Art and Transformation

Rhonda Stokes the Fire

Last week in my Personal Transformation class we talked about the transforming nature of recognizing our creative nature as human beings created in the image of the creator God. As part of our learning we learned about Anagama kilns and participated in the process of fueling an Anagama kiln near Forest Grove, OR. A continuous supply of fuel is needed for firing, as wood thrown into the hot kiln is consumed very rapidly. Stoking occurs round the clock until an appropriate temperature is reached.

Rhonda Gets her Stripes

We each had the opportunity to throw firewood into the kiln and then were initiated. They had us say something like, “I initiate you into the brotherhood of the Anagama Warriors.” Well, there were a few of us sisters that decided to change the initiation – and Rhonda started it all! Rhonda was initiated into the “sisterhood” but decided to go a step further when it was my turn as she initiated me into “this group of people doing things with fire.”

The Marks of an Anagama Warrior

We were near the end of the line and after the pronouncement of initiation, the person who had tossed the wood just prior would take soot from the door of the kiln and mark the newly initiated with a stripe of soot on the cheeks. Well, Rhonda likes to mix things up, so she decided to not only change the words of the initiation rite but to use TWO fingers to mark me up with soot! Rhonda offered a great example for me, so I marked up the next person initiated them into the Anagama Warriorhood with as much soot as possible. With our continuous efforts of fueling the fire we were able to help achieve the much desired temperature in the kiln and Mark Terry, our Anagama instructor and Assistant Professor of Art at George Fox University.

My Happy Warrior Look

Rhonda's Anagama Warrior Look

Does a Writer a Reader Make?

Happy New Year! I am emerging from the chaos of the holidays with kids at home and a myriad of family activities to distract me from my writing. One of those activities that can keep me from writing is reading. I do love to read. But am I cut out to be a writer? Will I learn to be a better writer through reading?

In 2008 I ventured into the realm of book publishing, creating and submitting my very first book proposal. It has yet to be accepted. The economic downturn and my relative obscurity haven’t helped. So, as the new year begins I am contemplating writing and wondering if I should set aside book idea 1 (a book about missional evangelism) and work on some other book ideas that I have swimming around in the primordial pool in my head.

Here are some of my ideas:

• God if You’re Real… – telling my life story through the lens of discovering God
• The Man Delusion: Women’s Rights and Responsibilities – a discussion on the delusion of male authoritarianism in the church, why this delusion has continued for so long and how women have rights and responsibilities in the church and world that differ from what the church and world are trying to sell us.
• Bubble, Sphere, Orb, Globe – a science fiction series geared toward young adults exploring the possibility of life in other realms.

As I consider venturing into the realm of fiction writing, I have wondered whether I can even write fiction well. How does one know?

Creativity and the nature of humanity

When we speak of art, more often than not, we are referring to the visual arts. But art has a much broader definition than merely referring to painting or sculpture. Music, painting, literature, dance, are some examples of creative activities that are commonly referred to as art. But what about computer generated images? Or landscaping?

Francis Schaeffer said, “The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.” If we are truly created in the image of God and as Christians we have His Spirit within us, we are not only new creations but we are creators by design.

What you think about art and it’s value in this world makes a difference. We have seen the arts decline rapidly in the past two centuries and it is time we renew our lives to God in every aspect and set free the creative Spirit He has placed within us, no longer putting ourselves in bondage to man-made rules and judgments concerning God’s greatest creation – creating us in His image.

Let us not be afraid to be creative, let us not put limits on the medium, the method or the mode in which art is created.

Creativity is part of our nature and being creative should be like breathing – without it we will die.

What will you do to restore the arts to a place that honors our Creator God and reflects him to a world looking for hope?