Greetings Friends and Family:
Michael’s latest video called ‘Artist and The Creator,’ explores the ways people come to find God, especially artists. Here is the link and what Michael has to say about it:
What we have found is the conventional ‘church’ is not the doorway that a lot of people come to know God. In fact there are a lot of people who come to know God through a 12 step recovery program without ever hearing a pastor preach. Perhaps it is the rigorous self honesty of the recovery programs that enables people the opportunity or the desire to seek God. Some might say there is more ‘church’ going on in the rooms of recovery than in “church proper’.
In terms of artists, which is who quite a lot of our ministry opportunities come from, often they are exploring creative gifts they have been given without making a connection that they came from a creator, or God. In our society where every thing points towards self- achievement, as the standard of success, there is little reason to give credit for our abilities to an outside body like God. However, for many artists who are involved with creating and creativity on a daily basis, there is a constant dialogue as to where their creative gifts came from, often on a subconscious level.
The county we live in, Columbia County, NY, is the third highest county in the USA for people working in the ‘creative economy’. There are a number of reasons for that, but certainly one of them is the incredibly beautiful countryside that we live in and for those who are able to see it, God’s hand is evident in creation all around us. After all this is the area where the Hudson River School of painters in the mid -19th century embodied the romantic vision of creation in their landscape paintings.
So the point is that there are many ways for people to come to know God and certainly He is yearning for us to find Him. Unfortunately, for so many people it stays in the subconscious, not coming to the front burner. Whether it is through a crisis in our lives which pushes us into recovery or the every day work of artists creating, God is there waiting for us to find him and His purpose for our lives.
WOW! Great video Michael! I hope you all let him know your thoughts about it – I love seeing him grow in film making!
I’m just working everyday on finishing up the wonderful Graymoor Icon commission- Mother Lurana White and Fr. Paul Wattson, here are a working progress snap. They are eight feet high, so the camera distorts the length here!
Also the artists potluck dinner is getting better and better and really functioning more as a community all the time. Thank you all for your prayers- you are faithful companions on the journey and we love being part of yours too.
Let us know how we can best pray for you in the month ahead.
Love and blessings,
Michael and Christine
Kingdom Arts Ministry 