OM Arts International (Bill Drake)

911 - How Far We Have Come in 10 Years

2011-09-23T06:15:00.001-04:00

I got this from a dear friend, Andrew Scott - who comes from Northern Ireland, a area of the world that was ripped and torn by sectarian violence for more than 400 years. His insights here into the United States of America are so prophetic, and insightful, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to copy this to my Blog. Please read this, and ask God what to do. - Bill

With all the coverage of the events commemorating the terrible happenings on 9/11 something became painfully obvious to me.

Before I share what it was I will admit to being one of "them there foreigners" and so my view is from the perspective of one who has only lived here 9 years but who has always loved the USA. I guess I am a little unique - many Americans claim Irish roots while I am an Irish man who has American roots - my mother's parents met and married in New York and all her siblings were born here.

What became evident to me (I would believe many others also) is the stark contrast between the US in the days after 9/11 in 2001 and now 10 years later.

10 years ago we had a Christian statesman Billy Graham give a message outlining our need, as a nation, of God. He said, "we desperately need spiritual renewal....my prayer is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us." We had scripture reading and prayer in the name of Jesus. Our president said that these events "lead us to pray....prayers that yield our will to a will greater than ours.....may He always guide our country." Today the same event was held excluding evangelicals and certainly was a far cry from the messages we heard 10 years ago. It was more of a muddle of syncretism and political correctness.

10 years ago the solution in 2001 was to turn to God and today it seems to be "if we can come together." Difficult for God to wrap His arms around a people who distance themselves from Him. In regards to the New York service Mayor Bloomberg stated, "what religion would we chose anyway?" A strange question for a leader in country which states in their pledge, "under God," a God who the founding fathers had no doubt as to His identity.

10 years ago this country was united in an unprecedented way - Americans stood shoulder to shoulder hand in hand. I remember visiting 6 months afterwards and still every house, every yard had at least one flag flying. Today this country is as divided as it has been in decades.

10 years ago people flocked to churches with a new understanding of their deep need of the Judeo Christian God and a desire to feel his comforting touch. Church attendance immediately increased by 25% that Sunday. The following week, half of American adults attended a church somewhere. Today many churches are far below pre-9/11 numbers. Surveys show us that there seems to be more acceptance of other ways and sources of peace and God has been downgraded to one among many.

10 years ago our president called out on our behalf to Almighty God and challenged us to do the same. Today our president deems national prayer unconstitutional.

We have come a long way......in the wrong direction.

God gives us a simple solution.

If we would humble ourselves, pray, and turn from our wicked ways He would heal our land. Could it be that the pain that we are feeling as a nation today is somehow linked to our unwillingness to do these three things. 9/11/2001 humbled us and caused us to pray like never before. I fear that we we have not simply become passive in this regard but have taken clear steps to move in the opposite direction of doing these things.

May God have mercy on us and turn the hearts of this nation once again to Him.
May we personally learn the lesson of how easy it is for us as individuals to also slip and forget some of the foundational principles of our faith.

The Sending Out

2011-09-16T15:25:00.001-04:00

"The dismissal tells a story. It is more than a signal that the time of worship is over. It is the beginning of service in the world. The content of the Dismissal, although brief, should be well thought through. . . . [We] need to give careful thought to the words and actions that send God's people into the world."

Robert Webber, Worship Is a Verb: Celebrating God's Mighty Deeds of Salvation (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishing, 1992), 102-103.

One of the great things about doing the Master's Course on Worship Studies at IWS in Jacksonville, Florida, was that it really helped me to see things from a different perspective. For example, looking at the "Four-Fold" pattern of worship that seems to have permeated the life of congregations from very early on, until even now in our more liturgical expressions. Entering in to God's presence, or even being reminded of Jesus entry into this world, however you look at it, we "enter" intentionally into meetings, seasons, and experiences that are designed to make us more keenly aware of God's presence. The same goes for the ministry of the Word, The Table, and of course, the Dismissal.

But what got my attention about the above quote, were two things that are usually not intentionally done or communicated well in our congregational gatherings beyond a closing prayer:

1) The Story - of service in the world - being sent into that world
2) Why does this incredibly important aspect of worship need to be brief?

The emphasis on service (Romans 12:1&2) is so important to how we live - daily - in an extremely complex world. Making direct application, and moving from propositional truth to incarnation truth is so imperative in today's postmodern world, not only for relevance sake, but also for our own - we really do need to keep it real.

