I am part of a team of people who creatively plan ‘transcendent moments’ for our weekend services. During that process, I am always fascinated that one of the most difficult things to do, even with all those creative brains, is to label things – series titles, message titles, things that need ‘branded,’ etc.
In our church culture, it is challenging to name everything – and it seems that everything NEEDS a name ... the Senior Adult group (they finally became “ENCORE” at our church), singing groups (a group of eight is called “One Way”), men's group ("IRONMEN"). And those are all FINE and GOOD!
And then … I look at the creative, out-of-the-box descriptions the world puts together in names given to rock bands and the like. Here are twenty of my personal favorite band names in no particular order:
Flaming Box of Ants
Abstract Evil Barbie
My Friend Kevin
I-45
Yak Buckets
Arthur Loves Plastic
Bloated Tick
The Electro Magnetic Flowerseed
Half Man, Half Biscuit
Jehovah’s Waitresses
Rule 62
Sack Lunch
Armpit
Viola Crayola
Don’t Call Me Francis
Willy Nelson Mandela
Cowboy Mouth
Your Mom
In My Skin
Furniture Falling Down the Stairs
I’m not making those up! Creative, huh?
In our church culture, it is challenging to name everything – and it seems that everything NEEDS a name ... the Senior Adult group (they finally became “ENCORE” at our church), singing groups (a group of eight is called “One Way”), men's group ("IRONMEN"). And those are all FINE and GOOD!
And then … I look at the creative, out-of-the-box descriptions the world puts together in names given to rock bands and the like. Here are twenty of my personal favorite band names in no particular order:
Flaming Box of Ants
Abstract Evil Barbie
My Friend Kevin
I-45
Yak Buckets
Arthur Loves Plastic
Bloated Tick
The Electro Magnetic Flowerseed
Half Man, Half Biscuit
Jehovah’s Waitresses
Rule 62
Sack Lunch
Armpit
Viola Crayola
Don’t Call Me Francis
Willy Nelson Mandela
Cowboy Mouth
Your Mom
In My Skin
Furniture Falling Down the Stairs
I’m not making those up! Creative, huh?
Here’s why I bring that up … because creativity is the heartbeat of God. The world has it coming out every pore. But the church should be the most creative out-of-the-box organization on earth … the very best and most excellent we can be for the Gospel and the Kingdom. After all, creativity originated with God. It is the fifth word in the entire Bible … “In the beginning God CREATED … “
Look around for ninety seconds. You see God’s creativity in every plant, every animal, every human. And Jesus. Wasn’t He the most creative leader and teacher who ever lived? Answer: Yes. AND … seventy-two percent of Jesus’ words recorded in the Gospels were based on application. He understood 2,000 years ago that we are visual learners. Remember His teachings? “Look at the birds!” “Look at the flowers!” He even pulled a coin out of a fish’s mouth. That’s why on recent weekends I have communicated via a piece of dyed cloth, a fan, a huge tree limb, a ladder, chairs, a whiteboard, a flannelgraph and a swatch of fabric.
Look around for ninety seconds. You see God’s creativity in every plant, every animal, every human. And Jesus. Wasn’t He the most creative leader and teacher who ever lived? Answer: Yes. AND … seventy-two percent of Jesus’ words recorded in the Gospels were based on application. He understood 2,000 years ago that we are visual learners. Remember His teachings? “Look at the birds!” “Look at the flowers!” He even pulled a coin out of a fish’s mouth. That’s why on recent weekends I have communicated via a piece of dyed cloth, a fan, a huge tree limb, a ladder, chairs, a whiteboard, a flannelgraph and a swatch of fabric.
Pastor Ed Young talks about visiting Las Vegas and being amazed at the outrageous creativity present. He said: “The people in Vegas don’t have very much to say but they sure know how to say it!”
The church’s problem is just the opposite: “We have everything to say but we don’t know how to say it … but churches that are committed to creatively doing whatever it takes to reach a lost world will raise their share of critics, but they will also turn people into passionate pursuers of Christ!”
The church’s problem is just the opposite: “We have everything to say but we don’t know how to say it … but churches that are committed to creatively doing whatever it takes to reach a lost world will raise their share of critics, but they will also turn people into passionate pursuers of Christ!”
The higher the predictability, the lower the learning. Let’s ask God to enhance our creativity – for the sake of a world that needs to hear it so they can understand it.
And be blessed.
And be blessed.
2 comments:
I really appreciate the creativity and inspiring messages that you and Pastor Dan give. The worship is amazing, too! Coming from a Catholic church background...I can tell you that I had NO idea that church could be like this! :) I am so grateful that God led me here. If it had been a lukewarm church, I probably would have moved on, but this is like home to me and I can't imagine being anywhere else.
CREATIVITY is one of the finest words you could have come up with, unlike that awful word PARADIGM, you recently blogged on. Creativity is a gift God has blessed me with, and often I thank HIM for it. I love “thinking out of the box.” Many a night I lay in bed allowing my creative juices full latitude as I ponder new and different ways to approach something. I find creativity is often activated when hearing the word “no.” Unable to accept the negative seems to catapult me into higher levels of creativity. I love having a church that challenges the norm and transcends the ordinary, stretching into the realm of extraordinary. I believe that Jesus smiles with a nod of approval.
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