We often hear people speak of great artists as "gifted" individuals. I have even heard people use that term to describe my abilities in art. I've wondered about the deep implications of having a gift, and what impact that has on the way I practice my art.
The first thing that strikes me is that a gift is something which is given. I didn't drum it up myself, through my own wisdom or experience or hard work. It has been given to me by another -- by God himself. It is based on His ability, His infinite creativity, his rich blessing and generous Heart. Yes, there is a sense of working hard to perfect the expression, in skill and insight, but ultimately, it points back to the giver.
The second thing is that a gift is not something I deserve or have earned. It is based on God's Goodness. Just as salvation is a gift given to us, which we do not receive as wages or something we have worked for, my art -- the ability to see beyond the surface and then represent that reality in a way others can see, relate to and respond to -- is because God chose to give the gift, not because I'm such a wonderful person!
The third thing I have seen is that the gift is given so me not to horde for my own benefit, but rather to share with those around me. Art can be intensely personal, both in its conception and its expression, but I have been given not only the vision to see through Christ's eyes, but a voice to express it for others. Some of my art is still a very personal expression of worship between me and my Savior but more and more, I am experiencing how it can be a way for Him to speak His Grace, Mercy and Peace -- to build Faith, Hope and Love in the lives of others.
In this season of Christmas, we spend a lot of mental and emotional energy around gifts, both those which we give and receive on a human level but also about he ultimate Gift which God gave to us in the person of Emanuel. Let us be ready to receive that gift as artists, so that in turn, God may give His Gift to the world through us.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Monday, December 02, 2013
My Sketch Book
Over the last several years, my sketch book has become one of those personal, somewhat "sacred" things in my life. It has become my faithful companion, recording words, pictures, abstract shapes, emotions, truth, pain, practice, sketches of people at airports and on the subway in Prague. I've gotten so I hardly go anywhere without it (and the few times I've left it behind, I'm often sorry I didn't have it with me).
However, no matter how "sacred" and treasured that book may be, it will never be too precious that I won't hand it to a child and let them draw in it. My grandson Kyle (age 5) has several pages which I treasure as only a Grandpa can, but I have let others, both children and adults add their own work.
Of course, this always comes with its risks... One sketch which I just put up on my deviantArt page has a brown blob in the center of the sketch, which was caused by Kyle using a marker on the flip side of the page which bled through. I'm actually tempted to just leave it there as a bit of "collaboration" between him and me. (At age 5, he is actually quite the artist, and he loves his art classes even more than gym and recess in his Kindergarten class!)
There's a reason why I hand my sketch book to children. Most children, I've found, are natural artists. Some are better than others of course, but they are all uninhibited, and love to draw things. By handing them my sketch book, I am communicating that I value their art, that drawing is something that is not only fun, but that they can continue to do it through their childhood and when they are adults. I am an encourager by nature and disposition, and I think my sketchbook may be my most powerful tool.
If I can encourage a young person to take his or her art seriously, to show them that their drawings are more than just childish play, that someone really does value and enjoy their drawings (aside from just their mothers who will stick pretty much anything on the refrigerator), then I feel like I've added something to their life, and perhaps to the world.
Development of an Artist
One of those late at night ideas bumping around in my brain, which I wanted to get down before it evaporated....
It struck me that people go through a number of stages/seasons/steps as they start to grapple with what it means to be an artist. These stages aren't really well defined, and have a lot of overlap, but I think they still map a definite progression in both the individual's understanding of their personal call to be an artist, and of how other people begin to see them:
(1) Enthusiasm: This is the stage where a person first starts to recognize some sort of aptitude with art -- typically drawing things in notebooks or music -- and they begin to realize that they really ENJOY creating pretty things (or giving voice to their pain and anger). More often than not, they are young, without a lot of life experience, but they are just waking up to the joy of creativity and imagination. This is where big dreams start.
(2) Skill: This is the hard work level, where people start to become serious about being an "artist". They may be terribly self-deprecating, but nevertheless, they begin to put in the effort necessary to develop real, tangible skills. This is the stage where other people start recognizing them as "artists". They start taking classes, practicing, defining a style, hanging out with other artists, polishing their craft.
(3) Meaning: At some point, in order to become more than a skilled craftsman, or someone who can make "pretty" things, an artist needs to begin to understand not only how to create (imagination), but how to create meaning (soul). This is the hard part, and frankly, where things begin to get really messy. The message is not always clear, even inside of the artist's head. Their artwork can begin to get edgy, dark, and push boundaries. The artist begins to experiment, sometimes with disastrous results. However, in order for an artist to become relevant, he or she must go through this season -- to survive the storms, so see things that no one else can see.
It struck me that people go through a number of stages/seasons/steps as they start to grapple with what it means to be an artist. These stages aren't really well defined, and have a lot of overlap, but I think they still map a definite progression in both the individual's understanding of their personal call to be an artist, and of how other people begin to see them:
(1) Enthusiasm: This is the stage where a person first starts to recognize some sort of aptitude with art -- typically drawing things in notebooks or music -- and they begin to realize that they really ENJOY creating pretty things (or giving voice to their pain and anger). More often than not, they are young, without a lot of life experience, but they are just waking up to the joy of creativity and imagination. This is where big dreams start.
(2) Skill: This is the hard work level, where people start to become serious about being an "artist". They may be terribly self-deprecating, but nevertheless, they begin to put in the effort necessary to develop real, tangible skills. This is the stage where other people start recognizing them as "artists". They start taking classes, practicing, defining a style, hanging out with other artists, polishing their craft.
(3) Meaning: At some point, in order to become more than a skilled craftsman, or someone who can make "pretty" things, an artist needs to begin to understand not only how to create (imagination), but how to create meaning (soul). This is the hard part, and frankly, where things begin to get really messy. The message is not always clear, even inside of the artist's head. Their artwork can begin to get edgy, dark, and push boundaries. The artist begins to experiment, sometimes with disastrous results. However, in order for an artist to become relevant, he or she must go through this season -- to survive the storms, so see things that no one else can see.
As followers of Christ, this is the stage where Christ really enters into our art, and we become Incarnational.
But, what does it MEAN?
One of the interesting things I've noticed when looking at art with some of my non-artist friends, especially when looking at more abstract art, is the tendency of those friends to ask, "But, what does it mean?"
Now, in their defense, these friends really are trying to understand what they are looking at. They squint and turn their head sideways, trying to find something in the piece that they can recognize or connect to. Sometimes I try to tell them that a piece doesn't necessarily have to "mean" something, or that the "meaning" may be something that isn't necessarily describable in words per-say, but I'm not helped by the fact that some "art critic" somewhere has gone to endless lengths to describe in great intellectual detail what this or that artist is "saying" through the blobs of color splattered across the canvas.
