Reflecting on Day 1

It’s almost 10:00 pm, and I’m sitting at my kitchen table, reflecting on the magnificent day God gave us to start the Arts Conference. Though weary and very ready for bed, I’m also so deeply grateful for the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit all day long. As I told the conference attenders, my day started with a gift as I took a walk by a local lake and locked eyes with a young deer – truly an enchanted beginning! I have felt the treasure of God’s whispers all day long, throughout every session and conversation.

DeWitt Jones once again delighted us with his passion and joy and perspective. Reminded me to do what I do “for the love of it!” If that’s not the case, we need to dig deep and figure out why. I also loved his image of breathing out and giving back…How grateful I am for what he contributed to the start of our conference, to helping us celebrate what is right with the world.

In session 2, I loved partnering with Jon Klinepeter, the arts leader who helped me with the quotes in my teaching. He is a good friend and a terrific young leader at the Church of Wrigleyville in the city of Chicago (Wrigley field neighborhood where my beloved Cubs play…) I thank God for giving me boldness to deliver the message I believe he gave me to give. I gave it all I had and celebrate not having any regrets. I’ll long remember the 5,000 voices singing Enchanted and then launching into This is My Father’s World – it was truly glorious!

The biggest risk of the day was the panel discussion and drama in session 3. I came away mostly wishing I was a more gifted moderator, and wishing we could have dug deeper into some of the issues we raised. But I’m thankful for what we were able to hear from Efrem, Sally, Shauna, Brian, David, and Dan. The concerns raised by Dan Kimball are a wake-up call to the church. I can only hope we contributed in some way to the ongoing conversation that MUST take place if the church is ever going to effectively reach our current culture and reach our redemptive potential. I’m thankful we can honestly wrestle with these difficult issues, and truly hope that church teams are still mulling over what we explored together as they dialogue over meals, in the van/cars, etc.

This evening I shared dinner with the Arts Movement Champions, and we were blessed with some Q and A time with DeWitt. This conference wouldn’t be what it has become without the efforts of these champions. I can’t say enough about their passion and discernment as together we seek to serve churches in the arts and worship arenas.

So now it’s time to go to sleep and look forward to whatever God has for us tomorrow…I sign off knowing I am a blessed daughter of God, and imagining what the unwritten day of tomorrow might hold…

How about you? What was your experience of Day 1? What is on your mind and heart?