Sunday, April 15, 2012

Ideas for art in the church

A college friend, who pastors a church, recently asked for my input on how art can help inspire, encourage and challenge.  It's taken me some time, but here are some thoughts.  To start, here's his initial question:
"The church is in a 10-year-old metal building. Everything's gray! I'm working on bringing some color into the building. Over the last few years, I have become much more sensitive to how art can inspire and encourage, not to speak of how art can challenge and "preach." But in wanting to bring art i.e., painting, sculpture, etc., into the church, I'm at a loss as to how to begin to create a plan for this or to create a financial provision for it. Looking for guidance…"
Here's what I suggest:

First, read through these books to get yourself into a proper mindset about art and the church.   One of the reasons that churches don't have much art in them is that the Church, in large part, abandoned the arts long ago, substituting sentimental popular culture for artistic depth.  If art of any kind couldn't be used for Sunday school or evangelism, it was deemed not worthy and largely ignored. Some churches create complex graphic and environmental themes to support sermon series, but they are no substitute for art in our lives – in our churches, our homes and in our spirits.

HR Rookmaker's Art needs no justification is an excellent treatise on how the Church (and Christians) has lowered its aesthetic standards,, and failed to interact with contemporary culture in a meaningful way (preferring to mimic an copy, rather than being original).

Schaeffer's Art and the Bible  is a superb work.  One of the most significant, and shortest, works on art ever written.

Current books on art and Christian faith can be found at Square Halo Books. I recommend It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God.

I feel your pain: my office is in a building on battleship gray and glass.  Were it not for the light and the color we've added; it would be thoroughly depressing.

Your environment, your existing architecture can be treated as art. Starting with color is a good place. Create BIG panels of color by staining 4x8 sheets of plywood with rich, deep color stains (not paint) to accent the industrial feel of the building – allowing the texture of the wood to show through. It doesn't need to, but as a metaphor it can speak to the beauty and transparency of grace and God's revealing work in our lives. A main panel covered in vibrant red can be a focal point to bring to the attention of the church family and to visitors the sacrifice of His blood that was made. Avoid kitsch references to any color-based evangelism tools such as color books. Remember, art needs no justification.

Too many churches try to appear so polished, so perfect, that their environment becomes merely a stage for a production and an entertainment venue; a whitewashed imitation of what the Church can be.  Art should be authentic, not amateur.  The environment in your church is spatial art. It's architecture.  If it's metal and industrial, don't try to hide it, accentuate it.

One idea to consider – (I'd love to see you do it), and done in a very small way, is to mount a series of mirrors, circular (which will look great on square walls).  Choose a series of words, or phrases such as Redeemed, I am one whom Jesus loves, Forgiven.  Have them cut in vinyl that looks like frosted glass and mounted on the mirror, and hang them on the panels, centered.  Then when an individual looks in the mirror, they see the message direct from scripture, the word that reminds them of their standing or potential in Christ.

What can you do with light, especially natural light? I am mystified by churches that so thoroughly darken a worship environment.  We worship a God of light! Why must we worship him in the dark? Light encourages the building of relationships between familiar friends and with visitors; it allows us to read the Word while it is being preached.

Art is for (God's) glory and for beauty; in Exodus the art of the tabernacle was to enhancement the environment of worship (my favorite are the pomegranates). God told Moses that he filled Bezalel with his Spirit in order to create works of art for the tabernacle. In the Hebrew it indicates he will think of what he wants to create (even though God told him exactly what he wanted), and to have the skill to create them.

Next we'll discuss specific types of art.  That's more of a challenge, and topic for another article. The environment is the first place to start, it's the canvas upon which art will hang; in which art will create an atmosphere of beauty.