Creation

If A Tree Falls Down… Am I Still A Hippie?

Posted on by lainamunoz

This blog is brought to you today by the letter ‘P’ and by conversations with Krysia.

Hillsong College and Church is as inspiring as it is challenging. My faith has been polished and solidified in many ways, one of which is my belief in creation and heaven. This week my goal for writing was to order my thoughts enough to explain some things that are dear to me and invite you to share your thoughts as well.

I find several of our favorite verses to quote from the Bible are often the beginning of beautiful passages that we remove from their context; not always, but sometimes we do; and sometimes we miss the point.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18 (Such a pretty verse, often quoted to make you feel good about life when you’re going through crappy times)

But then we look a little further down…

“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.” Romans 8:19-21 (NIV)

To this passage my friend posed the question, ‘what does it mean for creation to wait for G-d’s children to be revealed? Is creation waiting on US, do the trees know more than we do?’ (ish). I responded instantly but I don’t think I knew what I was talking about until half way through what I was saying. I told her that I think it means creation itself knows who the worshippers are and when they will be born. I think some foliage might be waiting for the right photographer to be born so that it can start growing because it knows at some point they will collide and together create an image that will draw multitudes to worship. I think some birds hum specific songs in worship to G-d in front of specific people, songwriters, who will notice and translate it to human terms. I think heaven is a lot closer than we think. We know that we will worship fully there – but maybe creation has already figured out how to worship fully HERE.

“All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah” Psalms 66:4 (ESV)

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” Psalms 19:1 (ESV)

In Teamnight Thursday we saw images of snow being blown over the road by the wind. The question asked to US is, do we dance when no one is watching? The snow dances across the road and I can’t help but believe it is in praise to the One who created it uniquely, and not for a show for man but for G-d alone, not for instagram. Nature in many different forms has found it way to praise G-d.

If a tree falls down in the forest and no one is around to hear it, is it still worship?

Have WE dulled down the cries of creation to a human sound? When a tree falls is it because it is so moved at what G-d is doing in the earth that it has to bow before Him? An avalanche is nothing more to us than the sound of a mountain shifting and snow falling at 200 miles per hour (320KM) but is that really just the way the snow knows how to cry out?

I’ve always veered more towards the side of being a hippie and I know that… but something inside me likes to believe that just maybe heaven isn’t this far off place in the clouds but possibly it looks more like a redeemed earth. Maybe heaven looks like US joining with an ALREADY CONSISTENTLY PRAISING creation to be with G-d and give Him all the praise He deserves.

What does a redeemed earth look like? What is dirt when it is no longer dirty?

It’s soil.

I believe we are here now in this beautiful place to get glimpses into what an environment of praise could look like. Next time you get woken up by a bird singing or get annoyed at how hard it’s raining stop and think about the last time you were moved to sing or overflow with what is inside of you. What if all the dirt on the earth was redeemed – and became soil – and we saw life all over the earth?

This is open to opinions obviously, this isn’t theology just thoughts. I’m a tree hugger of sorts and I feel like that is clearly reflected here.
I just figure if the Bible tells me that creation is waiting on me for something – I might as well be aware of it.

 

Scrabit : Art

Posted on by lainamunoz

October 2010- what a day today has been… please enjoy this #ThinkBackThursday

“Most artists can’t draw, but all artists can see.” – Roy Simmons

“Go and tell this people: “‘Listen hard, but you aren’t going to get it; look hard, but you won’t catch on.’ Make these people blockheads, with fingers in their ears and blindfolds on their eyes, So they won’t see a thing, won’t hear a word, So they won’t have a clue about what’s going on and, yes, so they won’t turn around and be made whole.”
                  -Isaiah 6.9-10

It seems like G-d might have wanted us to understand something here: Art isn’t just about ability; it’s about seeing what needs to change and creating something that can make a difference. G-d’s art is to make us whole through giving us the vision to see what needs to change.

I was reading a delightfully short book by Seth Godin called Graceful where he took a full section to talk about Art. He defines art as this: “Art is anything that’s creative, passionate and personal… Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.”

G-d’s art is revealed in the everyday continuation of what He started long ago. Genesis 1.1 “First this: G-d created the Heavens and Earth – all you see, all you don’t see”

G-d was the original creator and the only one by which we may LEARN what He wants to do with our lives. The beauty of His art is that there is still life yet to be revealed. Some things in creation we are still waiting on, there are things and colors in heaven that we still haven’t experienced – and I cannot wait. He set the heavens in place, His majesty is seen in all there is and He holds my heart and molds in everyday into something reflecting Him.

