In the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, the sister of British Olympian Eric Liddell urged her brother to give up an athletic career for the sake of his "true" calling -- serving as a cross-cultural missionary. He resisted her either-or thinking by insisting that there was more than one way for him to glorify God. To Liddell, serving the Lord should not require him to give up his greatest gift: "I believe that God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. When I run, I feel his pleasure."
Athletes aren't the only ones who are presented with this unfortunate choice between gifting and God's will. Over the years I have encountered many artists who were similarly compelled to set aside talents in music, dance, or visual arts so that they could pursue a career in ministry. It breaks my heart to hear how often young people come to understand Christin vocation in terms of this stark binary -- it's either God's will for your life, or your art. In Many Beautiful Things, a recent movie about English painter Lilias Trotter, the protagonist's decision is portrayed in the same way: she decided to serve the Lord in North Africa, relegating herself to obscurity, and thereby forsaking the potential to be England's best living artist. (This is one of her watercolors. Also, see the movie trailer at the bottom of this post, or at this link.)
About 25 years ago, as a freshman at Asbury University, I also felt caught between two choices. My major was Christian Mission, but I was also pursuing a minor in Music. To some people -- including myself at times -- it seemed like I couldn't make up my mind. Was I going to pursue mission or music? It was a choice I didn't want to make, one that seemed false, requiring me to either give up my calling to cross-cultural ministry or set aside my (modest) God-given abilities in music. So it was with much gratitude that I learned about ethnomusicology -- more specifically, that the study of music and culture was a discipline being used in mission work, under the umbrella of what would one day be called ethnodoxology. Thankfully, this discovery came early in my college life, so I did not have to live in the tension between two choices for very long. While the world is different now that it was in the 1800s, presenting more opportunities than what was available for Liddell or Trotter, there are still artists today who forsake their gifts in order to pursue a career in ministry.
Fortunately, we serve a God who is in the business of opening up new possibilities for those who are gifted with creativity. Take the story of Bezalel, who is, at best, a minor character in the Old Testament. Not too many sermons are preached about his calling in Exodus 31:1-11 and 35:30-36:7. The scriptures give us no hint of what he said in response to God’s command to fashion the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the ark of the covenant. As I imagine it, Bezalel did not struggle with obeying these instructions. He was an artisan, and he probably learned his skills with wood, stone, and metal as a foreman in Pharaoh’s many building projects. The exodus from Egypt meant that Bezalel left behind his vocation; there were no construction projects in the desert. Following Moses across the Red Sea must have felt like the ending of his career as an artist.
At first I thought that my calling to mission work meant that I would have to forget about being a musician. I only knew about two distinct tracks for those called to ministry: word-based ministries for pastors and missionaries, and arts-based work for worship leaders. It felt like choosing one over the other would have been a major loss. So when I discovered a way to blend the two tracks -- that is, to bring my music background into cross-cultural ministry, I did not question whether or not God was behind it. When I learned that mission-focused ethnomusicology offered a way of doing both “word” and “arts” ministries together, I did not have to pray about signing up. This revelation was an answer to prayer, not something to go on the prayer list. I imagine Bezalel responded to Moses’s commission in the same way; he didn't have to say anything because working with wood, stone, and gold was exactly what he was supposed to do.
To you artists out there who are struggling with your calling, resist the voices that insist you must make a clear-cut choice between God and gifting. Of course God wants your art to be submitted to him -- your gifts in the arts are no different from any part of your life. But submission does not mean obliteration. God doesn't have to take away your skills in music, painting, dance, writing, poetry, set design, or sculpture in order for him to be glorified. If you feel torn between your art and your calling to ministry, grab ahold of God's promises to make all things new (Revelation 21:5). The resurrected and ascended Lord will help you overcome the trap of being forced into either-or decisions.
In addition to my two primary occupations -- as a theology student and a pastor of twochurches -- I also serve as the Reviews Editor for the journal Global Forum on Arts and Christian Faith. Book review essays are among my favorite kinds of writing, so I would like to offer some advice for reviewers who might want to (or be asked to) write one of their own.
First of all, there is no formula for writing an engaging review of a book (or a film, art exhibit, or performance). Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that no one wants to read a formulaic review. However, like all art forms -- and yes, reviewing and critiquing are forms of art -- there are certain conventions to consider when composing a review essay.
List the title, author, year of publication, publisher, and number of pages. This is all standard stuff that usually comes at the beginning of the review. A good editor will ask you for it if you forget to submit it with your draft.
Include a quote from the book. Part of your job as a reviewer is to describe the author's main point(s). This can (usually) be accomplished by quoting the thesis, or a supporting argument, directly from the book. Don't make it too long -- a sentence or two is probably adequate.
