A Chase After the Wind

So, why do we study classical performing arts? Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things, or is it just another chase after the wind? What do you think? Why are you studying your art? Has God called you to this, and how has He shown you that He's called you?

What is your name?

Hi all! Every once in a while, I get asked the questions, "What should we call our Bible study group? What do other people call theirs?" So, I'm passing the question along to you: what do you call your group? It's an important factor. Anyone who is registered with The Christian Performing Artists' Fellowship as a leader is welcome to call their group a CPAF group, but they don't have to. We used to suggest that the Bible studies be called MasterClasses, but that's just a suggestion. It's important to know who your audience is before you name a group. Is it something you want to use as an evangelism tool, drawing non-believers, or is it mainly for the fellowship of believers? Also, are you associated with a group like InterVarsity or the Christian Musician's Fellowship, or maybe supported by a local church? These types of questions might come into play when naming your groups.

Starting to Settle into a Groove

Here I am, starting to settle into a bit of a groove for the year, like many of you, I'm sure. I'm starting to get a feel for a new schedule, and files are starting to make it to their allocated positions. All the new interns for CPAF (4 new ones!) have arrived, and are figuring out what it's like to live and work in Winona Lake. They're all located in little cubicles in the back room. They've labeled their workspace "The Ark" because the Lord has brought them in two by two. We have two Stephanie's and two Lindsey's this year.

I'm privileged to be leading two Bible studies this year here in Winona Lake. One is every other week for the new CPAF interns and the other is for performing artists at Grace College. For the interns, we started last week by looking at Psalm 107. I highly recommend it - it's one of my favorites! From here on for a while we're going to be digging into the Sermon on the Mount. I'm excited about that, and I think we're going to memorize it together, which will be awesome.

For the Grace College Bible study, I'm revising the topical Bible study from MasterWorks 2005 and we're going to work through those lessons each week as I revise them. I'm really looking forward to that as well. It's a topical study on issues relevant to artists, such as faithfulness, purpose, pursuing excellence, fear, perfectionism, competitiveness, etc... We'll be meeting for the first time on Thursday, so I appreciate your prayers for that. It's really hard to start "yet another Bible study" at a Christian college because students are already being fed the Word in their Bible classes, in Chapel, in their local church, and sometimes in mandatory Bible studies on campus. Even so, I'm hoping some students will still find this beneficial and want to come each week. I know that doing a study similar to this my first year working at CPAF was highly influential in changing my perspective of why I was even pursuing the arts. May the Lord use this study to be just as influential in opening our eyes to the truth He wants to communicate this year.

I know many of you have just started and are preparing to start your Bible studies in your schools and other performing arts situations. We'll be praying for you, and I hope you'll pray for one another. If you have specific prayer requests, updates, or suggestions (either for CPAF or for other Bible study leaders), please let us know. You can either post a comment in response to this post, call me at 574-267-5973, or email at cpaf.biblestudy@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

"I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen." This is our prayer for you, just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians. (See Eph. 3:14-21)

MasterWorks Festival News

Well, the MasterWorks Festival is coming to a close this summer. The Bible study leadership training classes have been great! We have over 100 people (students and faculty) signed up for "Track 2 Bible Study - To Make Him Known." People involved in this track are interested in finding out more about evangelism and discipleship in the arts world. We're hoping that many people will commit by the end of the week to going back to their performing arts institutions and organizations to start Bible studies, prayer groups, or Christian fellowship groups in the coming year.

It's been our goal this summer, as in past summers, to present the performing arts world as a mission field. We see it as an "unreached people group" full of lost, lonely, hurt, people in need of a savior. We believe that Jesus has a heart for artists and as missionaries to the arts world, we should be excellent in our art in order that we might gain an audience with other artists and share the good news of Jesus Christ with them!

I read a quote today that was striking - especially in light of the "Samaritan Woman at the Well" story we studied a couple weeks ago in John 4. An Arab proverb reads like this: "What is the greatest crime in the desert? Finding water and keeping silent."

So, Christian artists out there - lets not keep the living water a secret!