soul_artists

Let's look at today's passage that pumps me up. "Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Psalm 150:3-6

I want to take a look at that passage from two perspectives today. First, those verses are a proof that the arts were a part of the very early churchand so I'd like to take some time to look at the arts in the church. Secondly on a more personal track, it's a call for each of us to express our individual praise and worship to God.

Before I get started, I have a disclaimer. The "Pastor General" has determined that in today's message, I IN NO WAY want to come across as condemning about ANY church whatsoever. Churches are DIFFERENT in methodology, NOT WRONG. Am I clear?

As we look at the arts in church, I'd like to share a personal story with you. WAY BACK in the early 1070sback when a television had only three or four channels on itthere also existed these now archaic museum pieces known as "records""LPs""vinyl." And in 1971 there was a Broadway rock opera that was taking the country by stormit was called "Jesus Christ Superstar."

My mom usually kept up with the latest Broadway show soundtracks, so when Jesus Christ Superstar came out, she went out and bought it. Jesus Christ Superstar was a lot of things

It was one of the first times rock-n-roll music and amplified instruments were blended with traditional symphonic music to create something that was not really done beforeand perhaps most importantly, it was something appealing to younger audiences.

It was the first time a Broadway musical attempted to tell the story of the last 7 days of Christ's life. And I might argue that unintentionally it was the birth of what we know as seeker style ministrytaking the old story and putting it in a contemporary context.

And "Superstar" was very controversial! Some Christians loved it. Others thought it was blasphemy. Some unchurched people loved it and some hated it.

Some thought the Gospel message belonged only in church. Some thought that to tell the last 7 days of Christ in anything but the most conservative and conventional of ways was repulsive.

I was only 7 years old, so I didn't know what to think. To me at the time, in a family that was unchurched, it was just another recordbut with a strange subject matter.

Later on when I was a freshman at Kokomo High School, I saw the musical performed in our auditorium. I vividly remember being so moved by the Gospel storythe creative telling of the last 7 days of Christ's life through the contemporary arts.

Jesus Christ Supertar had cool catchy music that I couldn't get out of my headI was moved by characters that a guy like me, could understandand maybe more importantly, characters that I could relate with and feel the emotion that they were portraying.

Christianity is a funny thing. I understand it more by looking back and retracing my steps, more than I do in the moment. And as I retrace my steps, I clearly understand now, how that experience of seeing Jesus Christ Superstar was perhaps the first time I got a glimpse of the power and pull of the Gospel storythat the first compelling account of Christ's life happened for me when the power of the arts and the power of the Gospel came together, in a high school auditorium.

And that in a small way is an example of why this passage pumps me up. Because over the course of my life, my heart has largely been softened to God when the arts and the Gospel have come together at a powerful intersection.//

Growing up, there was no such thing as a church that embraced the artsat least none that I ever saw. Let me correct myselfno church that embraced the contemporary arts. Churches in America that I saw growing up had often embraced the arts, but usually the art of the past instead of the present. Music from the 1800's in my eyes appeared to be considered more holycertain instruments were more God-honoring than others from what I could see.

And that perspective generally made me feel like I was out of touch with what was going on in the church.

Interestingly though, in all of the commentaries I've read on this passage, (pp script) all seem to agree that the instruments and art forms mentioned were contemporary for the time. In other words, one might paraphrase that passage something like this:

"Praise Him with guitars and bass, praise Him with piano and electronic keyboards, praise Him with all kinds of acoustic instruments and dancing, praise Him with a string section and a horn section, praise Him with loud cymbals and pumped up percussion. Praise Him with techno-hip-hop grooves, praise Him with creative video and drama, Let everything that has breath praise the lord."

And that pumps me up because those contemporary artistic expressions are the sounds and images that move me. I wasn't born when the pipe organ was the bomb. To my personality and life experience, contemporary instruments plugged in or unplugged that are kickin' out praise and worship music seems more reflective of a God that's active and living in and around me!

So when I see this passage that basically says "Praise Him with the arts that are at your disposal," I get excited because I'm reminded that God is timeless and He'll move me through the song, "Heart of Worship" the same way my grandfather-Young was moved through a pipe organ led version of the "Old Rugged Cross." I get excited when I realize that Biblically it's OK that I don't dig a worship style that came out of the 1800s and it's OK for people that do.

And for the recordthere's nothing wrong with pipe organs and 100 year old hymns. We even occasionally sing and play some 100 year old hymns around here.//

Does this look familiar to you? It's the MGM Studios logo. It's probably hard to read, but around the lion's head in the gold film are the Latin words, "Ars Gratia Artis." Anyone know what that means? ___________

It means "Art for art's sake." Art for art's sake is what we see most of when we buy CDs, rent videos, go to museums and go to the movies or the theater.

What Psalm 150 is about, is "art for God's sake."(PP) And art for God's sake isn't "cutting edge" it's "ancient edge." Check this out:

An artist was one of the first occupations listed in the Old Testament along with agriculture and industry,

"His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute." Gen. 4:21

"Along with their relatives---all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord---they numbered 288." 1 Chron 25:7

"The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again." Rev. 18:22

And in 1 Samuel, we see how the arts and the Spirit of God came together to change Saul into a different person.

