I love studying the sky. It amuses my husband (and sometimes exasperates him) that I can never simply “look” at high cirrus clouds or glance at a sunset. I linger because I am always taken with God’s brilliant use of color, his wide variety of textures, and the depth of his composition. I linger because his canvas is ever-changing, and I will never see the same exhibition twice.

Sometimes after being overwhelmed by the splendor of creation, the idea of picking up a paint brush and trying to imitate nature seems futile. Like my art could do any justice to the original Artist!

But then I realize that’s the spirit of discouragement talking. Sure, my artistic abilities are limited, but God isn’t standing over my shoulder snickering at my attempts. His focus is always on the heart. And everything we do in a spirit of worship to him is beautiful in his sight. No father would mock his three-year-old’s Crayola interpretation of “Daddy,” even if he appears to have spikes for hair, black scribbles for eyes, and eight fingers projecting from each balloon hand. This is a work of pure love and is precious in Dad’s sight.

Individual talent is not a factor as we worship God. I say to anyone who desires to worship God artistically through drawing, painting, sculpting, design, poetry, music, or drama: Let loose your creativity. It’s a gift from God. Don’t let fears of inadequacy, or the lack of support from others, or the monster of self-criticism stop you from glorifying God through the arts.

Even if art isn’t your favorite activity, we all enjoy beauty because God enjoys beauty.  We are made in God’s image, and the human imagination and aesthetic appreciation are modeled after the Creator’s own. When Adam and Eve held their sly little picnic, our creativity was corrupted along with everything else and remains vulnerable to the enemy’s uses. Artists have designed glittery T-shirts for little girls with flowery script proclaiming, “It’s all about ME!”  Artists have painted beautiful posters of fair-skinned, smiling children with Nazi text hailing one race as superior. Artists have produced visually stunning photographs that objectify and de-humanize a person’s body in order to sell a product. The misuse of artistic gifts runs rampant in this fallen world.

The solution, however, doesn’t lie in giving up on all things visual! God can and does rescue the corrupted imaginations of human beings. When we accept Christ’s work on the cross for ourselves, we’re under a new boss who sets about sanctifying (purifying) our minds and re-assigning our creativity for his Kingdom’s purposes.

And it doesn’t stop there. God says that every day we become more and more like him, so don’t say you’re “not creative.” In asking your loving Father to redeem every part of your mind, your will, and your heart, you’re also asking for a serious Creativity Injection from the author of galaxies and atoms and roses and circulatory systems. You are in him, and he is in you. If that isn’t tapping into creative energy, I don’t know what is!

Feel free to ask your heavenly Father to reveal and develop the creativity he gave you. A way to further get in touch with your God-given artistry and inventiveness is to visit galleries, museums, and art shows. By seeking out the profound, thought-provoking work of artists in both Christian and secular settings, we will find ourselves thinking more creatively at the home, office or committee. Tap into artists’ passion for life, their appreciation of beauty, their awareness of people’s plight. Let it inspire you to try your own new endeavors without fear.

Your gifts are not to bury, but for you to use and enjoy. Nobody else will do things exactly like you, and you can’t be anybody else. But in embracing your uniqueness, don’t forget that you’re not the one who deserves the credit.

“We are individually hand-crafted by God,” says Dave Blakeslee of the Salida Vineyard in Colorado. “We can’t make ourselves! If there’s a lump of clay sitting there, you can just see the inertia.” Blakeslee, who holds a master’s degree in fine arts, travels to churches across the country to give presentations on the Master Potter. As he speaks, he illustrates the concept with a lump of clay. Using his hands and the potter’s wheel, he forms it into a beautiful work of art right before your eyes.

The clay metaphor found in Isaiah 64:8 is easy to understand but a challenge to live out. Blakeslee says, “We have to purposely move from self-glorification to God-glorification. This is especially difficult for artists. We’re used to a one-man show. There is a lot of ego to lay down, and it’s really a process.”

A good remedy for the “one-man show” syndrome is enjoying fellowship with others and learning the art of humility and grace, servanthood and discipleship. This month Vineyard Boise launched the Vine Arts League, which has already attracted over two dozen Vineyard artists. The purpose of this visual arts community is not self-promotion, but God-promotion through the creation of fine and commercial arts. We will hold exhibitions and workshops, open a gallery, and fulfill the art needs of ministries in the church. We’ll also share our gifts with the community, painting murals, holding free art classes, and blessing non-profit ministries who have graphic design needs.

In the arts, thinking outside of the norm can enhance the ministry within the church as well as the mission outside the church. Rick Warren says there is no “Christian” music, only Christian lyrics. In the same way, there is no “Christian” art, only Christian content (the message of the artwork). In worshiping God, we are free to utilize secular styles of art. In Luther’s quest to make worship accessible to all, he rejected formal Latin choruses in favor of something the culture could relate to. He took some popular pub songs, penned godly lyrics, and hymns were born. When God breathes on a modern form of art, it turns around and is a powerful tool used by God to reach the modern culture.

Unfortunately, Christianity has been at odds with visual art for the past five centuries. During the Reformation of 1517, the Protestants opposed the Roman Catholic practice of bowing to statues and to other works of art. But the Protestants’ good intent quickly turned to legalism, and the reformers threw out the baby with the bath water, smashing stained-glass windows, burning canvases, and shattering works of antiquity. Protestant churches have remained practically devoid of imagery ever since, prefering only music and the written Word. This strict compartmentalization is in stark contrast with the view of Job and Solomon, whose writings convey that everything God made is intertwined and anything that serves its God-given purpose reflects his glory. Beautiful equals useful.

While music is a beautiful vehicle into God’s presence, we should explore other ways to worship God creatively. We should never worship the art or the artist, but we need to appreciate the gifts God has given us and strive for artistic excellence instead of settling for low standards and cliches. And even though the written Word is indeed our foundation, we have missed opportunities to share Christ with a society that is more and more visually-oriented.

It’s time for a change. History has proven that Christians have no influence on the art culture by standing afar and griping without participating. Today’s Postmodernist audience are primarily seekers, responding to anything and everything that touches their heart. How can the young adults of this generation make a decision for the Gospel if it remains conspicuously absent from the world they know? We have to share Christ in a format after the seeker’s own heart. The power of images has been known to lead even non-Christians into the worship of our God. We are simply his agents; the Master Artist gets all the glory.

For more information about the Vine Arts League, visit the sign-up table in the new lobby after the service, or contact Jessie Nilo at jessienilo@vineyardboise.org