It’s another Facebook Friday!!
Today’s group is Prophetic Art International and is administered by Victoria Robertson and Christopher W Bennett.
Here’s the group description:
A group available for us Artistic Christians to share what God is doing through Artists in the church! Previously Prophetic Art Canada, this group has grown far beyond the borders of just Canada, so the name of this group has been altered to reflect that!
Bringing you a great video today with author, journalist, blogger and teacher Ta-Nehisi Coates from Creative Breathroughs by The Atlantic. It’s less than 4-minutes and worth the watch! Continue reading
I LOVE the idea I’m sharing today! Sara Laughed is a fun and creative blog and this year she is doing a Bible journaling challenge called Advent Illustrated. Throughout the Advent season (from November 29th to December 24th), Sara will share a Bible verse, starting with Genesis and extending to the nativity story. She will also provide creative prompts for folks who need a little bit more inspiration. Everyone is encouraged to share their art journal project on her Facebook page or on Instagram with the hashtag #AdventIllustrated. Continue reading
Enjoy this remarkable piece by Keone & Mari Madrid, a husband and wife duo that loves to tell stories through dance and choreography. This piece is called Water.
As we wrap up end our tribute to National Book Month, I would be remiss if I didn’t introduce my own book. “Last but not least” as the saying goes!
I wrote God’s Creative Gift—Unleashing the Artist in You in obedience to God’s calling in my life. Frankly, many of the topics I wrote about were thoughts and ideas that wouldn’t leave me alone until I had gently guided them onto paper. It is designed as a Bible study and devotional, great for individual or group study. It is not just for artists but creative folks of all forms, mediums and venues.
The Word of God is vital to our lives. It has much to say to all of us, and more than that, it has much to say to artists and creatives! Discover what God’s Word has to say to you as his masterpiece, his poem, his BEaUtiful creation! If you click here, it will lead you to my store where you can purchase a copy of my book signed with a personal blessing just for you! You can read more about my book here.
As we wind down our focus on books for artists, creatives and worshipers, I want to direct you to a new book that came out just this month!
The Seventy: A Movement of Creativity in the Earth by Pastor Bernard Boulton is based on a prophetic prayer he spoke over his congregation in 2009.
This book announces a movement of creativity rising in the earth during the second decade of the twenty first century. The God of creativity who created the heavens and the earth and created mankind in His image is raising up and sending out a remnant of creative artists who have seen God with a pure heart and have a call on their lives to release the love of God through creative expression.
The month of October and National Book Month are coming to a close, dear friends. I hope you’ve found some books to add to your creative library!
I’ve shared The Creative Epiphany blog of artist Jo Ann Brown-Scott previously. You can see that here. I want to direct you to a specific post about her book, entitled The Creative Epiphany: Gifted Minds, Grand Realizations, which delves into the creative minds of 19 artists with stories of their personal encounter with “Epiphany.” In her post celebrating January 6th, the Day of Epiphany, she talks about her book and ends with this wonderful thought-provoking quote:
. . . an epiphany brings information – an enlightening message of some variety – that you did not have before. A missing piece in your plans. And you needed it to move forward. It is of great help to you and utmost importance that you pay attention to it. There are some keys to accommodating the arrival of the coveted epiphany – the best one is to remain open and present, living in the now, aware and alert to all possibilities. Keep a receptive mind, engaged and involved in life. Be hopeful. Have faith.
Jeremy Begbie, professor of theology at Duke Divinity School, has spent much of his life focusing on the intersections of the arts, faith and theology. Now I know, often artists write off theologians and academicians because we think they don’t “get” us artists, but I can assure you Dr. Begbie gets us!! He is indeed one of us!! A musician in his own right, he has been spear-heading arts initiatives at seminaries and universities across the world, making sure professors, pastors and religious thinkers know that the arts have a vital role to play in the Church!
