Art in the Life of the Church

We had a great weekend with friends from the Grace Photography Team joining us here at Christ Covenant.  Grace Community Church was a season in my life where I began to connect in fresh new ways to an understanding of the Gospel and art in the life of the local church.  Even more fun, I got to join in Gospel community with others as we tried to live that understanding out.

Part of clarifying my own sense of how the Gospel vision of life and faith effects art was to differentiate other approaches to art in the life of the church.  As I look back through my own history, I can see several different approaches.  At the risk of setting the argument, I give them my own name and description.

Bait and Switch - Uses art as a means to "the real thing" whatever that is in the eyes of that particular church - often "decision evangelism" or "social justice."  Typically, there is a strong commitment to "excellence" and very high production values.  Even to the point of "over-production."  It may be a Christmas holiday music performance or an Easter production or an open exhibit, but it aims to be HUGE and is intended for the entire community.  The production is just bait though, a means to different end.  And that end - "the real thing" - is something other than the art itself.  It is a message or a decision or an invitation to join up with something significant, like the church putting on the production.

Art Behind the Walls - Does art "for us" in the church with a sense of separation from the art of "the world."  Lots of crosses and scenes of praying.  Nature photography with Bible verses.  Political propaganda.  Sells best to the people of that church, or to unchurched people buying presents for those churched people.

Relevance - is the polar opposite of "Art Behind the Walls."  This view is quick to adapt and anxious to "speak the language" of those outside the church.  Unfortunately, it is always following the world in search of that relevance.  The world discovers the relevance of the moment, and then the church follows at just about the time that the expression is no longer relevant and art hungry for hope has moved on in search of its own meaning.  Think of this as perpetually a day late.  Not sure whether it works as a bridge into the life of the church or a highway out of it.

Gospel Art - Centers on God: Who He is and all that He has done and is doing.  It begins by understanding that the God of the Bible is Himself a creator. This means then that people - all people - are each creatures of a creative creator.  And creativity in all the variety of forms becomes a common expression of the imago dei - image of God - in all people.

Art is no longer just a means to a higher end.  Beauty can be an end in itself as the work, or a response to the work, of the Creative God.  Artistic expression becomes a potential bridge between people of common experience and shared perception, not a wall between "our art" and "their art."  There are no militant drives to "take art back," because God has never lost who He is. 

A photograph may capture a missed view of the beauty that surrounds us as we hurry past hoping to find our own significance in our own work.  A drama my be tense and heavy as it presents us with the real and painful brokenness of the human condition.  Hope is seen in a ray of light - there is a rescue because there is a Rescuer.  Like the Book of Esther, it may point to the loving hand of God without mentioning His name.  Or the power and beauty of the piece may even bring unbelievers to their feet to sing, "And He shall reign forever, and ever! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!!  Hallelujah!!!  Hallelujah!!!!"

Wouldn't you know, right as I'm preparing this post, the following video on creativity passes across my feed.  How could I not include it?  Tim Keller is my "Gospel Yoda," and always worth hearing from.  Was that a relevant art allusion?


Tim Keller "Creation & Creativity" Clip from Redeemer Video on Vimeo.