Category Archives: Life

just me.

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As a creative person it is hard to take criticism or to be challenged. I can only speak for my self but when I do a project I really feel like it exposes a private side of my life. Art and emotion are so closely intertwined. Judgment about what I have done is difficult to not take personally, because the art is very personal. 

I recently did a project for Christmas that I feel is some of my best work. It was received very well by my community. A few people in my community challenged how performance oriented it felt. And a couple of people outside my community challenged it on my blog. The question was brought up “how does this direct people to Jesus?”.

I do what I do in a local church because that is where I feel called to. I could do what I do for secular companies and probably get paid more than I currently do. But I am in the church world. I love the entertaining side of my job but as a Christian everything I do is from a lifestyle of worship. Therefor I consider what I do as stage design, lighting, audio, and video an expression of worship. The creative/technology areas is where I am gifted, I have no formal training and obtained all my experience in the local church.

When people challenge whether or not what I do points people to Jesus I would have to say yes it does based on the foundation of worship that I am doing it from. I like to create atmospheres that people can better connect to God in. Not all my expression is flashing lights, actually very little. 

The people who are challenging this are the same kind of people in history that has protested using drums and electric guitars in a church setting, because that is what the “world” uses. God created all things and there for we as Christians have the authority to redeem what the world has corrupted and use it to worship God.

out of control

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As americans we are very in control of our lives. Sometimes we don’t feel that way but we go where we want when we want and if we want something we really never give up on trying to figure out how to get it.

We often look through this lens when it comes to being a Christian. We want God to do what we want him to do when we want it. And we also what to know why. Although this is a contrast to what we are told in the Bible. We are told to surrender all to christ at all cost.
Moving to the city has been a great illustration for me on what it means to let go. Often I put my safety and my family’s safety in other peoples hands. If I take public transportation I am restricted to their schedule and have to plan around it. Their schedule is not dictated by my needs but by the big picture on how to best serve the masses. Every day I put my life in the hands of countless engineers, often supported by structure that was designed over 80 years ago.
We need to rethink our view of what it is to surrender to God. What it means to let him be in control. we should question if our imminent happiness is what is best for the masses. We need to reflect on how God has provided for us in the past and take the next step with confidence that God will be there with His plan and that that step will bring attention to God’s work in our life.