However, the more I think about the "meaning" of art, the more I believe that we are asking entirely the wrong question.
To assign a meaning to a piece of art is to assume that the work has a narrative, and more important, that the narrative is fixed in time, that the artist understood that narrative, and that he or she intended to communicate that narrative to us, the viewer. However, real art isn't fixed in time. It is certainly a product of the historical context from which it was forged, but if it has any real worth, the work has to be able to speak to all time, and perhaps to all people. In addition, each person's response to the work will be colored by that individual's experience, history, story, perspective, emotional stability, what they ate for breakfast that morning, and a thousand other factors.
On the flip side, some people would claim that there is no true "meaning" to a work of art, and that it is completely subjective, based on the viewer's interpretation. I think this fails on the basis that it denies any participation from the artist, the person from who's imagination the work sprang. Intentionally or unintentionally, the artist has put some sort of thought, emotion, symbolism, or intent into the piece. They may not even be conscious of the messages (there are always more than one) in the piece, but they are there nevertheless.
I believe that the better way to think about the content, or message of a piece is to think in terms of intent and response.
An artist always has an intent when he or she begins to work with a piece. That intent may shift over time. It may have different levels of conscious or unconscious input. It may be dark and deeply meaningful, or light and playful. The intent will depend on the artist's world view, their experience, issues that they are familiar with, things they see around them and their response to the natural and man-made world. They will fold the things that make them happy, the things that make them sad, things that make them angry, things that make them afraid, things that give them hope, all the things that shape their lives, and which artists have learned to recognize and reflect on... and make them a part of their creation.
But then, no work of art exists entirely on its own. It's not really art until someone (presumably someone other than just the artist) looks at or experiences the work. When someone experiences the work, they will have a response. The response will be on different levels -- emotional, intellectual, spiritual, physical, and as I described above, will depend on a host of different personal attributes that they bring to the piece. Their response may change over time as they experience a piece more than once. The response may be conscious or unconscious. The important part is that the response is personal, and that it istrue, in the sense that it is true for that individual
The interesting part is that, these two may, or may not overlap. I suppose that most artists measure the success of their work by the degree to which these two do overlap, but perhaps the real success of a work is the extent to which it speaksbeyond the original vision of its creator, and touches many different people in many different ways.
The critical idea is that neither of these sides are the only truth. We cannot deny the part of the artist and what he or she intends for the work. The artist may choose to give the work a title, or other descriptive text, to signal some part of that intent, or at least what the were thinking about when they created the piece, or they may leave the work untitled, depending on the piece itself to communicate their intent. On the side of the observer, their response to the work goes far beyond "understanding" what the artist was trying to say. Just as some people laugh at the sight of a circus clown, while others cover their eyes and run away, responses can be wildly different. However, whatever the response is, the piece has done its job of speaking to them, to their imagination, their emotion, their physical body and to their intellect, and in that sense, is true.
Of course, that still may not help my poor friend standing there in front of the painting, trying to figure out what it means....
Bringing Sight
One of the never ending discussion threads that I have run into time and time again is the ageless question of, "What is Art?" There have been countless minds much greater than mine which have wrestled with this question, and I strongly suspect that there is no complete answer to this question.
So, I am not in any way proposing to put that question to rest. Rather, I think it is actually more useful to look at smaller pieces of the question, as one would examine the many facets of a fine diamond. While we may never see every facet all at the same time, each one gives us a better understanding of not only what WE are trying to do, but a better ability to see and respond to what OTHER people are trying to do, in the name of "Art".
One of the most common ideas I've heard about art is that it brings beauty. Now, the term, "beauty" is perhaps just as elusive to define as "art", but I think it is generally thought of as something which is aesthetically pleasing, brings joy, delights our hearts, conforms to certain ideals of form and color, etc. There is certainly a lot of beauty in art, whether it is a sunset, light reflecting on water, a beautiful woman, patterns of light and color, reflections of strength and character, even the grace and grandeur of age, and it touches our hearts.
I certainly love beautiful art, and endeavor to make beauty a part of what I create, however, I think it is horribly limiting to think of art as only what is "beautiful". The world is also full of brokenness, injustice, selfishness and darkness. It is the calling of the artist to reflect both sides of our human condition, to bring attention to not only what is right about the world, but to harshly remind us of what is wrong, and our responsibility even to see the roots of that reality in our own hearts.
Perhaps more than beauty, it is the character of art to bring us sight.
It is human nature that we are horribly short-sighted. Especially in our dark times, we may either choose, or simply be incapable of recognizing the beauty that is sitting right in front of our noses. How many evenings have we hurried from our car to our door without pausing for a moment to notice the beauty of the sunset, or a flower, or even the determination of a blade of grass pushing its way up through a crack in the concrete? How many times have we paused to look into someone's eyes and recognize the inner beauty reflected there (regardless of whether that person is a "model" or not)? Art, in its best form, gives us an opportunity to stop, reflect, consider, and absorb the beauty around us that we so rarely take the time to see.
On the other side, there is so much around us that we refuse to look at. Darkness lies around every corner that we avoid. In our comfortable surroundings, we forget the injustice and human suffering that make our plush, modern lifestyles possible. We have no idea of the realities of so many other human beings, whether they are under the curse of poverty, slavery, oppressive regimes, famine, war or natural disaster. Right next to us, people are trapped by their own inner darkness, taking shape in countless different demons. Art can open our eyes, whether it's the heart wrenching images of a photo-journalist or battle field photographer, or the twisted, bloody scrawling of a tormented teenager.
Art brings us to be able to see all of that.
Art is a mirror to see the truth about ourselves. Art is a spotlight to help us see through the darkness. Art is a microscope to help us notice the little things. Art is a filter to reduce the noise of life. Art is a paintbrush to fill in the colors of the world around us. Art is a lens that brings people into focus. Art is a conversation to bring understanding and friendship. Art is sledge hammer that breaks down walls of prejudice. Art is a heart monitor that reminds us that we are still alive.
The more we think of our art as "speaking" and "seeing", the more we will truly be able to create great art.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Prague Stories: Lives Changed
One of the things you always wonder about when you go on a trip like this is, what, honestly, are the long term outcomes from all the time (and money) invested in this trip? Sure, it's really great to be able to travel, to see other people, to expand our understanding (intellectually and spiritually) of the world outside of our country. It's great to see how often the people who go on missions trips come back changed in their understanding of themselves, of God, of the needs of people around the world.
But, are we having a long term impact on the people we are going to minister to?
As we were preparing for the trip this year, one thing I was looking forward to was the opportunity to back and actually see the church and people again, to talk with them, renew friendships, see what they had learned, or perhaps things they were now doing differently because of their experiences from last year.
