Celebrating Christ Creatively

While filling out our Gospel Crusade Ministerial Fellowship renewal forms, the Lord gave me a glimpse of our larger vision and subsequent mission. He showed me that we are called to Celebrate Christ Creatively, using our combined gifts and talents to fulfill HIs will in our lives, and to affect our community throught the fivefold ministry. In many respects, it speaks to why we are here and how He intends to use us in the overall scope of things.

Our VISION, then, is to serve Christ as we bring arts (both visual, performance, and 'crafts') to the Christian community. Our MISSION is to provide a nurturing environment and safe haven for Christian artists to celebrate Christ creatively while engaging the fivefold ministry.

So what does this mean? As well meaning as the organized church is, there is often little room for the creative among the congregation. How do we encourage the visual artists who paint, sculpt, and engage their creativity through photography? Do we see home-grown work hanging in our church offices? Our lobbies?

Dramatists have an equally difficult time in dedicating their gifts to the Giver of Creativity -- God. I was privileged to present an hour-long storytelling piece titled "Experiencing Eve" at a church in Maryland. Afterwards, an elderly woman assured me that I would go crazy just like Amy Semple McPhearson for presenting that type of program in the church.

Fortunately, that was one of the few negative responses I've seen during my touring season, but in the days ahead, we will need more creativity, not less, among us.

Storytelling is another rarely tapped gift in the body of Christ these days. When David and I attended the Methodist Church (in the 1980s), we were especially drawn to Asbury UMC in Camden. A gifted storyteller by the name of Jim Cook would gather all the children to the front of the church and share a story with them every Sunday morning. Afterwards, they would follow their teachers to the various Sunday School classes were they would have children's church. What a gift!

We've implemented a similar practice in our home church, only our chlldren remain for the service. But our resident storyteller, Tina Riley, does a wonderful job conveying the Word through story. The children love it and are always clamoring for more.

As I prepare to post this note, snow is steadily falling outside as we brace ourselves for our second snowstorm in January and one that promises to be even bigger than our end of December adventure. Some news reports claim that we've not had snowfall such as this since 1922. Though we will not be meeting in our home sanctuary because because we anticipate being snowbound at the end of our 350-foot lane, we will still have "church". We will meet via teleconference so I can share more on this topic as we come to a deeper understanding of our creative call and how we can use it to glorify the Lord.

I have some ideas, some plans, and lots of prayers over the task the Lord is putting in front of me. I will present these plans in the near future. I anticipate victory at every level and will share them with you as soon as they solidify.

I'm excited. How about you?

Thursday, September 24 -- Day 8

This is our last full day with the Sandassie family. Andy's trying to decide about whether or not to go see Logos Hope and onto the beach or not. I'm staying pretty close to home to prepare for our early departure. It's been a good visit and we're already talking about returning next year about this time. Of course, we'll sort that out as we get closer to the date. I appreciate what God has done and what He's shown us during this time away. Now, all we must do is start implementing His directives. I've included a picture of the house in which we stayed. I was in the car as we were departing, so you don't see the carport to the right of the house. The gate in the front is normally closed and is locked at night.

Wednesday, September 23 -- Day 7

After service we went to Mario's Pizza. This was our second visit to the popular pizza parlor. We had a large pizza with chicken, pineapple and corn on top. Michael got into joke mode and Brandon into riddle mode -- what is a ghost's favorite food? Booberry. We got home around 10:30 and into bed by midnight.

Wednesday, September 23 -- Day 7

I spent the day preparing a drama program presentation for that evening. I wrote an audio theatre sketch titled A Day in the Life: Just Do It in the morning and spent the rest of the afternoon finding sound effects, background music and more. Even though David did not see the script or the sound effects list before our presentation, he did a good job at improvising. I finally got it! Don't go anywhere without being prepared to do a dramatic presenation of some sort.

Tuesday, September 22 -- Wash Day (Day 6)

Wash day actually started yesterday (on my birthday) and continued through today. We had two loads and had to hang them out to dry, a task I can count doing on one hand. Please note how useful David was during the process . . .

September 22 -- Day 6 -- Part 1

In 2005, I found myself offering to write the story of Joan Sandassie's life. I did a good bit of and then was stymied for a while. I originally told them that it would take five years to finish the project, so now is the time to pick it up and move forward. To that end, Tracy arranged a meeting with Joan's sisters. Here I'm speaking with Seerania, Dulce, and the oldest, Baby Pearl. Her sister Betty is in the gallery trying to keep up with her two granddaughters. It was an emotional interview for the sisters, but one that had to be conducted.

September 22 -- Day 6, Part 2

I spent the afternoon with Peggy Lalchan and friends. Her friend, Heidi, chauffered us to her friend Val's house where we stumbled upon a prayer meeting in progress. You could feel the presence of God in that place. The Lord allowed me to speak a few things into some of the meeting topics, which served as mutual confirmations in a number of areas. Val served us a delicious lunch which included goat, rice, curried chickpeas, roti and some other stuff. Afterwards, Heidi drove us up to San Fernando Hilltop where we had a wonderful view of the valley and ocean. By then, it was time to pick up Heidi's nine-year-old daughter, so they dropped me back at Andy and Tracy's home around 4 P.M.