And an exhortation to really consider how we can, as is said in Hebrews 10, "Stimulate one-anther to love and good works" is so necessary in an environment today that is so fed up with talk, and really wants to see reality in people's actions. How might our congregations meetings look if we took one Sunday a month and emphasized this all too often passed over critical element in the life of a congregation's worship?

Brokenness is the Beauty

2011-09-04T02:14:00.001-04:00

True Beauty is at the core of God's self-disclosure.

IF this is true, what is to be said of the Incarnation,
not to mention nails, thorns, and blood?

(artwork from Bruce Herman)

Csodalotos (Cha-dal-o-tosh)

2011-08-30T01:19:00.001-04:00

What word do we have in the English language that comes close to expressing this idea: "brokenness is the beauty"? The Paradoxical collision of sacrificial selfless love with the nefarious nature of crucifixion unleashes a tidal wave of impact: the defeat of the powers of sin and death, and the provision of the saving grace made available for mankind - all met at the cross of Jesus Christ. No wonder this hideously beautiful moment stands as the center-point of human history. Perfect love, total wrath, graceful beauty, complete brokenness, malicious cruelty and compassionate kindness all occupied the same space in one climactical moment. Such was the truth that God gave us for Baja, Hungary July 10-17, 2011. The Hungarian word for beautiful miracle: Csodalotos.

A visual arts team (Artslink - led on this trip by Pat Butler, who actually came up with the theme word that became the focal point of our outreach), a Dance team (Dancelink), a contemporary band (Bill Drake Band), and a Church team from Peachtree City, GA, all converged on this beautiful Hungarian city just a few miles from the Serbian border. The results were eternal.

Arts Camp, English language learning, a city square concert, regular team devotions, nightly praise and worship, all great opportunities for God to work on campers and Short Term missionaries alike. We worked together, played together, worshipped together, struggled together, and triumphed together.

The Tipping Point came on a Wednesday evening when the leader of the Dancelink Team, Cheryl Vigereaux, spontaneously began to dance to the song "How Great Is Our God" in the little cellar/converted into a chapel of the Language School where we were based in Baja (boy-a), Hungary. Sharing in devotions on Thursday morning, one of the team broke down as she tried to convey a vision she had seen during that dance - the bricks in the cellar exploded outward in an array of blinding light, and all of a sudden Cheryl, who hadn't missed a step, was dancing before the King of Kings, who was on His throne. Our team-mate expressed that our Lord was pleased with this worship, and was pleased to see us glorify Him with our talents and gifts. This set the team up for an expectancy for Thursday evening, and God did not disappoint. After a full day of drawing, sculpting, dancing, and harmonizing, the Hungarian campers were ambushed by the love of God. Hungarian Translator Bence exhorted the campers to come up and share what they were experiencing. Camper after camper related how loved they felt here, and in that love, they were experiencing God. Bence related the love of Christ, which compels us to share Him, His truth, and His love. A number of Hungarians were in tears, and a number gave their hearts to Christ. It was an awesome evening, But nothing prepared us for the explosive response we were to experience the following evening outdoors in Baja City Center.

The high-water mark of the Camp/Outreach was Friday night in a stage in the city center square. Hundreds of Hungarians were drawn to the vibrant sound of our Bands, the colorful power of our Dancers, and the awesome spectacle of our visual artist's graffiti wall, painted on a huge canvas during the last song of the Bill Drake Band concert. Bill, who had been leading from behind his keyboard, came to the very front of the stage, and pointing to the graffiti wall, asked the crowd who would like to declare that they would like Jesus to do in their hearts and lives what was so colorfully and skillfully displayed on the canvas: Csodalotos. Bill exhorted the audience to indicate a decision to follow after Jesus Christ by coming up on the Stage, wetting their hand with paint, and putting their hand-print on the canvas around the word. Many came forward, and the Artslink team had the joy of helping all those who were making decisions to come forward and make their mark for Christ. Around 30 came to Christ that evening.

Praise God for what He did there in Baja, a miracle of New Life in Christ for many young Artistic Hungarians who had the experience of the Ultimate Artist calligraphy His truth on their hearts. Csodalotos.

