Creativity
Only God can make something out of nothing. That’s the amazing thing about how God makes things. He has the best imagination. He thinks up all the things we love in creation and makes them out of nothing–just with his words. Only God can make things this way. Do you realize that when God made a Giraffe, there had never been one before? Not only can he make something from nothing, with only his words, the things he makes are TOTALLY unique! God has the best imagination. There had never been a bear before God made the first bear. There had never been a person before God made the first person.
Instead of making things from nothing, with just our words, we make things with the stuff that God has made. We take clay and make sculpture. We take crayons and markers and draw pictures. We take wood and steel and make instruments to play music. We can’t make things like God made, but we can use what God has given to us. God has the very best imagination, but he’s given us great imaginations and great things to work with too.
In 2008-2009, SojournKids experimented with something that we called Creative Worship Sundays. The project was partially funded by a grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship. On four selected Sundays, our children’s worship service was integrated with a visual art project. The children gathered together for a time of singing and teaching, and then broke up into age-appropriate classes to work creatively on a project designed by a Sojourn artist. The liturgy, songs, lesson, and art project was all integrated. The rhythm of the entire Sunday service reinforced the biblical revelation/response paradigm where our creativity finds its proper place as a thoughtful response to what God has spoken to us through his word. Sojourn pastors, musicians, liturgists, children’s teachers, and artists prepared lessons collaboratively. Here are some of our fruits:
“The Light Has Come”: Creative Worship Sunday for Advent
The Creative Worship Sunday for Advent celebrated Jesus as the light that shines into our dark world. You can link to the Bible lesson and musical liturgy and art project that or download the full lesson plan (PDF). We also hope you enjoy the video documentary of the project (below), which was created by our own Drew Layman.
“God Has the Best Imagination”: Creative Worship Sunday on Creation
To correspond with the beginning of our 2009 sermon series, B.C.: Creation to Cross, on the Old Testament, we opened the new year with a lesson on God’s imagination and uniqueness as the Creator. You can link to the Bible lesson, music liturgy, and art project. For the art project, 40 little picassos at Sojourn church were encouraged to draw animals out of their imaginations. Older kids and adults then drew, collaged, and painted on top of those original drawings, making them even more wild. Others were then asked to create names for the imagined animals and write a brief pseudo-scientific description of them. The finished products were displayed at Sojourn’s 930 gallery as part of an exhibit entitled, “Imagined Animals.”
“He is Alive!” Creative Worship Sunday for Easter
Our Easter lesson emphasizes the uniqueness of Christ as the Resurrected Lord. You can link to the Bible lesson, music sets for both Palm Sunday and Easter, and two art projects for Easter Sunday. Also, Sojourn musicians composed three original songs entitled, “Hosanna in the Highest”, “The Cross Is Not The End”, and “God’s Love Goes On Forever,” for these children’s worship services. And here is a family worship guide for reviewing the lesson at home.
Creative Worship Sunday for Mother’s and Father’s Day music liturgy
Creative Worship Sunday for Proverbs art project
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