Was the church going to be different than it was when we last saw them?
One thing which we had not heard much about after our previous time there was if there were any actual people who had come to put their trust in Christ because of contact with the team (both the artists and the church) during the 2012 OM Arts outreach. What we discovered was that there were several new individuals and families who had started coming to the church. One couple in particular was a testimony to the transforming work of Christ. The wife had been coming to the church, but the husband was definitely not interested. He was bound to substance abuse, drugs, alcohol, and was selling drugs from their house.
However, he was intrigued by the idea of a bunch of artists coming from America to meet people in the Czech Republic, and agreed to come. After several conversations with the artists and church team, the Holy Spirit began to work in his heart, and a short time after the outreach, he gave his heart to Jesus. Since then, he has been freed from his bondage to substances, and has become an active and enthusiastic member of the church there. Both of them were actively involved in the outreach this year, talking with people and sharing their own story of redemption.
So, not exactly thousands rushing to come forward, but in hard ground like this, it's real, long term fruit.
But, are we having a long term impact on the people we are going to minister to?
As we were preparing for the trip this year, one thing I was looking forward to was the opportunity to back and actually see the church and people again, to talk with them, renew friendships, see what they had learned, or perhaps things they were now doing differently because of their experiences from last year.
Was the church going to be different than it was when we last saw them?
One thing which we had not heard much about after our previous time there was if there were any actual people who had come to put their trust in Christ because of contact with the team (both the artists and the church) during the 2012 OM Arts outreach. What we discovered was that there were several new individuals and families who had started coming to the church. One couple in particular was a testimony to the transforming work of Christ. The wife had been coming to the church, but the husband was definitely not interested. He was bound to substance abuse, drugs, alcohol, and was selling drugs from their house.However, he was intrigued by the idea of a bunch of artists coming from America to meet people in the Czech Republic, and agreed to come. After several conversations with the artists and church team, the Holy Spirit began to work in his heart, and a short time after the outreach, he gave his heart to Jesus. Since then, he has been freed from his bondage to substances, and has become an active and enthusiastic member of the church there. Both of them were actively involved in the outreach this year, talking with people and sharing their own story of redemption.
So, not exactly thousands rushing to come forward, but in hard ground like this, it's real, long term fruit.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Prague Stories: On the Metro
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| Sketching |
Still, it was a couple of hours of travel time each day! In order to not waste time, one of my favorite things to do was to pull out the sketch book and draw, usually picking different people on the subway. Of course, it was a little tricky trying to look at people—trying to not look like I was looking at them—and sketch them before they moved!
Oh, and I had to make sure I paid just enough attention to where we were to not miss the station where we had to get off!
Prague (October 4) - Wrap up
October 4
Friends...
No surprise -- saying goodbye is always hard. It was interesting to see how each member on the team did their goodbyes in their own unique way. Most of the members are home by now (we stayed a couple of extra days to spend with Sue's family here), and a couple of them were still struggling with illness on the trip home, but they've made it safely, and are beginning the task of re-integrating.
I was sick again and missed the last day of the outreach (Saturday) which turned out to be sunny and relatively warm. There were more conversations, and several on the team were able to finish up pieces they were working on. Throughout the week, we had been collecting names in a big jar for a give-away on the last day, so on Saturday, the church team was able to pick out names to give away various pieces that we had worked on over the last two weeks. Unfortunately, my pottery pieces hadn't been fired yet, so we couldn't give away any of those. However, there were a lot of people who received artwork, and they were all very happy! For some of the pieces, the artist was able to give a description of what the piece meant, and have a photo with the winner.
Then, off to Japan, Korea, Atlanta and South Carolina... and Poděbrady. We were picked up by Sue's cousin Frank at the hotel to spend a few more days with them before returning. Last year, we spent a LOT of time driving all over the Czech Republic, visiting castles, museums, art galleries, ruins and natural sites. This year, we did a little driving around, but we wanted to spend more time with family and less time on the road. We were able to visit with one of Frank's daughters and her two teenagers. Their town has been in existence for 700 years, and I'm not sure how old the house itself is. They live in a valley surrounded by limestone cliffs. Some of the cliffs are directly behind their house, and they have caves carved directly into the stone.
We also met with two local pastors here in Poděbrady. It is great to be able to visit with local pastors, since it gives us a chance to begin to build bridges with the local church here, which opens doors to more cooperation in the future.
We are now packing up to head home again. Pray that we can keep our luggage under the weight limit. Pray especially for our time through JFK airport. I've heard that making your way through the lines in customs can take more than two hours!!
Blessings!
Prague (September 28) - Last Day in the Tents
September 26
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| Sunshine! |
Well, good news is that Sue, after missing one day due to the nasty stomach flu she had, is feeling well enough to go in today. Bad news is that I seem to have caught the bug from her. Last night was rough -- I don't even remember the last time I was so sick with a stomach bug -- and today I'm the one staying home to rest. It's really hard missing the last day of the outreach and the time with the team, especially since the sky is finally clearing up, but I guess my job today is primarily to pray for the rest of the team as they are standing up, giving the Good News! It's a little after 2:00PM (14:00) here, and at least I'm finally feeling strong enough to sit up for a while and gingerly try to eat a little bit.
Another Story: I spoke with one young man yesterday. He is one of the security guards from the Tesco store we are in front of, and his curiosity finally got the better of him so he wandered over to see what was going on. He was fascinated with the sculptures, and especially the images of "Hope" and "Faith". He is a student of photography, and he was telling me of a film project which he and some of his classmates had created, centered around the theme of "Hope". Like many others we have met there, he has a vague belief in "God" and trying to follow God in being good, and a feeling of hope which that belief brings, but no specific foundation for that hope. I was able to use the images which the team had created earlier in the week to tell him WHY it is we have hope in Christ, that it is through Christ's blood that we have a reason for hope. He was a bit frustrated struggling with his English, but I think we were still able to have a basic understanding. In times like this, you rarely have a clear "breakthrough", but I'm just thankful for the opportunity to sow some more seeds into people's lives
Blessings!
Prague (September 26) - Stories
September 26
Another day at the outreach. One down side today -- after being the ONLY one on the team who hadn't been sick, Sue finally succumbed to some sort of stomach "glick". She was terribly sick all night, and stayed home to rest for the day. She is feeling a bit better tonight, but still exhausted and dehydrated, so you can please pray for her to have a lot better night tonight, and even be rested and recovered enough to go on the outreach tomorrow.
(Weather is still... well... weird. We had heavy overcast and sprinkling rain in the morning, then nice sunshine and somewhat warmer in the afternoon, followed by a sudden drop in temperature and rain at the end of the day. Needless to say, it's just plain exhausting to be out in that kind of cold, but the team is still pushing on, and we are still seeing people come by to see the art, and to talk with the team.)