The Direction of Worship

2011-05-02T09:38:00.003-04:00

"One of the greatest discoveries of my Christian pilgrimage has come with the realization that the primary importance in worship is not what I do but what God is doing. In worship, God is present, speaking to me, and acting upon me. It is in worship that God feeds, nourishes, and cares for me. And it is in worship that he gives me his grace, surrounds me with his love, lifts me up into his arms, affirms me as a member of his community, and sends me forth into the world with a fresh vision of his work and a new concern to live for him."

Robert Webber, Worship Is a Verb: Celebrating God's Mighty Deeds of Salvation

(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishing, 1992), 66.

This quote is awesome for a number of reasons! I love it because it puts the primacy of worship on God, not me. It puts the focus of worship on God, not me. It puts the flow of worship in the proper perspective, and it demonstrates that eternal truth - that it starts with God, it's all for God, and it will end with God. And it shows that "worship" is not an end in itself - it is for the glorification of God in the moment, and, for the furthering of His worship in the nations of the world. Do I have a part in it? Yes, of course I have a part to play - I was born to worship! But lest I forget that somehow it is all about me, the style I like, the instrument I use, the visual or visceral response of the congregation that I can "see" or "get" - the immediate results - Jesus is the High Priest, not me, and it is He Who initiates, sustains, and completes worship - not me! But this line of thinking leads me in to an area of a bit of controversy when played out in real life! In regard to God being the real worship leader, I have noticed an interesting fact. For the most part (and there are exceptions to this), in cultures where the Church (body of Christ) has put an "end time" on their "worship services", the church is stagnant - it is not growing in a big way overall. In cultures where the Church has not put an "end time" on their "worship services", the church is exploding, or has just exploded. Hmm. Should we decide when it is over, or should God? Of course I am very familiar with the age old tension between "Does the Holy Spirit work in the planning, or does He work in the spontaneity of the moment?" The answer is obviously "BOTH", and therefore the previous question sets up a false dichotomy. The better question might be, "If God is the true worship leader, does He have the 'room', or the 'freedom' to act in congregational worship outside the man-made boundaries that we maybe impose on Him? And does He have the 'room', or the 'freedom' to act in my personal life of worship in a way that might take me right out of my comfort zone, and transplant me into a place where He sovereignty decides that if I go there, He will get even more glory?" I am thinking that it is in this sense that worship has a real Director, and His worship has a true relevant direction.

The Journey Into Death

2011-04-18T18:31:00.003-04:00

When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I have always been extremely impressed with the way Jesus Christ turned everything we thought we knew on it's head. To be exalted, you need to be humbled. To be great, you need to be a servant. And in order to live, you need to first die.

I wonder if this was on Abraham's mind as he took Isaac up Mt. Moriah for what he knew would be none less than a human sacrifice. And I wonder if Isaiah knew that he would be sawn in half when he said those infamous words, "Here am I, send me."

Friends, I am becoming more and more keenly aware that we have all been invited, pulled inextricably into that crux moment in history where true love and pure wrath met, where unrestricted grace touched unbridled judgment, where beauty and horror embraced, where the vertical and horizontal were nailed together, and salvation and damnation were clearly hung out for the entire world to see. And we are asked to make a choice: Who lives? Who dies?

"As I contemplated the spiritual journey of Holy Week . . . I knew this was not a week for shopping, vacation, parties, or hilarity. I sensed this was the week that above all weeks was to be set aside for the journey into death. I knew the worship of the church would take me by the hand and lead me step-by-step into the experience of death and rebirth, if I would allow it to do so. I resolved then and there to walk in the way of the cross. I purposed to make this the week God intended it to be for me, a week of intense spiritual struggle--and reward!"

Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Year

(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 118-119.

I remember being blown away by the Sunday School wall in a persecuted church in Antioch, Turkey. There they had hung portions of scripture that were to be summarily memorized by their children. Of course there were the usual verses that we in the west might expect, like "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become Children of God", and "Let the little children come unto me…"

What I wasn't prepared for was this one: "For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." Not the normal Sunday School verse for little children, unless you realize that training up a child in the way he should go, as followers of Christ, is to experientially understand that unless one is dead to self, one cannot really live.

