Sour grapes...or... we hate all that at which we suck..

Disclaimer: before I even begin, I need to make one point as clear as possible. During this blog, and probably in many to follow, I will be speaking in generalities. I will be focusing in on the unfortunate stereotype that has befallen "Christian" art. There are of course numerous major exceptions to this rule, and I will be addressing and championing them in later blogs. Thanks, now on with the rant... I mean blog.

Do a Google search for "christian films". Go ahead, I'll wait right here. Seriously. Google "christian films" and check out the first couple of links.

*

*

*

I'm hoping you did it. What you found was, at best, mediocre websites promoting and pandering films that make the weekend monster movies on syfy (which I LOOOOVE, by the way...) look like sundance-award winning pieces of high art. This just cannot and will not do.

I'm not saying this to put down those websites, or to belittle the efforts of those involved. I am well aware that even this little website is a prime example of mediocrity at its finest. I am also absolutely convinced that every one of those films, etc. was a labor of love, and each of them has done some good in someone's life. But the fact of the matter is, we should be doing better. Better quality final products, better writing, better special effects, and one of my biggest pet peeves - better ACTING. We (we being the church as a whole) have been at this game for so long now, and every step of the way we've been at least 20 paces behind the rest of the world. Aren't we supposed to be doing all things for HIS glory? Why then do we continue to embarrass him when it comes to areas such as music, film, art and dance? I mean come on, no offence to him, if he ever reads this, but when Kirk Cameron is our champion of the cause, that's just not good.

You know that I have NEVER won a single game of bingo in my life? Never. None of the hundreds if not thousands of bingo cards I had placed in front of me ever produced a true "BINGO" win for me. there were a few false alarms, but never a true win. And truthfully, I have no ill will towards the game itself.

Are you seeing the parallel here? Getting the metaphor?

There was a time, eons ago, where the church itself was the major source of performance art, where the pulpit and the stage were one. Ironically, it was after the church had shut down the art for almost 300 years, from 500. The church was losing, yet again, and so like a spoiled brat who is loosing at checkers, it flipped the board, causing the game to end as if it had never begun. Is that what has to happen again to level the playing field so that the church can keep up? A world-wide do-over?

Thankfully, I don't think that could ever happen again. There's too little time, and too many lives at stake.

So what does have to happen?

The first thing: this addiction to mediocrity has got to end. Christian audiences have got to be as willing to express dissatisfaction with "Christian" films, music, etc as they are with any other. It is possible for a "Christian" film to suck - they have been for a loooong time! And actual constructive criticism, not just "that was bad," or, "I didn't like it." Some feedback to these artists that will help them either get better or quit would be nice. But if that's asking too much, at least to start with

The church has to up the ante. We have to erase all excuses, and do our art with a strive for quality that surpasses (read: is far better in quality and craftsmanship than) anything else out there. We have to become the invetors of special effects, of new trends and ideas and techniques, not just the implementers of others'. We have to have scripts and other projects that will entice good talent to them. We have to start casting the better talent for the parts, not the "better" Christians. I know this is nuts, but it may mean, occasionally.... hiring non-Christians to play roles!

Speaking of talent, we need to start growing our own. It is awesome when God pulls the like of Head Welch into His glory, and helps clear their lives of the poisons of drugs, etc., but you can't tell me that with a membership pool the size of the Christian churches throught this country, there aren't more people who are as gifted as Brian at what they do.

It seems as though every artist comes to the same fork in the road at some point in their lives where they have to decide if they want to make a living doing their art or do it for the church, which means for a vast majority of them doing something else for their living, and volunteering their time and art to the church for free. Hence, so many Christians end up not fulfilling their true potential, not doing what they were born (MADE, CREATED) to do - simply beacuse there's no stable industry to support them. It doesn't have to be that way, if we truly believe and act as if the Lord in which we serve is the source of all our needs.

Or, even more tragically, the decision is whether they want to do their art well, or do it for the church. Do their art in projects that will draw audiences week after week or church members on one Sunday night. That's why so many choose to go towards the secular world - they want their art to be seen, the work to make an impact. This is not a point of pride getting in the way - it's different for us, because without an audience our art is pointless. It doesn't have to be that way.

