(e)mergent Voyageurs

Previous Post – A Week Off… Blogging

I know I said I wasn’t going to be writing this week, but since that officially doesn’t start until tomorrow, I thought I could get away with sneaking this one in here.  This morning, while reading through my daily blogs, I discovered that my good e-friend, the Naked Pastor, has come under fire from a certain watchdog website (who I will neither name nor link).  One of the main topic that emerged in the comment section was his use of and defense of nude art on his blog (and in general).

Before I go on, I want to say that I think he was treated terribly by the blog and judged unfairly.  His blog is one of my daily favourites (especially the cartoons) and easily gets my recommendation.  This post is not about him or his blog, but was simply inspired by the events he mentioned recently.

It brought to mind my Friday Art Reflection from last November “Nudity In Art”.  Before you click there, I warn you that the top image is of Michelangelo’s David statue.  I have no issue with posting this image, but if there are some of you who feel differently, I do not want to upset you.  Fair warning given.  The discussion on that post was quite engaging, though I promised to return to it and promptly forgot.  So, here goes.

In my previous post on this topic, I closed by saying that I was not opposed to nudity in art.  By that I meant, like with the example of the David statue, there are times where it is appropriate and beautiful.  However, that does not mean I believe that all nudity in art is.  Frankly, I do not want the job of decide what is in and what is out, but I also see that I could use that as a cop out for not dealing with the issue at all.  So where do I stand?

First, here in North America especially, we live in a hyper-sexualized world.  As I stated in my previous post, part of this is a result of the Church being overly critical of sexuality.  Be that as it may, it is a reality that requires us to be cautious and careful in our own use of such art.  Pornography has never been so freely available than it is today.  While pornography and nude art are different, they are somewhat related on a level that we cannot ignore.

Second, right or wrong, a large segment of Christian culture in the West clearly opposes nudity in art, calling it no different than pornography.  Again, I disagree with this critique on many levels, but this does not mean we can ignore it.  Like it or not, we are one Body, one Church.  While we shouldn’t just submit to their stance, neither should our default response be to throw it in their faces (NOTE: I am not saying that Naked Pastor has done this.  I am making general observations).  We must find a way to move forward with our convictions while honouring those who we call brother and sister (even if they deny our own salvation- in fact, all the more reason).

Third, in the pervasive and completely open medium of the internet, we have to consider that our words and images are crossing beyond the confines of our own context and culture into the whole world.  The impact of our expressions here have direct impact on the missional callings of other believers in contexts that might not understand or be ready for such freedom.  Again, this does not mean we should abstain completely for fear of what others might do with it in their unique context, but rather that we must be hyper-aware of the potential as we go forward.

I have chosen on my own blog to avoid certain expressions that I would otherwise feel free to use in my own life.  While I have no issue with the statue of David, I did, in fact, wrestle with whether I should have posted it when I did.  This is a topic that deserves exploration and dialogue in the Church.  The watch dog site in question does not, in my opinion, offer much to that conversation.  The comments at the site even less so.  This topic connects to broader issues, such as art or sexuality, that we must engage in.

What do you think?

This week my good friend Dana Ames drew my attention to a very interesting article (via ysmarko) about an experiment done for the Washington Post. Read it here. Reading the whole article is worth it, but it is quite long and for those who don’t have the time, watch the video (below) before reading on. Go on, I’ll wait.

When I consider the fast pace of our lives coupled with the increasing disinterest and ignorance of art and beauty, I was not all that surprised by the outcome of this experiment. Saddened, but not surprised. After all, in my inner city neighbourhood, the 7-11 plays opera from the New York Met to discourage loitering. And, well, it works (except with me).

In case we comfort ourselves as Christians by keeping this sad realization in the easy framework of “the larger culture”, it is also true within the Christian community, perhaps even more so. How often do we rush around, pursuing admirable missional purposes, failing to see the beauty all around us? We all do it and we all have good “reasons” for it. This should change.