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| Martin (Czech) and Momoe (Japan) |
(Martin also gave me one of his bamboo pens to keep, so I may be posting some new photos of my excursions into pen-and-ink! ;-))
Prague (September 24) - Back in Action Again
September 24
Tuesday, and we were all back in action again on the outreach. There are still some coughs and sniffles, but everyone is back at least healthy enough to participate. (Oh, and we've discovered that the Japanese have REALLY good cold medications!! ;-))
Monday was a rest day, so we actually spent the time going around Old Town in Prague, seeing the huge variety of historical buildings and sites around the center of the city. It gave us a chance to see some of the background of the Czech Republic, its history and some of the reasons why the Czech culture is the way it is.
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| The Bullet Never Fired |
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| One of Sue's proud students |
Blessings!
Prague (September 15) - Sunday
(oops... slightly out of order....)
September 15
Church today!
Today was the first opportunity to meet with the whole congregation from Pastor Oleg's church. Another hour or so on three different metro lines and the bus, and we were back at the church. It was wonderful to be able to greet many of the people we had worked with last year, and see some of the art pieces that we had left there. (They were showing off Sue's quilt that she made last year, which they still have in the children't area.) We also got to see the new Kindergarten which the church is starting. Sue was able to give her testimony in the morning. The service was about two hours (short by some standards), and between the three languages, pretty mentally tiring, but a great encouragement, as the church was praying for us and blessing us.
We were then invited to attend a second church in the afternoon, led by Pastor Oleg's father. I really shouldn't have been surprised, but they caught me a little off guard when they asked if I wanted to preach... with just a couple minutes notice. I wasn't ready to give an entire sermon, but I was able to give my testimony and an encouragement. (Yes, I am thankful for all those years of training in Toastmasters!) Again, it was very mentally tiring sitting trying to filter through three different languages, but a wonderful opportunity to have the church praying for us, to encourage the congregation to participate with us in the outreach, so re-connect with many of the people we had worked along side of last year, and of course, to be fed all the wonderful Czech and Russian snacks and pastries that they fed us afterwords.... ;-)
You can continue to pray for preparations for the outreach. We are still praying and seeking the Holy Spirit together to form a common vision or theme -- not something that would force us down a common path artistically, but a focal point which we could branch out from.
Continue to pray for our location, as the church will be setting up the tents for the outreach starting on Tuesday. These are much lighter weight tents than last year, so pray we don't have a lot of windy weather!
Pray for the two churches as people are making plans to participate -- handing out fliers, coffee, cakes, talking with people, interpreting for us as we talk with people, and generally reaching out to their friends and neighbors here in this area. Pray for them for boldness, faith and a deep sense of love for each other and for those around them who have no hope...
Blessings!
September 15
Church today!
Today was the first opportunity to meet with the whole congregation from Pastor Oleg's church. Another hour or so on three different metro lines and the bus, and we were back at the church. It was wonderful to be able to greet many of the people we had worked with last year, and see some of the art pieces that we had left there. (They were showing off Sue's quilt that she made last year, which they still have in the children't area.) We also got to see the new Kindergarten which the church is starting. Sue was able to give her testimony in the morning. The service was about two hours (short by some standards), and between the three languages, pretty mentally tiring, but a great encouragement, as the church was praying for us and blessing us.
We were then invited to attend a second church in the afternoon, led by Pastor Oleg's father. I really shouldn't have been surprised, but they caught me a little off guard when they asked if I wanted to preach... with just a couple minutes notice. I wasn't ready to give an entire sermon, but I was able to give my testimony and an encouragement. (Yes, I am thankful for all those years of training in Toastmasters!) Again, it was very mentally tiring sitting trying to filter through three different languages, but a wonderful opportunity to have the church praying for us, to encourage the congregation to participate with us in the outreach, so re-connect with many of the people we had worked along side of last year, and of course, to be fed all the wonderful Czech and Russian snacks and pastries that they fed us afterwords.... ;-)
You can continue to pray for preparations for the outreach. We are still praying and seeking the Holy Spirit together to form a common vision or theme -- not something that would force us down a common path artistically, but a focal point which we could branch out from.
Continue to pray for our location, as the church will be setting up the tents for the outreach starting on Tuesday. These are much lighter weight tents than last year, so pray we don't have a lot of windy weather!
Pray for the two churches as people are making plans to participate -- handing out fliers, coffee, cakes, talking with people, interpreting for us as we talk with people, and generally reaching out to their friends and neighbors here in this area. Pray for them for boldness, faith and a deep sense of love for each other and for those around them who have no hope...
Blessings!
Prague (September 20) - Day 4
September 20
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| At work... |
Team spirits have still been pretty good, and the church people are, as always, wonderful, but we really want to speak with some of the people!
Just a quick update...
We've had much better health on the team. I wasn't at 100%, but felt a LOT better today. I was actually was able to do a workshop for a few people.
It was still raining a lot during the day,but with breaks of sunshine, and not so cold and windy. (No hail today. :-))
We were able to meet more people today and had some good conversations. Some people know English well enough to converse, but some just a little, and the people from the church could talk with them.
Pray for our Sunday, since I have been asked to preach in the morning. Seems like this is very common when visiting. I have some things I have been praying about saying, but need to pull it together.
Blessings!
Prague (September 19) - An Inauspicious Birthday
September 19
Well, my turn to be sick at home today... on my birthday. This cold has been going around the team, and yesterday, it caught up with me. The team is great though. When one person goes down, the rest of the team just tells them to take the day off to rest, and then picks up the slack and carries on.
While it wasn't much fun to spend my birthday in bed, the team definitely didn't forget me. When they came home in the evening, they brought the cake which some of the church team had baked for me. They, of course, had started in to it during the day, but there was plenty for me to enjoy when they got back, and we all sat in the lounge in the restaurant for a while. Sue even bought me a nice hat and brought it for me. The maître d' in the restaurant, when she heard it was my birthday, came out and gave me a traditional shot glass of plumb brandy, which definitely helped my throat!
So, in spite of being sick for the day, I ended up having a very nice birthday.
Well, my turn to be sick at home today... on my birthday. This cold has been going around the team, and yesterday, it caught up with me. The team is great though. When one person goes down, the rest of the team just tells them to take the day off to rest, and then picks up the slack and carries on.
While it wasn't much fun to spend my birthday in bed, the team definitely didn't forget me. When they came home in the evening, they brought the cake which some of the church team had baked for me. They, of course, had started in to it during the day, but there was plenty for me to enjoy when they got back, and we all sat in the lounge in the restaurant for a while. Sue even bought me a nice hat and brought it for me. The maître d' in the restaurant, when she heard it was my birthday, came out and gave me a traditional shot glass of plumb brandy, which definitely helped my throat!
