“But Now Bring me a HARPIST”
Today, as Justin, Angela and I were in the car heading toward Long Beach for our lunch gathering with Mosaic, Ed Salas walked out of Newsong getting ready to leave for the lunch as well. For some reason, I felt I needed to jump in his car and ride with him. I realized later, it was what God had intended.
In these past few weeks since my Chicago trip, I have learned that God is always speaking to us. And I have begun to listen. And in our car ride to our lunch, God spoke through Ed Salas. This is what he shared.
I began sharing about the story God has been writing in my heart in regards to our Artisan movement. And Ed shared with me two things that brought affirmation and clarity.
(1) The Creative Arts Ministry’s purpose has been about creating an environment for people to experience God. To help our church experience the AWE of God. BUT how can we create the environment when we ourselves do not know what experiencing God is. Which affirms God’s calling for the Artisans to “Seek Him First.”
(2) Then Ed shared 2 Kings 3 with me. This happened to be his reading that morning. It’s a story of the three kings of Israel rising up together against the Moabites. “After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.” So they called for an prophet and Elisha was the one. What did he do before he prophesied?
“But now bring me a harpist” (2 Kings 3:5 NIV)
He asked for a harpist! A musician. An Artisan. Why? I believe he worshiped.
5 But now bring me a harpist.”While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16 and he said, “This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18 This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD;…” (NIV)
When Ed read this to me as we were parked outside the restaurant, I felt so affirmed. God has been beating me up, wrecking me, making it real clear what he want us, Artisans, to do. He wants us to first Seek Him. So let’s do it.
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. [b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29 NIV)
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Beautiful, Sam. Glad you jumped out of our car!
loved this, thanks for sharing!
it’s so beautiful to encounter Him, even in a seemly casual car ride!
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Artisan Warriors
The Artisans: “With God as our Muse, the Artisans are craftsman, artists and storytellers who take that which exists before and use it to create a new, unique expression of Truth.”
The Warriors: "The Warriors is an active defender and protector of the poor, the fatherless and the widow and anyone facing injustice."
Vision Statement: To creatively express our love for God and his people as our act of worship*.
*Worship: An active response and an expressive act of devotion to who God is.
Our hope is that we will not merely be Artisans but become something more, the Artisan Warrior.
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