Category: Gospel and Culture
Toward a Vision for the Arts
Art and artists are often side-lined by the church. As a result, there are entire churches that make Art (or beauty), not Christ, the center of their community. At Austin City Life we are beginning the process of cultivating a community of artists that renew artists, art, and the city. In order to avoid the two extremes of art-centeredness or art-exclusion, we will need to strive to keep the Christ of beauty (not the beauty of Christ) at the center of our vision. In order to fulfill our vision, we will have to do several key things:
- Understand and articulate a biblical-theological vision for the Arts.
- Recognize local art forms that we can engage and contribute to.
- Discern where the lines of truth, beauty and virtue begin and end within local art.
- Identify artists and media used in our own church community.
- Identify key artistic domains (music, photography, writing, etc.) that we can focus on.
- Encourage Arts in general through theological reflection and discipleship of artists.
- Dream of artist and city-renewing applications of our Arts vision.
The Economy and True Humanity
Here’s an excerpt from last Sunday’s sermon which addressed our economy, idolatry of information, and the plan of God in Christ for making people truly human:
Paul knows that we will drift towards finding our significance in what we know, not who we know. He knows that we will participate unwisely in culture, taking on its values, unless we have a greater strength and power, the strength and power of the Spirit of God. And what about our economy? What if we hit a depression and knowledge work becomes scarce? God promises the power and strength to endure any crisis. What if our discretionary income declines? We are promised strength and power to endure with joy. Why with joy? Because we know and obey the God who has the power and commitment to renew and restore the whole world. And because this God has used the power of his glory to rescue us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
ESV Study Bible
The much anticipated ESV Study Bible is now available at Westminster Books for $28.49 – 43% Off. Hopefully people get as excited about knowing and sharing God as they do this Bible. Some endorsements:
“The scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God.” – John Piper
“The world’s best single-volume resource for reading, studying, and teaching the Bible.” – Philip Graham Ryken