{"id":19073,"date":"2016-12-05T09:30:08","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T14:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/?p=19073"},"modified":"2024-12-24T20:24:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T01:24:04","slug":"the-church-and-the-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/john\/2016\/12\/05\/the-church-and-the-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"The Church and the Arts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Waterfall
A beautiful part of God’s creation in Watkins Glen, New York. Photographer: mpellowe@cogeco.ca<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. Exodus 25:31<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It’s fascinating that God was so particular in giving instructions about how to build the Tabernacle. He could have said, “Build a lampstand” but he didn’t. He said “Build a lampstand using a hammer and be sure to put exactly this ornamentation on it.” God could have finished working on creation when it was made up of things that were only utilitarian. He could have stopped designing when he had the functions he wanted. But he didn’t. He went beyond what was strictly necessary to add beauty to utility and form to function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was the artistic detail of the lampstand for his benefit or ours? I think it was for both. Bearing his image, I’m sure we find beautiful what God finds beautiful, so we can both enjoy good art. And since God gives us artistic skills<\/a>, the church should support the arts. In fact, I think it is more important that we do so now than it has been for many decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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