Most artists don't like to talk about character - perfectionism, jealousy, envy, pride, ego, isolation. Many hide behind their playing or singing and as long as they're serving all is well. After all, that's what most Arts Ministries expect from their people - show up, do it well, see you next week. How are you really doing? Ah, hmmm, well, we don't have time for that.
Today I auditioned two drummers (we're looking for a drummer). The first, a high school student, was shy, a beginner. In those situations when the person is still developing musically (he's been playing drums for 3 months), you want to encourage learning and playing. So we've developed a place called Reimagine for guys like him. Reimagine is our equipping ministry for artists. He would be great for that.
The other drummer was an older gentleman and a good player. Very good in fact. He's also new to the church and has been away from God for many years. With guys like him you want to make sure you connect generationally because we grew up in different eras. But he's open to bands like Coldplay and Mute Math, so that was good. We then got talking about honesty, community and character, about perfectionism, jealousy, envy and pride. He said he used to deal with those things when he was younger, but not any more. That his life was going pretty well and he was a very happy man. His marriage, work, children all were fine, life is good.
This got me thinking about artists and honesty. It's tough for artists to take off the music/Christian mask. We hide behind our drums, guitars and mics and pretend life is perfect. Sometimes, guys that are returning back to God come when they feel their life is pretty well put together. Like they have done enough good things to be back in church kind of thing. Of course I'm doing well, I'm here right? How can I not be doing well?
So what can we do to help artists be transformed? Here's what I try to do. First, be in relationship with them, have dinner together, visit each other, talk on the phone. Second, talk about character and the importance of that, admit your own mistakes and model honesty and grace. And third, do things together, do a serve day with, go on a missions' trip, play and serve at other churches. Artist Transformation is about relationship and honesty, taking off the mask, and deconstructing the fake, happy Christian ethos people have come to expect.
To me, this is where Emergent meets real life. Emergent Arts is not just about candles, experience, low lighting and stations of the cross. It's more than that. It's about character formation, community, serving together, about transformation. This is what I'm majoring in. This is what this Arts ministry is focused and intent on doing, otherwise we keep feeding the stereotype, and keep the mask on.
My desire is to be an example of a passionate, visionary artist, who is honest about his need for grace, the hope I have found in Jesus, the change he's making in me and the change He can do in all of us.
Into the future,
davidT
