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Add your insights to the NPPN Roundtable
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#043
PRAYING WITH PAINT
by Rosemarie Adcock, President, Arts for Relief and
Missions, Inc
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>From: "Arts for Relief & Missions" <arminc@arminc.org>
To All Pastors and Prayer Leaders:
Below you will find text which we hope will assist you in knowing how to pray
for or use the arts in your own churches and ministries. Our organization has
used the arts and music in evangelism and other ministry in the United States
and Eastern and Western Europe, and we are attempting to focus more on the
discipleship of those called into such ministry. You may well have some of those
in your own congregations and wonder how best to encourage them in ministry. We
ask you to take a moment and read the articles below and the questions
associated with it. If you are so led, please reply to us at the email below.
We believe that the time has come to take back what is the Lord's for the glory
of His name. We ask for your prayers that the Lord will raise up an army to send
into the harvest field, and lead, protect, and encourage us into further
effective ministry for His kingdom. May God bless you with an increase of His
beauty in your midst.
Rosemarie Adcock, President, Arts for Relief and Missions, Inc - rosemarie@arminc.org
http://www.arminc.org
WHERE ARE THE WAR ARTISTS?
Discipling Nations with Paint
I recall a time in Northern France, standing in front of one of the most famous
altarpieces of all time, the Isenheim Altar, painted by Matthias Grünewald
between 1512-1516. The panels measured over 18 feet tall, soaring high into the
stone surroundings of the monastery. The artist's gleaming pigment made from
ground precious stones is itself worthy of mention; but the history behind the
commissioning of the piece is so remarkable, it must be explained to grasp a
full understanding of the painting's purpose.
During a period when Europeans were dying of the plague, monks in a monastery in
Isenheim Germany commissioned Grünewald to do an altar that would cause all who
looked at it to be healed. Before the patients were taken in and washed, they
were brought before the soaring, grisly painting of the crucified Christ, about
whom Isaiah proclaimed, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquity, surely He bore all our sorrows, and by His stripes we
are healed." The monastery would eventually become known as a place of
healing for the terminally ill.
Such a commission is almost unthinkable today. Yet there was a time when all of
the arts were done for the glory of God, depicting the life of the Scripture,
calling man to reflect on his own mortality. From massive biblical compositions
to still life, everything was done with a passion for the mission of the day, to
communicate the truth of the living Word of God to the illiterate masses of
people for whom the Savior died.
.
It was during the Renaissance period that paintings began to take on a realistic
rather than flat, decorative appearance. As perspective was discovered and
people were painted in the costume of the day, paintings began to take on
accurate depictions of life. People saw themselves in the biblical images
portrayed. Purposefully, the life of the viewer was wrapped up in the life of
the Scriptures.
Chiaroscuro, (the contrast of light and shade), was incorporated into paintings
and carried all the way through the Baroque period into the 1700ıs. This
chiaroscuro was not only light and shade in the execution of the painting
itself, but it was used as a symbol of spiritual light and darkness, spiritual
life and death.
This theme was so commonly accepted that it made its way even to the still life
painting where it was commonplace to see a picture of beautiful fruit painted
together with rotting fruit, or paintings that included human skulls posed with
foods on an otherwise beautiful table. These were intentional depictions of
biblical passages to remind the viewer that he, too, was perishing, and in need
of a decision regarding his eternal destiny.
The Reformation and the Discard of the Arts
In a fervent desire to extricate the faithful of all influence deemed Catholic,
the Reformers of the 1500's such as Zwingli cleansed the church of images and
relics as well as the organ. Calvanism abandoned symbolic forms of worship
embracing the thinking that the alliance of religion and art actually
represented a lower stage of religious and human development. The Word and the
intellect alone were considered the only valid ways to commune with the Spirit.
The validity of entering into worship through other senses being denied, the
Church came to abandon the use of art in its worship.
War Artists
But the heart of man hungers for worship and uses symbols to do it. 400 years
after the Reformation, Adolph Hitler strategically permeated the mindset of an
entire culture using art before and during the time he came to power to
transform thought. When Hitler became Chancellor in early 1933, the first
project he embarked on, even before building Berlin, was to build the House of
German Art. It was to be a massive museum containing the art that would depict
the total philosophy of his new religion, National Socialism. All other art that
did not depict the thinking of the 3rd Reich was outlawed.
Goebbels, the master of Nazi propaganda, appointed Kriegsmahler, war artists, to
bring back images from the front lines; images of "bravery and
courage" which were selectively chosen for printing in the newspapers to
stir the hearts of the people with their "great victory and mission."
Hundreds of these war artists went out to the front with the soldiers and
boosted their morale. By the end of the war there was an organized division of
Staffel der Bildenden Künstler. This staff of 100 fine artists were appointed
the task of developing art that was not even for the purpose of propaganda, but
for posterity to depict the great victory that was sure to come.
So where are the war artists? Not the Nazi painters of perversion and death
whose art ended up used as evidence in the Nuremberg trials, eventually banned
lest it stir up the mind of war and hatred in a brain-washed Germany.
Instead, where are the war artists who are called to fight the good fight,
to be pressing on to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? Our enemy prowls
around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and we are asleep at the
helm.
Where are the war artists?
