A view from the Heart of the Artist

I searched for the first e-mail I sent to the New Hope Church Worship Team to see what I had written to them. Part of my job as their Worship Director was to minister and shepherd the team. The e-mail I found was sent April 2nd, 2004. I had written to the team about what I gleaned from the book the Heart of the Artist by Rory Nolan. I believe that aside from the spiritual, musical and technical talents and gifts that we artists are given, it is out of deep love for God from within the depths of our hearts, that we give Him the real glory and honor He deserves as we lead others in worship.


This may be unpopular to say, but there have been many occasions that I have been able to connect with God in worship more so by being led by a reasonably talented artist who has a deep love for God as opposed to one who has great talent but distracts from God because of the emphasis on themselves. With that said, God does expect that we serve with excellence, but I see that excellence stems from someones desire to truly love and worship God and not themselves.


So here is what I wrote to my fellow musicians and technicians:

Hey Everyone,
For those who are unable to attend our discussion I am  
(At this point in time I actually led a class on the Heart of the Artist before Band rehearsal)
going to send some portions of what we talked about.

It is Imperative that you and I keep growing
spiritually and artistically.

What Kind of person am I when no one is looking?

We need to be people of proven character.

What are the telltale signs of someone with Godly
Character:
A person who is loving
A person who has a clear conscience
A person who has an authentic relationship with the
lord.

God never intended our character growth to be a low
priority.

Character is becoming who God made us to be, and
integrity is doing what God wants us to do.

Treat all people with love and respect.

Paul says that his greatest ambition is to please
God (2 Cor. 5:9)

Are you living to please God or are you living to
please yourself?

Are you trying to bring a smile to God's face with
your talents, or is your main goal to gratify yourself
artistically?

We are not just artists we are ministers too.

God wants to raise up artists in the church who are
set apart for Him. These artists are different because
they have Godly character and integrity.




This is all for now I will send more later.....Dave

So the e-mail was short but you get the point. As artist in the church we are to live set apart 
to God not just on Sunday but everyday. We are to live a life of worship and prove that 
we love God by loving one another.  Just Sayin................Dave