Last Saturday I got to present a paper at Wheaton College on the role of art in the church and reproducing artists in the church. It was a new experience for me--I can perform on stage without any fear, but speaking in front of a group of people was a little unnerving, especially since I was the only presenter at this small conference without a PhD. I think it went over well, though.
But since then I've been thinking a lot about art in the church, and have had multiple conversations about it. Lots of people have lots of opinions. One thing that I will contend is that the church has recently fallen behind in producing good art. I think the secular world regards much of our art as being of a lesser quality than theirs, and they may have a point. I find it difficult to produce art without adding the "cheese" factor that turns off non-Christian artists to Christian art.
The interesting thing is that historically art was commissioned by the church. Most of the great masterpieces of the Medieval period through the Renaissance were paid for by church officials, commissioned of the great artists of the time regardless of their religious beliefs. And we uphold these as great pieces of art, timeless though created centuries ago. Now art in the church has become something less than respectable by the rest of the world.
This makes me sad. We have the ultimate source of inspiration and yet we struggle to create art that compels the world to see that ultimate source. While I think that we have the capacity to redeem secular art for the sake of the church, I also think that as the church we need to create redeemed art. I think we have a long way to go in certain areas--film and literature in particular. But I think we have the capacity to get there, and I love that at CCC we create art that to some degree stirs at least interest in the secular world.
I think the church needs art. We need good art. But we also need real, authentic, and vulnerable art that expresses the heart of the journey of faith. Where do we go from here?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
going green
Yesterday was Earth Day. I meant to write this post yesterday, but I of course forgot, or ran out of time, or had some other lame excuse like that.
So on Earth Day (pretend this was posted yesterday), I am thinking about the concept of "going green." It seems to be kind of a trendy thing to do...or at least an up-and-coming trend. People are claiming to be more interested in our environmental debaucle on this planet...everyone from politicians to radio stations like 101.9, one of Chicago's biggest radio stations. On the Mix you can hear daily tips on how to help Chicago go green, things like unplugging your phone charger, turning off the water when brushing your teeth, adjusting your thermostat by one or two degrees to save energy, even having a night where the whole city turned off its lights for a few hours.
I find this admirable. I find this a cause I can get behind. Growing up with parents who are religious recyclers and a father who has an interest in all things environmental, I was brought up to turn off lights when leaving a room, wear sweaters in the winter because the house was always cold, reuse plastic bags and eat leftovers. So I've always felt that I am an environmentally friendly person. It drives Lucas crazy that I bring my recyclables over to his house since we don't have recycling service at our apartment complex. I don't know what I will do when he moves.
But then I started reading a book by Barbara Kingsolver that has introduced me to the detrimental effects of America's eating habits, not only to our health but to our environment, due to our need for instant gratification of our every food want and need.
Going green is a harder lifestyle than I think I am ready for. I have heard more and more stories of people growing their own food or buying local, which I am starting to explore--buying local, that is. I don't think my apartment complex would allow for the planting of a full vegetable garden. And that would be a lot of work. So the whole local food commitment is a big one that I am thinking about, but it means only buying fruits and vegetables in season, which stinks. I love a good strawberry in the middle of the winter, which is clearly not in season. So mainly I'm just looking for farmer's markets right now. Whether I actually buy there or not is a different matter. I have an enormous amount of growing respect for people who choose this lifestyle. It takes a lot of dedication.
I was thinking about trying to ride my bike to work in order to use less gas, but that is an even bigger commitment, what with weather conditions being so unreliable.
And green is my favorite color. That should count for something, right?
So on Earth Day (pretend this was posted yesterday), I am thinking about the concept of "going green." It seems to be kind of a trendy thing to do...or at least an up-and-coming trend. People are claiming to be more interested in our environmental debaucle on this planet...everyone from politicians to radio stations like 101.9, one of Chicago's biggest radio stations. On the Mix you can hear daily tips on how to help Chicago go green, things like unplugging your phone charger, turning off the water when brushing your teeth, adjusting your thermostat by one or two degrees to save energy, even having a night where the whole city turned off its lights for a few hours.