So, in spite of being sick for the day, I ended up having a very nice birthday.
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| Birthday cake, and tissues... |
Prague (September 17) - Outreach!
September 17
FIRST OUTREACH DAY!
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| Moving a car, Czech style |
I was glad I was there helping with the tents, since they were exactly the same design as the "Easy-Up" tents I've used at several shows, only instead of 10' x 10', these were 10' x 20' (technically, 3m x 6m).
 |
| Rain won't stop us! |
The morning was cold and on-and-off raining. High was 11°C (51°F), and that was when the sun came out in the afternoon! Nevertheless, we started working on different pieces. There weren't a lot of people stopping by, but hopefully, once we get things going a little better and have some art for people to actually see, and the weather turns a little warmer again, we will see more people.
Keep praying for heath. Of the two Amys, the one who was sick earlier stayed home today (since it was so cold we didn't want her to get sick again), and the second Amy had a really bad upset stomach!
Pray for warmer, more inviting weather, and for people to see what we are doing and feel curious and stop by.
Pray for meaningful conversations with people.
We will be starting the free art workshops later in the week, so pray those go well, and that many people will be interested enough to come back.
Prague (September 14) - Planning
September 14
Well, we have a LOCATION, and I have clay!
Yesterday (Friday), one of our major goals was to get to the art store to pick up supplies. We were also able to spend more time together to get to know each other as a team. I got out my Super Sculpy (polymer clay), and started working on that.
Today was a lot of planning. We just met with the Pastor Oleg and the main people from his church who are working on the outreach. We are going to be a little further outside of the center of Prague, in front of one of the large shopping centers, just a few kilometers from the church we are working with. We finalized some of our supplies (we found that they HAD saved most of the supplies we had left with them when we finished last year), and did some more planning. It was interesting trying to do "brainstorming" in two (or possibly three) different languages, but we came up with some good ideas on how to set up the tents (three smaller tents this year, instead of one larger tent like we had last year) and organize the program.
Definitely you can pray for:
-- flexibility, as many of the things we did last year have to be done differently this year. God knows what He is doing!
-- for one of the team members who is struggling with either allergies or a nagging cold. She seems to be getting better, but she is definitely dragging. Pray for the whole team for health!
-- for church service on Sunday (tomorrow). They would like us to give testimonies, so pray for the right words to say.
-- for the final details on the contract on the location. There was a line in there about not being able to distribute fliers, which is obviously not good, since that's one of the main activities - inviting people to the church. Pastor Oleg believes he has an understanding with the store owners, but he wants to be sure he has it in writing.
-- for good WEATHER. We have tents, so we won't get rained out, but it's hard to attract people when it's raining out.
Prague (September 12) - Getting Set
September 12
Well, we are here in Prague. Yesterday was getting over jet-lag and waiting for team members to arrive from their different countries. We now have our six members, as well as Pastor Oleg, and Pavel, who is the Czech field leader for OM.
Today we went to the location where we will be doing the outreach. Pastor Oleg was not able to get permission from the city to set up in the square downtown where we were last year, so he has arranged to set up the same tent as we used near one of the shopping centers a little further out of Prague, but much closer to where their church is. Of course, we're anxious to see what it's like there, and what people we will have going past. I'm a little disappointed that we can't go to the same square as last hear (and hopefully see some of the same people as we talked to last time), but the Lord has HIS reasons for why He has planted us in this new location.
The team is coming together well. We have quite a variety of people on the team from around the world. We have yet to really see much of each other's work, aside from photos on iPhones, but hopefully soon.... Tomorrow I *really* hope to get my hands on some clay! I'm starting to get fidgety without getting my hands in the mud!
 |
| The Team |
Blessings!
Prague (September 11) - Security Lines.
(I am working on re-publishing our updates from when Sue and were in the Czech Republic. Originally in Facebook and Emails but collected together here...)
September 11
In Prague! Got in a few hours ago, so we've had a little time to unpack and rest a little. This is basically a "catch up" day as various team members get here at different times.
Note to self: do NOT oil the sewing machine Sue is carrying just before heading through airport security. The mineral oil sets off all the chemical sensors! Ugh.... Spend better part of an hour watching Sue get two entire pat-downs in the security line, and her luggage gone through several inspections.
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
But, what does it MEAN?
One of the interesting things I've noticed when looking at art with some of my non-artist friends, especially when looking at more abstract art, is the tendency of those friends to ask, "But, what does it mean?"
Now, in their defense, these friends really are trying to understand what they are looking at. They squint and turn their head sideways, trying to find something in the piece that they can recognize or connect to. Sometimes I try to tell them that a piece doesn't necessarily have to "mean" something, or that the "meaning" may be something that isn't necessarily describable in words per-say, but I'm not helped by the fact that some "art critic" somewhere has gone to endless lengths to describe in great intellectual detail what this or that artist is "saying" through the blobs of color splattered across the canvas.
However, the more I think about the "meaning" of art, the more I believe that we are asking entirely the wrong question.
To assign a meaning to a piece of art is to assume that the work has a narrative, and more important, that the narrative is fixed in time, that the artist understood that narrative, and that he or she intended to communicate that narrative to us, the viewer. However, real art isn't fixed in time. It is certainly a product of the historical context from which it was forged, but if it has any real worth, the work has to be able to speak to all time, and perhaps to all people. In addition, each person's response to the work will be colored by that individual's experience, history, story, perspective, emotional stability, what they ate for breakfast that morning, and a thousand other factors.
On the flip side, some people would claim that there is no true "meaning" to a work of art, and that it is completely subjective, based on the viewer's interpretation. I think this fails on the basis that it denies any participation from the artist, the person from who's imagination the work sprang. Intentionally or unintentionally, the artist has put some sort of thought, emotion, symbolism, or intent into the piece. They may not even be conscious of the messages (there are always more than one) in the piece, but they are there nevertheless.
I believe that the better way to think about the content, or message of a piece is to think in terms of intent and response.
An artist always has an intent when he or she begins to work with a piece. That intent may shift over time. It may have different levels of conscious or unconscious input. It may be dark and deeply meaningful, or light and playful. The intent will depend on the artist's world view, their experience, issues that they are familiar with, things they see around them and their response to the natural and man-made world. They will fold the things that make them happy, the things that make them sad, things that make them angry, things that make them afraid, things that give them hope, all the things that shape their lives, and which artists have learned to recognize and reflect on... and make them a part of their creation.