"As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played together before them, and they will be prophesying. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in powerand you will be changed into a different person."

As Forrest Gump would say, it appears that God and the arts go together "like peas and carrots." When we see stuff in church now that we'd call "cutting edge" ministry, we need to realize that it's really ancient edge ministry.

The power of the arts coming together with God is a dynamic union that is documented all throughout the Bibleand a union that God gives to us quite often in this room. This union of God and the arts has nothing to do with Ars Gratia Artisand is art only for God's sake!

And with thatit's time for your favorite part of the service! It's Morgan's Who's Who! Waitwe have theme music for this segment!("Who are you" by the Who)

(PPT Handel) Anyone know who this is?This is George Frideric Handel. A German composer probably most noted for his work, Messiah. In Fact we most often hear it with his name in front of it, Handel's Messiah.

When Messiah premiered in London, Lord Kinnoul congratulated Handel on the excellent "entertainment."(ppt) Handel took issue with the word "entertainment" and responded,

In other words, the arts for God's sake, is used to impact usto be a vehicle that the Spirit uses to change us, much like Saul was changed. Or like Handel said, for God to work through the arts to transform usto make us better than we are.//

But why all this talk about the arts? Do we really need them? Why do we need arts in school? Aren't the arts a luxury? An extra? Certainly anything communicated through the arts could just as well be written out plainly on a piece of paper! Couldn't we all come here each week and learn about God without a music teamwithout videowithout dramawithout creative presentations?

You know what? You may not even care about the arts. In fact, when I say "arts" you may think of some high brow get together where everyone's wearing black, politely laughing, similar to the likes of a Niles and Fazier Crane dinner party, people talking about how much they miss the Bolshoi Ballet this year.

I would like to give you one example of why we need the artsone reason why God created artists and used them throughout the Bible:

I could "tell" you that we are to "love one another," just as it says in John 13:34. And I could say that that means we need to love all people, even those that are hard to love. And you would nod your head"Yes, Morgan, I understand that Scripture and what it meansI need to love one another even if it's not easy."

I could "tell" you that truth. Or I could "show" you that same truth through this drama we did at Christmas. Let's take a look.

After experiencing thatwe don't just understand in our head that we need to love one another. But we understand also in our hearts that those who are hard to love need to be loved by us.

When the Gospel intersects with the artswhen it's art for God's sakeour hearts get tattooed with new understandingswe get to see life from God's perspective.

We no longer see a mentally challenged young ladywe see a person who matters to Godwe see our need to offer love to those who are hard to love And we feel conviction that there have been times in our life when we gave a cold shoulder to people that just needed our acceptance.

We see a young woman who appears "less-than" in our eyes, who understands God and heavenand maybe we realize for the first time how the meek can inherit the earth.

When we can go through the tunnel of a 5 minute drama and come out the other end with a heart that feels the tender imprint of God's truth THAT'S the power of art for God's sake.

Art for God's sake takes literal meanings out of our heads and turns them into Spiritual truths that are seared into our hearts.(repeat) God uses the arts to get to the most hard to reach place in mein usour heart.

And here's the really big dealwhen God begins to work in our hearts then our outward actions begin to change. Do you know what I mean?

We adopt strange habits like looking forward to going to church on Sundayswe actually try to serve people at work and in our homeswe actually join in and look forward to corporate worship times.

These outward actions are expressions of God's influence in our heart and soul, of what's on the inside. Our actions follow our heart. Do you believe that?

Have you ever known someone who was truly an angry person inside but treated everyone around them great?!

Or, have you ever known someone who was just as sweet as can be inside, but treated everyone around them miserably?!

NO. Because how we live life is a reflection of who we are on the inside of us, in our heart.//

Here's today's big concept All of us are soul artists Our life is a 3-D interactive real-time streaming video that we create, that is a reflection of our soul. Whether we like it or not, we are all soul artists that paint pictures of ourselves in how we treat and interact with others. STAY WITH ME!

Depending on the condition of my heart, my family sees a picture of me that's a picture of a generous mana self-absorbed mana happy manan angry mana caring man and everything in between. Do you see? My actions on the outside are a reflection of how I feel and think on the inside.

If you were to ask anyone in my family what I've been like the past 7 days, each person would get a picture in their mind of the life I have lived in front of thema picture that is an expression of the condition of my heart.

And that is true in all of our lives. We are soul artists painting pictures with our actions of who we really are in our heart and soul.

Whether you're really into the God thing yet or not, you still have a heart and soul. And the life you live is an expression of what is or what is not in your heart. Some soul artists paint pictures of a success motivated life because in their heart, they want to be someone or to be accepted.

Some soul artists paint a picture of a monetary motivated lifebecause in their hearts they believe money equals happiness.

Some soul artists paint a picture of "others first"because in their hearts they realize that Jesus didn't come to be served, but to what?______ Serve. And these are the people who paint pictures in our minds of a person that will help us whenever we ask without asking why or batting an eye.

