, but being an artist in the church can be extremely challenging. In this book, we tackle those challenges head on. I don't have all the answers, but I have some experience to share that I hope you'll find encouraging and helpful. This is not a self-help book, however, with quick-fix formulas. It's more like a guide, a resource for your journey as an artist in the church. You will most likely work out your frustrations and issues within the context of your church community and your relationship with God. As you do, I hope this book encourages you through the difficult times and equips you to enjoy more of the good times.
Throughout this book, whenever I use the term artist I purposely cast a wide net. Basically, I'm referring to anyone who performs, creates, produces, or enjoys anything artistic. This includes writers, poets, painters, visual artists, performers, musicians, dancers, dramatists, producers, photographers, and more. It also includes those who work in technical areas including sound, lighting, video, and staging as well as computer graphics and design. If you enjoy doing anything artistic, you're an artist at heart.
Whether you're a professional or an amateur, whether you're a serious artist or a casual dabbler, whether or not you consider yourself to be one of those "artsy types," there are unique challenges for those of us who serve the church through the arts. These are the issues I address in this book. Paul wrote that one of the purposes of Scripture is to guide people in how to "conduct themselves in God's household" (1 Timothy 3:15). So together we're going to examine some scriptural principles related to the challenges we face-principles that are relevant whether you're part of a small church or a megachurch, a traditional congregation or a contemporary one.
You've probably already noticed I make no distinction between the universal church (the "big C" Church) and the local church (the "small c" church). Most often I refer to the local church, but I use the word interchangeably in an effort to keep the church from being an abstract concept that does not inspire a feeling of ownership. In Paul's greeting to the Corinthians he writes, "To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:2). Paul addresses a church that is both local and worldwide, so apparently it's all one church in God's eyes anyway!
YOU NEED THE CHURCH
If it is so difficult to be an artist in the church, why should the artist who's a Christian give the church a second thought? First of all, Jesus loved the church so much he gave his life for it (Ephesians 5:25). In light of that high a sacrifice, no serious Christ-follower can afford to be indifferent toward the church. Therefore, every artist who truly loves Christ must also love the church. Aside from that, you need the church. In fact, you need the church more than it needs you.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Thriving as an Artist in the Church by Rory Noland Copyright © 2004 by Willow Creek Association. Excerpted by permission.
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