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Discipleship in the Creative Arts

Discipleship in the Creative Arts

Photos courtesy of PMM SIB Sabah

 

 
"Let us raise a loud voice that would [change] the spiritual atmosphere!" - Pastor Jastin Balinu, Chairperson of PMM SIB Sabah said on rally night of the Fortissimo seminar.

THE church is tasked with discipling believers but few know how to when it comes to Christians of an artistic vein. Typical church programmes tend to be focused on Sunday School, youth ministry, senior citizens, prayer meetings, social welfare and mission trips. These are important, but may not address the inner need for guidance and affirmation for the artists among us. It becomes even more demoralisng when Christians who want to pursue a career in the arts are told that their choice is worldly or unspiritual.


JD of Pop Shuvit.
 

Fortissimo is a new mentoring programme that helps Christians who are aspiring musicians and vocalists deal with these issues. Initiated by Malaysian singer-songwriter Juwita Suwito and friends, it aims to help Christians in the musical arts build strong foundations, spiritually and musically, to positively impact their spheres of influence in accordance with their calling. The programme is endorsed by NECF YouthNet.

Four Forty Records, a social enterprise, and Pelayanan Muda-Mudi (PMM) SIB Sabah jointly organised an Introductory Seminar to the Fortissimo programme at Pusat SIB Sabah and SIB Kota Kinabalu, Likas, in March.

The 100 participants came from parts of Sabah and Labuan, with a few from Johor Baru and Petaling Jaya. One man even took a nine-hour motorbike ride from his workplace in the Sabah interior to Kota Kinabalu for the seminar.

Participants learnt about the biblical basis for the arts from actor-director Colin Kirton who explained the reasons Christians are called to live creatively and artistically. He proposed that the Christian's art need not explicitly be about God, but should be God-centred, rooted in a worldview that encompasses creation, fall and redemption, as well as the
 

Fortissimo notebook: Quotes to Remember

"It is not enough for us just to have a gift. ...The Word of God has to be the foundation for our art and our worship."

"Creativity is our spirituality in action!"

"Art should help us see things as if we have never seen them before. How do we engage an audience to see and think about the cross in a way that they have never seen or thought about before?"

"Never use our creative power to betray God of the glory that is due to Him." - lesson from the Tower of Babel.

"The Psalms give voice to our grievances and objections. Bono described the psalmists as 'blues singers shouting at God.'"

character and purposes of God. He examined how God and people in the Bible used art and creativity, from the Creation, to the fine art of the Tabernacle, poetry and song composition, preaching and teaching through prophecy, parables and more, culminating in the drama of the Incarnation where the Word becomes flesh.

"The sessions really opened my mind and my spiritual eyes to see how God's word fully supports the various arts," said participant Sylvia George.

Participants broke into instrumental workshops led by Suwito (vocals), Wagner Daniel (drums), Daniel Foong (bass), JD of Pop Shuvit (guitars) and Weili Cheah (keyboard). They then played together in band workshop sessions. Fortissimo faculty members - all established musicians and performers - also shared their experiences and personal journeys in the arts in a forum moderated by Peter Peninting, the programme coordinator for Sabah.

"It was an honour to share our experiences and knowledge with the participants. I'm inspired to see the enthusiasm and commitment by all participants. I can see great potential and I hope to see all the participants again," said Wagner.

With the seminar completed, Fortissimo participants now look forward to being shortlisted for intensive mentoring which begins in August 2012. It will include quarterly retreats, reading and music assignments and forming a network of peers for mutual encouragement and learning.


Participants at Fortissimo's Introductory Seminar.

 



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