But then, no work of art exists entirely on its own. It's not really art until someone (presumably someone other than just the artist) looks at or experiences the work. When someone experiences the work, they will have a response. The response will be on different levels -- emotional, intellectual, spiritual, physical, and as I described above, will depend on a host of different personal attributes that they bring to the piece. Their response may change over time as they experience a piece more than once. The response may be conscious or unconscious. The important part is that the response is personal, and that it is true, in the sense that it is true for that individual
The interesting part is that, these two may, or may not overlap. I suppose that most artists measure the success of their work by the degree to which these two do overlap, but perhaps the real measure of a work is the extent to which it speaks beyond the original vision of its creator, and touches many different people in many different ways.
The critical idea is that neither of these sides are the only truth. We cannot deny the part of the artist and what he or she intends for the work. The artist may choose to give the work a title, or other descriptive text, to signal some part of that intent, or at least what the were thinking about when they created the piece, or they may leave the work untitled, depending on the piece itself to communicate their intent. On the side of the observer, their response to the work goes far beyond "understanding" what the artist was trying to say. Just as some people laugh at the sight of a circus clown, while others cover their eyes and run away, responses can be wildly different. However, whatever the response is, the piece has done its job of speaking to them, to their imagination, their emotion, their physical body and to their intellect, and in that sense, is true.
Of course, that still may not help my poor friend standing there in front of the painting, trying to figure out what it means.... :-P
Now, in their defense, these friends really are trying to understand what they are looking at. They squint and turn their head sideways, trying to find something in the piece that they can recognize or connect to. Sometimes I try to tell them that a piece doesn't necessarily have to "mean" something, or that the "meaning" may be something that isn't necessarily describable in words per-say, but I'm not helped by the fact that some "art critic" somewhere has gone to endless lengths to describe in great intellectual detail what this or that artist is "saying" through the blobs of color splattered across the canvas.
However, the more I think about the "meaning" of art, the more I believe that we are asking entirely the wrong question.
To assign a meaning to a piece of art is to assume that the work has a narrative, and more important, that the narrative is fixed in time, that the artist understood that narrative, and that he or she intended to communicate that narrative to us, the viewer. However, real art isn't fixed in time. It is certainly a product of the historical context from which it was forged, but if it has any real worth, the work has to be able to speak to all time, and perhaps to all people. In addition, each person's response to the work will be colored by that individual's experience, history, story, perspective, emotional stability, what they ate for breakfast that morning, and a thousand other factors.
On the flip side, some people would claim that there is no true "meaning" to a work of art, and that it is completely subjective, based on the viewer's interpretation. I think this fails on the basis that it denies any participation from the artist, the person from who's imagination the work sprang. Intentionally or unintentionally, the artist has put some sort of thought, emotion, symbolism, or intent into the piece. They may not even be conscious of the messages (there are always more than one) in the piece, but they are there nevertheless.
I believe that the better way to think about the content, or message of a piece is to think in terms of intent and response.
An artist always has an intent when he or she begins to work with a piece. That intent may shift over time. It may have different levels of conscious or unconscious input. It may be dark and deeply meaningful, or light and playful. The intent will depend on the artist's world view, their experience, issues that they are familiar with, things they see around them and their response to the natural and man-made world. They will fold the things that make them happy, the things that make them sad, things that make them angry, things that make them afraid, things that give them hope, all the things that shape their lives, and which artists have learned to recognize and reflect on... and make them a part of their creation.
But then, no work of art exists entirely on its own. It's not really art until someone (presumably someone other than just the artist) looks at or experiences the work. When someone experiences the work, they will have a response. The response will be on different levels -- emotional, intellectual, spiritual, physical, and as I described above, will depend on a host of different personal attributes that they bring to the piece. Their response may change over time as they experience a piece more than once. The response may be conscious or unconscious. The important part is that the response is personal, and that it is true, in the sense that it is true for that individual
The interesting part is that, these two may, or may not overlap. I suppose that most artists measure the success of their work by the degree to which these two do overlap, but perhaps the real measure of a work is the extent to which it speaks beyond the original vision of its creator, and touches many different people in many different ways.
The critical idea is that neither of these sides are the only truth. We cannot deny the part of the artist and what he or she intends for the work. The artist may choose to give the work a title, or other descriptive text, to signal some part of that intent, or at least what the were thinking about when they created the piece, or they may leave the work untitled, depending on the piece itself to communicate their intent. On the side of the observer, their response to the work goes far beyond "understanding" what the artist was trying to say. Just as some people laugh at the sight of a circus clown, while others cover their eyes and run away, responses can be wildly different. However, whatever the response is, the piece has done its job of speaking to them, to their imagination, their emotion, their physical body and to their intellect, and in that sense, is true.
Of course, that still may not help my poor friend standing there in front of the painting, trying to figure out what it means.... :-P
Development of the Artist
One of those late at night ideas bumping around in my brain, which I wanted to get down before it evaporated....
It struck me that people go through a number of stages/seasons/steps as they start to grapple with what it means to be an artist. These stages aren't really well defined, and have a lot of overlap, but I think they still map a definite progression in both the individual's understanding of their call, and of how other people begin to see them:
(1) Enthusiasm: This is the stage where a person first starts to recognize some sort of aptitude with art -- typically drawing things in notebooks or music -- and they begin to realize that they really ENJOY creating pretty things. More often than not, they are young, without a lot of life experience, but they are just waking up to the joy of creativity and imagination. This is where big dreams start.
(2) Skill: This is the hard work level, where people start to become serious about being an "artist". They may be terribly self-deprecating, but nevertheless, they begin to put in the effort necessary to develop real, tangible skills. This is the stage where other people start recognizing them as "artists". They start taking classes, practicing, defining a style, hanging out with other artists, polishing their craft.
(3) Meaning: At some point, in order to become more than a skilled craftsman, or someone who can make "pretty" things, an artist needs to begin to understand not only how to create (imagination), but how to create meaning (soul). This is the hard part, and frankly, where things begin to get really messy. The message is not always clear, even inside of the artist's head. Their artwork can begin to get edgy, dark, and push boundaries. The artist begins to experiment, sometimes with disastrous results. HOWEVER, in order for an artist to become relevant, he or she must go through this season -- to survive the storms, so see things that no one else can see.
As followers of Christ, this is the stage where Christ really enters into our art, and we become Incarnational.
It struck me that people go through a number of stages/seasons/steps as they start to grapple with what it means to be an artist. These stages aren't really well defined, and have a lot of overlap, but I think they still map a definite progression in both the individual's understanding of their call, and of how other people begin to see them:
(1) Enthusiasm: This is the stage where a person first starts to recognize some sort of aptitude with art -- typically drawing things in notebooks or music -- and they begin to realize that they really ENJOY creating pretty things. More often than not, they are young, without a lot of life experience, but they are just waking up to the joy of creativity and imagination. This is where big dreams start.