My friends, Christians do not celebrate Easter. They celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and should be unembarrassed to say and do so, for it is only here that we can find and have true life. Neither do we embrace pagan fertility rites (even if we are sometimes, like in our own lives, found ignominiously scrambling around for painted eggs and marshmallow chickies). Rather, like Jesus Christ, we were born for the life of the cross, the tomb, and of course the power and reality of the Resurrection. Let us therefore be unashamedly "baptized" into this, for it is in this that we truly "live, and move, and have our being".

Have an awesome Holy Week, and Resurrection Sunday!

A Dream

2011-03-05T15:44:00.002-05:00

Given all the current unrest and heartache in North Africa, I was so blessed to receive this testimony. I have checked the veracity of this story, and it was confirmed from two different sources, both directly connected to the event. Praise God for what He is doing in the midst of such struggle. My encouragement to us all is to try to look beyond geo-political agendas, and media coverage when it comes to the inevitable spin that gets put on such events. The reason is, that God's ways are not our ways. He is doing far beyond what we could ask or think, and even in the middle of destruction, He bring beauty from the ashes. Bless you as you read this blessing . . .

N.Africa: "A young man was very dedicated to Islam. His parents were very proud of him. However this young man became very sick psychologically. It happened very suddenly. His desperate parents looked everywhere for help to heal him, even trying witchcraft. Nothing worked. One night the father dreamed that his son was in a pit full of snakes, all biting him. In the dream he tried to pull his son out of the pit. All in vain. Suddenly, a man appeared, of tremendous beauty and glory wearing a white robe. The man reached down into the pit and took his son by the hand to lift him out. But the son was holding on to something in his other hand. The shining man told him to release it. It was a copy of the Qu'ran. As soon as he released it, he was lifted out of the pit and the snake bites disappeared. The father was so happy to see his son rescued and healed. He woke up, fascinated by the dream and began to search for its meaning. Some who follow Jesus heard about it and visited him, telling him who the man in white was. On hearing this, the father gave his life to Christ. They then prayed for the son, and he was healed. The entire family now has begun to walk the path!"

A Provocative Perspective

2011-02-06T16:52:00.002-05:00

"For the Apostle Paul, you do not live in the world and go to church. You live in the Church and go to the world. Take off your head, shake it and put it back on; because that was not the way any of us were trained to think. Church, for Paul, is not something you attend. Church is something you organically are—or not! It is more a living organism than a formal organization. You don't join it as much as you breathe it. He is announcing an existing mystery more than establishing a new institution."

-- Richard Rohr

If this is truly the case, then my understanding of what I am really a part of needs to change. Church is not a destination any more than Worship is only a noun.

And while I may align myself with this or that denominational or non-denominational structure, I am "connected" to brothers and sisters around the world by a "spiritual ethnicity" that binds me closer to them than just about any other relationship I have - Jesus took that "spiritual ethnicity" so seriously, He said some very difficult things every time He was confronted by a challenge to prefer blood or even family ethnicity (see Luke 14).

It is very true that in many cases, I have more in common with my persecuted brothers and sisters in Palestine or China than I do my own extended generational family. And it is in this that I find the "real" definition of Koinonia - a community/communion/family/united expression of the Body of Christ that extends a loving invitation to all, to come to the table of celebration that God has prepared through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son.

Worship Is Breath In Another Form

2011-01-15T01:51:00.002-05:00

Worship is another one of those critical threshold moments where Heaven and Earth intersect, and engage in the same holy activity in time and space, and in eternal presence. Man I wish I could "live" as if that is true all the time, rather than grind through hours and days "killing" time vs. radically investing it.

Worship is not a commodity. Nor is it a style, or a program. Worship is breath in another form.

It is life-giving, and life sustaining. It should be constant, and it is totally necessary. It is found in obedience, and intimacy. It can seem so hard to maintain, even though many times it comes in waves and we drown in it.

We receive worship in the sense that without Jesus' worship, His sacrifice, and even His constant vigilance as our High Priest, we don't stand a chance. We draw in His grace like a breath of sweet air and as a result, we live.

We give worship in the sense that in whatever we do, wherever we go, whatever we say, and whatever we think, we demonstrate our allegiance, our hope, our love, and our faith, as being given to the Deity or some devil or some idol in between.

I don't know if we will "breathe" in heaven, but I do know we will worship. It's one of the few activities here on earth that we are guaranteed to continue there. Let us worship therefore as we breathe, for in this is the oxygen for our souls.

