2013 Prayer Calendar - July
July 2013 - Creative Arts
God loves creativity
We all know God loves prayer and fasting, healing, and praise and worship.
He loves when we read His Word and when we give offerings.
Do you know that God also loves creativity?
All our religious workings without the life-breath of creativity infused in them are worth nothing to God.
Though the phrase is a bit cliché, he made us human-beings, not human-doings.
He wants us to be - to be like Him - creative.
Read more at theworshipstudio.org.
What does the Bible say about art?
The first mention of art in the Bible is in Exodus 31.
God is instructing Moses to create a tent for the ark of the covenant, and God mentions several artisans whom He has chosen to create "artistic designs" to beautify the tent.
God says, "In the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill."
We learn two things about God's view of art in this passage: He likes it, and He is the source of it.
He wants man to create beautiful things, and their skill in doing so is from Him.
Later, in 1 Kings 6, we see Solomon creating a temple for the Lord.
In verse 4, "artistic frames" were made for the house.
This reinforces the fact that God does desire beauty and likes to be surrounded by it.
If Solomon did not think that God was glorified by beauty, he would never have taken the trouble to create "artistic" window frames.
Again, in Song of Solomon, the beauty of the bride is compared to "the work of the hands of an artist" (7:1).
God is the creator; He is the artist whose hands create beauty.
It follows that any beauty we create is glorifying to God, our creator.
That said, it is important to define beauty.
Art that is created to shock or horrify, or to glorify or elicit sin (violence, lust, greed) cannot be called "beautiful".
It is still 'art' but not art that glorifies God.
Art that glorifies God must have the same two properties as the designs created in Exodus 31.
First, it must be 'artistic'; that is, it must be creative, well executed (a good representation of the object) and well crafted (well made).
It must have worth as an object of value.
Second, it should be something of which the artist can say "God put it in my heart to make this."
God dwells in "the perfection of beauty" (Psalm 50:2), and His holiness is beautiful (1 Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 29:2).
In creating God-glorifying art, the artist?s goal should be to lift the soul of man towards heaven and to illumine in new ways the multi-faceted beauty of God's holiness, power and grace.
There are literally millions of ways artists can depict God's glory.
Their creativity and the skill that God has placed in their hearts and hands will guide them to create art that will help us transcend the ugliness and pollution of this world.
Artists, musicians, authors, and all who have this common mission are a special and valuable part of God's kingdom.
Read more at gotquestions.org.
History of Icons: First Christian Icons
(Creative Arts in the History of the Church)
After the death and resurrection of Christ the new faith spread rapidly throughout the Roman world and the Near East.
The stories of the Apostles and early witnesses who had seen and known Christ Himself were eagerly listened to by the converts to the new faith.
Naturally, people who had seen Christ asked for descriptions of His appearance.
At some point people began to create and distribute paintings of Christ.
This also included his disciples and the martyrs of the Christian faith.
The earliest images we know of was a statue of Christ which Eusebius, an important early Christian bishop,
says had been set up in Caesarea-Phillipi (Paneaus) by the woman healed by Christ of an issue of blood.
He also notes that in his time there were very ancient images of Peter and Paul.
Read more at kurskroot.com
and
pallasweb.com.
History of Creative Arts in Australia
To understand the Creative Arts industry in Australia please refer to this document (a large PDF) to understand more about this domain:
Australia Council for the Arts - Arts and creative industries Feb_2011
From the Contents:
Executive summary
Arts and creative industries
Art media design
A new policy vision
A historical overview: outline
An Australian conversation
Introduction
Different sectors?
A mixed economy
Art and design: separated at birth?
Subsidy
New policy tools, new policy rationales
A historical overview
Chapter 1 What is this report about?
Chapter 2 The emergence of art in modernity
Chapter 3 Art and industry: production, distinction, discontent
Chapter 4 Arts policy: nation building, mass culture and modernism
Chapter 5 Pop culture, cultural industries, cultural studies
Chapter 6 Creative industries and art
Chapter 7 Defining the arts and creative industries
Conclusion
Testimonies and stories
Thu 20/06/2013 3:40 PM - A message from a friend T.F
Dear Lilian,
I am the Community Outreach pastor of a Vineyard church in Melbourne and we have been ministering into the Creative Arts/New Age 'marketplace'
releasing healing prayer and destiny words through spontaneous music/art.
