Celebrate Creativity

A couple of days ago I blogged about someone who was slamming our church for our casual atmosphere in connection to not being reverant before God. I’ve thought a lot about it since then and continued to read more and more people who have the same stand on “casual” churches.

Here’s another perspective from my heart towards this criticism:

I drip creativity. I love graphics, unique decorating, and ambiance. I have a passion for taking whatever is given to me and refurbishing it. I like things to attract interest and spark conversation. In fact, it was prophecied over me many years ago that my ministry would be “CREATIVE” by a complete stranger. That word has followed me my whole life. So, when you walk into our church you may see it one of two ways. You may see it as funky, casual, and irreverent. I see it as a mirror into my heart. I see it as my energies and creativity poured out as an offering to Jesus. It’s eccentric, it’s different, and it’s my GIFT to God. It’s a piece of art – not like Van Gogh – but nonetheless, art. It’s the DNA that God gave me literally birthed into the heart of a church. It’s the mix between how He’s made me and the job He’s asked of me, created into a living church. And it’s beautiful…to God.

That’s why my blood boils when it’s criticized as something that God disapproves of. No, no, no…just as both of my daughter’s love me different ways, I don’t criticize their offering. Delaney brings me cotton balls glued to paper and looks up to see if I’m pleased with her creation. Kennedy brings hugs that will melt my heart. Neither is more preferred and both is accepted because it’s brought with a pure heart. Some pastors bring suits and ties, some bring jeans and a cup of coffee, but both just want one thing…to be WITH Jesus with that same pure heart.

It never occured to me to create a church that was trendy for trendy’s sake. Just to con people into coming in and then surprise them with a little Jesus sprinkled around. Please. We created it this way because it’s a reflection of who we are and it’s laced with Biblical truth from end to end. Isn’t that what God wants us to bring before Him? If you took the creativity out of the church, how do I express myself to God? And why, when we look around at God’s creation, do we even begin to think that creativity is the enemy? He created a million different kind of bugs…just because.

So maybe a unique way of doing things isn’t a direct assault against reverence and tradition, but rather a celebration of who God really is. Maybe “casual” and “reverent” aren’t polar opposites, but rather dance around each other with a beauty that attracts people back to church and back to Jesus. Maybe they aren’t enemies, but the very combination that will change our nation. Maybe. Just maybe.