The Fullness of our Art....
Okay, so I apologize for no photo - seems that blogger is not working with me today on that!
Everett sparked a thought in my mind in his last blog. He made the following statement:
"When people approach music outside of a spiritual framework grounded in the Bible, they are liable to worship anything. Hence the great danger of coming to terms with something like Stravinsky's Le sacre du printemps outside of a Christian worldview. "
I went through a period in grad school where I lived and breathed classical music, and I’ll say without reservation, that those were some good times! I remember leaving my piano lessons, mentally exhausted after 1-2 hours of intense focus or endless repetition of a single measure or motive. But, though I had given all I had mentally, I felt completely alive – I felt that all was right with the world!
A shifting focus….
I have advised Gateway graduates who were going on to pursue further music study that they need to attain the ability to shift focus. What I mean is, they need to be able to enjoy the beauty of formal music study – appreciate Beethoven’s fire, Haydn’s humor, Brahms’ passion, and certainly, Chopin’s beautiful voice-like melodies. But when one walks away from this you must remember this music is not the end-all. One cannot seek in this music what can never be found there – God, Himself, in all His fullness. In conversation with friends who are professional musicians, whether symphony players or doctorates teaching in high-class universities, I sense this tendency to “worship” the music, to seek finality and fulfillment within it. Admittedly, I have unconsciously sought this same satisfaction, only to end in disappointment.
So, I wonder if the absence of the God factor is the reason that any art form can leave us empty. Are we seeking what can never be found there? Yes, beauty in art, music, sculpture, and literature reflects God’s beauty, but it can never replace Him. I guess that’s what the Bible means when it cautions us against worshipping the creation in place of the Creator.
I’m sure this could be developed much further. Thoughts?
Everett sparked a thought in my mind in his last blog. He made the following statement:
"When people approach music outside of a spiritual framework grounded in the Bible, they are liable to worship anything. Hence the great danger of coming to terms with something like Stravinsky's Le sacre du printemps outside of a Christian worldview. "
I went through a period in grad school where I lived and breathed classical music, and I’ll say without reservation, that those were some good times! I remember leaving my piano lessons, mentally exhausted after 1-2 hours of intense focus or endless repetition of a single measure or motive. But, though I had given all I had mentally, I felt completely alive – I felt that all was right with the world!
A shifting focus….
I have advised Gateway graduates who were going on to pursue further music study that they need to attain the ability to shift focus. What I mean is, they need to be able to enjoy the beauty of formal music study – appreciate Beethoven’s fire, Haydn’s humor, Brahms’ passion, and certainly, Chopin’s beautiful voice-like melodies. But when one walks away from this you must remember this music is not the end-all. One cannot seek in this music what can never be found there – God, Himself, in all His fullness. In conversation with friends who are professional musicians, whether symphony players or doctorates teaching in high-class universities, I sense this tendency to “worship” the music, to seek finality and fulfillment within it. Admittedly, I have unconsciously sought this same satisfaction, only to end in disappointment.
So, I wonder if the absence of the God factor is the reason that any art form can leave us empty. Are we seeking what can never be found there? Yes, beauty in art, music, sculpture, and literature reflects God’s beauty, but it can never replace Him. I guess that’s what the Bible means when it cautions us against worshipping the creation in place of the Creator.
I’m sure this could be developed much further. Thoughts?
posted by aahrens at
Friday, March 14, 2008
6 Comments:
Is it the fact that we are seeking a fulfillment and finality from an art form, or the fact that we are just not spending enough time communicating with God that is our biggest problem? I have people in my church who struggle with the same problem of "shifting focus" who don't spend any significant time with a major art discipline. Is this a problem that affects artists, especially musicians on a greater level?By the way, loved the post.
You know, I can see your point here. I guess I was speaking from an artist's standpoint because that's where I was when I had this experience (and still do, sometimes). I think we when seriously study anything - be it art or otherwise - it really absorbs us. But I think art does this even more so because of the creativity, the passion, the emotion of it. And with particular emphasis on the emotional component - I think this is where we have to be careful not to become so wrapped up in it that we forget its source. I think that ALL talent comes from the Lord - it's just that some people choose not to use it to directly glorify God.
In my conversation with Everett, I told him that as hard as I sought to find satisfaction in all those hours of study, I came up short every time. I know people who just about sweat blood to make a career in music! They feel that it is the "end all" - that there is no greater place of satisfaction. That said, I guess it makes me all the more thankful that I know the other side of the equation - I know the creator of that art - the ultimate creator.
AA
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Excellent post, Ann. Very well said. I think that perfectly and succinctly summarizes the conversations we've had. You have done a good job putting into words the sentiments that up to now I'd only felt.
Well written and thought-provoking. I was a "serious" music major in college as a youth, but aside from Handel's MESSIAH and the Bach ST. MATTHEW PASSION (hope I remembered that one correctly) which I sang with the University Chorus, we didn't see/hear a lot of uplifting spiritual/serious music.
I agree that much of what we like in church music today is dictated by what we hear or have heard in our lives. It is my PERSONAL belief that we as Apostolics who pride (?) ourselves on being "different from the world," should write and sing worship music that is distinctly "our own" and "different from 'the world'" both in style and content and performed by "our own." Why do we have to go into the "charismatic movement" or "contemporary Christian radio" or into other denominations' hymnals for worship music? Let's get inspiration from the Lord and write and play and sing our own UNIQUE style of music. I'm a big fan of the Gaither/Rambo/Rodney Griffin Southern Gospel style, but that's because it's the kind of music I've been raised on. But I could love something new some of my brothers or sisters or groups came up with, too. Let's try it, folks. What do you say?
(You can leave this part out -- my list of my ten best-loved gospel singers/groups would not all be Apostolics, but I wish they could be!)
Big D in Houston
I don't know that I necessarily need to have worship music from strictly apostolic artists. Of course, as you say, that would be nice, but I really don't ever look for us to be able to sing exclusively within our movement. I suppose I say this because I believe that God can really work through anyone/anything and it seems that writing is a specific talent that maybe not all apostolic musicians possess - sure wish I did! But alas.... I DO think there are a lot more musicians in our ranks who COULD write but either don't have the motivation or don't realize they have the gift.
AA
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