Over the last few days I spent some time in the backyard, tending to the plants, listening to birds (I usually do yard work with my iPod listening to N.T. Wright) and reflecting on the beauty of Creation. I realized that if I love this beauty, I must protect it, nurture it and articulate the inarticulate praise to the Creator with that beauty.

So what are you going to do to change it? Be tangible, specific and do it within this week, but decide on something(s) and follow through. Let me know how it goes!

Emerging Church, Missional

As I was uploading pictures of the students onto the DTS blog this week, I found myself thinking about how common it is for us to be able to see our own image. Throughout most of human history people had to use water to see their own reflection. Some discovered that obsidian was also useful in this regards, as was polished metal. All of these, however, were inadequate in getting a good view of oneself. Therefore, it wasn’t much something that occupied peoples time, energy or consideration.

As art developed, portraits offer increasingly accurate representations of people, but even then only a very few had the chance to have such work done of them. In 1508 glass makers in Venice coated a sheet of glass with tin, creating the first glass mirror that reflected ones image back perfectly. In a very short time, these mirrors became easier to make, cheaper to buy and found more commonly the homes of the masses. By the time photography entered the picture in the late 1800′s, as revolutionary as it was, people were generally able to see themselves whenever they wanted to.

I can’t help but wonder what kind of an impact that has had on culture and human history. What impact has it had on our own sense of self and identity? I know, I know, I am waxing uselessly profound, but there you have it. That is what has been on my mind.

Have a great weekend!

Emerging Church, Missional, Art

I remember it like it was yesterday. We all stood in the doorway to large historic home surveying the decor that was (painfully) visible from every vantage covering every square inch. From the veltet hangings of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion to the plastic nightlight bust of Jesus that hummed Amazing Grace when activated, the bed and breakfast my fellow DTS students and I were to stay in was filled to bursting with cheap Christian “art”. I floundered for some way to sum it up- tacky, cheesy, gaudy- none doing it justice. Then the British leader of our outreach leaned in and whispered:

“Kitsch”

And so went my introduction to the world of overly sentimental, pretentious, mass-produced, replicated, knock-off, tacky, shallow, etc. so-called art. And now it had a name: Kitsch. Since that day more than ten years ago I have had much more exposure to this kind of work, some of which has come into popular retro status.

As I began to explore the history and ideas around kitsch, I came across the term “kitschmensch” or kitsch-man, referring to the person who, among other things, do not differentiate in response to a great work of art and a cheap, plastic, kitschy knock-off. I wonder how often we become kitsch-man with our faith- say, for example, by reducing very real, historical Biblical narratives morality tales. How often do we minimalize the person and teachings of Jesus to some caricature portrait out of convenience. But I am getting a little abstract.

Perhaps the best example of the kitschenization (to coin a term) of missional ideals would be the “WWJD?” marketing explosion. Inspired by the 111 year old book by Charles Sheldon, “In His Steps”, the phrase “What would Jesus do?” was genuinely missional. However, through mass marketing and our branding culture, people can identify with the ideal of the question by wearing on a bracelet. It is as though people believe that simply physically displaying the question on some product can be equated with engaging the deep implications of walking it out.

Have you found yourself mistaking shallow knock-off faith with the real thing, both in the abstract and the artistic sense?

Emerging Church, Missional, Kitsch

Every since I got married, I have begun to watch a lot of shows with my wife I might not have otherwise watched. Among them, I have to admit that I am quite enjoying fashion programs such as What Not To Wear and Project Runway. Sadly, while I have a rather keen fashion eye as a result, it seems to have little impact on my ability to dress myself. Despite this, I have come to learn that fashion and its usage is truly an art.

Now, I could get into the topic of what is and is not appropriate to wear (in general or specifically to church), but that has been done. Frankly, the dynamics of that issue are far more contextual and cultural than most people given it credit for. Besides, my wife would tell you that I am conservative in that regard, so I’ll just leave that one be.