His books (with short reviews/descriptions from Amazon reviewers) include:
Voicing Creation’s Praise: Towards a Theology of the Arts is “for those interested in serious theological reflection on art. Begbie’s unique background as a classically-trained musician and Cambridge theologian gives him wonderful insight and Spirit-led authority in dealing with this critical cultural topic. Moreover, Begbie breaks free of the Modernist stranglehold on aesthetic philosophy, and presents a refreshing and deeply Christocentric analysis of the relationship between the character and action of God and human creativity.” I’ll warn you, this book is expensive, so look into borrowing it from the library. Continue reading
National Book Month is winding down! I hope you’ve found some new resources to add to your creative library!!
Today’s book for your library is A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman. I gleaned this BEaUtiful gem of a quote from her blog post about how a five word email turned into a book:
“I don’t write as an expert – I’m not sure there is such a thing in deep matters of the soul. I write as a fellow image bearer, an intuitive observer and participant in the art of God.
I see artistic potential in not only those pursuits the world would label artistic like painting and singing and dance, but also in small gestures done with great faith, like listening, waiting, and showing up.
There is an art alive within you and you don’t have to go anywhere to find it. Because the art alive within you was woven into the fabric of your soul when you were made in the secret place. Doubt, discouragement and distraction may be covering it up, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. When believers embrace the unique shape of their soul and move into the world as the person we most fully are, art comes out.”
For National Book Month we’ve been exploring books for artists, creatives and worshipers! The month is winding down, but we still have several more books to cover!
Candace L. Long is writer of plays (both screen and theater), books and songs, and a 40-year veteran of the arts and entertainment industry! She is the author of two books I’d like to point out today:
Wired for Creativity recounts her journey into a spiritual desert / wilderness experience and reveals over 60 biblical principles the Lord taught her on surviving the creative calling. According to one reviewer, “It’s a thorough discussion of the roots of the creative personality and real solutions to obstacles we encounter. It gave me some real peace and strength.” (Disclaimer: this book is VERY expensive on Amazon, but very affordable on Candace’s website.) Continue reading
For National Book Month this month we are exploring books for creatives, artists and worshipers.
Yesterday we explored praying with the body; today let’s explore Praying In Color: Drawing a New Path to God by Sybil MacBeth.
Maybe you love color. Maybe you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractable or impatient soul, or a word-weary pray-er. Perhaps you struggle with a short attention span, a restless body, or a tendency to live in your head.
If that describes you, perhaps this is the book for you! There’s even Praying in Black & White, especially geared towards men! You can explore more at MacBeth’s website Praying in Color.
To celebrate National Book Month, we continue our focus on books for creatives, artists and worshipers.
Praying With the Body: Bringing the Psalms to Life by Ray DeLeon is a great resource for those who want to engage their whole selves in their prayer practice.
In Praying with the Body readers will find both prayer tools
and companionship. Black and white drawings showing the postures and expressions of the body, accompany the scripture texts and explanations by Roy DeLeon. Working together, these elements invite readers to taste, explore, and discover a new and different way of knowing God. This book is for anyone who wants a more integrated and reconciled approach to prayer.
National Book Month continues with books for creatives, artists and worshipers!!
Artists & Artisans Awake: Creativity & the Global Harvest is written by Bhari Long, a leader in the prophetic art movement in the UK. She and her husband James Mark Long not only labor as prophetic artists themsleves, but also mentor younger artists to release them in their calling as creatives in God’s kingdom.
Gordon Wright, founder of Crossline Christian Ministries in the UK, has this to say in review of the book:
“Artists & Artisans Awake! is a successful blend of the
author’s own journey into prophetic creativity together with insights which are both helpful and challenging. Through narrative, anecdote, testimonies and practical exercises, Bhari brings encouragement and inspiration across a wide range of artistic expression. If you seek to go deeper into this precious gift of God — this book is for you. Read, enjoy and be blessed.”
National Book Month continues with more books for creatives, artists and worshipers!!
Arts advocate J. Scott McElroy is the author of two works on creativity. In Finding Divine Inspiration: Working with the 
Holy Spirit in Your Creativity, McElroy encourages his readers to work in collaboration with Holy Spirit in their creative process and provides a strong Biblical and historical perspective for the Holy Spirit’s role in creativity. The book also includes interviews with painter Thomas Blackshear, Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay, Peter Furler of Newsboys, and writer/producer Buzz McLaughlin.
