Imaginative Christianity

Today we had our 2nd consecutive Wednesday afternoon planning meeting of la Fonderie. It again was very positive, as we covered lots of ground, including brainstorming over names for the center near the Orsay Museum. I feel out of my league in terms of the creative, artistic aspects. Fortunately, we have some creative people on the organizing committee.

The section "Imaginative Christianity" is part of the chapter "Spiritual Formation Through Creativity" in Doug Paggitt's Reimagining Spiritual Formation (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2004). He writes:

Art is creative, but creativity is not limited to art. People who do not understand themselves to be artists in the usual sense are also creative. At Solomon's Porch we make room in our personal and collective lives for creative activities of many sorts. Attending an art show in our gallery space or joining in a songwriting forum are creative activities, but so are leading the preschoolers in dancing and stories or brainstorming to help our Guatemala team raise money for the spring trip. What's important in living creativity and believing the world can be as God would have it. (p. 135)

Over the past few years I have tried to glean this sense of futurical vision from those in our community for whom creativity is as natural as the beating of the heart. They have shown me that faith without creativity can easily become faith without hope. Creativity breaks the bondage of what exists and frees us to frolic in the open spaces of what might be. Creativity moves us to participate--to join in the work of redemption rather than just watch it happen. Creativity gives us a sense of the future while bringing a here-and-now vibe to the activity of God. We begin to feel the things of God are happening in our time and place, not just in history. When the songs we sing or the words we read or the images we view were created just last week, we are reminded that the context of our faith is this moment and that we have something to bring into this life, right now. (p. 135)

I recognize that extending the activity of God into the new areas is scary for some. There was concern when Abram was called into the new land to join in the creation of a new people. There was concern when the nation of Israel was to leave oppression and enter the land that was promised. There was serious apprehension when God's chosen people were told to live without a king. (p. 135)

And yet God met all these fears with creativity. What is the birth of a promised child to a barren woman but an act of creativity? The way the Messiah came into the world was a beautiful re-creation activity. It is foolish for those who would live in harmony with God to cling to the past while there is so much clear God activity happening in the world. (p. 135)