A Christmas Wish for Beirut

2010-10-27T15:25:00.005-04:00

Have you thought about how you can bring the Gospel to a few thousand young people in the Middle East this Christmas?

Through music, the Word of God, storytelling, and other art forms, the Gospel will be brought to Lebanon this December. The Bill Drake Band, a ministry of OM Arts International will have the opportunity to minister to thousands of young people in Beirut.

Working with local churches, the Gospel will be presented in schools and concert venues around the city. This is an unprecedented opportunity!

$12,000 needs to be raised to cover airfare, food, lodging and transportation for the team of 8.

Will you pray and partner with us to help illuminate the truth of Christmas for people who so desperately need to hear this message?

For residents of the USA, give securely online by clicking here.

Or give a support gift through your local OM office with the notation: OMUSA-9071BDBL10 Click here for your local OM office.

The Arts and the Incarnation

2010-10-19T00:28:00.003-04:00

As we move closer to the Christmas Season, I always find myself meditating on the mystery and the glory of the Incarnation. God becomes flesh. And not just that - He goes so far through His Holy Spirit to dwell in us! On the one hand this seems metaphysically outrageous, religious nonsense. On the other hand, it is actually our only hope - "Christ in us, the hope of glory" (see the entire argument in Colossians 1:13-27).

This makes the Incarnation a missional move by God, Who employs the incarnation to rescue and ransom His beloved. The implications of this, when married with Christ's mandate to "seek first the Kingdom of God", are that incarnational and missional living is what we were born for, what we were created to do, and as such, are never more God-like ourselves than when we emulate Him by living accordingly.

I have often wondered (I guess because my mind works this way!), who "proclaimed" the better sermons - Billy Graham, or Mother Theresa. This may seem a non-sequitur, but the question begs a deeper truth. Proclamation is not only a matter of verbal message - Christ is the Word and the Image of the Invisible God, and we are to follow in His steps, not only intellectual collections of correct doctrine, but also living and breathing imitations of Jesus who care, cry, bleed, pray, worship, live, and die.

"The historic argument for the use of the arts in worship is grounded in the Incarnation. The claim is that God, by becoming a person, sanctified physical and material reality as a vehicle for spiritual presence. He comes to us through flesh and blood. Why, then, shouldn't we accept appropriate art forms as visible means through which we offer our praise?"

Robert Webber, Worship Is a Verb: Celebrating God's Mighty Deeds of Salvation (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishing, 1992), 12-13.

Is What You're Living For Worth Dying For?

2010-10-06T02:37:00.003-04:00

One of the main highlights of our Tour in Germany this past summer, was doing a Wear The Crown concert for close to 8,500 young people in Aidlingen, Germany near Stuttgart. The concert starts with a butterfly, signifying a new-born believer opening her wings and trying out her new-found faith, only to be sorely tempted by Materialism and Narcissism, and then re-focused to draw near to the Cross of Christ.

As my team and I have brought this message all over the world, many times I actually sense the enemy saying to me, "Bill, you are getting WAY to radical here. Lighten up!" Such a challenge to put before folks: Is What You're Living For Worth Dying For? But the the voice of the martyrs cries out to us - louder - more compelling - not to guilt us as we look upon the death and torture, but rather, to challenge us to step up to the same bar, and make the same investment and commitment.

I am totally convinced that a person will never know why they are alive, unless the purpose for their life is wrapped up in God's purposes for the world. One of my favorite sayings, (and something I must always keep telling myself) is, He has no fear who has nothing to lose. I also firmly believe that I'll never really start understanding, until I start obeying. Shall we "die" together my friends?

The Lock and The Door

2010-10-04T21:12:00.003-04:00

The young woman looked at her painting, and wondered, "How could God ever use this?" Being in a Muslim country with a team of visual artists, she had been struggling to render the concept they had been asked to paint: "I am the door", those beautiful words of Jesus that invite us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But she had painted a lock. The heavy, massive medieval kind, that looked impenetrable and imposing. How could this communicate – how could God take that which she really hadn't painted all that well in her opinion, and use it for His glory?

The old man strolled slowly through the open-air art gallery that had suddenly appeared in the plaza. He surveyed the beautiful pictures of doors and gates. But there was one, a lock. He stood stunned, as the revelation hit him – someone had just painted his life, his longing, his desperate condition of being locked out from the light. Light that he just knew was there for him, but had been so elusive in his own religious tradition. He knew in the moment he saw the painting, that the artist who painted it had the insight and wisdom he had been seeking his entire life.