Creative Church Handbook: Releasing the Power of the Arts in Your Congregation is McElroy’s latest release. It includes practical advice for churches wanting to add greater levels or artistry and creativity to their services. He also provides guidelines for establishing a worship arts ministry, as well as advice on how to impact your community through the arts. Continue reading
More creative books for National Book Month!
Theresa Dedmon has been on staff at Bethel Church in Redding, California since 2003 where she currently oversees the Creative Arts department at Bethel’s Supernatural School of Ministry and in church life. She is the author of two written works on creativity.
Cultivating Kingdom Creativity: a Practical Guide to Releasing Supernatural Encounters Through Prophetic Arts in Your Personal Life, Church, and Community. “Learn how to access new levels of creativity. Receive an impartation for breakthrough in creativity. Experience activation exercises that will propel you towards your creative destiny.” Continue reading
N
ational Book Month continues with more books for creatives, artists and worshipers.
Today’s book is The Organic Artist by Nick Neddo. Is your creative hobby getting too expensive? Do you love to create but find yourself inhibited by the cost of art supplies? The Organic Artist is loaded with ideas to make your own paint, paper, prints and pigments all with the help of nature!
“The Organic Artist seeks to inspire creativity by connecting you to your wild roots. In addition to offering a wide variety of suggestions for using nature as supplies for art, this book also introduces the concepts of awareness and perception that are foundational to the creative process.”
We continue National Book Month with more books for artists, creatives and worshipers!
Gently Awakened: The Influence of Faith on Your Artistic Journey by Sara Joseph is a wonderful book of transparency from the heart of an artist who has surrendered her gifts to God! Sara shares her passion behind writing this book:
“Aware of how testimonies always encouraged me, whether
I heard them in church or read them in a book, I wondered if perhaps my story would encourage someone else. This book is part memoir interspersed with color images of art and poetry. It is an account of some of my experiences as an artist and a testament to God’s incredible faithfulness. His unchanging character is reason enough for you to confidently pursue art as an expression of your faith.”
National Book month continues with books for creatives, artists and worshipers!
Pattie Ann Hale is the author of Journeyartfully: Secrets for Living an Artful Life. Here is the description from her website:
“This thought-provoking and life-shifting book by artist and
teacher, Pattie Ann Hale, is an invitation to live artfully. The artful life is a deeply spiritual life which brings those who will embark upon it into a deeper understanding of creation, God’s heart, community, and themselves. This book will open one to new doors of creativity, love, soulfulness and spiritual encounter through the sacredness of everyday living, seeing divine nature in the entirety of life.”
October is National Book Month so we continue our focus on books for the creative soul.
Today’s recommendation is a book about embodiment called Let the Bones Dance by Rev. Marcia Mount Shoop, PhD. Don’t be mistaken in thinking this is simply a book for dancers, as it is for all who have left their feelings and bodies at the doors of their churches for a refined, safe religion.
“Why are feeling and body often demeaned in theology and church while cognition and mind esteemed? Beautifully
written, deeply felt, Let the Bones Dance defies the disembodied ethos of Reform Protestantism that turns churches into dry, brittle places where we hide rather than reveal our bodily vulnerabilities. In its place, it offers a vivid theology relocated in the flesh and blood of life’s utter physicality. Finally a book to recommend when people ask about resources on bodies and theology!” — Bonnie Miller-McLemore, Professor of Pastoral Theology at Vanderbilty Divinity School
Enjoying our book focus? Hope so! Because there’s lots more books on the way!
Today’s feature is An Army Arising: Why Artists are on the Frontlines of the Next Move of God by Christ John Otto. It is a very inspiring book. If you are an artist or creative in need of “the big picture,” this is a great read as it helps you see the bigger picture of God’s kingdom coming to earth through our artistic offerings!
Otto works with artists through Belonging House of Boston, Massachusetts where creative worship is being used to glorify God and advance His kingdom!
Nurturing the Creative Spirit Within 