WTML: Framing Faith

I had gotten Framing Faith as a gift back in 2015. I had started the book, but never finished it. Through move after move, purge after purge, I hung onto this book. I just couldn’t seem to let it go, even though I honestly couldn’t remember what it was about.

I decided to read this book in preparation for this series, my curiosity finally getting the best of me. And I’m so glad that I did. It contains so many encouraging nuggets about following Christ and leaning into faith, pursuing art, and enjoying the simplicity of life. Much of the message within this book was simple, but it was the breath of fresh air that I needed. 

While the book, on the whole, was encouraging, the part that stood out the most to me was in the afterward.

“Remember that your calling is a holy one. There is no difference between the priests and the artists anymore. When the temple veil was rent from top to bottom at Jesus’ resurrection, it not only allowed the artists to enter the presence of God but it allowed the priests to roam the streets. Jesus made the two roles indistinguishable.

You are not only artist. You are priest.” p.166-167

I have struggled with reconciling my artistic tendencies with my desire to serve the Lord over the years. I’ve known that these two go perfectly hand in hand and that, through art, I can praise God and encourage others, but it’s not always easy. I can begin to think that the things I create aren’t worthwhile enough and that I should be doing something else. Or that I should be serving God in this way, instead of honoring him in what I’m doing.

I can get so wrapped up in the perfectionism of the artist’s brain that I put unnecessary pressure on myself. Or I get so down on myself because what I created isn’t received the way I envisioned. Or I can fall into the comparison trap, which is never a good place to find yourself.

But this was one of the best ways that I’ve seen the duality of artist and priest expressed. I don’t need to feel this pressure to be one thing or another, I can be both. This was a sweet reminder that our God doesn’t shove us into the boxes that we often find ourselves in. We can be more than one thing; in fact, we display the incredible creativity of our Creator when we embrace the multi-dimensional, multi-faceted way he created us.

Let’s embrace our artistic and priestly position today!

Have you read Framing Faith?

What do you think about the idea of being both an artist and a priest?

Don’t forget! Pick up your copy of A Proverb A Day today!

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