Tag Archives for god

A Biblical Worldview of Art

The original reason I started blogging more than a year ago was my desire to push myself to learn then share with others what I’d learned. Thanks to the sophistication of modern communication, you don’t need a university to teach you everything out of highschool. There are innumerable sources for knowledge and I was poised to tap them and find truth. Continue reading →

The Structure of Storytelling

I’ve been a huge fan of fiction the greater portion of my life. What started as my interest in the simple charm of the characters in the Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh books and cartoons) and the heroic spirit of Superman (Christopher Reeve’s first two Superman movies) grew into the full fledged and ever swelling compulsion to find another great story. Life is great, and man’s ability to mimic life in imaginative worlds of his own is one tremendously valuable gift that God has exclusively bestowed to mankind. After all, to be more like God (made in His image) I think He wants us to scratch our imagination with stories of our own that reflect the nature of His own [His]story.

What you’ll find from being a part of the story’s audience is a good story is seemingly simple and natural. A good story doesn’t usually seem forced or contrived by a gifted (or well-trained) storyteller. This is an art and a method. Usually art in general is accused and confused of being random. However, storytelling is a prime example that contrary to modern popular opinion, storytelling is much more like a science then an accident. The fascinating detail that makes all good stories great art is that the method of the telling is in sync with a quality of human emotion which appears to be random. Emotions—seemingly random to the average observer—breath life into the science of a well-plotted story. The composition of the story becomes art thanks to the harmony it shares with expression from the spirit (where emotions come from). Interestingly, man’s spirit, being much more dynamic and sophisticated than that of animals, is another attribute that makes us more like God’s image (persona).

In light of these characteristics of the storyteller and story, one can see clearly that the art of a story is not dictated by human standards and whims of change, but a Higher more consistent power dictates the qualities that always drive a good story home. There is never a story that can brake the bonds of God’s storytelling structure and principles. The better we understand God’s nature the better storytellers we can be, and the more we learn from stories the better we may understand the nature of God.

Time to Get a Grip

So many, in all directions, are ready to freak out this week for all these plaguing conditions we have to drive us to fear. The economy . . . The election . . . The rumor of wars . . . The chaotic Internet . . . who knows. It seems everything is getting to us. No better time then right before we have to fork out lots of moolah to express our holiday cheer, right?

What can I say? There’s no better time in the world like anytime that you are secure in the power of God. I’m a devout Christian, you might say, and if you know what’s really going on in the world (because God has manifested His plan for the ages) then there’s not too much reason to fear in these difficult times. Continue reading →

What Does “Created In The Image Of God” Mean?

I’ve often wondered, but never found, an answer to the question. In Genesis, the first chapter, God is creating the universe. I believe that a literal interpretation of all scripture on the subject of creation here and throughout the Bible points to 6 literal days of creation and that’s all—no gap theories. But, I want to address the nature in which God created man; not so much the time it took Him. Continue reading →

Lacking Knowledge vs. Lacking Understanding – Part 3

Picking up where I left off last time, I want to hone on the point I’d really like to make. This is something I’ve been thinking about lately, and I think it is good to ponder for just about everyone.

You hold positions for every issue and ideal in life because of what you know. If you are like most people, experience is what guides you. If you are an exception from the crowd, it may be the teaching someone else has shared with you, and the teacher’s worldview is what dominates your decisions over your experience. If you go even a step further than that, you may be a “professional” of a subject, and your credentials and own experience examining a subject will be what guides you. This, and all the other conditions I’ve mentioned, are ultimately flawed, but common and usually effective ways to make your mind up on issues of life. Continue reading →

The Art of Reality – Part 2

So, if God’s creation, and all that the physical realm encompasses is God’s own masterpiece, what is the masterpiece communicating? What do I mean? Think—if the physical (material) world is God’s own work of art, and art is simply an illustration of something else (usually art is an imaginary fabrication that portrays reality) then what is God “masterpiece” illustrating? Continue reading →

The Art of Reality – Part 1

Christians give credit to God as the Creator of all things, and remark on the wonder and beauty of His majestic feats. Pagans too acknowledge the beauty of the universe in everything from its rich simplicity to its mind-boggling complexity. The world around us, and every characteristic of it, is remarkable—that it only took one individual to make it all, and make it functional for all time. God get’s credit for a lot of roles (the First and the Last, the Chief Physician, The Creator, The Savior, etc.), but rarely do we look to God as the Master Artist. Continue reading →

Message and Meaning

I came across this excellent article written by my boss, Eric Rauch. I thought it would be quite appropriate for my reading audience, so here it is.

The very first verse of the Bible tells us that “God created.” Twenty-six verses later we also learn that man was created in God’s image: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). The implications and ramifications of this simple truth have sparked debate and discussion about what it really means to be “in God’s image,” but one thing is certain: man creates because God created first. “Being in the image of the Creator, we are called upon to have creativity. In fact, it is part of the image of God to be creative, or to have creativity. We never find an animal, non-man, making a work of art. On the other hand, we never find men anywhere in the world or in any culture in the world who do not produce art…Creativity is intrinsic to our ‘mannishness.’”1 Continue reading →