Sunday, January 22, 2006

Worship: the splattered paint canvas.

And if beauty is hard or impossible to describe where does that leave creativity?

Some would say that creativity is as impulsive and essential as breathing. Really? Maybe. Probably not. I would say that it is more important then breathing.

What is life? It is only the result of a creative process of combining carbon and protein into long twisted hexagonal chains of genetic information that make up a staggering 100% of carbon based life which, I’m told, excludes Pam Anderson, Twinkies, and paint. Life. A byproduct of creativity. Interesting to think about isn’t it? I trust you find it fascinating.

It is no wonder people are trying to bring back the baby mullet, jump canyons on motorcycles, wear silk underwear, write follow-up film scripts to blockbuster films, and photograph pregnant nudes and hang them – the photographs - in coffee shops (which was an unusually stimulating caffeinated experience for me). Why are such tragedy’s allowed to happen? Autonomy, diversity, and creativity. Apparently, creativity is like that greased up potbelly pig that nobody could ever quite catch at summer camp; you just can’t quite hold on to it long enough before it slips away and paints a beautiful masterpiece or drives a scientist mad.

Funny thing about creativity – it belongs to no one and everyone.

Worship is a creative act, thought, or moment where time slows and maybe space is tweaked enough that the velocity of our creativity is pointed towards something….something…..something, lets say, significance, irreplaceable, or otherwise. Have you noticed what happens when creativity is pointed at something? Life. Life happens. Not the kind of life that is found under a scientists microscope, but rather, the kind of life that evokes the mystery, longing, and enjoyment of something beyond the basic sensual. A spark in someone’s eye, hope in someone’s heart, dreams in someone’s cerebral, and life in someone’s life. We don’t get creative in how we worship; we worship when we get creative.

Creativity births life.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

What does that say about sunday services? Usually, it's quite repetative. Does that mean it's actually not worship, but rather more annoying?
Does the worship come when the songs are changed and people have to wait a bit utnil they realize what they're singing? hm.

jeremy postal said...

Sure > the implications of this for church may be a bitter hard pill to swallow...but...it might be one to swallow with a bit of creative energy!!

Steve > Pop quiz time: True of False?
Creativity does not work in repition.

Unknown said...

False.

Creativity can work in repetition, provided if it is an individual amongst a congregation.

If it's the same old, same old worship song, then individually you can create within the context of what is going on. But the congregation as a whole would be repetitive as a whole.

jeremy postal said...

And what would be the implications if the statement was true?

Unknown said...

Isaiah 58.

Unknown said...

Not to mention the fact that everyone would just forget the meaning of what was being said, and it would be like the words of fools- they are just simply uttering things to God, and all the false promises are made. Kind of like in Ecc. 5:3-7

Jeffrey said...

we worship when we get creative -- care to explain?

are saying we worship because we are ALL naturally creative beings?

annnnnnd.........

i love the line funny thing about creativity - it belongs to no one and everyone.

later.

jeff.

jeremy postal said...

Well, is worship something that flows, springs, and bubbles out of us....

or...

is it something pre-packaged.

If it is a quick microwaved pre-packed TV dinner sort of worship...then no, we don't have to get creative when we worship.

If it is a natural response to something far greater then us, say God, who we hardly have begun to know...then every new revelation of God our response will be different and creative. Even in response to a similar or same attribute of God our response will be different b/c our situation will be different. This involves creativity. Every time.

Thoughts?

Unknown said...

Just because there is change in one person, doesn't mean there is change in another person. A person can make a difference. But if the congregation isn't all changed (there is something wrong) and as a whole it could be just repetative.

jeremy postal said...

I'm not actually too clear on what you are saying here Steve...? Care to clarify?

Unknown said...

Individually people can change.
Individually people may not change.
As a whole, a congregation can stay stagnant. But that only happens if there are a majority that stay still and don't grow.

So, what I mean is, as a whole, the worship could be repetative if the congregation as a whole is remainign stagnan and not growing. Technically, from what I understand you are saying, not making it worship but more a mere utterance.

make more sense?

jeremy postal said...

I'm still lost...maybe this is something to work out in person!! lol

Here is a new question then:
I make the statement..."we worship when we get creative" What about the psycho killer who creatively kills? Is it worship?

Try and think through this concept with out the god-complex attached to worship.

Unknown said...

What is his reason for killing? Yeah.. he's psyco... but what's his reason? Does he just love it? or is there more to it?

Anonymous said...

what is dude worshipping when he kills? he is worshipping self, and fact is that is very possible.......i.e. if i go beat someone who pissed me off and at the end stand back and admire my handy work am I worshipping my artistic ability to make buddy hurt? you betcha, and i may or may not have been guilty of such acts in the past, but i know guys who do that and worse.
worship is a strange word for xians to get around, they link it to much to religion, but look around, the world worships hockey stars, movie stars, wealth, porn stars on and on, worship is simply what you value