Who's fault is it then that things are the way they are? Not God's, obviously. Then it has to be ours. Which is a good thing, then because it means that we can do some thing about it. But this tanker has been going all ahead at full for a long time, and it's going to take some effort to slow it down, and turn it around. But can be done. It needs to be done.

After all, their audience is the world; isn't our audience the King of Kings?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31

Ok. So... why me?

I think in order for this blog to have any credit, whatsoever, I need to qualify myself. I am a teacher by trade, an actor and performer by heart and degree. I graduated from USF with my B.A. in Theatre Performance in 1998. But my love for the stage (as well as all different forms of art) started long before that.

My earliest recollection of performing began, like many out there, in church. (The irony of this fact and where I am now, basically ranting about the ever-increasing gorge between the church and the stage, will be a perpetual theme in the blog -I am feeling it.) Anyway, I remember being one of the three wise men in a kid's Christmas pageant at a small church in South Carolina, and I remember kneeling at the trough that held the plastic baby Jesus, and I remember falling over.

My first lead role was, again, in a church musical - Ants'hillvania, a re-telling of the prodigal's son with ants. Yeah - I know. Typical. Marty Rogers was the angel who cast me. Little did she know the monster she was creating.

Fast forward to high school. By my junior year, I had spent the better part of my youth performing in one fashion or another at the same church - a youth clown troupe, choir productions galore, a skit for the weekly youth meeting (Wednesday Night Live, a reworking of Saturday Night Live - we even started the meeting every week with a different skit, and shouting "Live from Bell Shoals, it's Wednesday Night!!!"), the list goes on. My Junior year I landed my first lead in my first non-church production, Blithe Spirit. I believe this show to be the one that made me realize what I was doing, and that I loved it. I lived for rehearsals every afternoon.

One Sunday at church, one of the parent volunteer leaders for our youth group came up to me, expressing concern that she hadn't seen me at Wednesday Night Live, or the leadership meeting, or choir practice. I was flattered that she had missed me, and explained to her excitedly that I had gotten the lead in the school production, and had been at rehearsals the past few weeks. Instead of congratulating me on my jump into "legit" theatre, and returning my enthusiasm that I had found something that I loved to do, she said something to the effect of: "Oh, well, I hope this acting thing doesn't keep you away from God."

This acting thing.

Away from God.

CRRRRACK - my two worlds, the stage and the church, who had up until this point shared a seamless coexistence, had begun to separate.

I am really quite proud of my response, and how quickly I came up with it. I replied, "No, it won't. God tends to go with me, seeing as how he's everywhere, including in my heart."

She had nothing to say to that.

It was after that I felt like I had to choose - the church or the stage. The church had begun to be highly politicized, in my eyes; that is to say, I started to notice how much it was a popularity contest, not much different than high school. It was filled with people who didn't dare let their peers know what they were really thinking, or better yet, doing, from Monday through Saturday. The stage seemed to greet me with open arms, filled with people who embraced their imperfections, as well as the imperfections of others, with people who felt free to speak their mind - in fact they were encouraged to do so. Ironically I started noticing how the church was the place filled with people wearing costumes and masks, and the theatre was where truth was sought after through bearing one's soul.

You can guess which one I chose.

That's not say, however, that I gave up on my faith. Quite the contrary. My faith in God, and His son Jesus is stronger today than it has ever been. What I was disappointed in, what I was disillusioned by, was the church - my church, to be exact.

I just became keenly aware of the hesitancy that lots of churches had (and still do, unfortunately, have,) towards embracing the use of art in all its forms to accomplish what I believe God intended the church to accomplish - to care for, encourage, motivate and inspire the people of this world, a in doing so to lead them to a relationship with Him.

Since then I have been on a journey to build a bridge between the stage and the pulpit. I have found some heroes (be they flawed,) and faced some villains. I've noticed some great strides over the past few years where churches have started to embrace the idea of art being a blessed thing, a gift from God, a way For God to communicate to others where language fails, and raw honesty is needed.

But I know things need to go further. Faster. Hence this blog. My meager attempt to make a ripple in the ocean against the tide.

In the upcoming posts, I hope to shine some well-deserved light on those heroes in my past, and share some other experiences, thoughts and insights, and we (I and you, the readers out there, whoever you are...) will be discussing the war between the church and Hollywood, where art becomes porn, the artistic heart of God, and whatever else comes up along the way - I'm open to ideas.

Until next time, here's hoping...

Steve