Worship Arts Month

During the month of August, SSBC is celebrating Worship Arts Month.

From the beginning, humans have expressed themselves creatively.  We see it in everything from cave paintings to architecture; from pottery to stone carvings, the written word and the spoken rhyme.  Creativity.  Art. 

I believe we were created to worship God.  While Genesis tells us what our job is while we are here (Genesis 1:28), we see in the book of Revelation that life here and now is in preparation for an eternity of worship.  And Colossians 1:16 reminds us that “all things were created by Him and for Him.”

And I believe that is why we all have built into our DNA the need to express ourselves creatively.  Like a dog cannot stop its tail from wagging, we simply must.  I believe God installed that in our makeup to give us more ways to worship Him.

Painting, sculpture, architecture, wood carvings, crafts, quilting, scrapbooking, writing, poetry, music, drama, these are just some of the ways we express ourselves creatively.  Expressions of art. Expressions of the heart.  Expressions of worship.

During August, each Sunday, we will be experiencing different facets of these Worship Arts.  Hopefully, we will learn something; we will be touched by something; we will be inspired, maybe even motivated to find our own creative expression.  Whatever the outcome of this Worship Arts Month, you can be sure of this one thing: we will worship. That’s why we’re here! 

The Art of the Church, Part I

The catacombs of Rome tell the story of the dramatic growth of Christianity during the first centuries. Paintings in the catacombs follow scripture and history. Sarcophagus carvings and architecture carvings also express the scripture in art.  Here are some examples of this art, from the 1st through 4th centuries.

 Christ surrounded by His followers

Jesus, depicted as The Good Shepherd

The Magi visit the infant King

John, Luke, and Mark, in a boat with Jesus

Jesus, depicted here with a beard

Isn’t it amazing to see, expressed in various forms of art, the history of our faith portrayed by the people of the time? We shouldn’t be surprised, but I can’t help, when I see the catacomb paintings of the 1st and 2nd centuries, but say, “SEE? I told you the Bible was true!”

Art has always been a part of the church, and since we are created to worship Him, and we have this innate desire to express that worship, art will always be a part of the church.

Drama & Comedy: The Art of Expressing Through Acting! 

The first Sunday in our Worship Arts Month featured a funny skit that taught a lesson in prayer, perseverance, and relationships.  It's all about "asking for directions."

Worship Week Inspires!

During the week of July 12-18, there was inspiration to go around, with plenty left over! It was LifeWay's Worship Week conference.  While getting there wasn't without its challenges--not the least of which was a 3-inch nail picked up in one of my brand new tires, which created a slow leak we had to deal with until we got to the venue (when the issue was resolved and fixed at no charge by the good people of Black Mountain Tire Connection in Black Mountain, NC), the trip was worth it all, as we thumbed our noses at Satan's attempts to quench the fire of our excitement.  

There were the daily worship services led by conference worship leader, Jeremy Busler, and conference pastor Jay Strother, both from the Church at Station Hill in Thompson Station, TN, which offered both inspiration and challenges.

Praise Team member Adam Sprouse attended with me, and we each chose from a variety of breakout session offerings throughout the week. We experienced a week full of motivational sessions covering topics from "How to Communicate with Guitar Players" (can you, really?) to "Leading with Humility," "Taking Your Praise Team to the Next Level," and "Pastor, We've Got Your Back!" 

Both Adam and I participated in the Worship Choir, which was an amazing experience in itself, helping to lead worship with the conference orchestra and the other 100 voices of the choir. That element of our week culminated Thursday evening with a joint choir of children and high school students joining us on the platform to sing with renowned songwriter and worship leader, Tommy Walker. What an amazing evening! 

The setting of Ridgecrest Conference Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina provided a beautiful backdrop for the week of being fed on God's word, refreshing the soul, recharging the batteries, and being inspired. Adam's testimony to the church on July 19, captured here in this video, really says it best.