Knox Vancouver

Why the Church Needs More Art Now

     Why now? Because the last fifty years has seen the public frame their perception of the socially conservative wing of the church by what it opposes, not for what it promotes. The church must be much more intentional about telling our story – who we are and what we do.

     Throughout history, the church was the per-eminent patron of the arts in the Western world. It used the arts to build magnificent buildings. Architects learned how to build higher and thinner walls to give the sacred place a hint of the majesty of God and to allow the stained glass windows to be as large as possible. The many tri-fold arches and windows speak of the Trinity.

     The musical scales we use, four-part harmony, and the musical notation system were all developed to facilitate church singing. The pipe organ was developed from a rudimentary set of flutes to an engineering marvel because (until the synthesizer was invented) it was the only musical instrument which could play a note forever with no diminishment of sound. That’s important because the lack of any decay in sound was likened to the eternal nature of God!

     When literacy was low and Bibles were scarce, churches portrayed the biblical stories in art, particularly in stained glass windows. Parishioners could ‘read’ the Bible through their church’s art. Now that we read the Bible itself, art serves to remind us of those stories.

     But telling stories is just one way to communicate. The arts, everything from architecture to music to literature to dance to visual and culinary arts of all sorts, are a great way to convey impressions and messages.

     Art creates opportunities for varied learning. Music, poetry, preaching, and personal sharing connects to auditory learners. Physical artwork, photography, drama, dance, and sign connects to visual learners. Those who learn by doing can take active roles in preparing and carrying out art in worship services and through artistic elements which invite worshipers out of their seats to come participate in live art which is completed during the actual service. Many people learn through not just one style of learning but through many, and art is an excellent way to learn and engage.

     As our Knox Vision States: We aspire to engage our neighbours through the arts, building a community without loneliness.

     Art can speak to us in on an emotional level and help us relate to one another in our pain and struggles.

     Tom Wright makes a great case for why the church should support the arts: “Part of the role of the church in the past was – and could and should be again – to foster and sustain lives of beauty and aesthetic meaning at every level, from music making in the village pub to drama in the local primary school, from artists’ and photographers’ workshops to still-life painting classes, from symphony concerts to driftwood sculptures. The church, because it is the family that believes in hope for new creation, should be the place in every town and village where new creation bursts forth for the whole community, pointing to the hope that, like all beauty, always comes as a surprise.”

     There’s something beautiful about art. It’s completely human, yet it reveals the mystery of the Gospel in unique ways. Arts captures attention. It invites people into a story. It could even be argued that this generation can only be reached through the arts.

     Without art, our ministry wouldn’t engage culture. We’d sit in our church buildings, clench our theology and watch as the world passes us by.