The young woman approached the old man, and through interpretation asked him why he was staring spellbound at her meager painting. Through tears, the man said to her, "My entire life I have felt locked out from all God had for me. I can see it through the keyhole, but I can't get to it. Can you please tell me, what is the key that will unlock the door of my life, and let me run into the light of God?" The young woman at that moment had the privilege of sharing the love of Christ, right there on the sidewalk. The Holy Spirit had used her humble painting to unravel this man's heart, and draw him to the Father heart of God.

Authentic Faith

2010-09-08T23:20:00.003-04:00

"A truly great preacher isn't someone with a seminary degree who explains the gospel.
It's someone who is the gospel."
- Ian Morgan Cron

"Little Children, let us not love merely in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth, in practice and in sincerity."
- John the Apostle (1 John 3:18 [amplified])

"Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let us not be known merely for great programs, facilities, music, and messages, but rather for the authentic love of Jesus that we show not only to one another, but to our neighbors, and to our enemies."
- BD

In The Blink of an Eye

2010-08-30T20:39:00.002-04:00

Teri and I were returning to Atlanta last week after saying "goodbye" to our youngest, Sharayah at a University up North. Driving southbound on US Highway 29, just outside of Gretna, Virginia, we encountered a pretty steady rain, and drove on cautiously.

I noticed a truck coming up fast on my left in the fast lane, and I was struggling to see through the thick spray he was putting up as he went past - when I saw it - a red car, eerily turning end over end in our lane - as if in slow motion - twisting straight for us through the mist!

Both the truck and I braked hard, and veered to the right to pull over as the red car flipped it's fourth and final time and came crashing down on the guard rail. It had been coming from the other direction (northbound), hydroplaned, lost control and veered right across the grassy median, launched into the air in a twisting motion as it hit the hard edge of the southbound lane.

The driver of the truck immediately got out and raced to the red car - I put on my hazards to warn the traffic that was coming up behind me, and then drove cautiously around the truck to see if I could help. The truck driver had helped a young woman out of the car, and she was kneeling in the hard rain on the asphalt as the trucker (he turned out to be an extremely capable EMT) held her there while he finished with his 911 call.

I opened up the side door of our van, and asked him if it was OK for him to let the frightened girl into our van and out of the rain. He was glad to, and then proceeded to check her for any broken bones, and any other trauma. It turned out that her airbags and seat belt probably saved her life - the car was totaled, and yet there wasn't a scratch on her. The trucker said it was a miracle she wasn't hurt, and told the girl that "the good Lord was surely looking out for you today." Teri consoled her, and we ended up praying with her after the trucker left to liaise with the Highway Patrol and the Ambulance.

It was sobering to discover that this young girl was also on her way up to start College, and she was only a year older than Sharayah. It was a bit unnerving to see played out before our eyes just how fast things can go wrong. But it was a huge blessing to be able to be there for someone in a time of crisis, to console, help her dry off, put a warm blanket over, and pray for her well-being and thank God for His protection - and thereby truly be reminded that God has His eye on our daughter as well, and therefore know that we can trust that He will provide the angels and/or people to be there in her moment of need when we can't be.

Imagination becomes Incarnate

2010-08-10T00:01:00.001-04:00

Pass through, pass through the gates!
       Prepare the way for the people.
       Build up, build up the highway!
       Remove the stones.
       Raise a banner for the nations.

- Isaiah 62:10

The artist sat listening to the message, but could sit no longer. Compelled by the truth of the Scripture, and moved by the image that was bursting forth on his imagination, he positioned the blank canvas, took up the laden brush, and began to illuminate that which had been unseen.

And as the imagination became incarnate, the tapestry of ideas unfolding on the canvas, the Scriptural hope began to take shape - the work is enjoined, the rubble confronted, the path restored; all the while the "blueprint" of the future left shimmering just behind the current task, awaiting final fulfillment.

And the enemy, also hovering, lurking, waiting for an opportunity to "steal" the word of truth from the artisan - but he will not be dissuaded.

Is was sheer joy to watch this painting come to life at our SALT conference this July in Rome, Italy. There was much that came to light, as Arts Champions from all over Europe came together for a training, an envisioning, a sharpening, an empowering, and a validating experience that we in OM will feel the impact of for some time to come.

