Calling Christian Artists

A letter to Christian Artists who live/have lived/will live in or around Winnipeg:

In Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples, for a short period, there was chaos. These uneducated fishermen (for the most part) were speaking languages they had no business knowing... and fluently. A huge crowd gathered and wild accusations flew... drunk at nine in the morning! In general, people didn't know what to make of this new and strange experience. It was something they'd never seen before. That's when Peter stood up and became their interpreter... not in the language sense, since they could all understand what was being said... but by telling the crowd what God was saying through His Spirit.

Friends and fellow artists, a movement of the Spirit has been prophesied for the city of Winnipeg. I have every reason to believe these prophecies will come to pass. I look forward to it. But, I fear the way it comes will be largely misunderstood. The Spirit will likely come in a way that people haven't seen before and they'll need someone to tell them what's going on in a language they'll understand.

I've been told that in recent years, there has been a shift in the way people understand things. Apparently, as time passes, the questions we ask about information change. Whereas some generations have asked "What is true" or "What is useful," we have recently been asking "What is good?" The theory is that the question is about to change again, with some speculating that the next question will be "What is beautiful?" If that is, in fact, the question people will be asking, who better than Christian artists to interpret the movement of the Holy Spirit for the world?

To this end, I think it is time for Christian artists in Winnipeg to create a community to help us get ready for this task. Together, we can help each other study scripture so we're able to understand what God is saying through His Spirit. We can help each other hone our crafts so we're able to create art that will engage and direct people to understanding. But, in order for us to do this together, we'll have to gather.

And so, I propose the gathering of Christian artists on a weekly basis to spend some time studying scripture together, some time creating with and around each other, some time practicing the skills that will make us better, and some time presenting our creations and receiving feedback. In the process, we cannot help but get to know God better, get to know our crafts better, and get to know each other better as well. And then, when the time comes for the Holy Spirit to come in power to Winnipeg, may God grant us the understanding to recognize His message and the wisdom to interpret it for those who do not.

I don't have anything like details figured out, but I would like to see a group of us meeting weekly, starting no later than January. I'm currently partial to Monday nights, though Wednesdays are also a possibility. I have a few ideas about location, but am definitely open to suggestions. There are many things to figure out before this can become a reality, but I'm committed to working on it as much as necessary.

If you are interested in being part of such a gathering, I would love to hear from you. If you know of artists you think would be interested, please pass this on to them, whether it interests you or not. Don't limit your thinking to just visual art, either. I'm interested in hearing from musicians, actors, and writers, as well as painters, sculptors, and film directors. And don't think I'm just looking for the best artists out there either... if that was the case I probably wouldn't belong. We'll all get better together. I want to see a diverse group of artists working together to speak to the world.

I'm in.