Remind me why we do this again!

I doubt there is anyone who does the Christian event/production/volunteer/crew thing in one way or another that doesn't at some point find themselves trying to remember WHY they do it. It might be 5am on a Sunday morning or standing in the pouring rain ankle deep in mud but we've all been there.

There are a lot of things that inspire me to do what I do. It is a lot of fun most of the time, there is a great sense of cameraderie with the amazing people I get to work with, sometimes there is even a bit of glamour to it all but there are other times when it is almost too hard and none of those things are enough.

At a recent meeting for Carols in the City (one of the many events I am involved in) the following verse was shared with us by Wendy Francis & it really hit me for the first time...

1 Thesalonians 1:3 "We continually remember before our God and Father your WORK produced by FAITH, your LABOR prompted by LOVE, and your ENDURANCE inspired by HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ." (emphasis mine)

I was reminded that I didn't start this journey for recognition - my labour was prompted by LOVE.

I don't stack chairs, roll cables or stand in the rain for money, fun or even primarily for friendship - my work is produced by FAITH.

AND - when I am sore, tired and feeling unappreciated I keep going because of an endurance that is inspired by HOPE.

1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. But the greatest of these is love." (emphasis mine)

Thoughts for artists #2

This is a great quote from Spurgeon on the sacred v's the secular that I read recently on James Macpherson's awesome blog (http://jamesmacpherson.blogspot.com/)...

"THE SEPERATION at what is called, “religious,” from the, “secular,” is one of the greatest possible mistakes. There is no such thing as a religion of Sundays, and of chapels and churches.

"At least though there is such a thing, it is not worth having. The religion of Christ is a religion for seven days in the week—a religion for every place and for every act!

"And it teaches men, whether they eat, or drink, or whatever they do, to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and to the glory of God! I pray that you may be kept from falling away from that religion, and that you may be kept up to the mark in serving the Lord in all things and attending diligently to the little commonplace matters of daily life."

So how then is it possible to be an artist & consider yourself to be a Christian but not to consider yourself a "Christian artist"? To me that is like not wanting to be considered a "Christian human"!