Many people are spiritually hungry and are looking for encounters and inspiration for their art in New Age practices.
Our team of artists/poets/musicians etc. ministers into psychic festivals and offers meditation nights in the Hills region of Melbourne.
We are witnessing many people being touched by the outrageous love of God and physical healing and salvation taking place.
We believe our responsibility is to love people and use the creative gifts the Lord has given us to communicate the Truth about who He is and His ability to fix broken lives.
We meet every Wednesday morning at 6am to pray specifically for the Creative Arts and New Age ministry
(ie. for believers already ministering in that area and as well as praying for a harvest of souls of 'creative ones).
Please do pray for us as we aim to establish a strong culture of creativity rich in expressing the love and healing power of God.
Prayer for finances and favor would also be appreciated as we have dreams of recording a Christian meditation CD and to eventually 'birth' a community arts festival in the near future.
Blessings in Christ,
T.F. Melbourne.
From Justin Pagotto (Sydney)
Everywhere I go, Creative Arts is booming in Australia.
It seems our Father being the ultimate creator is pouring out extraordinary creativity on Aussie to bring the Kingdom inside the church and also into every sphere of society.
From dancing, to sculptures to prayer rooms to comedy shows to painting, creativity that is being released is limitless.
What is so powerful about Holy Spirit led creativity is that is bypasses the mind to go straight to the heart.
Things that don't look special can speak personally and bring clarity and direction.
One of the children in our church drew a picture of a phoenix rising from the ashes
and it ministered powerfully into one of our church members who was in tears because it was like God speaking into the current season of his life.
Painting and Prayer/ Intercession is now commonplace.
There are many people championing the creative arts but here is a few we connect with
The other exciting thing about creativity in ministry is it is very team focused - because generally to get a project up and running you all need each other.
A beautiful picture of the body of Christ.
Thank you Jesus for what you are releasing and we ask for more!
Justin Pagotto
GracePoint Christian Church Sydney
Sun 07/07/2013 10:54 AM - Kitty Cheng
Friends,
Please pray for Candlelight Productions, a theatre company I volunteer with.
With a variety of interests and talents both in large and small capacities;
each volunteer is what makes this production company unique.
Candlelight Productions, in partnership with Servants Community Housing, will be hosting a show in August called Outside the Box.
Below is a summary of it:
How do you know when you're home?
Inspired by the real life stories of residents in a rooming house in Hawthorn, this group devised performance explores issues of homelessness and home.
A small team of experienced actors met, dined with and got to know people who are technically 'homeless'. They interweave drama, movement, music, puppetry and multimedia to tell true stories of trauma, loss and stigma, but also of community, respect, dignity and hope.
Outside the Box is a celebration of what it is to be human. It is entertaining, funny, moving, thought provoking and empowering... you'll come away with more questions than answers, but also delighting in the art of making a house a home.
This is an invitation... to anyone who has tried to make their own home, or who has ever found themselves homeless, either physically or in spirit. It is essential viewing for anyone who houses homeless people, shapes policy on housing, or wants to raise the next generation of leaders.
Above all, this is an entertaining show, full of uplifting stories.
Prayer Points
Praying for Christians gate keepers, watchmen, educators, chaplains, intercessors, pastoral carer in this domain:
Let us pray for
-
Christians in the arts would connect and work together
-
Christians in the arts are given favor in the media and entertainment industry
-
Christ would call and raise up an army of Christians to be sent into the domain of Creative Arts.
See also the
prayer booklet (PDF document)
we issued at the monthly prayer meeting at Northgate.
Prayer for Artists
Bless the creators, O God of creation,
who by their gifts make the world
a more joyful and beautiful realm.
Through their labors
they teach us to see more clearly
the truth around us.
In their inspiration
they call forth wonder and awe
in our own living.
In their hope and vision
they remind us
that life is holy.
Bless all who create in your image,
O God of creation.
Pour your Spirit upon them
that their hearts may sing
and their works be fulfilling.
Amen.
(Back to top)
|