The Missing Element in Your Church.

When we lose an eye for beauty we lose sight of God.

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

Hey Crashers,

Last week, we talked about beauty vs excellence and barely scratched the surface of this important church-life conversation. Some of you responded with excitement, others with questions. Thank you to all who engaged in the dialogue.

This week, we continue. Why? Because the beauty of God is sadly missing from much of the Church's consciousness. We’ve embraced function but neglected form. We get things done, yet in the haste of full calendars, we neglect the nuance of artistry found in the time and attention to how things look and feel.

If you’re a free subscriber, we hope this week’s Rapid 5 is inspiring and helpful. And to our paid community, please take some time to ponder this longer-than-usual journal article as you discover or re-discover the awe-inspiring power of God’s beauty.

Grace and Peace,

Cass & Rich

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In today’s issue:

• A classic song to inspire you to worship.

• A quote to reframe your future.

• A cry for beauty to take center stage.

• and more…

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1. In this video, one of my favorite artists, Makoto Fujimura, profoundly explains why art and beauty are important for Christians. I write more about my perspective on this in today’s Journal article below. (Link)

2. Marva Dawn, in her book on worship, A Royal Waste of Time, says, “Worship is a royal waste of time. It enables us to keep heavenly time and forget earthly concerns. There is no greater beauty than the beauty of God’s holiness. Let God be our urgent cry.” I’m not sure about you, but this quote realigns everything for me. (Link)

3. I first read this book back in the 1990’s. In Search of Excellence is a classic business book, but the concepts have made their way into the Church. Not sure I’m happy with that, even though the book is worth reading. (Link)

4. Appreciating beauty takes time and attention. It’s something we can learn to do, and perhaps even should learn to do in order to truly appreciate who God is. This short video from Philip Ryken encourages just that. (Link)

5. Lately, we’ve been listening to Chris Tomlin and Steffany Gretzinger’s version of the classic Keith Green song “Oh Lord You’re Beautiful”. Why not take a minute to worship God, appreciating His beauty and splendor today? (Link)

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Question of the week…

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