"Good sermons require some art, some virtue, some knowledge. Real sermons require some special grace which does not transcend art but arrives at it by instinct or 'inspiration'; indeed the Holy Spirit seems sometimes to speak through a human mouth providing art, virtue and insight he does not himself possess; but the occasions are rare." -J.R.R. Tolkien
I definitely view sermons as a piece of art. They are born almost the same way in me and through me, as other art projects are. Some are filled with more celestial electricity than others and leap out like currents from another world...like the startling of lightening.
I often find myself stunned by the suddenness of their coming.
Others slowly brew inside my belly, like a soupy broth at first but through the additions of prayer, the word and flashes of life they soon begin to chunkily solidify into a hopefully tasty meal.
However they are born, arrive or cook, all are subject to the painfully handicapped process of reflection, judgment and response. The sermon boomerang can hit hard! It is extremely difficult for me to separate the art from the artist; even though it's supposed to be a work of grace, an offering, and a service to be given in humility and void of ego's greedy fingers. How can one bake something and not find your hands in it and it on you? A work of hospitality it is and to not be interested in how it benefits the one who experiences it is hard indeed.
I read this quote in a book I am reading called: Tolkien, A celebration, collected writings on a literary legacy. I felt it captured a part of the whole sermon experience.
"There is the very ominous and ever-present danger that ones creation will fail and be repudiated, that the beautiful child of one's artistic devotion will fall flat on its chubby little face. There is potential discouragement, rejection, loss. Artistic sensibilities are tender, creative egos fragile. They bruise more easily than bananas." -Stephen R. Lawhead
1 comment:
For me, I don't consider myself an artist. Some of the things I help create have art in them, but I find it much better to consider it work, I'd rather be called worker or tradesman or something. I do it to get paid, I have a skill and try to do my best. For me the best challenge is creating something that has as little of me as possible and as much of the subject as possible. This didn't come easy I should say, I learned how to do it out of neccesity of having clients, but I'm grateful for it and think my work has improved because of it. Of course this is important in documentary, but I think it's important in anything. Unless of course it would be a self-portrait. But I seriously doubt I will be doing any self-portrait films anytime soon! -Matt
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