Canon EOS 6D f/4 1/1000 ISO1000Art by Mathew R. Kelly
A few months ago, Wendy and I acquired a wonderful work of art by our friend Mat Kelly. It’s now hanging in our dining room where I get to appreciate it every day. On our guys weekend at the lake a few weeks ago I went out on a personal photo safari and happened upon this old tree whose roots had been exposed through erosion caused by the constantly fluctuating lake level. In the dead of winter the lake level is very low and it creates some very interesting sights. As soon as I saw this tree and the system of intertwining, gnarled roots I immediately thought of Mat’s artwork.
There is wisdom and fascinating stories in the exposed roots of an old tree.
As an artist, it’s always good to stretch yourself.
Tonight I start rehearsals as director of the holiday show for our community theatre. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” has become a Christmas classic. Set in the early 1950s, it’s the tale of a family of ruffians who discover that there’s free food at sunday school. They come to check it out just as parts are being divvied out for the annual Sunday School Christmas pageant and he bullies end up with the critical parts of the Christmas story. Chaos ensues.
I’m excited about the great group of talented kids who tried out and are in the show. I will admit, however, that this is not a show I typically like to direct. If you look at my resume you’ll find that I like to direct small casts of adults in comedies or dramas. Directing a host of children and youth is stretch for me. In fact, I confess to you this morning that part of me is feeling something close to complete terror. But, I know it’s always good to stretch yourself.
But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; Psalm 75:9a (NLT)
If jazz is playing in the background and I hear Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet, I know it. If an electric guitar solo is being played by Carlos Santana, I can tell it’s him. Walk into an art museum and I can tell you immediately the Picasso from the Matisse and the Rothko from the Miro. Ernest Hemingway’s voice as a writer is so distinctive that there’s an annual contest to see who can best parody him, and Woody Allen used Hemingway’s own words to humorously establish the character in his movie Midnight in Paris[see video]. Artists, musicians, and writers have distinctive styles that mark their work. God is an artist, and making us in His image He gave us the gift of being able to express ourselves uniquely. Just as each of our DNA is unique, so our creative expressions (when we honestly express ourselves) is unique.
Psalms 73-78 are a grouping of songs penned by Asaph. As I read through the lyrics of Psalm 75 the phrase in the line above struck me: “But as for me….” That sounds a lot like what I read the past two mornings.
“But as for me, it is good to be near God.” Ps 73:28
“But you, O God, are my king from of old.” Ps 74:12
“But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done.” Ps 75:9a
As with all artists, Asaph had developed a personal style. He likes to set up a scene with his lyrics and then drive a stake in the ground establishing his faith in contrast to all that he sees around him. It’s effective. It causes me to think about my own personal faith and my belief system in contrast to the world around me. Where do I place my own personal stake in the ground?
I see a lot of brokenness, but I believe God redeems broken things.
I see a lot that I don’t understand, but I believe God is telling a story that will someday be complete and all will come into context.
I see many who give up on the faith journey, but I am going to press on.
I observe many self-proclaimed believers who differentiate themselves by what they piously and religiously don’t do, but I want to differentiate myself by being loving, gracious, and forgiving.
When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”Hosea 1:2 (NLT)
Hosea was written in whacky period of ancient history about 750 years before Christ. After King David and his son Solomon, the small kingdom of Israel had been broken up in a civil war. The southern kingdom was called Judah and their kings followed the lineage of King David. The northern kingdom continued to call themselves Israel and their throne was occupied by anyone who could plot, assassinate or politically maneuver themselves into the position.
There are two things that I love about Hosea. First, God told Hosea to marry a prostitute and I love to imagine how that conversation went over with his parents.
“God told you WHAT??!”
Hosea stands as an eternal reminder that God does not fit inside a box of our own finite cultural, social or political sensibilities. God is not subject to the limits of our own definition of propriety. In fact, the only limits God fits are those He has ordained for Himself.
Second, I love the way God made Hosea’s very life became an object lesson. His marriage to Gomer became a metaphor for God’s “marriage” to the idolatrous and therefore adulterous nation of Israel. Hosea’s poor children became metaphor’s for God’s message to Israel. The Great Creator as master artist turned Hosea’s life into a work of performance art.
I think God does the same with my life and yours.
How interesting to think of our very own life journeys being a metaphor for what God is doing. It’s why I love history. There are lessons, eternal spiritual lessons, to be learned from each person’s story. A few days ago I asked the question “What’s your story?” Today, I’m asking the same question for a second time with a different twist:
What is the story God is telling through your life?
(Note: Those following along on a chapter-a-day may wonder why we haven’t finished the book of Psalms. Because Psalms is 150 chapters long, I’ve opted to break it up a bit so as not to get fatigued with it. Psalms is broken up into five distinct sections or “books.” The first book ends with Psalm 41 which we walked through yesterday. We’ll pick back up again with the second section in the near future.)
“Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” Matthew 12:36-37 (MSG)
As I’ve said many times before, God is an artist and therefore He is a God of metaphor (something which represents something else without using “like” or “as”). Because we are created in His image, we are creatures of metaphor without ever thinking about it.
Take words, for example. A word is a metaphor. The word “cat” isn’t really a furry animal that purrs, but when we say the word “cat” it represents the furry animal that purrs in our language. When we use words in our conversation or in our writing, we are using metaphors. In a very basic way, we are being artistic, creating word pictures.
Jesus said that words are powerful, and they are. The old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me” is a bunch of b.s. Most of us can still remember, vividly, a hurtful things someone said to us many years ago.
When you speak, you are painting a picture that reveals your own soul. What do others see when you speak? Anger? Criticism? Prejudice? Hatred? Fear? Anxiety? Kindness? Hope? Faith? Love?
Today, I’m going to listen to myself. I’m going to examine my words and look at the picture they paint of who I am.
Wendy and I had another fun weekend. On Friday night it was a theatre date as Theater Central produced a very interesting show called Amber Waves.
Last night was “Original Works Night” at our church. It’s pretty cool. Artists, Musicians, Poets, and Writers present their original works in a laid back, coffee house atmosphere. I grabbed my camera and took some pics. All of my photos are posted to my Picasa web album.
"Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it." Exodus 26:1 (MSG)
I own an electric bass that was hand-made by my brother. Each time I play it, I marvel to think that it had once been a couple of blocks of wood in my brother's hands. The craftsmanship is amazing and the sound it makes is spectacular. Each time I play the low B string I can feel the deep, vibrating rumble all the way to my toes. I think back to the cheap department store special on which I first learned to play. The difference in structure, in playability, and in the resulting sound between that bass guitar and the one my brother crafted is so vast as to be comical.
God is an artist and a craftsman. He created the world and all that is in it with infinite complexity. As I read through the detailed description of how he wanted the tent of dwelling, the first dedicated sanctuary for his presence on Earth, built – it is no wonder that he calls upon "skilled craftsman" to do the work. God didn't want a blue-light special. God wanted a hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind work of art full of color and artistry. This portable temple must have been breathtaking to behold.
Today, I meditate on the things I offer God (e.g. my time, my money, my talents, my life), and I wonder if God feels like I'm constantly handing him a cheap, department store knock-off. God is an artist. God is a skilled craftsman, and I know he wants the very best of me that I can possibly offer.
