You turn me upside down!

We live in a time when Modern systems, once thought unshakeable, are being disrupted and turned over worldwide. Industries, governments, and institutions built and strengthened in the height of 20th century Modernity, once considered established irrevocably on objective truths, are collapsing from their own weight. The Church, as an institution, is not singular in its predicaments.

The interesting, maybe even ironic, thing about the Mac computer and the PC war is that these days the Mac is actually doing better than ever. The Mac is growing in a PC market that is shrinking. And how well Apple is doing is in all the headlines. Once Apple let go of the war, that is when things started to change for the better. The Church could learn something here.

All analogies fall apart and diverge from usefulness at some point. My point is that if we can change our focus...

The war is over!

In 1996 Steve Jobs had this to say concerning the state of Mac computers in the PC landscape:

“The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago.”

In a very real sense, the same could be said about the Church’s participation in the Culture Wars. The Culture Wars are over. Done. The Church lost a long time ago. There are lots of reasons, some of which I will get to in future posts. But ultimately it boils down to we are the only ones fighting. Culture keeps moving with or without us. Ever try to fight someone or something that just keeps moving regardless of how hard you fight? That’s what culture is doing. It isn’t fighting us. It is just moving.

We have met the enemy and he is us!

And we are calling people the “enemy”. If you call and treat someone as an "enemy” do you really think they will change? (and BTW, how are we supposed to treat enemies?) By...

I return to this (writing publicly) for two reasons. One, I think I have a lot to share and still a lot to learn. This, I hope, furthers both efforts.

Second, I want to take responsibility for my thoughts and ideas. When I got my first job as a production stage manager I was asked how I wanted my name listed in the program. I said I don’t need recognition for my job. I was promptly reprimanded. Having my name in the program was about assuming responsibility for my work. I see this blog project similarly.

I’ve thought long about who I am writing to. Of course, all are welcome. However, I want to speak primarily to Christians and Christian artists. It may not always seem so. I think much of the discussion is left behind or left out because it seems like it is not related. For example, the affect of deciding to earn a living with one’s art, a topic for a future post. When one goes...

This is primarily a post from a previous collaborative blog I was a part of many moons ago. I’ve changed it around a bit here or there to reflect changes to the internet (dead links) and my current thoughts. But largely it is the same.

I’ve been thinking about one of my notions for a long time, the idea of art as epistemology. In that line I’ve also been pondering the Bible as art and what that could mean.

Just the facts, ma'am

Art is often viewed with the same disdain Modern man shows emotion. I’m not sure how either got placed in such low esteem. Somehow we believe that emotions can lie, but somehow facts are true and Truth. Jesus wept, got angry, got frustrated—Jesus showed emotion. Yet somehow most movies and plays depict Jesus as some sort of logistician, speaking in some cold “just the facts” fashion. I do have issues with this portrayal. Modern man has deemed that only the...

I am not a theologian, scholar, or academic. Nor am I a Grammy or Tony award winner. I am not an historian. Over my life as an artist I have mostly been the one to help other artists realize their art, particularly as a lighting designer and production manager in the performing arts.

I have worked as and for presenters and producers. I have been a musician and I have worked with musicians. I have worked with some of the best artists (including Grammy and Tony award winners) and some of the worst, veteran and beginner/emerging alike. I have conversed with many art historians and love to learn.

All along I have engaged with them out of necessity, interest, and because I care about them and what they do. I think my position gives me a unique perspective.

I am not perfect and many of the problems I will discuss I have likely been the guiltiest of offenders. I have just as often, or more...