Our Story

Artists in the Church need to develop a theory of art informed by the bible in order to return to the world a profound story. With society’s loss of the meta-narrative contemporary lives feel detached, humanity’s significance seems to have diminished, we have forgotten what it means to be human. Despite how the power of God’s story has shaped Christian lives for some time now, we choose to depend and trust those who can feed us information, analysis, doctrines. Furthermore, viewing soul salvation as the primary function of Christianity means we have missed the rich dimensions of God’s redemptive plan for the world. We have disconnected God from our everyday lives and experiences. As Christians we need God to break into our lives in real and tangible ways. We need to reconnect with the whole Christian narrative. Perhaps art, which so heavily depends on narratives, is one way we can practice entering into God’s story again.

The whole of the Christian narrative speaks of a triune God, his people, and his plan for the world. God as Father, Son, and Spirit is a unified diversity. Likewise, he is the true unifier amid the great variety he has created. Therefore, our God is equipped and has equipped us to handle the many episodes, sagas, and movements that are part of the Christian epic. We need artists to formulate new stories rooted in the biblical narrative. We need to write, play, and dance in the margins of our beloved texts.

Typically, in our contemporary society, an artist’s identity is tied to what they create, not in God the creator. Our formation as artists, our art, must flow out of what we know and experience of God. If faith transforms our art, think how much more, the Triune God will open the art-making praxis to inform faith further. Gerardus van der Leeuw asserts art will intersect with religion if it “turns to the absolute; where the wholly other is.”(Sacred and Profane Beauty, p.33) Van der Leeuw quoting Jacques Maritain writes “If you want to make Christian art, be Christians, and seek to make a beautiful work, in which your entire heart lies; do not try to make it Christian.”(Sacred and Profane Beauty, p.36) Part of formulating a theology of the arts is redefining what it means to be a Christian—God’s work of art. Let’s begin to retell God’s story through our hands, feet, lips.

Maria

There, But For The Grace of God

there

but for the Grace of God lay I still

paralyzed but not still

devoid of peace bereft of hope

leper

perishing

languishing, lost, in a bed, in, deep in oppressive, depressive despair, slave to myself, blind to all else...

only by His command was I able to rise! And come forth

broken

one foot in front of the

other

unsure

afraid

desperately alone

unloved

unwanted, and therefore

worthless...

worthless.

(or so i thought - little did i know i was)

limping towards Love that saves

away from where my death was certain, imminent, and well underway

now

restored

redeemed

and Eternally Loved i lay me down to sleep

and sleep soundly

in the selfsame bed

finding my rest in

Him who my soul doth keep.

ileana santamaria

Vocalist and musician, Ileana Santamaria, typically performs this poem to the music of the classical Spanish piece, Nana by Manuel de Falla

The Dialogue Continues

A friend of mine tells a story of a woman he loved and lost to a terminal illness. He recalls how he strove to make her last days so full of life. She dreamed of going to Italy, and because it was clear she would never make it there he transformed her hospital bedroom into a living Italian montage complete with a gondola! He painted the walls with scenes from Venice, Rome and Florence...all to make her feel full of life. He went on to recall being by her side as she lay dying. Offering him some of her last words, she passionately whispered, "He is Life!"

Scripture tells that He who has the son, has life (1 John 5:12). If there's one thing we are seeking in New York City it's this sense of really living: to have Life. Artists especially depend on this over- abundant sense of being alive to both suffering and joy.

Last fall we began considering six themes regarding the calling of the artist in view of the gospel. Now, as we start a new ministry year, we invite you to consider one over-arching theme which we will approach this coming Monday at InterArts Fellowship with the help of Steve Garber. The theme is simply Life, capital "L". We intend to explore this theme in four ways:

Abundant LIFE

Body LIFE

Spirit LIFE

Eternal LIFE

Through our programs, events and conversations with you we hope to explore the reality of abundance, the imminence and import of life in the body, the mystery of the spirit and the hope of eternity. Join the dialogue through quarterly gatherings of InterArts Fellowship, in Arts Vocation Groups and on our InterArts Facebook page.

Hope to see you soon. Take care in the city!

Kenyon

Walking With Christ

Reading Roberto Goizueta’s Caminemos Con Cristo (we shall walk with Christ) startled me into realizing how much my own theology of work aimed folks solely towards kingdom transformation in our world. To be sure, this is a good and a worthy project, but Goizueta has reminded me how social transformation is not our end and purpose. In Genesis, God deems humanity good, before he gives out work. Therefore, while God calls us to cultivate, perhaps we should perceive this human activity as aesthetic: the desire for a beautiful life that drives us to do good. Now, I recognize, process and production are not mutually exclusive when we put ourselves into God’s hands. But, I need to be constantly reminded not to measure and value human worth as the world does. So, forgive me, while I counter the pragmatic tendencies of our present realities by promoting process over production. As Goizueta points out, it’s the process, the way we go about our work that makes us distinctly human beings.

While, it's the artist-side of my role as an arts ministry coordinator that encourages artists to create works that are community building, social commentaries, theological meditations, and mimetic observations; its my theological-side that reminds them that their creations do not define them. As my colleague Kenyon constantly quips, "It's your life, taken up in Christ, that determines your worth." While art accomplishes wonderful things, our ability to do, mainly demonstrates we are beings. Ultimately, it’s not so much what we produce, but how we allow our strengths, abilities, foibles, and failures shape the way we live in God’s grace.

The parable in Matthew 20 concerning the hired workers illustrates how God is not as concerned with productivity as we tend to be. Here, he compensates those who worked all day the same as those he commissioned a few hours before pay. In fact, the parable depicts a landowner more preoccupied with giving men work, then his need to pull in crops. This landowner goes out five times to ensure every man within his reach has purpose and meaning for that day. It is God who hires us, therefore, making us desirable.

In a kingdom where the last will be first, our Christian theologies of culture must not solely rely on transforming the world through our work. Goizueta outlines the danger of this one-dimensional agenda: “If the act of production is the prototypical human activity, then all human activity will tend to be judged by the criteria of production…Human life will be viewed and valued as the means or instrument through which we produce a desirable product, whether that product is income and profit, food, or the classless society.”

What? You haven’t written that socially transformative book or shaped lives by calling to attention the horrors of corruption through a photo series? In Mark 18, Jesus calls a child and brings him before his disciples, who were intent on finding out the kingdom hierarchy. Jesus tells his audience, those who are humble like a child, become the greatest in the kingdom.

When introduced to a child, it is not usual to ask the child, or their parents, what they do for a living--a child just lives. Healthy children experience awe and discovery through play. They find joy in newly acquired abilities. Indeed, these actions are precious gifts befit for the kingdom.

Shall we walk with Jesus as we work?

Maria