Rather, I want to discuss fashion as an expression of spirituality. On one hand, consider the rich symbolism and beauty of sacramental vestments used explicitly in the context of worship. On the other, consider the simplicity of the everyday clothing of the Amish which are equally explicit in their spiritual intentions. On another tack, what about the proliferation of clothing that are nothing more than advertisments, reflecting (at times) a “worshipful” focus on status, image or taste.

What does fashion mean to you? Does it intentionally reflect your faith/spirituality? How about unintentionally? Should it? Let’s hear it, folks!

Emerging Church, Missional, Fashion

This past Tuesday celebrated the birthday of Norwegian expressionist artist, Edvard Munch, who was born December 12, 1863. While his paintings and prints are numerous and remarkable, he is best known for his painting entitled “Skrik”, or as we refer to it in English, “The Scream”. Previous called “Despair”, Munch attempted to symbolize humanity in the midst of existential angst. It has become iconic in popular culture, making appearances in such shows as “The Simpsons” to inspire the name & famous mask of the successful horror film trilogy “Scream”. Munch himself commented on the inspiration for this piece when he recalled:

“I was walking along a path with two friends—the sun was setting—suddenly the sky turned blood red—I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence—there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city—my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety—and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”

Given the commeration of his birth and the “joys” of my previous week, I felt this picture was ever so appropriate. What say you?

The Scream, Edvard Munch, Art

As a teenager, my father & I joined a travel group from our home town to tour through Spain, Portugal and Morocco. While in Spain, we had the chance to visit the city of Toledo. Declared a World Heritage Site, entering this ancient city was like stepping back in time. We travelled through the city to the Catedral de Toledo, a 13th century Gothic cathedral which is a masterpiece of stone, space and light. With a sense awe, I enter this sacred space, grinning internally at the humour of the fact that I was entering “Holy Toledo”. Nevertheless, it was a powerful experience.

Years later, while sitting in a discpleship class, the speaker made an offhand comment about these great churches. He asked the students why so many North American churches had high peaked roofs, then when on to explain to us, with unhesitant confidence, that they were copies of the high vaulted roofs of cathedrals whose roofs were designed primarily as a means to keep the copious European snow from building up and collapsing through. I sat flabbergasted at the ignorance of such a statement, but bit my tongue as no one else seemed to think anything was amiss.

While I still believe his comment to be ignorant, I have come to realize that the role of architecture as a tool and/or medium of the faith is not as simple as I once thought. As I consider the great Catedral de Toledo, I also remember the massive amount of gold that gilded the statuary and encrusted candelabras, chalices and the like. As I took it all in, our tour guide explained how much of the funding for the building came from the commoners, poor by most standards. Likewise, the cathedral took many generations to build, consuming he meager wages of families for nearly three centuries, not to mention the many lives lost in the construction of the building. How much more could have been done with the money, the labour and the vision? Was the unargubale beauty of this place worth the price paid?

Given the diversity of locales for church gatherings today, this question becomes increasingly complex. The Old Testament reveals that God demanded a wealth of resources, energy and beauty to be invested into places of worship. Some might argue that this ended when the temple curtain was torn at Christs death, further finalized at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. However, I think this is too quick a dismissal.

In my opinion, the intentionality of architecture in churches (and by this I mean everything from the actual structure of the building to the layout of furniture and use of other implements, such as candles, etc.) is something that can be important to the experience of worship, even formative in our understanding of God. The high vaulted ceilings of the cathedral inspired in me a sense of the greatness of God, the timelessness of a God who transcended my finite perspective. The intentional incorporation of iconic images and statues acts as touchstones to nature and character of God and His interaction with humanity through the great narrative of history. Candles, incense and vestments acts as beautiful symbols, whose meaning infuses our worship with something deeper than an articulate propositional understanding (important as that is).

I am deeply committed to serving the poor, investing our time, energy and resources into issues of justice and compassion, rather than them all being consumed in other self-serving reasons. However, can we become so pragmatic that we fail to honour God in beauty? Should we miss an opportunity to engage in the divine through the experiential encounters that art and architecture offer? Where do we draw the line? How have you been inspired or offended by architecture in your faith? Join the conversation in the comment section.