A story is told of an inquirer who visited a stone quarry, in order to plumb the hearts and minds of the workers there. He asked one man, "What are you doing here"? The man responded, "What does it look like? I am hewing rocks out of this quarry." The same question was put to a second, and he replied, "I am earning an honest day's wage." A third worker was engaged with the same question, and he gave a response that revealed a panoramic understanding of what was really going on. "What are you doing here?" came the question. "I am building a cathedral!" came the reply, pregnant with hope, vision, and personal ownership.

And of such is the Kingdom of God.

"...sleeping in the basement..."

2010-08-01T04:43:00.002-04:00

Here is a brilliant quote from Ian Morgan Cron, that I got from a wonderful German friend who got it from another dear South African friend:

"The church is realizing that there is an awareness of God sleeping in the basement of the postmodern imagination and they have to awaken it. The arts can do this. All beauty is subversive, it flies beneath the radar of people's critical filters and points them to God. As a friend of mine says. 'when the front door of the intellect is shut, the back door of the imagination is open.' Our neglect of the power of beauty and the arts helps explain why so many people have lost interest in the church. Our coming back to the arts will help renew this interest."

Taken from his book, "Chasing Francis", which sheds new light on the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi, the above quote speaks prophetically to today's church about the critical role of beauty, the arts, and the imagination when it comes to influencing culture. In his book, Cron masterfully weaves actual accounts from the life of Saint Francis' into the fictional story of Chase Falson, a New England minister on a pilgrimage to regain his faith. It's an amazing story with profound implications for the contemporary church.

The parallel between the way St. Francis influenced culture (an influence that is still felt today) and the way the arts influence culture, is the incarnational aspect to the way they communicate - by putting action, or form, embodiment or melody to His revelation. The sooner the church begins to re-employ the God-given creativity He gave to man to illuminate His goodness and truth, the sooner the church can hope to reclaim the cultural megaphone.

Heritage

2010-07-23T20:57:00.002-04:00

Seeing Rome for the first time in person was nothing short of a surreal experience. Just laying eyes on the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and walking where Pontiffs and Caesars walked and all that represented sent me into a conflicted spin that I am still pondering. The beauty, the wealth, the idolatry, the artistry, the heritage - I chose to experience it as best I could, and consciously decided to weigh it all out later. It's five days later, and I still am.

I was also well aware, that underneath the cobblestones, was another reality, memorials to Christian history, hidden beneath in the catacombs, a testimony to the price believers in Christ were willing to pay in an empire that was bound and determined to crush them, and a legacy of stalwart commitment to Christ regardless of cost to self. What a noble heritage.

Below is a link to a video that is well-worth watching - a video on civil disobedience. I have personally subscribed to the "Manhatten Project" because I not only have incredible respect for Chuck Colson, but because I agree whole-heartedly with what it says, and what these guys are trying to do. The fact that here in America, we would set aside a national holiday to honor an African American Baptist-pastor/martyr who totally subscribed to Civil Disobedience is actually an encouragement to me, and this 6 minute video lays out very well what may be facing us in the future. Have a look - it's quite compelling. This kind of thing is in our heritage too, whether 40 years ago, or 2,000.

2010 Hungary Tour Thoughts

2010-07-02T16:15:00.002-04:00

Just got back from Hungary - wow - amazing trip! Saw God "show up" in so many amazing ways, for our team, and those we came to ministry to! And isn't that the way of God, to be so efficient as to bring us to bring a blessing to others in order to bring a blessing back to us so we can bring a blessing back to those who sent us.

There are still so many stories, photos, and memories to ponder, but here are a few snapshots of what God did:

- Team Unity off the chart - God took 26 of us and made us "His Community of Mission and Light" in two days time!
- Over 20 Hungarian Children indicated that they would surrender to Jesus as Lord of their lives in the VBS at Esztergom.
- Leading Slovakian people to Christ in the City Square in Sturovo, Slovakia, during and after the open-air concert
- Worshiping in the rain in Baja, Hungary - again! (we did that last year too!!!)
- Playing a concert at the Calvary Chapel, Budapest - again! What an awesome church and people, and what a privilege to worship with them again! Here is a link to view that concert which was recorded live - <http://www.golgota.tv/?p=18471>
- Doing the first ever Christian Concert event of its kind in Kalouca, Hungary, and leading people to Christ on the street and in the Café afterwards!

