Lesson 23

Loving the Body of Christ

Brie Tschoepe served as art minister at Hope Chapel in Austin, Texas. She teaches educational arts in theatre.
Re-Thinking Mission
At minute 1:43, Brie says:
I wanted to find ways that theatre could serve the life of the church.
Substitute your form of art in the above sentence, and put it before the Lord. This is a private exercise, not to share
with your class. What does God impress upon you? Write about this in your own way, for your eyes only.
I want to find ways that ____________________________ can serve the life of _________________________.

Think about the full spectrum of artists who play and work inside your own art form. Think of the people, from the
absolute beginner to the serious working artist in that field
Now, think about the spectrum of all the OTHER art forms that are out there, from absolute beginners to serious
working artists inside those other fields
and do nothing. Just put it all before The Lord.
Simply marvel at the breadth of what God has put inside of all those people. Think of the potential of glorified
praise and artistic expression that reside in the people of Christ, and also in people who have yet to know Christ.
Know that none of this is yours to orchestrate. God alone raises the humble. He provides the way forward.
Listen for what The Lord has for you to do, at your appointed place, in your appointed time. Nothing else!
Dont be tempted to compare the art or artists of your city/region to another city/region. God is site-specific.

Lesson 23

Loving the Body of Christ

Start with who you have: The Spirit of God, and the people around you in their individual passions and talents.
What kinds of ideas are you having, if any? Where are you right now in this line of thinking?
Write your response here, for your eyes only.

Potential obstacles to the co-existence of multiple disciplines:

1. Fear: Fear of embarrassment, fear of potentially offensive content, fear of the unknown, fear of the form itself, fear
of making mistakes, fear (or suspicion, or skepticism) of other expressions of art that lie outside of your own genre.
Gods perfect love casts out fear. Do not be comfortable rehearsing your fears. Do not let fear dictate your steps. You
must intentionally overcome any insecurities you may be fostering by asking God to flood into those areas.
Seek out artists of disciplines that terrify you, and face your fears -- not necessarily to become an expert yourself, but
to open your eyes to the possibilites, be an advocate, and educate others with grace. You can stand in the gap for
artists and become a much-needed bridge. Do you have any misguided fears that you need to overcome with love?

Note: If an artistic discipline is rooted in the occult or is a biblically forbidden art form, read scripture and obey
God by steering clear of it. He will never guide you wrong. Seek counsel from a wise Christian artist if youre
struggling with a complicated decision regarding art, worship, beauty, purity, and holiness. We must be careful
in our imaginations; just because something can be imagined doesnt mean it should be. W. David O. Taylor

2. Artistic or Personal Pride: Division, exclusion, bias, elitism, skepticism, pride, and an unteachable spirit; affirming and feeding our own prejudices against other artists who are unlike ourselves in some way.
Be aware of your skepticism and your tendencies to exclude others, so that when you DO feel your own prejudices
and blind spots, you can recognize them and let it lead you to places where youll become a learner. So you dont
understand Jazz Hands? Invite the person who does Jazz Hands to coffee. Become open to experiencing God in
new ways through unfamiliar disciplines. Ask questions. Please help me learn ___________. Be humble.
Who exactly are we missing in our community? Ask God for them. :)

Lesson 23

Loving the Body of Christ

To do, when you have some time:

In a posture of praying and listening, read through all of the arts listings in your local paper, not just the ones
youre comfortable with, and note the ones that provoke a gut response. Pick out one of those, GO experience
it, and afterwards, discuss your experience with another artist. What did you experience through this outing?
Write it below. (For your eyes only.)

Some practical suggestions:

Learn new art forms that fascinate you.
Seek out artists in new fields.
Pay attention to why it is beautiful.
Take notice of the artists around you who are in your blind spots, pray for them, meet with them, and find
ways to honor their work in your space.
Hold work-in-progress showcases: Lower the bar in a non-threatening atmosphere.
Example: Host 8 Minutes Max using a prompt or theme.
Facilitate collaborations between disciplines: Approach two individuals and ask, Can you work together
on something for _____? Or call for art in two unrelated art forms. Help people think through the process.

Conflict with personalities: Study personality theory and the spiritual gifts. Book recommendations: Please
Understand Me by David Keirsey; Invitation to a Journey by M. Robert Mulholland Jr. Dont be quick to pin
peoples quirks on their choice of artistic discipline. Learn to have generosity toward one anothers weaknessnes. Find ways to call out each others best.

Conflict with leaders: Come alongside them; be on their side and educate them slowly and with grace.

Hold a discussion group to share YouTube videos of your favorite artists or disciplines, or hold classes on
how to talk about or experience certain unfamiliar forms of art.
What ideas from this video resonate with you? Write about them here (for your eyes only).