Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that appreciates mall escalators because they can never break. They can only become stairs.
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Now on to today’s subject.
Those of you who have listened to all the episodes of the Christ is All podcast have shared your appreciation for the music trailers that preceded and ended many of the earlier episodes.
Music is a form of art.
Regarding artists who haven’t found Christ, I don’t believe that satan gives them their abilities.
It’s God’s common grace poured out upon His creation that enabled Hemingway to write his novels, Beethoven to create his symphonies, Picasso to paint his portraits, Jimi Hendrix to create his music and play his guitar, etc.
While I may not agree with the views and lifestyle of a particular artist (which is often the case), I can spot the sacred rhymes that reflect the magnificence of our Creator through their art.
And I can enjoy that art and glorify God in it.
Unfortunately, an artist can live in denial that it was the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who endowed them with their talents, and they were generously granted for His glory (Romans 1:18-24).
Even so, their failure in this area doesn’t prevent Christians from enjoying it, since we understand that all good art ultimately comes from God.
Therefore, a believer can appropriately appreciate a fine work of art – be it music, painting, film, poetry, sculpture, etc. – even though the human artist who created it wasn’t in touch with his or her Creator.
On that point, what follows is a short piece written by my friend Dan Sinkhorn, a pastor in Indiana.
This past August, Dan invited me to hold a conference for his church.
The conference was entitled Reimagining Scripture and Prayer.
All the messages were recorded, and they will be processed into a new course, which will release sometime in 2023. (I will notify you via these Thursday updates when it’s ready and available.)
Here is Dan’s short piece.
It reveals that when an unregenerate artist creates good art, they are unwittingly tapping into God’s sacred rhythms.
SACRED RHYTHMS
by Dan Sinkhorn
When God birthed creation by the Word of His heart and mind, a barely perceptible flutter preceded the rhythm of life we so often take for granted.
Creation utterly depends on the heartbeat of the LORD and the tempo of His breath, the Holy Spirit.
God’s blood pulses through all creation, sustaining and ordering it with cosmic harmony. Like the baby in a mother’s womb, all creation rocks gently within the LORD’s deepest being.
He is the creator and sustainer in whom we live and move and have our being (see Psalm 104; Acts 17:28).
Embrace rhythm as you seek harmony with God and each other, and you will notice His heartbeat everywhere.
Consider the amazing relationship we all have with music, especially percussion.
See how we cannot resist the urge to keep time with fingers, toes, and bobbing heads.
Isn’t it amazing how the LORD’s rhythms affect the tribal drums of ancient and modern pagans? Even those who do not know the true Creator feel his thrumming pulse.
The most primitive peoples felt the cadence of God’s creation and mimicked by beating logs and stretched animal hides as they swayed and hummed in resonance with God’s myriad frequencies.
Magnificent orchestral works use vibrating strings, buzzing lips, and intricate tempos undergirded by drums, symbols, wood.
A noisy punk band or metal rock band relies on electrical impulses, vibrating strings, pounding drumbeats and varying vocal ranges.
The celestial throng joins even the one who sings or whistles in solitude as all echo the Creator’s heart and breath.
God’s majestic grace and sustaining rhythms burst from His being so that even those who reject Him reflect Him.
Their rhythms are echoes of God reverberating from outside space and time.
How much better will it be when we join the LORD of the dance? The One who gave all that only He could give to bring you back into harmony with Him is He “who laid [earth’s] cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).
There is a Q & A in the comments section below that answer some reader questions.
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Stay tuned for the next Christ is All podcast episode.
Until then,
fv
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This Problem Causes So Much Confusion
FROM THE DEEPER JOURNEY TEAM
Someone recently wrote us an email and asked “doesn’t satan inspired art?” Here is our answser:
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The nuance in Frank’s article is important not to miss.
He said “GOOD art.” Not bad art. He wasn’t talking about inspiration either. He was talking about CREATING art. That’s different from inspiration. God is the only creator.
The point is that a non believer can create art and believers can enjoy it and even glorify God with it.
If you have ever in your life have watched a movie or heard a piece of music or seen a work of art created by a non believer that you felt was good and valuable than you agree with the point of his article.
It’s impossible and not necessary to qualify every single statement. These are blog articles not books. “Good art” covers it. Frank has spoken about bad art before.
Regards,
The Deeper Journey Team
What an awesome write-up Frank! Thank you, brother.
Paul of Tarsus wrote (in so many words): From Him through Him and to Him are ALL things.
J. Guyon wrote (in so many words) the creature is nothing and the Creator is everything.
John the Apostle wrote (in so many words): that ALL crowns will be cast at HIS feet.
I LOVE this!!!
Great article! So clear.
Frank, this is a great article. It really helped me. I was taught that all art by non Christians is bad. Good art can be created by a non believer. So much good insight. Thank you for continuing to free us from legalism on the one hand and bring us into a deeper walk under his lordship on the other.
Your book “Insurgence” set me free in both ways. Can’t wait for your new book.