e*r Week 4

Question:

Art and music have always played a vivid, and active role in the worship life of Christians globally. Drawing on book material, the teaching, and your experiences and ideas:

"How could we freshly apply the worship languages of art and music to our contemporary worship expression?"

Answer:

My church has a healing prayer ministry that has amazing impact in our church and our community. These bi-monthly healing prayer times are facilitated by a large team of intercessors, prayer teams, greeters, musicians and artists. It is an amazing snapshot of the body of Christ functioning as it was intended, every member doing what it was created to do as part of something far bigger than itself.

Art and music have powerful roles in this ministry.

When people arrive, they spend a few minutes receiving soaking prayer. I lead a small acoustic team that uses a variety of songs in response to the Spirit’s leading. I invite the presence of the Lord and invite a response to God for Who He is and what He has done. I also give language to the heart cries of the people who come in search of healing. I listen and respond.

Also in this area, is an artist who paints. She doesn’t know what will come out as she begins, but she too listens and responds. She also has a team of prophetic artists who quietly paint on small canvases in the larger room where people are receiving personal ministry. They listen to God as they observe the room and respond through their art as God gives them words for specific individuals. As they leave, the artist pulls the person aside and offers them the picture.

God speaks and the musicians and artists respond. Those who have come for prayer are incredibly touched. We have had countless testimonies of how God used specific songs in worship, or pieces of prophetic art to create liminal spaces where heaven breaks in and healing comes.

It is an amazing dance where art and music sail together by the wind of the Spirit.

I spoke with the woman who oversees the Prophetic Art ministry yesterday and mentioned to her that I had written about it here in the discussion board. She told me that she has begun to realize that different songs I play, different keys and different rhythms represent different different colors to her.

She also said that she will often have a word in her head as she is painting, and then I will start singing that word. It is truly amazing how the dance develops. We are listening to the same Voice and we are following the same Lead.

When I first came to my church in 2008, I attended a Night of Healing Prayer. I came very broken in need of some major healing. This woman was the only artist at the time and she painted a picture of a doorway with steps leading up to an opening of blackness, surrounded by fire. After I received prayer, she gave it to me with some hesitation. She did not know my story, and felt the painting was dark and scary. She said that the only word she had for me was "trust".

She did not know that my life was surrounded by fire at that time. God was stripping things away and refining me. She did not know that I was walking into the unknown and that I was afraid. She did not know that I was taking steps into the blackness where I would have to trust God for every step.

She did not know these things, but God did - and He used her art to speak profoundly to me in that moment. Now, with that painting, I have a tangible reminder of that moment and of His Voice speaking telling me to Trust Him with the blackness and the unknown.

You can see a photo of it on the home page of my blog: www.safelythrough.blogspot.com.