Captivating Creative Craftsmen

By Myrna Petersen

Returning the Arts to their Primary Destination.Inspirational stories behind Biblical artisans with a Study Guide. As we draw closer to the Creator of the universe, we'll be inspired to create new works.
Creativity, part of our inheritance, from the cave dwellings era to modern society, is revealed through various artistic means: Story Telling; Art tells Stories; Sounds as a Music Pre-requisite; Heaven and Earth Dance; Working with our Hands; Liberated Artists; Design and Colors; The Master and His Wine-workers; Understanding Times and Seasons; Craftsmen in captivity and those in the last days.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Myrna Petersen
• Release date: Dec 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9780973889376

Myrna Petersen

Myrna Petersen is a freelance writer who resides in Regina, SK., Canada, and is a lover of music and history. Myrna has a knack of uncovering hidden gold nugget true stories and presenting them in the language of the common man. She has authored 5 non-fiction books, written several screenplays, and a stage musical.

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Acknowledgments

If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh

Before the turn of the 21st century, my awareness was heightened that the arts would play a prominent role in the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While books and music have been part of the Christian community for centuries, in these days the visual arts, drama, and the dance are becoming more acceptable in church circles.

The content of CAPTIVATING CREATIVE CRAFTSMEN originated with several articles I ’ d written over the years for www.opentheword.org. Those articles have now been expanded and assembled for a new updated version to be released in both print and digital media.

This book wouldn ’ t have come to fruition without the visionary and dedicated work of Dean and Barb Smith. As founders and web editors for Open the Word website, they have spent years daily posting articles on A bit of Bible, A bit of Life, A bit of Politics. They ’ ve been instrumental in posting and reposting my writings, continuously encouraging me along the way.

Dean ’ s edit of several drafts of the manuscript and his graphic design input, helped this book become a reality: Thanks for your faithfulness.

Thanks also to my good friend Bonnie Wiesner, who took on the task of critiquing the content while all the time keeping her eyes on Jesus and scriptural truth.

Mary Beth and Rick Holladay, American missionary artists who I met during a Swiss trip in 2005 and with whom my heart was knit, have been a source of inspiration. Founders and builders of the Art Factory in Germany ’ s Black Forest, Rejuvenating Creation via the Making of Art is their life work and motto. In 2018, the Holladay ’ s relocated to Sequim, WA, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria, BC, where they continue to work with artists and provide a safe haven for creatives to realize their gifts. Now living closer to the Canadian border and my stomping grounds, I am grateful the LORD has put this godly couple in my life. Their wise wisdom into the creative mind of an artist has contributed greatly to this project.

There are many others, too numerous to name, who have supported my journey in the creative world – proving it takes a village to raise an artisan.

Here we go, CAPTIVATING CREATIVE CRAFTSMEN in book form – another item to cross off my bucket list!

Introduction

Returning the Arts to their Primary Destination

This is not how-to-instruction in the art of one ’ s choice as there are hundreds of those manuals written by masters much more skilled than I. Rather, this is a book to help crafts people, artists and musicians draw closer to the creator of the universe to release one ’ s creativity. When you know and work with the Creator of the human spirit, you ’ ll be inspired to create new works.

Scripture is quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted. When scripture references are given but not the quote, you are encouraged to look up and read the reference. Bible Gateway (biblegateway.com) is a good website to read scriptures in over 150 different versions and 50 languages. This too will enrich your insight into subject material.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

… from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our LORD (Romans 8:35,39).

Those words, can inspire a little tune, and give birth to – The Wonder Song by Grace W. Owens and Clara Lee Parker:

" Oh, who can make a Flower, I ’ m sure I can ’ t, can you?

Oh, who can make a Flower, no one but God ‘ tis true. "

The words of a simple children ’ s song challenges the mind of a Van Gogh wannabe to prove he also can make a flower. The result, a beautiful, yellow sunflower painting emerges.

In the beginning God created man in His own image. Since human beings are created in the image of our Abba Father, we should function as creators, making new works on a regular basis. This is not just the job of a few artistic types but the expectant hope of every man, woman and child in the universe. 

Unfortunately, over the centuries, the creative mind has often been suppressed in the struggle to feed and shelter the natural man. With the industrial revolution came mundane factory jobs, resulting in repetitive labor.

Thankfully, now in the 21st century, it ’ s become recognized that the artistic and entrepreneurial minds must merge to succeed in a competitive world. Today, the onus isn ’ t only on an artist to learn business skills to become professional, but to be successful, it is imperative that businesses provide an environment where creative minds can flourish. When the two come together, it can set a company apart from their competition!

The Bible – the world ’ s most read, best-selling and most-distributed book of all time – is filled with stories of and from creative minds.

This craftsmen book looks at various artistic and creative activities as portrayed in the Holy Bible which are prevalent in today ’ s society. My prayer is that all readers find hope within these chapters to become inspired and develop their creative gifting(s). New worlds can be made by new words and deeds.

Last Days Prophecy Concerning the Arts

Written more than 150 years ago, F. W. Kummacher (1796 - 1868) in his book Elijah The Tishbite gave prophetic understanding of how in the last days, the beauty and glory of the LORD will permeate the world, demonstrated through science and the arts.

F.W. Kummacher wrote:

" I refer you to that prophecy of Zechariah, which shall assuredly come to pass. ‘ In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto the LORD: and the pots in the LORD ’ s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts; and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein; and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts ’ (Zechariah 14:20-21 KJV)

What a glorious prospect is here presented to us of the future condition of the church and of the world! The beauty and lustre of holiness shall then be spread over all we possess, and over all that surrounds us. The Spirit of the LORD shall be universally diffused, and every object will partake of a Divine consecration. The sciences will then be the handmaidens of religion, and their alpha and omega will be the glory of God in Christ. The arts will return to their primary destination and be again devoted to the service of the living God. ‘ I the LORD, will hasten it, in its time. ’"

For new creative works to be anointed from on high, an artist must co-labor with Christ and willingly be used as a tool in the Master ’ s hand. It is only when an artist lays down his talents and puts his ego to death, that the Holy Spirit can resurrect them in a new bodily form.

It All Begins with a Story

World ’ s Greatest Book

The Bible is a collection of 66 books containing hundreds of stories.   It starts with, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) . It ends with John ’ s vision of Jesus declaring, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Book of Revelation 22:13).

These Biblical stories record the history of mankind from Adam to Abraham and the birth of the nation of Israel. It gives a chronicle of Israel from generation to generation.   It tells us of the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, unto the early years of the church age.

The Bible contains prophesies, some fulfilled within the context of the entire Bible, others

fulfilled