G-d is a passionate G-d, He is a compassionate G-d, a G-d who thinks about us and has purpose for us.

He is a wonderful, powerful master who sees us in the state we are in and calls us His.

He is a personal G-d who cared so much about the people He created that He sent His one perfect thing He had left – His son so that He might be reunited with us.

I can’t help but think through a few things…

1.   Are you letting G-d’s art CHANGE you? When was the last time you admired the sunrise or sunset and couldn’t focus cause the presence of G-d was so thick through your thoughts that you broke out in praise with your entire being?

2.   Are you letting G-d direct your art that He has for you? Some of you have read these posts and thought, “oh that’s nice, but I don’t have art to give”… how selfish. You have a gift that only you can give, you have an art that only you can perfect FOR HIM and you don’t care enough to search it out? Maybe it doesn’t look like messy hands from painting, or like a keyboard to type stories into. Maybe it looks like buying a bag of food a day and driving until you see someone who might need it? Maybe it looks like having a conversation everyday in which you remind someone of how much they mean to you? Possibly you could take 30 days to spend time getting better at listening to G-d? Maybe G-d has given you a heart for missions but you’re in a different season where you can’t leave yet – What if you were to passionately pray for a different location or people group for 30 days? What if you were to check up on the area to see what G-d was doing with your prayers?

“The more people you change, the more you change them, the more effective your art is… If there is no change, there is no art. IF no one experiences it, there can be no change.” –Graceful

((What has changed around you lately?

((((Have you inspired the change?

Scrabit: Art

Posted on by lainamunoz 

#ThinkBackThursday
20 October 2010

“Most artists can’t draw, but all artists can see.” – Roy Simmons

“He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Listen hard, but you aren’t going to get it; look hard, but you wont catch on.’ Make these people blockheads, with fingers in their ears and blindfolds on their eyes, so they wont see a thing, wont hear a word, so they wont have a clue whats going on and, yes, so they wont turn around and be made whole.”

 Isaiah 6:9-10 (MSG)

It seems like G-d might have wanted us to understand something here. Art isn’t just about ability; it’s about seeing what needs to change and creating something that can make a difference. And G-d’s art is to make us whole through giving us the vision to see what needs to change.

I was reading a delightfully short book by Seth Godin called Graceful where he took a full section to talk about Art. He defines art as this: “Art is anything that’s creative, passionate and personal… Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.”

G-d’s art is revealed in the everyday continuation of what He started long ago.

“First this: G-d created the Heavens and Earth – all you see, all you don’t see” Genesis 1:1(MSG)

G-d was the original creator and the only one by which we may LEARN what He wants to do with our lives. The beauty of His art is there is still life yet to be revealed. Some things in creation we are still waiting on, there are things and colors in heaven that we still haven’t experienced ((and I cannot wait)). He set the heavens in place, His majesty is seen in all there is and He holds my heart and molds it everyday into something reflecting Him.

G-d is a passionate G-d, He is a compassionate G-d, a G-d who thinks about us and has purpose for us. He is a wonderful, powerful master who sees us in the state we are in and calls us His. He is a personal G-d who cared so much about the people He created that He sent His one perfect thing He had left – His son so that He might be reunited with us.

I can’t help but think through a few things…

First.     Are you letting G-d’s art CHANGE you? When was the last time you admired the sunrise or sunset and couldn’t focus cause the presence of G-d was so thick through your thoughts that you broke out in praise with your entire being?

2nd.     Are you letting G-d direct your art that He has for you? Some of you have read these posts and thought, “oh that’s nice, but I don’t have art to give”…how selfish… You have a gift that only you can give, you have an art that only you can perfect FOR HIM and you don’t care enough to search it out? Maybe it doesn’t look like messy hands from painting, or like a keyboard to type stories into. Maybe it looks like buying a bag of food a day and driving till you see someone who might need it? Maybe it looks like having a conversation everyday in which you remind someone of how much they mean to you? Possibly you could take 30 days to spend time perfecting listening to G-d? Maybe G-d has given you a heart for missions but you’re in a different season where you can’t leave yet? What if you were to passionately pray for a different location or people group for 30 days? What if you were to check up on the area to see what G-d was doing with your prayers?

