Hello, all!
I’ve had the site on hiatus since spring as I have been up to my ears in purchasing and remodeling a house. As I begin to see the light at the end of that tunnel, I’m looking forward to finding some more great artists to introduce to you and sharing some more of the seed ideas that are forming the basis for chapters in my book.
Talk to you soon!
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Over the course of the next few months, I’ll be working on a series of posts that I’m going to call Worship Basics… And through these posts, I’m going to make some “course corrections” in the direction and purpose of the site…
Just thought I’d warn you.
The primary change is the scope of “art” that I intend to address… About a year ago, I made the decision to omit any writing and opinion about musical arts and worship in church. Since the scope of my ministry at the LVC excluded musical worship, it just seemed a good choice at the time…
But as I move forward with my book and with the scope of WOP, it seems foolish to ignore a major art form in the church just to be politic.
I stink at being politic anyway…
So, a couple of months back, I asked if you guys ever judge the creativity of a person by how they dress… If you know me, you’re probably looking for the follow-up… some punch line or story about a creative that was misjudged…
Josh, as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls
This is Josh.
Got a story about your own misjudgement? Know a decidedly “unartistic” artist? Share…
I love to collaborate with other artists…
Love. Love. Love.
Theatrical productions are rife with opportunities to collaborate… It is the single most compelling reason, in my thinking, to do full-scale theatre in the context of arts ministry: It gives purpose, context and accountability to collaborations.
Purpose…
I did a gallery wall at LVC last year as a prelude to launching our arts ministry… It was… nice…
But it lacked any sort of real purpose. The submission ranged from photographic art to pencil drawing to graphic design to painting… It looked diverse and aesthetically pleasing, but floundered thematically in the realm of “inspirational art,” lacking any kind of cohesion.
Our Godspell production, on the other hand, has a great deal of thematic cohesion… While focused largely on Jesus, Himself, it is also filled with themes and images of community and those themes are filling every creative aspect of the production.
Context…
I’ve observed that artists produce best in the context of a larger project. We’ve seen it in our Night In Bethlehem programs that we do with the LVC kids’ ministry… Activating about 70% of the adults and students in our church is a daunting task, but the larger scope and context of the project is part of the allure to volunteers… They can see that they are participating in something much bigger than themselves… There’s a sort of transcendence in it that keeps us coming back to it year-after-year.
A theatrical project gives the same opportunity to use our gifts and talents within a larger context.
I’m not a dancer. So, when it comes time to do a musical, I need a choreographer. Watching her work with the cast and watching that aspect of the show come together is a huge thrill for me. Even when my contribution is limited to operating the iPod…
Accountability…
If space-aliens were to break into my house and judge the whole of humanity by what they found, they’d conclude that earthlings have a strong aversion to finishing projects. Most of the creatives that I know personally have a similar struggle…
Projects with deadlines are either going to make us or break us…
That is, of course, the risk that is inherent in allowing artists to lead artists… I’m pretty sure that our pastor at the LVC has spent a considerable amount of time in prayer about Godspell… specifically regarding it timely completion… He has graciously declined to say so… out loud… but I know that it worries him.
Fortunately, I have the collaborative effort of a stage manager, an assistant director and a production assistant… to keep us on track and on schedule…
We haven’t missed a single deadline… Which reminds me:
Be sure to bring in a few left-brains when you start a big project.
Finally, remember what the Bible has to say about getting together:
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
- Ecclesiastes 4: 9, 10, 12
