The World of Christian Ar

By Gene Edward Veith

Worship is all about coming into the presence of Christ. For Lutherans, this is not just some figure of speech. When we go to church, we believe that He is really there—in the building—that in Word and Sacrament He is actually present.

“For where two or three are gathered in my for name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). Notice how often the name of Jesus and the Triune God is invoked in the Divine Service (“In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...”): at the beginning, in the absolution, in the prayers, in baptism, in Holy Communion, in the blessings. When we gather, pray and receive His gifts in His name, by the power of His word, there He is among us.

Now this is true even when the sermon gets a little boring, or when everything seems routine, or when our minds are filled with so many distractions that it is hard to pay attention. Christ is still present, even though we do not perceive Him. To use Luther’s phrase, He is hidden. Just as God hid Himself in the man crucified on a cross, He hides Himself in that book on the lectern, the waters of baptism, bread and wine, in the vocation of the pastor, and—when you receive His gifts in faith—in you.

The appropriate emotions when you realize that you are in the presence of Christ are awe, joy, and wonder. But we are not always that aware of what is happening in worship, and our emotions are generally out of synch.

What art in worship can do is to remind us—mentally and emotionally—of what is going on. Depictions of Christ—on the crucifix, in the stained glass windows, in paintings above the altar—call to mind His presence. All of those crosses help us focus our minds on what He did for us, and that His presence is for our forgiveness.

Then there are the symbols—the doves and vines, the seashells with drops of water, the crowns, the odd emblems on the banners. A symbol expresses a concept by means of a concrete image. Its purpose is not just to communicate some abstraction, but to bring the truth down to earth, to manifest it so that we can imagine what it means. Contemplating a symbol can help us realize new facets of the truth it symbolizes, and, in worship, can remind us that Christian doctrines are not just vague propositions, but are tangible realities.

Music is another art form used in worship.The word is in good hymns, but most churches use instrumental music too—pure form, pure aesthetics.

The music—not just the words—needs to be fitting for the occasion, in this case, for coming into the presence of Christ. This is no time for 60’s nostalgia, pop tunes, rock ‘n’ roll, or campfire songs. Not that there is anything wrong with these musical styles in their spheres. There are different kinds of music for different occasions. As one wag has noted, “’Who Let the Dogs Out’ works well at a football game, but it wouldn’t go over as well at a funeral.” Church music, as well as other kinds of church art should evoke an air of mystery, so as to highlight the mysteries of salvation.

No work of art or piece of music can add to what Christ is already doing in worship. What they can do is help to compose and focus our thoughts and feelings, to remind us of Christ’s presence, and to awaken that sense of awe, joy, and wonder.

Dr. Gene Edward Veith is Dean of Arts and Sciences at Concordia University, Mequon, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Higher Things.

By Steve Blakey

The first thing your eyes saw as you entered the art department was a poster, which read “Who is this fellow, Art?” It seemed appropriate for me as I entered my freshman year of college in 1978 searching for “art”. But who/what exactly is art? Simply put, it is communication. An artist is merely someone using a particular medium to get their message across. As a college freshman I stereotypically named painting, drawing, photography or sculpture as “art.” However, the truth is that we find art all around us. God’s creation communicates His love for us by providing color-rich sunsets, a stylishly designed automobile, or even a well-crafted sermon by your pastor!

As Christians, we enjoy a long history of art. Art that was created for the expressed purpose of communicating God’s message of salvation to us. The Lord created the rainbow as a promise to us that He would never again flood the earth as He did in Noah’s time (a masterpiece we can still view today). With His own hand He wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets for Moses to deliver to His chosen people. David, inspired by the Lord, wrote the Psalms and planned the building of the temple (which his son Solomon would later construct as foretold by God). Some of the earliest depictions of Christ would be foreign to us today, as He was generally shown as a young, beardless man.

Reformation-era Christians foreshadowed modern publishing with their ability to massproduce illustrated theological tracts using woodcuts and the printing press (www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/durer/engravings/). There’s an important element in artistic communication I refer to as the “ah ha” factor. You most often see it when an advertiser is hoping to make their product memorable, so you will go out and buy it.

Remember the Gatorade TV commercials where the athletes are dripping colored sweat? The voiceover does not say, “These people have been drinking Gatorade and its different colors will come out when you sweat them out.” All you see and hear at the closing is “Gatorade...Is It In You?” and you mentally say to yourself, “Ah-ha, I get it.” When the consumer “gets it,” they tend to remember the product because they felt they were in on something. The same is true for good liturgical or Christian art. If executed well, it should contain an element of the “ah-ha” factor. You’ve seen those bumper stickers where the ichthys with little feet formed the word Darwin, and they are followed by another bumper sticker showing a (smaller) Darwin ichthys being swallowed by a larger TRUTH ichthys? That is a great example of the “ah-ha” factor at work.

Lutheran liturgy is filled with rich examples of multiple (mixed) media pulled together to communicate God’s message of salvation. Take the order of Holy Baptism on page 199 in Lutheran Worship. The main elements (media) involved are God-given (Word and the water). It generally takes place within a church (architecture), with a font (sculpture), vestments, a white garment for the baptized (textiles) and a baptismal candle, which usually has a symbol on it depicting the Holy Spirit (illustration). This is no masterpiece housed in a museum. It’s a living, ongoing work. Amazingly, we are privileged to collectively recite the Lord’s Prayer (another God-given element), while witnessing Christ (through the pastor and congregation) expand His church on earth (interactive presentation).

As mentioned, an artist is someone who is trying to communicate something to his/her audience, and usually is the one who chooses how to solve this issue. Depending on how well the artist knows their subject, coupled with their creative ability and knowledge of the audience, will determine how successful their efforts are.

Steve Blakey is a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, IN and is Art Director for Higher Things magazine.