The Artist in Community (Chapter 3)
To know and be known is a basic human need, and artists are no exception! Especially in the church, how can we be at our best if we don't work together? We have to come together to do what no one of us could do alone. That is called teamwork, and it is vital to a music ministry. There are several things that can kill teamwork:
1. Selfishness- This one is pretty obvious, if you are being selfish, you aren't thinking about the team.
2. Grumbling and Complaining- Philippians 2:14 instructs us all to "do everything without complaining or arguing," because grumbling and complaining are like cancers that grow and spread and eventually kill a team or even an entire church.
3. A Competitive Spirit- This one is really hard as artists. We are competitive by nature. We want to be the best their is in our area. But in the church we need to learn to cooperate, and stop competing.
4. Unresolved Relation Conflict- This usually occurs because the three mentioned above are occurring! When problems arise between team members, they need to talk to each other and work it out. Often they will find that things are not as bad as they seem. But left unchecked, things grow into big problems.
Team unity is absolutely essential. Don't ever think unity is optional. It's required if we're going to do anything together in God's name. There are several things that need to happen for this to become reality. One of them is that you need to be willing to bring a 'healthy self' when you come. This means physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Take care of your body! Just because you are an artist doesn't mean that you don't need to take a walk every once in a while! If you are not doing well physically, it will translate into your art. The same is true spiritually and emotionally. If you are a spiritual and/or emotional train wreck, it will translate to every area of your life, including your art. We also need to get past caring who gets the credit. This is a big one, because artists like to be recognized. But there comes a point when you have to decide that it is more important that the work gets done than it is that you get recognized for it. Once you get to that point, it is amazing the things that can be accomplished.
Enjoy the Journey
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
Servanthood Vs. Stardom (Chapter 2)
As an artist it is so hard to be a servant. Most of the time we are up on stage and everyone is looking for us to do something great. Servanthood is all about humility. Often we have the wrong idea when it comes to humility. We think that humility means that we don't think that we are any good. It doesn't mean that at all! It means that we have an accurate view of ourselves. Don't beat yourself up and pretend that you are humble. Don't mistake a poor self image for humility. The focus then is still on yourself, it is just a negative focus instead of a positive one. Know your strengths, know your weaknesses, and give glory to God. I say give glory to God because without Him we wouldn't have any of the talents that we have to begin with! The prideful person says, 'Look what I did!' But the humble person says, 'Look what God used me to do!'
In Luke 17:10 we learn that when we do what God has gifted us to do we have 'done our duty.' Don't expect to be patted on the back all the time for using your gifts. You should be using your gifts to glorify God, that is why He gave them to you! Another thing we 'artsy types' struggle with is an intense desire to be better than everyone else. This is pride. C.S. Lewis says, "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."
Artists in the church need to keep all of this in mind. But perhaps the most important thing for an artist in the church to remember is that the message is first and foremost. If 'tricking' your voice makes a word harder to understand, don't do it, no matter how good it makes you sound! If you are an instrumentalist, don't crank it up to 11 to draw attention to how great your solo is. Don't draw undue attention to yourself. As artists in the church, we are to serve the message, not ourselves.
What is the secret of humility? I think Rory Noland put it very well when he said, "We are all background. Jesus Christ is center stage, not us. He must increase and we must decrease."
Enjoy the Journey
As an artist it is so hard to be a servant. Most of the time we are up on stage and everyone is looking for us to do something great. Servanthood is all about humility. Often we have the wrong idea when it comes to humility. We think that humility means that we don't think that we are any good. It doesn't mean that at all! It means that we have an accurate view of ourselves. Don't beat yourself up and pretend that you are humble. Don't mistake a poor self image for humility. The focus then is still on yourself, it is just a negative focus instead of a positive one. Know your strengths, know your weaknesses, and give glory to God. I say give glory to God because without Him we wouldn't have any of the talents that we have to begin with! The prideful person says, 'Look what I did!' But the humble person says, 'Look what God used me to do!'
In Luke 17:10 we learn that when we do what God has gifted us to do we have 'done our duty.' Don't expect to be patted on the back all the time for using your gifts. You should be using your gifts to glorify God, that is why He gave them to you! Another thing we 'artsy types' struggle with is an intense desire to be better than everyone else. This is pride. C.S. Lewis says, "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."
Artists in the church need to keep all of this in mind. But perhaps the most important thing for an artist in the church to remember is that the message is first and foremost. If 'tricking' your voice makes a word harder to understand, don't do it, no matter how good it makes you sound! If you are an instrumentalist, don't crank it up to 11 to draw attention to how great your solo is. Don't draw undue attention to yourself. As artists in the church, we are to serve the message, not ourselves.
What is the secret of humility? I think Rory Noland put it very well when he said, "We are all background. Jesus Christ is center stage, not us. He must increase and we must decrease."
Enjoy the Journey
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Character (Chapter 1)
Having character as an artists (especially in the church)is so important! Why? Because people can tell if you are real, or if you are a fake. I ask our artists in the church all the time to make me believe them! People can tell if you believe what you are singing, playing, writing, painting, etc. Your character gives you credibility.
I love this quote from John Wooden, the legendary UCLA men's basketball coach: "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
As artists in the church, we are expected to live lives of high character. We expect our pastors and leaders to live godly lives, but we address the same people with the same message that they do! We should not be living double lives either! A life of character brings blessing and fulfillment.
Enjoy the Journey
Having character as an artists (especially in the church)is so important! Why? Because people can tell if you are real, or if you are a fake. I ask our artists in the church all the time to make me believe them! People can tell if you believe what you are singing, playing, writing, painting, etc. Your character gives you credibility.
I love this quote from John Wooden, the legendary UCLA men's basketball coach: "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
As artists in the church, we are expected to live lives of high character. We expect our pastors and leaders to live godly lives, but we address the same people with the same message that they do! We should not be living double lives either! A life of character brings blessing and fulfillment.
Enjoy the Journey
Artsy Types (Introduction)
Musicians and others with 'artsy' personalities often get a bad reputation for being overly sensitive and moody. Admittedly, this is often times true. However we cannot overlook the importance of the arts. When commended on his excellent 'entertainment' by Lord Kinnoul (who was talking about The Missiah Handel said this, "My Lord, I should be sorry if I only entertain them. I wish to make them better." The arts do entertain, but that is not their sole purpose. This goes for the church as well. Often times people sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, and sometimes as artists we like it that way. This should not be so, we too, like Handel should be letting God work through us so that we may 'make them better.'
If you are an artist, and you don't like what you are doing, stop doing it! Especially if you are serving in a church. Do not use the church as a stepping stone to a 'better' field. Work in the area of your passion, you...and everyone else will be much happier.
Arts in the church are vital. Why? Because the arts speak to the heart. A well read poem or a song well sung will stay with a person for a long time. It used to be that the premier artists did their work in churches. Work at your craft and make it the best it can possibly be. But even more than that, we need artists in our churches who are known for their art...and their character.
Enjoy the Journey
Musicians and others with 'artsy' personalities often get a bad reputation for being overly sensitive and moody. Admittedly, this is often times true. However we cannot overlook the importance of the arts. When commended on his excellent 'entertainment' by Lord Kinnoul (who was talking about The Missiah Handel said this, "My Lord, I should be sorry if I only entertain them. I wish to make them better." The arts do entertain, but that is not their sole purpose. This goes for the church as well. Often times people sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, and sometimes as artists we like it that way. This should not be so, we too, like Handel should be letting God work through us so that we may 'make them better.'
If you are an artist, and you don't like what you are doing, stop doing it! Especially if you are serving in a church. Do not use the church as a stepping stone to a 'better' field. Work in the area of your passion, you...and everyone else will be much happier.
Arts in the church are vital. Why? Because the arts speak to the heart. A well read poem or a song well sung will stay with a person for a long time. It used to be that the premier artists did their work in churches. Work at your craft and make it the best it can possibly be. But even more than that, we need artists in our churches who are known for their art...and their character.
Enjoy the Journey
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