A Plea To The Christian Creative (That’s You)
I think most churches should rename their creative meetings “Search Google For Ideas That Parallel The Sermon Series Meetings”.
The internet is quickly becoming the least creative place on the planet.
It is time for we as Christians…if we truly have THE ULTIMATE CREATOR inside of us…to take creativity by the horns.
Everyone of us has God somewhere within us. Even if we don’t yet know it. Therefore we have access to HIS creativity.
ALL OF US DO.
As we are staring at our 15″ of LCD there is a world moving on the other side full of ideas and ready to explore.
The internet has only been around for a few years.
Our creative God is much more creative than anything you can squeeze out of Google.
So let me implore you…
And I have never even typed the word implore before…
For your next creative meeting…
Leave the safety of your florescent lights, laptop screens, and conference tables…
Go outside with your pen and moleskine and let the creativity that He has put within you come out as you put divinity back into things.
You have more good ideas than you give yourself credit for.
Create…
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
Thanks for this inspiration. It’s easy to forget that all of the creativity comes right from God himself. Needed this today.
So true
word.
preach it!
Los.
I hear you.
And I’m with you.
And I’m in my 3rd month at a church that has absolutely SET ME FREE to be as creative as I can be.
But, man, part of the problem is …. well …. most churches don’t spoil their “creatives” like mine does. Most churches are cramming 3 jobs into one position.
Creatives need time to think reflect ponder listen dream. Time to let thoughts and ideas simmer.
Will they be given permission to go outside with their pen and moleskin and let that God-given creativity flow?
I sure hope so.
It’s my mission as I go around this country consulting with creative teams.
Get away from the norm.
Get away from the chaos of online.
Fight the battle, Los. It’s worth it! I hope the head pastors and executive directors will dig it.
That really hits home with me on several levels. As I was driving home this afternoon I was contemplating how in the world I was going to live without internet in the house we are about to move into (out in the “country” and can’t get cable broadband or DSL). How would I live without blogs, and Facebook, and Twitter, and blogs, and… You get the picture. I’ll be able to check those things out at work, but the internet has become a hindrance to not only my own creativity (although, I wouldn’t have known that you could be creative in church w/o it), but also my own identity. I really don’t know who I am because I want so much to be like everyone else.
So, thanks for the encouragement to look beyond the glowing screen and view/experience the world around me. I pray that I can tap into the creativity of our creative Creator to minister as he has called me to, and be who He’s made me to be.
BE encouraged…
Seriously. We forget who offers it beyond what we have around here. Amen.
yup.
By the way… Warsaw, IN? What’s it take to get you closer to Indianapolis?
lol
yea and amen
Thank you for imploring! I hope people listen. Look at all the different the plant and animal species. We serve an extremely creative God. I wonder why so many Christians fear creativity.
Because we are scared of failure. And I believe failure helps creativity
We hath been implored… Yeah… I thinks my own Pastor would really set more of us on FIRE if he went old school and just let is loose. He does a great job incorporating short video clips into his messages, but I can’t help but think how blown away we would be by the Spirit if the flood gates were opened and the video screen not used for a couple weeks… Your words hath encouraged me to ask him what he thinks about shutting down the ‘puter for a couple weeks and letting us have it!!
I do? Sweet!
yup. yup
I So AGREE with this, one of my biggest dislikes about the modern day church is we spend so much time hearing email forward anecdotes to start the sermon, and watching clips from you tube, or tv shows, or movies to tie into what we’re studying….
Yes all truth is God’s truth, but that means that ALL TRUTH IS GODS TRUTH not just what you find surrounding you in mass media….
It’s a tough one.
Nice bit of implorage. I need to start at least trying to be creative rather than ‘creatively’ borrowing what others have done. Time to take the less easy path.
Amen
Here’s a question though: how does someone with a full-time secular job and a young family find the time for creativity? Possibly a bit off-topic but I’d love to hear some good ideas.
Yes, I would like some ideas on that as well. Especially a full time job with a butt-ton of accountability.
Great reminder! One link leads to another and pretty soon everyone’s ideas are in my head …everyone’s except my own God given ideas…by the time I usually remember that my head’s too full to REALLY be creative!
Los, internet people don’t know what a moleskine is…
They will have to google it
Winner.
That is so true.
Heck. I just heard the term. Never really seen a real life one.
Whoop coaching the creatives- in Him-loven that.
The weather has been awesome lately and my handy dandy camera has come along just to grab those moments that make me smile…
Nice reminder C.
Just been hit with some thoughts on this. Am I a creator or a consumer? If I look at how I spend my time, particularly around arts and media, most of my time is spent listening, watching, reading what others have already done.That’s okay up to a point but too much stifles my own creativity. I’m left enjoying the hard work of gifted people who decided they were going to do something new.
The answer: it’s all about time. I need to deliberately step away from the computer, the TV, the Android phone. I need to plug directly into the source. And work at it.
I love the creative arts but I want to be a creator first and a consumer second.
Or how about search lifechurch.tv website for resources and canned sermons. That is always a great way to do creative.
Amen
One of the things @jasonjclement brought up to our Creative Team recently was how Pixar flew their entire drawing staff to the actual jungle when doing pre-viz for “Up” (as Disney has with numerous other projects). Pads of paper and pencils. Go. And he was relating that to how we should create in church creative life. Just as you have. LOVE IT. Thanks, Los. ch:
(okay, last comment from me on this post, I promise)
Los, thank you for this kick up the backside. I carved out some time this afternoon. No TV, phone off, computer off. Just a piece of paper (no fancy notebook), a pencil and a guitar. Result: new song. And confirmation that I’m not uncreative, I just wasn’t creating before.
One of your best posts. Ever.
my wife often reminds me that all creativity comes from God…not from us…we’d like to claim it…
AMEN AMEN AMEN! i always say this. we are made in His image and he is the ultimate Creator.
love it.
Los,
I’m not on any church staff, but from time to time get asked to come speak at a college buddy’s church. I am going back in may to deliver a message and you just called me out. In looking for “inspiration” I was looking at pirating someone’s good idea.
Why you gotta call me out bro? Thanks though!
SK
Uhmm…what is Google anyway?
Wow. I so agree. I find this in the church I attend a lot. To me, it seems he is making it his idea when I’ve already seen the idea all over twitter. I think really? I came to church for this? It discourages me.
Great insight, Carlos. In my experience, focused prayer propels me to greater creativity. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing. May God continue to inspire us to create wonderful things, spite all the times that we tried to grab the glory which is rightfully His. God bless you.