(6 min read)
Recently, I almost stopped my reading plan out of a mixture of boredom and frustration during the book of Exodus.
In my mind the book of Exodus is a sweeping narrative of God liberating His people. The beautiful story in the movie “Prince of Egypt” comes to mind.
So, imagine my surprise when I forgot nearly half of the book consists of tedious instructions on how many cubits, what kind of wood, and the precise locations on how to craft the tabernacle. See excerpts below:
Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker. 2 All the curtains are to be the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.[a] 3 Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five.
Or, such hits as:
“Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. 2 Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze.
Lastly,
12 “The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. 13 On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. 14 Curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases,
I don't see these quotes hung in many homes alongside, “as for me and my house…”
Much of the book is more of the same. Intricate instructions on different types of wood, silk, designs, and a lot more details that were making my morning quiet time increasingly frustrating. I mean, How am I supposed to walk humbly when I just read math and architecture for 30 minutes?
I hope you read my self-deprecating sarcasm in these words, and know that it is going to come back around. I love the book of Exodus, and what I did not realize was I was seeing God’s creative process firsthand.
Reflecting on our Christmas Eve Services
See, as someone who has taken up drawing the last couple years, the creative process is not as free-flowing, peaceful, or uplifting all the time. Often it is exactly as I described above, tedious, intricate, and laborious.
It was not until a couple months afterwards, as I reflected on our church’s Christmas eve services, that I appreciated the portions of Exodus that frustrated me before.
See, Christmas for the church is a lot like finals week in college. Everyone is busy, there are deadlines constantly coming forward, some of us are even pulling all-nighters! There are multitudes of services, videos, plans, volunteer teams, and much more to orchestrate. Everyone’s workload is heightened in some way or another. It can be easy to feel worn out during these seasons.
However, as I sat and watched the incredibly artful service I reflected on Exodus. The service began with a spoken word, had beautiful orchestral music woven throughout, and followed a story about a father reconnecting with his daughter. I was blown away by how it felt as though I was taking part in a story rather than watching a normal church service.
All of this took an enormous amount of people following clear and specific instructions, which was at times tedious, intricate, and laborious.
However, the end product was nothing short of a creative masterpiece. Which is how I imagine the Hebrew people felt when they were crafting the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle. No wonder they grumbled, it was like finals week and God was their professor!
But the outcome was the tabernacle. A beautiful and creative expression that allowed the people of God to worship Him (without the tabernacle they could not enter his presence!). What an incredible expression of creativity as an act of worship.
So, I want to list 3 ways the creative act is a spiritual practice:
- The creative process invites us to discipline.
- The creative process invites us to solitude and stillness.
- The creative process brings joy to others.
The Creative Process Invites us to Discipline
Many people think that beautiful art just happens. They assume that people are born with the ability to sing, dance, paint, or design.
However, most creatives would tell you it has taken years to hone their craft. Potters are not simply born, and neither are poets.
Pursuing creative hobbies or practices is always sparked by passion. However, after realizing that their practice is usually the same as everything else - showing up consistently when it has stopped becoming fun - it can be easy to become dismayed or cynical.
However, just like my reading of Exodus, the creative process reminds us that beautiful things take time. They take energy. They take discipline.
Our culture desires quick fixes, easy gains, and simple answers. However creativity invites us to pursue our passion without the thrill of a quick success. In fact, as many creatives would say, creativity lacks an “end point.”
I was watching one of my favorite artists stream, and I asked the question “how did you know when you ‘made it?’” This artist, who was very prolific and well-renowned, said “I don’t think I ever did, does anyone?”
The Creative Process Invites us to Solitude and Stillness
When I read Richard Foster’s incredible classic “Celebration of Discipline” I ate it up. Every chapter revealed a new way to engage with God in the fullest sense.
Until I got to the chapter on stillness, silence, and solitude. As an extrovert who constantly needs distractions, this was like a death sentence.
However, what I found is that when I remove all the noise and am forced to stop moving; I was able to process everything I was struggling with. I stopped moving away from it, or focusing on things to distract me; and instead simply had to confront the thoughts and experiences I was running from.
The creative process is often done alone. It is also usually difficult to multi-task while trying to produce a piece of art, choreography, or embroidery piece. We are forced to stop, usually use our hands, and focus on exactly what we are doing. This unique setting allows us to practice stillness. It allows us to be alone with our thoughts, prayers, and maybe even listen to the soft voice of God.
The Creative Process Brings Joy to Others
It took me 10 hours. I went over my lines, didn't like them, then went over them again. I broke it up into chunks and usually only had time for 1-2 hours before I had to go into work, so it took well over a week. When I finally finished, I held up my art, looked at it from several different angles. I didn’t like it.
I, and many other visual artists like myself, often have the same response. Laboring over something and finally completing it and thinking “the initial sketch was better…”
However, I was watching an artist who was asked this question “how do you develop a style you like?” Their response was that they don’t really make art because they enjoy the end product.
They enjoy the act of creation. The act of making something brings them that excitement and joy.
Yet, when other people see the art we make - usually the response is joy. Most times I will show someone something I didn’t consider that good, and I see them have such joy and wonder on their face. It is the same way we feel when we go to a museum, a play, or a dance competition.
I doubt actors do what they do to watch themselves on tape (well maybe some of them), or singers to hear their own voice - most of the time it is so others can listen, so others can see, and so the people around us can join with us in the joy that comes with experiencing something a fellow human created.
Further Reading
If you enjoyed this topic and want to read more, I have been moved by the books below. They are all about creativity, written by fellow creatives/spiritualists.
- The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
- Beauty Will Save the World by Brian Zahnd
- The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron
If you’re interested in learning more about Grace Chapel or coming to visit us, feel free to reach out to me, Dom Bronico, at .
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