Emerging Church, Missional, Architecture, Art

Day in and day out, we are bombarded with advertising. Whether it is on TV, through radio, in print, online or even on our own clothing, branding and advertising have become powerful forces for shaping our worldview and influencing our choices. Few people recognize how deeply these ads impact the way we perceive and respond to the world around us. It effects the way we do ministry, “promote” our churches and communicate our vision. It is everywhere.

Before anyone thinks I am an alarmist, the fact is that not all of it is bad. Without question, much of it is bad, but it is also a matter of degree. Despite all this, we, as the church, need to be more intentional about recognizing and countering the negative. Naomi Klein once had this to say about the dangerous impact this has had in our society:

“We are looking to brands for poetry and for spirituality, because we’re not getting those things from our communities or from each other.”

The reason this is posted as an art reflection is because I believe that part of the power and impact of these ads comes through the use of creativity. Perhaps the answer to responding lies through the use of artful creativity as well.

What are your thoughts? How have you seen ads & branding negatively impact the church? Wider culture? How many we counter it?

Emerging Church, Missional, Art, Branding

When it comes to discussing art with many other Christians, the issue of nudity (and for some, then, pornography) inevitably comes to the forefront. Perhaps no work of nude art is better known in the Western world than Michelangelo’s “David”. To me, this sculpture is a tribute to a man whose comprehension and masterful skill could breathe life into stone. And yet, for some, it is considered an offensive, even pornographic display of nakedness. Thankfully, this is getting to be far less common view of such works as “David”, but the issue is far from resolved in the wider sphere of arts and culture.

Nudity is a strange issue. While someone might find the bare buttocks of someone “mooning” to be offensive nudity, where very little skin is actually showing, they might have little to no problem with a pair of boxers duking it out in nothing more than shorts. This of course reveals that our issues with nudity are far more nuanced than we might realize. Christians often cite the story of Adam, Eve and original sin to justify their hard stance against all things nude, but these suggests that nudity was the original sin, which we all know is not the case.

Dealing with nudity in art is particularly challenging for Christians, as Christian appreciation and contribution to the arts has declined significant in the last few centuries (with some hopeful, if minimal, signs of recovery). While I won’t get into the history of the how’s and why’s of this reality, I will say that it has left the church with a crippling inability to participate in the dynamics of one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. Where nudity is concerned, we are further crippled by a poor theology of sexuality.

When considering nudity in art, we cannot ignore the hyper-sexualized nature of Western culture today. I truly believe that, in a pattern reflected elsewhere in history, a great deal of the responsibility for this trend falls to the Church, who too often demonized sex and sexuality, creating the equally extreme permissiveness that emerged (See the parallel development of the Cathars and the troubadours). While one does not justify the later, as Christians we need to simultaneously respond to the dangerous trend of hyper-sexuality in our culture, while acknowledging that excessive restriction or prudishness only contributes to the problem (as it has at our hands many times before).

I will say that I am not as opposed to the use of nudity in art, but I will withhold more details of my perspective until after we have some good discussion on the topic.

Several years ago, while flipping through a fine art book at a bookstore, I came across the painting “Las Meninas” by the Spanish artist Velasquez. I pointed it out to a friend with me, who casually shrugged, saying that she had seen it before. As I had seen this painting during my visit to Spain, I was excited to learn that they had done so as well. Confused, she corrected me. She had never been to Spain, but had the picture in a poster shop, wedged between Sponge Bob and a scantily clad Pamela Anderson. Whether it is through t-shirts, posters or screen savers, popular culture has made some of the greatest works of art into pop icons and marketable fashion.

While we can enjoy art in many forms, with the internet an excellent way of opening a whole new world to us, please don’t forget to go an engage art first person. Check out your local museums. Plan your vacation near sites where art is available for viewing. Nothing can compare.

Having said that, here are a few paintings that have been important to me: