Art as Worship

My wife and I have always enjoyed Michael Card's music. Recently, he has also broadened his artistic appeal to writing books while studying and teaching theology. In his book, "Scribbling in the Sand," Card points out that creativity is essentially a response to the presence of God. Every artist's true inspiration to great works of art, is never self-fulfilling or self-focused. Far from it. The true artist is always inspired by Someone Divine.

God is an artist and he is beautiful. He has woven his image into the fabric of our lives, which explains our drive to create things which are beyond us and which we don't always understand. Perhaps more importan, he has issued a call to us that carries with it the possibility of obedience or disobedience; the call to respond to his beauty with creative worship. Our response cannot be centered in self, like the builders of Babel. We cannot afford to misuse our gifts. The Bible has shown us how costly that can be. God calls us to create a space in time for ourselves and others to meet with God, to gaze upon his beauty and to worship him. (Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand, IVP, 2002, p44)

What a calling. We are called to worship. Our call to live a worthy life in Christ is itself an act of worship. Our works of art are to be done worshipfully, that it may lead others to worship in awe and wonder. The deepest desire of any Christian artist is that all who come to admire the art, will not see the piece as an end in itself, but to see the Person behind the creation, the Source of ALL inspiration. Wow! May we live our lives artfully and thankfully when all of us becomes a worship unto God and God alone.

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This is one of my favourite songs from the songwriter-singer, Michael Card. Meaningful, Melodious and Mesmerizing.

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