I find this admirable. I find this a cause I can get behind. Growing up with parents who are religious recyclers and a father who has an interest in all things environmental, I was brought up to turn off lights when leaving a room, wear sweaters in the winter because the house was always cold, reuse plastic bags and eat leftovers. So I've always felt that I am an environmentally friendly person. It drives Lucas crazy that I bring my recyclables over to his house since we don't have recycling service at our apartment complex. I don't know what I will do when he moves.
But then I started reading a book by Barbara Kingsolver that has introduced me to the detrimental effects of America's eating habits, not only to our health but to our environment, due to our need for instant gratification of our every food want and need.
Going green is a harder lifestyle than I think I am ready for. I have heard more and more stories of people growing their own food or buying local, which I am starting to explore--buying local, that is. I don't think my apartment complex would allow for the planting of a full vegetable garden. And that would be a lot of work. So the whole local food commitment is a big one that I am thinking about, but it means only buying fruits and vegetables in season, which stinks. I love a good strawberry in the middle of the winter, which is clearly not in season. So mainly I'm just looking for farmer's markets right now. Whether I actually buy there or not is a different matter. I have an enormous amount of growing respect for people who choose this lifestyle. It takes a lot of dedication.
I was thinking about trying to ride my bike to work in order to use less gas, but that is an even bigger commitment, what with weather conditions being so unreliable.
And green is my favorite color. That should count for something, right?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
words from the president
Those of you who know me know I am not good at following current news stories. I did just read an article about the pope's visit to the US, though, and it was really interesting. (Badly written, but interesting nonetheless.)
President Bush reportedly told the pope, "We need your message [in order] to reject this dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth." I like the phrase dictatorship of relativism, it strikes me for some reason as a phrase which not only could our president not have created himself, but also one that I think would be interesting to evaluate in light of our current culture. Are we living under a dictatorship of relativism? Are we capable of embracing a culture of justice and truth?
Sometimes I think truth is much too abstract and at the same time too concrete a concept to be lived out in a nation consumed with itself. The article also said: "Bush showed off America to its important visitor, ticking off what he said are its best virtues: a nation of prayer and compassion, a nation that believes in religious liberty and welcomes the role of faith in the public square, and one that is the most "innovative, creative and dynamic country on Earth" but also among the most religious."
I don't know that I believe that on the whole we are a nation of prayer and compassion, or a nation who welcomes faith in the public square, or among the most religious nations in the world. I think we tend to be on the whole a selfish and self-absorbed nation, focused on meeting its own needs above anyone else's, no matter the cost.
I also believe, though, that we have the capacity to change all that. I would love to live in a nation of prayer and compassion, focusing on how we can do good by the rest of the world rather than consuming it all for ourselves. I think the church is a huge part of this and we are making massive strides in the right direction, but it's a slow process and it's hard to stick with it when immediate results aren't visible, especially in a culture of instant gratification.
I am not immune from any of this. I live in this country. I succumb to the temptations of capitalism, living for myself, ignoring the problems I see around me, not only in the world on a large scale, but in my world on a small scale. I want to embrace a culture of justice and truth.
President Bush reportedly told the pope, "We need your message [in order] to reject this dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth." I like the phrase dictatorship of relativism, it strikes me for some reason as a phrase which not only could our president not have created himself, but also one that I think would be interesting to evaluate in light of our current culture. Are we living under a dictatorship of relativism? Are we capable of embracing a culture of justice and truth?
Sometimes I think truth is much too abstract and at the same time too concrete a concept to be lived out in a nation consumed with itself. The article also said: "Bush showed off America to its important visitor, ticking off what he said are its best virtues: a nation of prayer and compassion, a nation that believes in religious liberty and welcomes the role of faith in the public square, and one that is the most "innovative, creative and dynamic country on Earth" but also among the most religious."
I don't know that I believe that on the whole we are a nation of prayer and compassion, or a nation who welcomes faith in the public square, or among the most religious nations in the world. I think we tend to be on the whole a selfish and self-absorbed nation, focused on meeting its own needs above anyone else's, no matter the cost.
I also believe, though, that we have the capacity to change all that. I would love to live in a nation of prayer and compassion, focusing on how we can do good by the rest of the world rather than consuming it all for ourselves. I think the church is a huge part of this and we are making massive strides in the right direction, but it's a slow process and it's hard to stick with it when immediate results aren't visible, especially in a culture of instant gratification.
I am not immune from any of this. I live in this country. I succumb to the temptations of capitalism, living for myself, ignoring the problems I see around me, not only in the world on a large scale, but in my world on a small scale. I want to embrace a culture of justice and truth.
Monday, April 14, 2008
moe's
Last Tuesday I went to Moe's. It was my first time there. Moe's is a pseudo-Mexican restaurant in the same vein as Chipotle and Qdoba, though the people I accompanied to Moe's claimed, of course, that it was highly superior.
Apparently I am not a good judge of food. I have been told that I should be able to tell the difference between World Famous Tacos and...all other kinds of tacos, but honestly, a taco is a taco to me. Yes, Moe's was good. I will admit that. And they have sweet tea. Which makes it better than any restaurant that does not have sweet tea. (I am slowly coming to believe that I was really meant to live in a much warmer climate...say, Georgia...judging by my penchant for warm weather and sweet tea.) My vegetarian burrito was tasty. (No, I am not a vegetarian.) But overall, it was pretty comparable to the other pseudo-Mexican restaurants in the area.
What made this dining experience interesting, though, was the company with which I visited this fine establishment. I went with some co-workers, Bill Carroll, BT (last name unknown), and Chris Heller. Apparently Chris frequents Moe's. As we walked in, several of the workers knew him BY NAME. I have never eaten somewhere frequently enough to have the staff know me by name, not to mention by order. It was so great. In a highly impersonal society, the workers at Moe's know Chris Heller. I love it. It may make Chris seem a little sad, I'll admit, but it's good to know that we still have the capacity to establish relationships with people beyond our circle of friends, acquaintances and coworkers. It's like being in a small town where there's only one restaurant so of course the workers know their regulars, but we are in the suburbs. I find this fascinating!
Nice work, Chris. Way to eat at Moe's so often that the workers know your name. I congratulate you on this shining accomplishment.
Apparently I am not a good judge of food. I have been told that I should be able to tell the difference between World Famous Tacos and...all other kinds of tacos, but honestly, a taco is a taco to me. Yes, Moe's was good. I will admit that. And they have sweet tea. Which makes it better than any restaurant that does not have sweet tea. (I am slowly coming to believe that I was really meant to live in a much warmer climate...say, Georgia...judging by my penchant for warm weather and sweet tea.) My vegetarian burrito was tasty. (No, I am not a vegetarian.) But overall, it was pretty comparable to the other pseudo-Mexican restaurants in the area.
What made this dining experience interesting, though, was the company with which I visited this fine establishment. I went with some co-workers, Bill Carroll, BT (last name unknown), and Chris Heller. Apparently Chris frequents Moe's. As we walked in, several of the workers knew him BY NAME. I have never eaten somewhere frequently enough to have the staff know me by name, not to mention by order. It was so great. In a highly impersonal society, the workers at Moe's know Chris Heller. I love it. It may make Chris seem a little sad, I'll admit, but it's good to know that we still have the capacity to establish relationships with people beyond our circle of friends, acquaintances and coworkers. It's like being in a small town where there's only one restaurant so of course the workers know their regulars, but we are in the suburbs. I find this fascinating!
Nice work, Chris. Way to eat at Moe's so often that the workers know your name. I congratulate you on this shining accomplishment.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
over my head
Several things have happened lately that lead me to believe that I am in over my head, in more ways than one.
This whole comment debate on the two previous posts has generated a lot of thought on my end. As a disclaimer, I would like to say for the record that none of my students (and I have many) read my blog. They don't find me all that interesting. Reading what people have to say about my thoughts is somewhat overwhelming. I believe that I am entitled to write whatever I want to write on my blog. But I thank you all for reading. I suppose that if I am entitled to my opinions you are entitled to yours.
Next instance:
I started my new class last Thursday--it's called Theories of Literary Criticism. Doesn't that sound fun? I'm with you, it does NOT. But it's a required class, so I figured I might as well get it out of the way. But the scary part is that I haven't even touched anything having to do with Literary Criticism since undergrad, which was a good four or five years ago...so when on the first night our professor asked us all to tell the class what kind of critic we are, which was a stretch because I can't even define all the types of literary critics. It amazes me how much the brain is capable of forgetting. Then we covered the history of literary criticism--from ancient Greek up through the 1800s--in about 45 minutes. My brain hurt.
Next instance:
I am "presenting a paper" at a conference at Wheaton college at the end of the month, and after having a conference call a few weeks ago, I was completely overwhelmed by the intellectual level of ALL of the other speakers. I'm pretty sure I contributed nothing to that conversation, and am not even sure why I was asked to speak at this conference--the subject matter differs from almost everything else happening. It's very bizarre. So I'm halfway done with a 2500-word paper that I will be presenting in a few weeks. Yikes.
So, in the words of the Fray, there's 8 seconds left in overtime....everyone knows I'm in over my head.
Speaking of overtime, I know I've shared before that I'm a sucker for sports movies, but I re-watched Glory Road the other day and cried. That's all I wanted to say about that.
This whole comment debate on the two previous posts has generated a lot of thought on my end. As a disclaimer, I would like to say for the record that none of my students (and I have many) read my blog. They don't find me all that interesting. Reading what people have to say about my thoughts is somewhat overwhelming. I believe that I am entitled to write whatever I want to write on my blog. But I thank you all for reading. I suppose that if I am entitled to my opinions you are entitled to yours.
Next instance:
I started my new class last Thursday--it's called Theories of Literary Criticism. Doesn't that sound fun? I'm with you, it does NOT. But it's a required class, so I figured I might as well get it out of the way. But the scary part is that I haven't even touched anything having to do with Literary Criticism since undergrad, which was a good four or five years ago...so when on the first night our professor asked us all to tell the class what kind of critic we are, which was a stretch because I can't even define all the types of literary critics. It amazes me how much the brain is capable of forgetting. Then we covered the history of literary criticism--from ancient Greek up through the 1800s--in about 45 minutes. My brain hurt.
Next instance:
I am "presenting a paper" at a conference at Wheaton college at the end of the month, and after having a conference call a few weeks ago, I was completely overwhelmed by the intellectual level of ALL of the other speakers. I'm pretty sure I contributed nothing to that conversation, and am not even sure why I was asked to speak at this conference--the subject matter differs from almost everything else happening. It's very bizarre. So I'm halfway done with a 2500-word paper that I will be presenting in a few weeks. Yikes.
So, in the words of the Fray, there's 8 seconds left in overtime....everyone knows I'm in over my head.
Speaking of overtime, I know I've shared before that I'm a sucker for sports movies, but I re-watched Glory Road the other day and cried. That's all I wanted to say about that.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
warming up
I can't even begin to express how happy it makes me to look at the weather forecast for the next five days and not see snow anywhere in the near future. The effect that this has on my overall mood is simply outstanding. I must be affected by the whole seasonal depression thing, slightly at least. So this is a welcome change.
As the weather warms up, so does my attitude toward a lot of things. I am warming up to the idea of new things (which has been only overwhelming for the last few weeks), warming up more to certain people who God seems to have placed in my life for reasons I can't imagine, warming up to the idea that there is a larger plan in place here, and I am simply along for the ride.
I love watching the world come back to life in the spring, as the green comes back into the grass and the leaves come out and flowers speck the ground with all my favorite colors and people actually go outside after their 6-month hibernation. It all rings of life. Sometimes I feel like I start cruising on auto pilot in my life, and it's good to feel the life come back into me every once in a while. I feel it like the slowly rising temperature.
As the weather warms up, so does my attitude toward a lot of things. I am warming up to the idea of new things (which has been only overwhelming for the last few weeks), warming up more to certain people who God seems to have placed in my life for reasons I can't imagine, warming up to the idea that there is a larger plan in place here, and I am simply along for the ride.
I love watching the world come back to life in the spring, as the green comes back into the grass and the leaves come out and flowers speck the ground with all my favorite colors and people actually go outside after their 6-month hibernation. It all rings of life. Sometimes I feel like I start cruising on auto pilot in my life, and it's good to feel the life come back into me every once in a while. I feel it like the slowly rising temperature.
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