Life and EthnoArts

I wrote this about a week ago and simply forgot to post.  So, "last night" is not really last night. 

You can listen to this, one of my all-time favorite songs, written and recorded by Gungor, while you read this post.  You're welcome.

Last night I was given a gift....a night out by myself.  I don't really get out too much by myself these days and being the introvert that I am, every once in a while is good for my soul as well as the sanity of our home.  Trevor gave me the green light to just GO, assuring me he would take care of the kids and bedtimes.  So what did I do?  I went to Joann Fabric.  I know...woohoooo, you're thinking.  Well, it was kind of a nice time for me cause I needed some fabric to make some things for when baby gets here.

It wasn't so much the going to Joann's part that was so refreshing.  It was the drive, there and back.  I do some of my best thinking when I'm driving by myself.  Between the 25 min. drive there and the 25 min. drive back I listened to an entire album: "Beautiful Things" by Gungor.  There is something about their music that refreshes me and renews me in the Lord EVERY TIME.  I cannot help but worship when I listen to this music.  The lyrics are so incredibly God-centered...forcing the listener to set his eyes on the One who makes all things new and longs for His creation.  And not only that, but these musicians are brilliant.  Their music flows from one song to the other while each song has a specific place in the order of tracks for a very specific reason.  The whole album is cohesive and tells a story...and very clearly for God's glory, not their own.  I LOVE this kind of album...it's not just feel-good music, it's music with a purpose.  It causes me, as a follower of Christ, to be drawn closer to Him as a result of listening to it.  I could go on and on about this album, but you'll just have to find out for yourself. And a coolest thing is, Trevor and I were music-major friends at Cedarville with the cellist in this band.

It got me thinking about all of the EthnoArts training that Trevor is going to be receiving (and I will to a degree as well) come next spring.  The reason we're going into this whole arena of fusing Bible Translation and the Arts is because all of our various art forms are such an effective medium at aiding Scripture to reach deep down inside His people.  Does God's Word need anything else to make it effective?  No, but for some reason, God created this thing called music (and dance and visual art) to be used as a conduit for speaking to His people.  And I love it!  I want to help make His Word available to people in forms and styles that reach them in ways that speak to their hearts because I know how much it has changed me and my own walk with God.  It's all about Scripture use and giving cultures the ability to integrate their own styles and cultures into their new understanding (and acquisition) of God's sharper-than-any-double-edged-sword Word.