This week, in my Missional Life class, I’m covering the topic of mission and creativity.
My class is filled with many creative artists who sense a call to impact their world with their musical craft. They are on a missionally creative journey.
One of the texts I have them reading is Erwin McManus’ book, The Artisan Soul. He makes one very poignant statement early on in the book, one that caught my attention and that I’ve quoted quite a few times since I first read the book.
“I have come to realize, after over thirty years of studying human creativity, that the great divide is not between those who are artists and those who are not, but between those who understand that they are creative and those who have become convinced that they are not. The great divide is between those who understand that their very nature is that of an artist and those who remain unaware or in denial of their artisan soul.” (p3-4, emphasis mine)
God, as Creator, has left a deposit of creativity in all people whom he has created and bear his image. That is simply how it works. And we might say this is especially true for those who are being made new in Christ.
Creative is who we are and we, the church, need to continue to explore the creativity of God in our mission (and our worship).
What would it look like if we understood the words of McManus quote above?
For a little entertainment, watch this short film on creativity.
The Prodigal Thought 