(2) Skill: This is the hard work level, where people start to become serious about being an "artist". They may be terribly self-deprecating, but nevertheless, they begin to put in the effort necessary to develop real, tangible skills. This is the stage where other people start recognizing them as "artists". They start taking classes, practicing, defining a style, hanging out with other artists, polishing their craft.
(3) Meaning: At some point, in order to become more than a skilled craftsman, or someone who can make "pretty" things, an artist needs to begin to understand not only how to create (imagination), but how to create meaning (soul). This is the hard part, and frankly, where things begin to get really messy. The message is not always clear, even inside of the artist's head. Their artwork can begin to get edgy, dark, and push boundaries. The artist begins to experiment, sometimes with disastrous results. HOWEVER, in order for an artist to become relevant, he or she must go through this season -- to survive the storms, so see things that no one else can see.
As followers of Christ, this is the stage where Christ really enters into our art, and we become Incarnational.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Untitled?
One of the artistic Web sites that I have begun to visit on a regular basis is called: DeviantArt. Sort of a weird name, but it actually has a wide variety of artists and their work, from teenagers posting their doodles to real, professional and highly skilled artists. My favorite part about the site is the ability to comment on pieces with the artist, and to get into a meaningful dialogue with them on their work. Now, most comments are pretty simplistic: "Hey, beautiful photo!" and the like, but sometimes you can get some real feedback and maybe suggestions.
One of the things I like to do on that site is to take the time to really look at the art there, whether it's a painting, photo, digital image or sculpture, and try to "understand" the piece. Now, understanding doesn't necessarily involve figuring out what a piece "means", but it does have components of getting into not only what sorts of thoughts or emotions were going through the artist's self and how he or she has reflected these in their artwork, but also getting a handle on what sorts of thoughts or emotions the piece elicits in me. Obviously, some pieces speak more strongly than other pieces, and not all pieces are that "deep" in their meaning (though you could argue endlessly about how much every single piece by an artist reflects some level of the artists view of the world around them), but I at least want to give the artwork a chance to speak to me.
Two of the major pieces of this puzzle are the Title and Description, and in particular, the Title. I know I have to be careful to not take titles too literally, but they are still an important window into what the artist him/herself sees in the work. I have to say that, of all the artists I have met here, ChristineKalliri creates probably the most thoughtful and provoking titles that I have ever seen, though others (such as mialepson, pearwood and Nelleke) come up with some very creative and descriptive titles. I even saw one painting here recently called, "The Blue Haired Girl", which might not seem that outstanding as a title, but even that gives me a hint what the artist was thinking of. It's more than simply a label or tag. It's a key to unlock the heart of the piece itself.
When I look at a piece, together with what the artist has titled it, I can begin to relate to the piece, to see what little bits and pieces the artist has included, or how they have cropped down certain portions, or how the subject's shoulders or eyes are turned, how their fingers are clenched or relaxed, whether the mouth is open, relaxed, pursed or pulled into an artificial smile. The lighting begins to have significance, or even how a sculptor chooses to turn a 3D piece to photograph it. Why did the photographer choose to point into the sun, creating a flair that obscures most of the rest of the photo? Is their focus tightly concentrated on one aspect, or muted and soft?
I know... Creating a good title can be hard. Sometimes I know a piece's title even before I start sculpting it -- the picture in my head is that strong. Other pieces may grow titles as I work on them. Sometimes a piece will "tell" me what its title is. (That's a little bit of an odd experience!) I have some other pieces where I know what I am thinking when I look at the piece, but a good, non-cliche title still escapes me.
It bothers me when an artist hasn't really titled a piece (unless, of course, it's a WIP, and may not have a title yet). It's like the piece isn't really finished yet. It's kind of a cop-out in a way, a shortcut, or perhaps even a lack of real respect for (or belief in) the artist's own work. I know, even I have some untitled pieces (mostly in progress shots), and maybe I'm admitting that I'm unsure of the validity of the piece. Maybe I haven't even figured out the sculpture in my own mind. (I know I have some of those.) But, if a piece is finished, I really want it to have a title.
So, if you're reading this, then really pause and take the time to give your photos or paintings or sculptures a name, just as you would give your child a name. It doesn't mean you are constraining your piece to that one thought or topic, or even that you completely understand your own emotions as you created the work or as you look at it now, but it does mean that you respect and value your own art, and even yourself as an artist, enough to introduce it to the world as part of yourself.
Blessings!
One of the things I like to do on that site is to take the time to really look at the art there, whether it's a painting, photo, digital image or sculpture, and try to "understand" the piece. Now, understanding doesn't necessarily involve figuring out what a piece "means", but it does have components of getting into not only what sorts of thoughts or emotions were going through the artist's self and how he or she has reflected these in their artwork, but also getting a handle on what sorts of thoughts or emotions the piece elicits in me. Obviously, some pieces speak more strongly than other pieces, and not all pieces are that "deep" in their meaning (though you could argue endlessly about how much every single piece by an artist reflects some level of the artists view of the world around them), but I at least want to give the artwork a chance to speak to me.
Two of the major pieces of this puzzle are the Title and Description, and in particular, the Title. I know I have to be careful to not take titles too literally, but they are still an important window into what the artist him/herself sees in the work. I have to say that, of all the artists I have met here, ChristineKalliri creates probably the most thoughtful and provoking titles that I have ever seen, though others (such as mialepson, pearwood and Nelleke) come up with some very creative and descriptive titles. I even saw one painting here recently called, "The Blue Haired Girl", which might not seem that outstanding as a title, but even that gives me a hint what the artist was thinking of. It's more than simply a label or tag. It's a key to unlock the heart of the piece itself.
When I look at a piece, together with what the artist has titled it, I can begin to relate to the piece, to see what little bits and pieces the artist has included, or how they have cropped down certain portions, or how the subject's shoulders or eyes are turned, how their fingers are clenched or relaxed, whether the mouth is open, relaxed, pursed or pulled into an artificial smile. The lighting begins to have significance, or even how a sculptor chooses to turn a 3D piece to photograph it. Why did the photographer choose to point into the sun, creating a flair that obscures most of the rest of the photo? Is their focus tightly concentrated on one aspect, or muted and soft?
I know... Creating a good title can be hard. Sometimes I know a piece's title even before I start sculpting it -- the picture in my head is that strong. Other pieces may grow titles as I work on them. Sometimes a piece will "tell" me what its title is. (That's a little bit of an odd experience!) I have some other pieces where I know what I am thinking when I look at the piece, but a good, non-cliche title still escapes me.