Tell us what you think. A review is not simply a report or summary of what the book says. That's what dust jackets are for, and a de-personalized summary of a book's main points is not fun reading. Your job as a reviewer is to converse with the author based on your own experiences and viewpoints. This is why you don't have to know more about the subject than the author -- you just need to relate it to your own personal knowledge in interesting ways. But don't go overboard -- no one (besides your own mother) wants to read a review that is mostly about you.
Place the book in an intellectual landscape. Be sure to mention what kind of book is being reviewed, such as which genre it belongs to -- e.g., systematic theology, ethnography, fiction, poetry, etc. Go a step further, thereby creating a stronger review, by placing this book in relation to other books -- that is, describe how it is similar to or different from well-known works in the same field. For instance, if the author studied at a prominent university with famous professors, then establishing their academic pedigree might help your readers better understand the book's perspective. Also, if the book is theological in nature, then you might mention where the author studied and/or which faith tradition she belongs to. In other words, your ability to frame the book within a universe of ideas will greatly increase the value of your review. This is essentially why I read book reviews. It's not only that I lack the time to read every book that I want (or need) to. I also want to know how various schools of thought are developing and who is contributing to them.
Combine more than one book. A multiple-book review is a great way to situate a book within a wider academic framework. Placing two or three (or more) books in conversation with each other exposes and clarifies the different intentions of the various authors. Also, you might consider pairing a theoretical book with one focused on practical matters, testing whether the ideas in the former support the recommendations in the latter.
Read other reviews, especially of the book(s) you are writing about. Don't reinvent the wheel; make sure you aren't writing a review that someone else already has. Also, other reviewers will spark ideas and draw out things that you didn't notice on your first reading. Here are some publications who put out excellent review essays for a general audience:
In addition, every academic field has its own journals that include thoughtful and critical reviews of new academic books. You might need access to a library or a subscription to read those, and scholarly reviews may take years to come out (instead of weeks for popular books).
Mention where the book succeeds and where it fails. You aren't a Roman Emperor who gets to decide whether the author lives or dies. So your review should be more nuanced than "liked it" or "didn't like it." The book did at least one thing right, and there was something it could have done better. Point out examples of each. Better yet, tie your praises and criticisms to something you have noticed in your own experience.
So, why do we write book reviews at all? Because we want better books. A.O. Scott, film critic for the New York Times, wrote recently that critics are not the enemies of artists, nor are they parasites who feed off of creative types. Critics are actually artists in their own right, trying to improve society's output of art. Go make the world a better place and write a critical review of a book you just read. If it's about worship or art and culture, send me a message and ask about putting it in our journal.
United Methodists like to meet, or -- in the official language -- "to conference." (Yes, I'm using that word as a verb.) We have charge conferences every year for each local church to name its officers and committee chairs and set pastors' salaries. Our primary administrative units are called annual conferences, showing that the UMC's organizational
structure is based on what happens at these yearly face-to-face gatherings where laity and clergy gather to worship and make decisions. But as an entire denomination, the United Methodist Church only does it's official business at a set of meetings that occur every four years -- an event called General Conference.
It is easy to remember what years General Conference happens -- it's always the same as the US Presidential election and the Summer Olympics. Milestones in the life of the United Methodist Church (and the Methodist Church before we became "United") are marked by conference years:
1744 - John Wesley has his first meeting of Methodist preachers to set guidelines for the new movement.
1784 - First conference for American Methodists. Francis Asbury is set apart as a Superintendent, a title he later changed to Bishop.
1956 - Full clergy rights were granted to women pastors.
1968 - The United Methodist Church was officially created from a merger of several denominations.
Even our main denominational publications, such as the United Methodist Hymnal, are approved at General Conference. (Our current hymnal was voted on in 1988.)
But the main books that come out of General Conference are our official rulebook -- The Book of Discipline -- and our official policy statements -- The Book of Resolutions. No other group, and no individual, can speak for the denomination; General Conference is the only official voice of the church.
The 864 delegates to General Conference, equally divided between clergy and laity, sent by their respective annual conferences, are expected to vote on something like 1044 petitions over 10 days. Delegates come from every place in the world where United Methodist churches are established -- it is truly a worldwide gathering, with people from the Philippines, Africa, and Europe joining the US delegates.
This General Conference is being hosted in Portland, Oregon on May 10-20. The theme is 'Therefore, Go', based on the Great Commission of Matthew 28.
I understand that we will be able to watch the sessions online once things get underway in Portland. In the meantime, and throughout, I would encourage all United Methodists to pray for the proceedings. See this website for prayer resources: http://60daysofprayer.org/ While the details can get quite technical, the business of General Conference is important.