Where are the gifted artists and musicians who believe the
call of 2 Corinthians 5 that says we no longer live for ourselves but for Him
who died and rose again on our behalf? Where are they who believe we became new
creatures and we are now ambassadors for Christ? Who see a primary purpose for
art is not to seek the glorification offered by this world's system, but rather
seek to glorify the Creator who has freely given us all things?
Where are the war artists who see art as parable, as a tool
and method of communication of the Gospel?
Where are the war artists who believe the great Commission is
a mandate, who believe enough in their calling as artists to seek a purpose that
will live on after them?
Where are the war artists who are ready to band together with
the army of the Church, to go to the front lines, leading the army in worship,
glorifying the One who has already won our victory at the cross?
Where are the people who "die daily", who take up
their cross and follow the Savior to death if necessary to fight the battle that
rages before us?
We have accepted the massacre of our culture before our very eyes, watching
creativity replaced by depravity then renamed art. We have accepted as normal
what is perverse and struggle in isolation to survive the spirit of this age,
when our God and Father in heaven calls us by name to be adopted into the family
of His Church, as a vital part of the Body. Perhaps we are the eyes, but we are
need of the hands and the feet and the Head.
God called an artist by name in Exodus 31 to build what would assist people in
worship. He knew his name. He prepared his work beforehand and appointed
this man, filled with the Spirit in his craftsmanship. If we hold artistic
gifts in the same way we hold other spiritual gifts mentioned in Scripture, we
would see that these were given for the edification of the body, not for
ourselves. We no longer live for ourselves. We live for Him.
Who are the soldiers weary of raising up a flag with their own name and purpose
and now sense the voice of God proclaiming a purpose higher than themselves; who
reject the self-willed immaturity and narcissistic self-importance that leads
only to spiritual shipwreck?
Who are the pastoral allies who will walk beside the next generation of gifted
artists and musicians and disciple them as they would a missionary or pastor
sent to seminary to plant a church or preach the Word? Where are the seminaries
that will equip those called to put a living face on the Gospel of our living
Lord?
A soldier sent into battle empty-handed can do nothing but retreat or surrender.
We will not retreat, nor will we surrender. We are calling the war artists and
the musicians and the teachers of the Word to form a new army. You know who you
are. We will answer the call of our King, moving across this barren landscape
that is our culture, empowered by the wind of His Spirit. We will not surrender.
We have declared war and we will win.
Rosemarie Adcock/ Arts for Relief and Missions, Inc
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Part 2: Questions for Conversation
1. How might you envision this effort being carried out in your area of
influence? Church, university, professional affiliation, etc.
2. If you are a pastor, could you personally commit to discipling artists and
musicians in your congregation with the same effort as those you view as
potential pastors and/or missionaries? Would your church sponsor biblical
seminars for artists in your area?
3. If you work in the area of education at the university or seminary level,
would you be willing in a small or large way to help develop proposed curriculum
that might form the basis of a degree program in arts ministry? Would you be
willing to assist in determining if there is interest in an arts/missions
program in your own location?
4. If your gift is preaching or teaching, would you be willing to participate in
a Bible conference/seminar to begin to raise up those called to this field, and
doing research necessary to deliver a biblical challenge?
5. If you are an overseer of congregations would you be willing to encourage the
leaders of your flock in seeking out and developing those gifted in the arts and
to maturity and promoting the arts as a viable channel of missions
work.
6. If you are a theologian, would you be willing to assist in the critical areas
of the formation of CAMMA (Council for Accountability of Ministers of Music and
the Arts) in dialogue over theological issues related to the existence of such
an organization? Of particular concern is how we co-operate with, not challenge,
the ecclesiastical authority of the church
over its artist/musician members. Could you assist us in developing guidelines
that are neither nebulous nor legalistic for standards of conduct and
accountability for the CAMMA members? for CAMMA info please click on
this link <http://www.arminc.org/camma.htm>
7. If you are an evangelist would you be willing to participate in events?
8. If you pastor special church groups such as youth, singles, cell groups,
would you and they be willing to participate in events?
9. If you have a facility or location for events or a function, would you be
willing to make it available for this effort?
10. If you have a facility would you be willing to allow the exhibition of
appropriate works within its walls?
11. If you are a pastor or church leader, would your church be willing to
commission appropriate works to be used for worship or the beautification and
embellishment of your facility?
12. If you have a facility would you be willing to sponsor worship concerts, or
art exhibits, etc., to be used as outreach to your community?
13. If you are experienced in ministry would you be willing to be a mentor to
young artists/musicians?
14. If you have an established profession in the arts or music, would you be
willing to teach young artists?
15. If your gift is in prayer and intercession, would you be willing to pray for
this effort and its needs as they arise? If so, would you be willing to receive
a regular email listing of topics over which prayer is needed?
16. If you have gifts of administration would you be willing to help build and
maintain the infrastructure of this effort?
17. If your gift is giving, would you be willing to assist this effort with the
material needs necessary to move forward?
18. Would you be willing to serve on a Board of Directors? (Fiduciary
responsibility, Policy and Governance)
19. Would you be willing to serve on a Board of Advisors? (Vocational and/or
experiential advice and counsel)
20. Would you be willing to serve on a Pastoral Advisory Council? (Theological
oversight and direction, accountability)
21. Do you have other gifts that you believe would effectively contribute to
this effort?
Please highlight area you would be able to contribute and return this form and
any comments to WarArt@arminc.org or ARM 703
Sutton Ct., Lake Villa, IL 60046 attn R Adcock, President
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