Day Two – morning worship

I came to re:Create looking for answers. I’m talking to everyone who will listen about some of the challenges that we are facing now and in the near future. I’m having great conversations with so many people, but worship in the morning put me in a different place.

Vicky Beeching led the worship moment for us. Not only is she a great worship leader, she’s also a great communicator. We had a great worship set together, and the last song she did was a song she wrote in college. She talked about how we try to do so many good things, and how we are often so busy and looking for answers. She said that the Christian life is a very simple thing, but you wouldn’t know it looking at a lot of the way we act. We often make it much more complicated.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my load is light" – Matthew 11:28-30

While we don’t stop working and seeking, it needs to be put into perspective. Our ultimate goal is not more discipline or better services; our goal is Jesus. Jesus is the center.

Then we sang this song together:

Above all else

Jesus, my passion in life is to know You
May all other goals bow down toThis journey of loving You more
Jesus, You’ve showered Your goodness on me
Given Your gifts so freely
But there’s one thing I’m longing for
Hear my heart’s cry
And my prayer for this life

Above all else
Above all else
Above all else
Give me Yourself

Savior, the more that I see Your beauty
The more that I glimpse Your glory
My heart is captured by You
Jesus, You are my greatest treasure
Nothing this world can offer
Could ever compare to You
So, hear my heart’s cry
And my prayer for this life

re:Create – Day One

Today's session sponsored by www.sermonspice.com – very inspiring.

Christians and the church have historically operated 5 to 10 years behind cultural trends. The trend that is sweeping our cultural landscape now is grassroots media. With the success of websites like YouTube and other user contributed sites, our culture has much to offer in terms of creativity and entertainment, especially in terms of cinematography. No other medium has the potential that film provides. Film can evoke emotion, potentially engage all of your senses; it can challenge you, piss you off, make you cry, make you laugh. It can incorporate nearly every art form while everyone with a video camera and computer is capable of creating.

With this amount of potential, is film and video still the most underutilized creative medium in our churches (in my church?)?

Sermonvideos offered three unique challenges to 'get in the game'.

Write –

Studios are hungry for good material and line items in budgets are being deleted because there is no material to spend the money on. Christians have an opportunity like none before with the money that Hollywood is willing to spend on Faith-based films because of the success they bring in the box office & sales. And even if a screen play never makes it to Hollywood, there are a growing number of successful means to get material out to the public.

Grow a culture of creatives and film makers –

Host a film festival. Film festivals are remarkably cheap to fund. Every community has them, why not sponsor them. It would send a message of validation and respect to the artists in the community, and would work to grow a culture of creativity in the church. The church could pay the entrance fee of the winning film to Cainns or the Atlanta Film Festival.

Distribute your work –

Sites like sermonspice make it possible to not only distribute, but sell your work and allow others to benefit from it.