Discovering God Through the ArtsНамуна

Artistic images continue to speak to us today, as well as other art forms that comment on the Scripture text, reinforcing Scripture’s power and bringing it to life with dramatic effect. They help us understand the complexities of theology and of life and awaken our spirits to the wonder of God’s Word and God’s world.

Music found an easier acceptance in the church because of its connection with worship in ancient Israel. From the song of Moses (Ex. 15) to the poetic expression of the Psalms, there is a strong tradition of valuing music in the Bible. The New Testament records that Jesus and the apostles sang a hymn after celebrating the last supper (Mark 14:26), Paul and Silas sang in prison (Acts 16:25), and singing was part of the early gatherings of the church (Acts 2:46–47). In Ephesians 5:19, Paul celebrates the value of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." Many scholars even suggest that several Pauline passages may be quotes from the hymns of his day, such as 1 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Timothy 2:11–13, which were used as quick summaries of key doctrinal beliefs. Then there is the book of Revelation, which is filled with instances of worship and singing. Singing, it seems to imply, is nothing less than a foretaste of heaven. 

Spiritual growth, as most of us can personally testify, doesn’t just happen. It requires that we make some choices and some commitments. It requires that we engage with spiritual practices or spiritual disciplines to guide us along the path to spiritual maturity. Our salvation may not be primarily concerned with how diligently we pursue our life with God, but our actual spiritual maturity is most definitely connected to it. Spiritual disciplines are what we do that encourages growth. That’s why, when we talk about our relationship with God, we often use metaphors of progression, words and phrases that speak of our spiritual maturity as a walk, a journey, running a race, or moving through stages. When we stand still, we aren’t going forward. We practice our faith so we might become more adept as disciples of Jesus Christ.