Devin Myrick is passionate about art, but until recently the Montgomery teen never thought about her gift in terms of worship. That changed last fall when she needed a talent to perform in the Distinguished Young Women scholarship program.
Myrick, a member of Eastern Hills Baptist Church, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association, remembered an artist she had seen at a youth conference several years ago and decided that she could do a similar program as her talent. She practiced her drawing, a representation of Jesus and the cross, and choreographed her strokes to a carefully selected song. When Keith Pate, minister of music at Eastern Hills Baptist, saw Myrick’s performance, he immediately wanted the church to see it.
“It was very effective,” Pate said. “As you’re watching, you don’t realize what she’s doing because she is painting the image upside down. But when she flips it over, and you see the profile of Christ and the cross, it’s very powerful.”
Though the predominant art form used in Alabama Baptist churches is music, the use of visual arts in worship has gained popularity in recent years, according to Keith Hibbs, director of the office of worship leadership and church music for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. Hibbs has seen individuals create sketches, paintings and clay sculptures during worship, usually accompanied by music that complements the theme of the art. He also has seen groups use interpretive movement, black light theatre, dowel rods, mime, classical dance and even Celtic dance in worship services, especially during Christmas and Easter programs.
Though each church determines what activities and talents will be used in worship, Hibbs sees visual arts as a way to complement and enhance the spoken word in order to reach the lost in both church and non-church venues.
“It’s all about telling the gospel story. If that method of expression is effective in communicating the gospel story, it ought to be utilized,” Hibbs said.
Sally Smith agrees. She and her husband Sharber, pastor of San Souci Baptist Church, Coden, in Mobile Baptist Association, have been using creative arts in their ministry for almost 40 years. Though they incorporate character portrayals, illusions, ventriloquism and chalk art into their presentations, Smith said their message is not just for children.
“People remember 80 percent of what they see and 20 percent of what they hear, so it is important that people of all ages see the gospel presented,” Smith noted.
Smith said one key to presenting the gospel effectively using visuals is being sensitive to what is appropriate for a particular service or situation. Another key is being open to where God is leading.
“A lot of people want to stick with something traditional, but if God has given you a talent to use to present the gospel, He will give you the ability to use it for His glory,” Smith said.
Pate has found that incorporating multiple creative avenues, including interpretive song drama, scripted skits and readers’ theatre, allows greater participation in worship, especially for students.
“Banners, sign language, dance, black light, visual art — all those forms allow more people to share the gifts God has given them individually to express praise and worship and tell a story,” Pate said.
Because creative arts engage multiple senses, audiences remember more of the message as well, Pate said.
“As opposed to a sermon, you have a message encapsulated in a very tight, two to three minute vignette that packs a lot of punch because it’s so poignant and brings the message to life,” he said.
Generating art is an especially effective way to involve children in worship as well, according to John Woods, minister of worship at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham, in Birmingham Baptist Association. Having children illustrate a particular song or passage, for example, and then projecting their drawings on a screen during worship is an easy and effective way to use their art.
In preparation for a sermon series or seasonal emphasis like Advent, artists of all ages might be invited to create artwork on the topic that can be exhibited during the emphasis. When displayed well with good lighting, a gallery-like display can help worshippers prepare their hearts, Woods said.
Regardless of the creative element, intentional planning is important because the goal is for worshippers to connect the visual images to the biblical message, Woods said. For better or worse, he said, our society has moved toward images, and in order to reach the lost, churches must engage with those who come to worship.
“We’ve moved from a Gutenberg generation to a Google generation, from printed word on paper being the primary support for congregational worship toward images,” Woods said. “As a worship leader, I want to give people multiple ways to engage with God in the service.”
Those in the pews are looking for the same thing, said Steve Halla, assistant professor of art at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. The term he often hears from his students is “holistic.”
“When they worship in a traditional setting, they think, ‘I sing and use my voice, I listen and use my ears. But what about my other senses that aren’t being engaged?’”
Increasingly our culture uses images to convey knowledge, Halla said, so it feels inconsistent to go into a church service where none are incorporated. The ongoing discussion in Baptist churches especially is how to bring creativity, artistry and the imagination into worship in a way that is meaningful and relevant, Halla said.
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