Mission: People Who Create 2

There is something noble and primitively right about producing quality woodwork, or a fine painting, or a productive and beautiful garden. Creativity is in our blood, and, as many have discovered, we do not feel complete unless we are creating. I suppose that’s the genius behind Hobby Lobby.

Could this be the image of God bubbling to the surface from within us? God is the original artist and craftsman. He worked diligently and creatively to produce an incredible world that we have only begun to understand. Then He made us, crafted with love and care to reflect his character, including his creative character. This, I believe, is one of the reasons God gave Adam the role of Gardener of Eden: God wanted man to be productive and creative just as He Himself is.

Mission: People Who Create 1

We are supposed to strive to be like God.

That is a simple statement with a lot of theological weight. First, I have to ask if it is even possible for me to be like God at all. Second, I have to wonder if the fact that I am made in God’s image makes me enough like God to suffice. Third, I have to marvel at all of the things God can do that are recognized to be utterly impossible for me (such as parting a large body of water). Fourth, I have to cringe at the many ways I know I could be more like God, but require more will power than I currently muster. So many theologically puzzling implications in that statement, and, yet, we Christians know that it is still our goal.

We have to come to at least one important conclusion about our responsibility toward God as it regards this statement: that however we can be like God we should be like God.

Ridiculous Christianity

I recently made an interesting discovery. I am a postmodernist.

This was something of a surprise for me because I had been told many times over that the basis of postmodernism is the belief that there is no absolute truth, and that all “truth” is relative. That simply does not describe me at all. But, while that may characterize some postmodernists it is really only a result of what truly is foundational to postmodernism: the questioning of everything established.

Now, if so far you either have no idea what I am talking about, or if you are about to give up reading because this subject gives you uncontrollable fits of yawning…well, please bear with me anyway…

Can You See Him?

I am a left-brained artist.  I am a critical thinker, and tend to be more critical than artistically creative.  This is probably the only reason that I can produce art at all.  I am so critical of my own work that I will not complete a drawing or painting unless it meets my minimum standards.  As a result, any art I produce tends to be realistic.  I do fine copying a scene or a picture, but adding any “artistic flare” has been a challenge.

This left-brained thinking also means that I have had to force myself to see things differently if I am going to produce art.  For most people most of the time a look at the world around them does not produce automatic awe and wonder at the beauty they behold.  There are moments of beauty, such as sunsets, or on vacations in “scenic” places, but the everyday world seems drab in comparison.  This is where I stand if I let myself get stuck thinking critically.

Photo-Worthy

(Originally written in February of ’07)
Isn’t it great to be on the cutting edge of technological development? No, I’m really asking…is it great? I have never been there, so I don’t know. In fact…you may want to sit down for this…my wife and I just got our first digital camera. That’s right. It’s true. We were never on the cutting edge. I think we were using the blunt side. But, we are now on our way back.

For those of you who do not yet have a digital camera, there will be a therapy session at the community center next week. Call ahead to make reservations.