“It’s no secret that Christian artists feel isolated at most evangelical churches today” ~ Mary Yerkes

In a recent post on Artists and the Church, Mary Yerkes draws from her own 20-year struggle with churches that encouraged involvement with primarily the performing arts. “The literary arts are nonexistent, and those churches that do recognize literary art, reduce it to a few written testimonies in church newsletters,” she writes. Consequently, if we aren’t performing artists, we’re apt to feel left on the fringes, isolated, and “lacking a sense of place” in our home church.

Have any of you felt this?

Rather than become critical, cynical, or leave the church, Mary shares how we can resolve our inner conflict on the matter:

1. Understand that creativity and art is a gift of God, whether it is acknowledged and received by members of your church or not.

“Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. “He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs. ~ Exodus 30:30-35

2. As artists, gifted by God, we have a biblical responsibility to develop and nurture our talent.

3. Every believer is to be actively involved in a local body. Whether we feel we “fit” or not, God calls us to actively participate in a local body of believers, to faithfully pray for our pastoral leadership, and to invest our time and resources into our church body.

4. Community is a non-negotiable for Christian artists. We need to interact with other Christian artists to thrive. If we’re unable to find other artists within our church bodies, I believe we need to seek God to connect us with Christian artists through other local and national organizations.

5. Work to introduce more diversity in the arts into your local congregation.

Whether or not our particular giftings are understood or appreciated, we still have a responsibility to express them as He leads. Thank you, Mary, for posting on this important topic. I’m sure it will help many.

Check out Mary’s blogs: Away With Words and Releasing the Artist Within.