“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8

God is the “Original and Master Artisan and Entertainer” and Creation certainly attests to this truth. The broad spheres of Arts and Entertainment contain visual and performing art, dance, music, theatre, sports, architecture, even writing – all of which have the power and potential of instilling wonder, appreciation for beauty and life itself.

Dr. Francis Schaeffer taught his students at “L’Abri Fellowship” in Switzerland that if you studied the dominant art of the day, you would see what the culture would look like in five years. While some would say religious belief is the most potent force impacting societal values, the arts reflect, re-enforce, and in many ways set standards for culture. As Western culture has absorbed postmodern thought, Biblical values have been completely ignored, replaced by edgier and more graphic depictions in the arts and entertainment.

There IS such a thing as ‘Evil Art’ and it refers to art which presents a worldview that is hostile to a biblical worldview and therefore provides false solutions to man’s social and moral problems.

Sadly, most followers of Jesus go to work, attend a church fellowship, go home, and make almost no impact upon, or contact with, the cultural arts. For the last 2000 years the Church has been the force which has influenced the arts far more than any other force and the current state is a vast departure from this history.

SUGGESTED PRAYER –

Pray that believers called to this mountain will overcome darkness with the Light.

Pray that those called to this mountain will produce entertainment that displays godly lifestyles, behaviors and values and believers will actively support it.

Renounce corruption and perversion within this mountain.

Pray for a greater and lasting recovery of the arts and imagination for the Church to remain relevant in its communication to our culture.

Weep over our cultural disobedience and neglect of God's good and creative gifts and pray for the artist and the Church to weep together over their mutual alienation.

Pray that these mutual tears turn into righteous and culturally impacting action.

Battle in the unseen world against the outright celebration of ungodly values and the distortion and perversion of godly values in this highly contested cultural territory. 

Pray for the spiritual and artistic formation of the next generation leaders in the arts who are followers of Jesus.