We are a gathering of people in the arts who live or work around the Blue Mountains, NSW. We are exploring how we can support each other as Christians in the arts. We are musicians, poets, writers, visual artists, photographers, song-writers, patch-workers, avid hobbyists and the arts-interested!
You are welcome to join in the exploration.
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MaP people
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Recent comments
UJIMAA (@UJIMAAcom) on About BillGoss on 1203: March 2012 BillGoss on Sunday 29th January, 3 pm aussienetsuke on About wendytsai on About
Here are the way I’d rank these suggestions:
Priorities
1. Conversations about how other Christians are working – what inspires their work
2. Faith informing art
3. Education – Conference/seminar; teaching/learning (Contextualizing visual and musical language?)
4. Professional development
5. Making space for art
6. A springboard for other ‘arts’ activities connected with the conversations
7. Activities/ shows/ exhibitions/ gigs; when and how – around the Christian calendar
8. Collaboration
9. Exploring God’s presence in the world (how?)
10. Providing an oasis in the midst of word-centred culture of church
Values
1. Conversation/dialogue
2. Diversity of thinking
3. Curiosity
4. Everyone can have a voice
5. Being open to surprise
6. Relationship with Jesus
7. Non-pressured
8. Public – Not privatized
9. Educational component to what we do – for who and how?
10. The world is our playground
11. ‘Live as though we make a difference and encouraging each other to live as though we make a difference’
12. Giving back into the world/ into the church
13. Exploring the human condition
14. Allowing room for mystery
15. Imagination, images, dreams, can be used by God
Hi all
I think the fact that we are meeting and sharing ideas and art is the key benefit of the group – the body of Christ in action.
I have been chuffed/stoked to meet with like-minded and different-minded people from all walks and denominations. It’s a rare thing I think.
Not that I don’t think we should have direction and purpose etc etc. But really the fact that there is a group is the key cause for celebration for me at the moment.
Andrew Tred
Great Andrew, I think the direction and purpose will unfold as we gather…. I think I like it that way, it may mean that the direction we head has more to do with the group, the place, the time, the art??? We arts locavores?? Wendy
Who here remembers Kieth Green and The last Days Ministry? Well my daughter looked them up after playing our “best of” KG album and as a result I came across this article by his wife Melody, have a read and see if it is saying something relevant to MAP’s concerns. http://lastdaysministries.org/Articles/1000008528/Last_Days_Ministries/LDM/Discipleship_Teachings/Melody_Green /Direct_Contact_Seasoning.aspx Sorry I could not figure how to create a link. Happy new year to all, Warwick.
http://lastdaysministries.org/Articles/1000008528/Last_Days_Ministries/LDM/Discipleship_Teachings/Melody_Green/Direct_Contact_Seasoning.aspx
Thanks Warwick, I read the ‘Media Arts’ article by Melody. Not sure if that’s the one you meant, but I found it very encouraging! In fact, it spoke to my heart on many levels, being a Keith Green fan from way back. It’s these kinds of words that help me to breathe in God’s good air of inspiration and imagination, freed from the ‘evangelistic lens’ of church speak. It reminds me of the value of speaking into those heart places of people who don’t hear the Word preached every week, nor would come any where near a church, but who may be moved to seek Him in the places of human experience that are ‘good’ and ‘right’ because they are authored in the goodness of God as He reigns on the good and the wicked alike. How I long for us to open those wide spaces of his grace, the freedom to move within his holiness without the language of piety and judgement! The spaces where Jesus spat in the dirt to heal, where he ate with sinners, conversed at the well with a foreign woman with several partners, the Jesus who let the sinful woman wash his feet, or responded with forgiveness the man lowered through the roof. There is so much space in there to explore what humanity is when facing the Christ….
Thanks again, Warwick!
Certainly sounds like you read the article I suggested, Wendy. If we who follow Christ are his body, then let us see what art comes from the master’s hands.
Hello everyone, I’m a fellow believer who has started a site to help Christian Artists, Musicians and the like to get their projects off the ground.
The site we started is called UJIMAA (www.ujimaa.com).
We provide a faith based crowdfunding platform for the Christian community. There is no reason why your passions cannot be showcased and shared with the world. We can work as one community to help those of Faith.
Best!