Stay tuned for more stories and photos!

--
Yours for the Kingdom,

Bill Drake
Director, OM Arts International
Operation Mobilization

"Risks are not to be evaluated in terms of the probability of success, but in terms of the value of the goal". - Ralph D. Winter

The Divine Embrace

2010-06-05T15:31:00.002-04:00

Reading through some of my wife's notes the other day on a book she was reading about the cross, I began to get that "blessed agitation" that comes from a song idea being born. The ideas she was reading were about Jesus' substitutionary death for us, and the specific ways in which His blood was shed - blood from His sweat, the back, the brow, the hands, the feet, the side - and the devotional thoughts and personal applications that came from that - He has me covered, head to toe! And everything in between - thoughts, works, travels, emotions, etc. etc. Wow.

And then the song began to be born. But it wasn't until the middle of the tour in Germany that it really played out. Here are the lyrics - 23rd draft! It is still a work in progress, but I wanted to share it with you:

The Divine Embrace

Loving hands made for nails
Broken heart for a spear
Tender brow pierced by thorns of grace
Precious Pearl of great price
Innocent Lamb of sacrifice
You were crushed and despised in my place

At the cross where worlds collide
The Love of God was crucified
For the damned You the ransom were paid

And your back was cut to shreds
For a world sentenced to death
You were willing to bear my disgrace
And I mocked You and I spat
On glory's face I turned my back
And You chose to forgive just the same

At the cross where Sin was tried
The Light of God was sacrificed
For the life of the world You were slain
At the cross of shame and strife
The Heart of God was magnified
And the Hope of all the earth was displayed

Son of God, glorified
Be exalted in our lives
You have risen from the grave
Now You rule and now You reign!
Son of God, glorified
Be exalted in our lives
We've been healed by Your wounds
Lamb of God we worship You!

At the cross Death was denied
The wrath of God was satisfied
And I stand forgiven in His grace
At the cross of Jesus Christ
The curse of death was nullified
Purified in love's embrace, I am saved

Words and Music written by Bill Drake
(C) 2010 Old Dirt Road Music

The Underestimated Sacramental Power of Unity

2010-05-29T18:08:00.001-04:00

Given that in John 17 we get to listen in to Jesus High Priestly prayer for us concerning our Unity, it is interesting to me that we don't see this highlighted more in sermons, books, and prayers. The promise is clear: "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me", and the implication in the next few verses is that this desired unity points directly to God's Glory. That being the case, it is totally worth striving for, considering the enormity of what is at stake in our worship and in witness.

This was beautifully illustrated for 10 of us recently in the Bill Drake Band Tour of Germany, May 2010. For 19 days we toured Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We diligently protected our unity in prayer, worship, devotion, and attitude to such an extent, that in all honestly, not once during the entire tour did any of us have a single argument, harsh word, or terse disagreement. The results were physically tangible.

No less then four times, were we encouraged by our varying hosts for our unity, our collaborative work ethic, and our obvious love for one another. Many times those who came alongside us to help with unloading and loading equipment, cooking food, or putting us up for the night commented about us as a team who demonstrated a "Christlike bond of love". This "witness" inspired them to take our message that much more seriously.

And as participants in something that God was obviously invested in, we all experienced His communion as well. When many of us fell sick to some food poisoning, we gathered together with our hosts and organizers, and had a healing service, and within 18 hours God totally raised us up. We were able to overcome numerous disappointments without even a murmur, and had the privilege of seeing people come to Christ, rededicate their lives to Him, or even make a dedication to world missions through our concerts. The stories are still coming in as to what God was doing in so many lives during the course of the tour.

And make no mistake. We are not boasting in any way. ALL glory goes to God. It is He that has called, and is faithful to bring it to pass (1 Thessalonians 5:24). And it is He that has stated that where the bretheren (and sisteren in this case!) dwell in unity, there He COMMANDS a blessing (Psalm 133). What a promise! And what a blessing we had in Germany to get a brief foretaste of it's fulfillment.

Yours for the Kingdom, Bill Drake - Director, OM Arts International

"Risks are not to be evaluated in terms of the probability of success, but in terms of the value of the goal". -Ralph D.Winter