“The more people you change, the more you change them, the more effective your art is… If there is no change, there is no art. IF no one experiences it, there can be no change.” –Graceful

What has changed around you lately? Have you inspired the change?

Second Notch Creativity

Posted on by lainamunoz

For a good bit of my teenage and young adult life I’ve been on a “Creative Team”. There has been a small thread of creativity in all that I’ve done for as long as I can remember: 30 day art challenges, creative writing classes, being in a band and writing music, writing words and trying to make them sound good, arts and crafts at miscellaneous classes growing up and trying to paint when I’m bored. What is funny is that the thread I have found is not any bit of matter that I can find in the make up of me. The creative stitch in my life is simply the Creator showing off in me. Being on a creative team scares the hell out of me (metaphorically, ironically and a little bit literally) because making something out of nothing seems impossible – much less creating something out of my thought process.

Terrifying.

But, I keep being placed on these teams which grounds me back into my roots, calling on G-d daily in this process of trying to create. I am not creative because I am but because HE IS. I can create because I was made in the Creators image (Genesis 1:27). I can come up with ideas because He is good and shares and has placed them in me to give. I am wrong sometimes, and this might be one of those times but I believe in a G-d who gives to His people when they have a willing heart to give to His people. Does He give more than we need? Absolutely! Abundantly! Is it given when we are stingy with our gifts? Eh, why would it be?

Lets break this down:

Construction of the Tabernacle

30Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hus, of the tribe of Judah; 31and he has filled him with the Spirit of G-d, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. 34And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twinned linen, or by a weaver – by any sort of workman or skilled designer. Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the contraction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.”

Exodus 35:30-35; Exodus 36:1 ESV ((wait, read that again))

Lets take a look at some very important things:

  • I can ALMOST pronounce every name in this passage of scripture

  • I use Exodus in an example

  • I am proud of both of those things

  • I don’t see how I could add to the depth of this scripture so I’m going to point out a few things I believe you all have already seen. Because this is my blog and you are reading it so we get to act like I’m teaching something.

Onward from that, this passage is Moses (clearly) telling the story of the construction of a tabernacle; G-ds dwelling place. G-d chose and called by name a man and filled him with the Spirit of G-d. There was, again, nothing inside of this man apart from G-d that was creative.

It was the Spirit of G-d IN HIM

Not only did the LORD fill him with creativity but also with skill to put that creativity from brain to paper to gold. The LORD gave him intelligence not only to know how to create but to know how to finish, also I believe the LORD gave him intelligence for respect among his people to be a leader who can carry out this calling. G-d gave him knowledge… this is cool. He didn’t have to go rent and read “Holy Dwellings for Dummies” the LORD supernaturally and superSpiritually imparted him with KNOWLEDGE to know what he was doing. And lastly to Bezalel he gave ALL CRAFTSMANSHIP not some craftsmanship (skill in a particular craft), not even a fine amount of craftsmanship (being really good at a particular craft), but the LORD gave him ALL (He is abundantly, overwhelmingly more than we can ask or think). I have been to a decent amount of cathedrals and FAAAAANCY churches and I can only think about this story and what a dwelling place of the most high G-d would look like with such heavenly disclosure of creativity. Mmm, glory.

And this is where it gets really exciting for me. G-d has placed me in the creative stream here at Hillsong College and I’m in love. But, I’m also broken because my heart longs for the pastoral side of life. I love caring for people’s hearts and believing in their dreams, I love writing, teaching, preaching and speaking. I love sharing my heart and you can’t always do that in a 4-minute song. “And He (G-d) has inspired him (Bezalel) to TEACH…” Bezalel was given the opportunity to mix the intelligence and knowledge that came alongside the creativity in the Spirit of G-d to GIVE all that he knew to two more men, and they too were given G-d’s Spirit and creativity.

          Lord, you are the one I’m seeking. I’ve been placed in positions that I cannot do without you and I never would want to try. I want your Spirit to not only live in me but also live through me. I want to be obedient in the little things, sensitive in the creative callings and teachable so that I may teach. I can’t apologize for wanting it all because it was You that knit these desires into my heart in the first place. Bring it on G-d; the challenges, the obstacles and the opportunities to learn a little more about listening. Lord, let me teach and see more in them than they do. Let someone else grow through my life being a blessing to them and a cultivating personality for their gifts. May I work in accordance with what You command.

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Psalms 139:14 ESV