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Using God-Given Arts and Talents
Dr. Diane Howard
Christians should reflect God's beauty, wonder, and excellence in effective aesthetic communication and art. Our communicative and artistic work should reflect His Word, Truth, and Attributes. Although there are many artistic styles, our art should have truthful content and meaningful structure. Through the centuries, some of the greatest and most significant art has been produced by Christian artists. Many of these great artists have been supported by patrons or the church. Christians and churches need to support and facilitate Christian artists to inspire, uplift, and enlighten. We need to provide on-going training and support for all ages for good stewardship of God-given arts and talents. Christians need to study how God reveals Himself communicatively and artistically through Christ, the Bible, and Nature. We need to observe how Christ has artistically incarnated, revealed, and taught Truth. We need to study the work of great Christian communicators and artists through history. We need to study examples of Best Practice. Christian communicators and artists need to understand elements of great,
universal, lasting art in the performing, visual, speaking, and writing
arts. We need to resist popular pressures and must work at universal
appeal that moves beyond Ethnocentricity and exclusive Sub-Cultures. We
must be able to be all things to all people. We must not confine
ourselves only to contemporary, popular, ethnocentric art. We need
an international, global,
multi-cultural, historical, and scholarly perspective, as well as good
training and ongoing, hands-on experience in meaningful and substantive communication and
artistic projects. Our art should have depth and breath. It should
have universal and
timeless appeal.
Example of Best Practice in Christian Art and Communication in Worship: Hour of Power, Crystal Cathedral- Excellence in Communication (Teaching, Speaking); Excellence in Music (Breadth, Depth, Range, Expression, Musicality, Execution, Delivery); Excellence in Visuals See Addicted to
Mediocrity |
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