When my kids were in elementary school, my favorite books to read with and to them were written by Madeleine L’Engle. The classic, A Wrinkle in Time still is one of my favorites. But it was on my journey within the worship arts that I discovered another one of her books, Walking on Water. This particular book has revolutionized some of my thinking about art, specifically secular art and Christian art.
It was several years ago while I was working as the drama director in a church that I attended the Lillenas Drama Conference in Kansas City, MO. It was during one of the seminars that I first met Jeff Smith, who introduced his audience to Walking on Water and recommended everyone to read it. I will post about Jeff Smith and his art in another posting, but first, I want to highlight some of my favorite parts of Walking on Water. Suffice it to say, it was through Jeff’s influence and example that caused me to desire to learn more about my crafting and a Christian’s calling for excellence in art and worship.
Madeleine L’Engle writes in Walking on Water, “…my feelings about art and my feelings about the Creator of the Universe are inseparable. To try to talk about art and about Christianity is for me one and the same thing, and it means attempting to share the meaning of my life, what gives it, for me, its tragedy and its glory” (p. 15). And it was from page 15 that I was hooked…mesmerized by L’Engle’s words, thoughts and musings. “I believe that each work of art, whether it is a work of great genius or something very small, comes to the artist and says, ‘Here I am. Enflesh me. Give birth to me.’ And the artist either says, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord,’ and willingly becomes the bearer of the work, or refuses…” (p. 17).
It was through reading L’Engle that I began to wrestle with how I felt about Christian art and secular art. I used to think that once artists like Phil Collins or Elton John or Steven Spielberg became Christ-followers, then…and only then their art would be valid and worthy and God-honoring. L’Engle challenged my thoughts when I read, “…it is not possible for us flawed human beings to make absolute zealous judgments as to what is and what is not religious art…there is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred” (p. 54, 56). Ouch! My paradigm began to shift, and my journey to share meaning through art began in earnest. For me, it looked a little different than being able to write music, play music, write poetry or paint a picture. My creativity manifests itself behind the scenes…in a director/producer role. I still have yet to fully define what that means or how that is yet to played out, but it has been a wild ride the past seven or so years.
Lest I rewrite L’Engle’s book in this blog by sharing my pink highlights that have morphed the print of my book from black to pink, I want to close with one more quote that sums the theme of Walking on Water and boasts the newfound thesis of my life. “God is constantly creating, in us, through us, with us, and to cocreate with God is our human calling. It is the calling for all of us, his creatures, but is perhaps more conscious with the artist—or should I say the Christian artist?” (p. 92). I urge you to read the book, prepare yourself to be moved, and then dare to dialogue the stirrings of your artist’s heart with mine.
It was several years ago while I was working as the drama director in a church that I attended the Lillenas Drama Conference in Kansas City, MO. It was during one of the seminars that I first met Jeff Smith, who introduced his audience to Walking on Water and recommended everyone to read it. I will post about Jeff Smith and his art in another posting, but first, I want to highlight some of my favorite parts of Walking on Water. Suffice it to say, it was through Jeff’s influence and example that caused me to desire to learn more about my crafting and a Christian’s calling for excellence in art and worship.
Madeleine L’Engle writes in Walking on Water, “…my feelings about art and my feelings about the Creator of the Universe are inseparable. To try to talk about art and about Christianity is for me one and the same thing, and it means attempting to share the meaning of my life, what gives it, for me, its tragedy and its glory” (p. 15). And it was from page 15 that I was hooked…mesmerized by L’Engle’s words, thoughts and musings. “I believe that each work of art, whether it is a work of great genius or something very small, comes to the artist and says, ‘Here I am. Enflesh me. Give birth to me.’ And the artist either says, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord,’ and willingly becomes the bearer of the work, or refuses…” (p. 17).
It was through reading L’Engle that I began to wrestle with how I felt about Christian art and secular art. I used to think that once artists like Phil Collins or Elton John or Steven Spielberg became Christ-followers, then…and only then their art would be valid and worthy and God-honoring. L’Engle challenged my thoughts when I read, “…it is not possible for us flawed human beings to make absolute zealous judgments as to what is and what is not religious art…there is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred” (p. 54, 56). Ouch! My paradigm began to shift, and my journey to share meaning through art began in earnest. For me, it looked a little different than being able to write music, play music, write poetry or paint a picture. My creativity manifests itself behind the scenes…in a director/producer role. I still have yet to fully define what that means or how that is yet to played out, but it has been a wild ride the past seven or so years.
Lest I rewrite L’Engle’s book in this blog by sharing my pink highlights that have morphed the print of my book from black to pink, I want to close with one more quote that sums the theme of Walking on Water and boasts the newfound thesis of my life. “God is constantly creating, in us, through us, with us, and to cocreate with God is our human calling. It is the calling for all of us, his creatures, but is perhaps more conscious with the artist—or should I say the Christian artist?” (p. 92). I urge you to read the book, prepare yourself to be moved, and then dare to dialogue the stirrings of your artist’s heart with mine.
2 comments:
The first time I encountered L'Engle was in fifth grade when I became enchanted by "A Wrinkle in Time." Her fiction was so engaging, I asked the teacher to let me tell the class about it. It was a real treat for me, also, as an adult to see how much she has to say in the areas of writing. She was one of the wisest, most thought-provoking Christian writers I have encountered. A compilation of her reflections on a writing life is entitled, "Herself." On page 92, she writes about her mother apologizing for her "odd childhood." L'Engle replies: "But Mother, look at all the material it's given me for my stories!" And our lives are richer because she wrote it down. (--Jodi S.)
I loved L'Engle when I was a kid. In fact Wrinkle may have been the only book I finished in elementary school (ok, How to Eat Fried Worms was on that list too, but there weren't many). I'll have to check out Water.
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