It bothers me when an artist hasn't really titled a piece (unless, of course, it's a WIP, and may not have a title yet). It's like the piece isn't really finished yet. It's kind of a cop-out in a way, a shortcut, or perhaps even a lack of real respect for (or belief in) the artist's own work. I know, even I have some untitled pieces (mostly in progress shots), and maybe I'm admitting that I'm unsure of the validity of the piece. Maybe I haven't even figured out the sculpture in my own mind. (I know I have some of those.) But, if a piece is finished, I really want it to have a title.
So, if you're reading this, then really pause and take the time to give your photos or paintings or sculptures a name, just as you would give your child a name. It doesn't mean you are constraining your piece to that one thought or topic, or even that you completely understand your own emotions as you created the work or as you look at it now, but it does mean that you respect and value your own art, and even yourself as an artist, enough to introduce it to the world as part of yourself.
Blessings!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Does Art Matter?
Those of you who have been partnering with us for
the past couple of years should remember some of the stories from my
trip with OM Arts to the city of Baja in southern Hungary in 2011. I wanted
to share a story with you which I just heard a couple of weeks ago –
one which speaks about the lasting impact of our short trip there.
After we presented this piece live on stage for the concert,
the local pastor we were working under in Baja had a strong sense
that God wasn't finished with this word for his city. There was a
particular bridge over the river which runs through Baja which was
well known as an “evil” area, a place for drug use, drinking and
other activities. The pastor's vision was to bring the Spirit of God
into that place through our art. So, that evening, we took our
stencils and spray paint and went to the walkway which passed under
the bridge. After spraying over some of the obscenities there, we
proceeded to put up the same graffiti art we had done at the concert,
along with the Scripture from John 7:38 – "He who believes
in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow
rivers of living water.'"
On that trip, one of our main objectives was to
create a large scale piece of art which would be a part of the final
concert in the main town square of Baja. The message we sensed from
God was how He takes our brokenness and transforms it into beauty.
He doesn't always "fix" things in our lives, but He takes
those broken pieces and transforms them into something beautiful.
The word we found in Hungarian which best communicated this
transformation was, "Csodálatos", which means full
of wonder and beauty and awe, and has the sense of birth and new
life. We decided to do the piece as a "graffiti wall", on
a 5' by 12' canvas.
Since that time, I have always wondered about that
bridge, and whether or not our work there had had a lasting impact.
That's where the story continues...
A little while ago I received a note from Pat
Butler, who led the Hungary outreach. She had just received a
message from the pastor:
By
the way, the City Manager gave Baja a new theme or slogan that he was
inspired to do... He passes under that bridge twice daily... Can u
guess? Csodálatos Baja... It's on all their letterhead and
tourist stuff... Makes one think! ps .... Thank U, for that summer
together... Irreplaceable!
Stunning
outreach! U Rock!
Looking
forward to our next commission from God!
So, more than two years later, the word we left
spray-painted on a bridge abutment along a walkway following the
river is transforming the city of Baja!
Czech
Republic, 2013:
We are still working toward returning to the city
of Prague in the Czech Republic with OM Arts this September. We look
forward to sharing our sculpture and fiber arts again, connecting
with people and challenging them to consider God's claims on their
lives. We were able to interact with hundreds of people last year in
the streets of Prague, and we look forward to cultivating those seeds
we planted, and to the fruit of the Gospel as we co-labor with the
Czech believers, reaching the lost!
We have purchased our airline tickets, but are
still a good distance from raising the approximately $5,000 needed
overall for both of us for this trip.
Please continue to pray about how God wants you to
be a part of this outreach, how you can bless the people of Prague!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Courage
I often tell the story of an offhand comment the pastor of our church made to me one Sunday morning as we were leaving after the service, and how that comment has shaped my life since then. In this case, it was a positive comment, but it still serves as a powerful illustration the power of words, both to build and destroy, to give life or to suck life out of someone.
In this particular case, as the pastor was standing at the back door greeting people as they left, he shook our hands as he always did when we walked past him. But, this time, he added something to his usual pleasant greeting. He looked me in the eye and said, "Chuck, you are a Barnabas, a 'Son of Encouragement.'" I don't know if the statement came out of his own particularly keen wisdom (he was a very wise person), or if God simply planted those words on his lips. The funny thing is that, years later, when I asked him about the statement, he honestly didn't even remember saying that. (He believed me, but he just didn't remember it.) However, I remembered it, and it has become a key part of my identity ever since then.
Over the past several weeks, our team at the US headquarters for Operation Mobilization has been going through some training sessions looking at spiritual gifting, temperment, experiences and passions -- what are the things that make us tick, and the kinds of ministries that very naturally flow out of our temperment and experiences. The point is to both better understand ourselves and the people we work with, and how we work together (or sometimes don't) to form a team.
I got to thinking about the word "encouragement". I've used that word to describe myself many times, but never really looked at the word itself. During one of the sessions, "the light went on," and I noticed something which in hindsight is obvious, but I had never noticed before...
The root word for "encourage" is "courage". What suddenly occurred to me (and was born out when I looked the word up in the dictionary) was that the essence of encouragement is to "inspire with hope, courage or confidence." That got me to thinking about the meaning of courage. To have courage is to have the ability to move forward with what we want, need or are called to do, even when the way is difficult and intimidating. Of course, there are as many ways to do this as there are people who need encouraging, but the end result is always that the other person is strengthened, lifted and given a fresh sense of Hope.
In this particular case, as the pastor was standing at the back door greeting people as they left, he shook our hands as he always did when we walked past him. But, this time, he added something to his usual pleasant greeting. He looked me in the eye and said, "Chuck, you are a Barnabas, a 'Son of Encouragement.'" I don't know if the statement came out of his own particularly keen wisdom (he was a very wise person), or if God simply planted those words on his lips. The funny thing is that, years later, when I asked him about the statement, he honestly didn't even remember saying that. (He believed me, but he just didn't remember it.) However, I remembered it, and it has become a key part of my identity ever since then.
Over the past several weeks, our team at the US headquarters for Operation Mobilization has been going through some training sessions looking at spiritual gifting, temperment, experiences and passions -- what are the things that make us tick, and the kinds of ministries that very naturally flow out of our temperment and experiences. The point is to both better understand ourselves and the people we work with, and how we work together (or sometimes don't) to form a team.
I got to thinking about the word "encouragement". I've used that word to describe myself many times, but never really looked at the word itself. During one of the sessions, "the light went on," and I noticed something which in hindsight is obvious, but I had never noticed before...
The root word for "encourage" is "courage". What suddenly occurred to me (and was born out when I looked the word up in the dictionary) was that the essence of encouragement is to "inspire with hope, courage or confidence." That got me to thinking about the meaning of courage. To have courage is to have the ability to move forward with what we want, need or are called to do, even when the way is difficult and intimidating. Of course, there are as many ways to do this as there are people who need encouraging, but the end result is always that the other person is strengthened, lifted and given a fresh sense of Hope.
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