Friday 31 August 2012


CREATIVE BY DESIGN

This week I attended an expo for people involved in the creative arts.  In God’s Company was aimed primarily at artists, writers, musicians, photographers and dancers who are also followers of Jesus. I’m still on a high.

I’m aware that creative arts have so often been given lip service in some branches of the church; relegated to the sidelines in favour of more conventionally ‘useful’ activities such as teaching, evangelising or counselling. While such activities may indeed be useful, worthy and God-breathed, they are by no means expressive of the full range of ways God demonstrates His goodness. Because there are many who have never been affirmed and encouraged in their giftings, there were a few tears of healing at IGC, but overall the atmosphere was electric with a delicious freedom to release and cross-pollinate ideas.

The workshops were conducted by teachers who combine the pursuit of excellence with a passionate desire to glorify the King of the Universe, the author of all creativity. This was heady stuff for me.  My previous teachers (all of whom were very experienced, knowledgeable and really good at what they did) were inclined to dismiss the very notion of God, let alone that creative abilities are gifts from Him, that it pleasures Him to watch us using them, and that it’s an expression of our love for Him.  I drove home each day with a big grin on my face. 

It’s so easy to experience God’s presence and pleasure when you’re doing what He designed you to do! It sure beats just doing what you ‘oughta and shoulda’.  

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