Let me ask youall you soul artists herewhat picture are you painting? If you don't know? Then simply ask someone who really knows all of you. They can describe the picture we paint.

Here's a stretch for yousoul artists can also create songs in the minds of others. Although I don't give the TV show Ally MacBeal an across-the-board endorsement, one of the things I like is that when characters are feeling certain things, we hear the song that's in their head.

So I wonder too sometimes, what song am I creating out of the condition of my heart? What song is your heart singing this week?

Why all this talk about soul artists?That our actions are the pictures we create out of our heart and soul? Why is this relevant or important? It kind of sounds like "artsy-fartsy hoo-ha" to me!

The reason it's important is found in the last line of today's passage. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." (repeat) Psalm 150:6

Our praise and worship for God is the picture we soul artists create out of the condition of our heart and soul. (repeat)

And even if we are a Christ followerif our heartour inner most thoughts and emotions are focused on everything in our lives BUT Godwe won't be able to truly worship and praise Him without a heart adjustment...that too, is art for art's sake. Praise and worship is all about our heart for God. Not our heart for selfnot heart for othersnot heart for careernot even heart for good deeds.

Praise and worship is about our heart and focus on God. Period. When it's anything else, it's art for art's sake.

There's a worship song called The Heart of Worship. And I'd like to share the story behind that song.

There's a town outside London, England and in it, there's a "cutting edge" ("ancient edge") church that grew to have powerful worship services. But in the Fall of '96, they realized that something was "up" with their worship. Their sr. pastor wrote,

"We seemed to be going through the motions but I noticed that although we were singing the songs, our hearts were far from HimThen it clickedwe had become connoisseurs of worship instead of participants of it. In our hearts we were rating the worship

"Not that song again""I can't hear the bass""I like the way she sings"We had made the band the performers of worship and ourselves the audience. We had forgotten that we are ALL the performers of worship and that God is the audience.

The truth came to usworship is not a spectator sport, it is not a product molded by the taste of the consumers. It is not about what we can get out of itit is all about God." (unquote)

They ended up getting rid of the band. They sat around in quiet uncomfortable circles and waited until honest expressions of their heart for God came out. Over a period of time, they eased into a-cappella worship. No band, just hearts and voices for God.

The sr. pastor wrote, "We were not having churchwe were once again meeting with God. With all the comforts and high tech gear stripped awaywe worshipped from the heart." (unquote)

Shortly thereafter, their worship leader, Matt Redman wrote this song called The Heart of Worship, that's about the experience I just described. The reason I'm sharing this story is because as I have made the transition from consumer to worshiperI have realized that I too have made worship about me and my comfort zoneabout me and my off-key voice

when it's really about my sacrifice to God not about my comfortit's what I have to givenot what I have to get.

If I could leave you with anything about what worship is and what it is notnothing sums it up like the words of this song. This song is art for God's sake.

In the spirit that this song was written, we aren't going to "perform" it for you. We will listen to it on CD. And during these 3 minutes, I invite you to lay all your stuff asideif you want to sing, sing. If you want to listen and pray silently through these lyrics, pray.

If you want to get to the heart of worship with God and haven't been able to, up to this point in your life, pray or sing to that end during this song.

If you've made worship something about you, rather than everything about God, then ask for forgiveness during this song.

Let's all listen with open hearts and sing and / or pray as you feel God wants you to. (HEART OF WORSHIP CD)

Friendsthe heart of worship is when you and I are able to lay down all of our inhibitionswhere we stop worrying about how the people beside us and in front of us perceive us.

The heart of worship is when we totally lose sight and awareness of ourselves and we are totally focused on God and what He has done and what He is doing in our lives.

I am passionate about this passage because it's all about the heartyour heart and my heart. As a person who God has wired up with more of a "thinking" personality rather than an "emotional, feeling" personalityI have had to work to let go of my intellectual control and get out of my head and into my heartbecause THAT'S where our worship comes from

And only through opening and freeing up my heart have I been able to truly worship, and truly experience God in the most powerful and real ways.

And I'm passionate about this because I know I'm not alone in this. There are many people here today who know exactly the struggle I'm describing

And if that's you, and you want to grow in your relationship with Christ and you want to experience Himyou have to put yourself aside and learn to worship and praise Him.

Here's one last thought for us. Why do you think God wants our worship? Why can't we just "say" it?! Why does He call us to offer our bodies as living sacrificesour spiritual act of worship?

Perhaps it's the same reason He put the arts in the church. In that drama we saw, our emotions were stirred and our heart was imprinted with God's truth.

In Genesis 1:26 it says God made us in His image. So I think when He sees us engaged in worshipfocused on Himdoing our best to sing for Himputting our inhibitions aside, perhaps looking "undignified" for HimI believe when He sees that, it moves His heart the same way art for God's sake moves our heart.

As soul artistswe paint an outward picture of a worshiping son or daughter of Christthat's an outward expression of our heart for Him. And THAT stirs the heart of God. That is the heart of worshipand the heart of a true soul artist.

Let's keep that picture in your mind as we end by sing to Him the truth of Psalm 150. (Everything That Has Breath)