...thoughts expressed here are not necessarily final.

April 23, 2004 Art Defined- from around the web:

Defining Art is like defining Spirit or Beauty - it is a pretty slippery concept...

*the products of human creativity; works of art collectively; http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn *the creation of beautiful or significant things; http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn *a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation; http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

*A form of human activity created primarily as an aesthetic expression, especially, but not limited to drawing, painting and sculpture.

http://www.gallerydirectart.com/art-dictionary.html

*[n] Objects created by humans that have aesthetic value or express symbolic meaning, including drawings, paintings, and sculpture.

http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/nat_amer/post/htmls/gloss.html

*.v. The integration and manifestation into a state of being which allows a free flowing creative process using personally unique techniques evolved from the technical processes of a discipline. http://www.innovationcentral.org/glossary.htm *human endeavor thought to be aesthetic and have meaning beyond simple description. Includes music, dance, sculpture, painting, drawing, stitchery, weaving, poetry, writing, woodworking, etc. A medium of expression where the individual and culture come together.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/anthropology/glossary2.htm

*Objects or ideas created by humans which tell/show what we are thinking or feeling.  Art may or may not be beautiful.  Art may or may not look like something we know (recognize).  Art includes painting, sculpture, architecture, music, performance, dance, and acting (drama).

http://www.svsu.edu/mfsm/educational/glosstrm46.html

*"A selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value-judgements." Art is the stylization of the essential or significant aspects of a subject/concept. Art requires a theme (or at least a problem to be dealt with in action films) -- a unifying idea -- to integrate the material elements into a single entity.

http://www.gyldan.com/~gooe/gooe/define.htm

*This is the creative process and production applied to expression of culture.

http://www.atsic.gov.au/programs/Economic/Industry_Strategies/Cultural_Industry_Strategy/definiti.asp

*Human expression in sensuous form, often "for its own sake". The word "expression" is very important, in that it implies that the motivation comes from within the artist rather than somewhere else.

http://www.succeedinginmusic.net/glossary01.htm

*The skillful application of correct knowledge in the order of making. It is a habit
residing in the soul of the artist which is ordered toward making rather than mere doing.

http://www.catholicism.org/Philosophia/glossary.htm

Robert Webber said,

"Surely God dwells in the praises of his people, but the reduction of the mystery of God's presence to praise alone fails to grasp the presence of God unleashed through symbols and rituals we use in the space in which we meet Him.

Worship is an art form that signifies the reality of otherness, the purpose of human history and God's saving involvement in it. It evokes mystery and brings us into wonder, awe, and transcendence. This is what the next generation of worshipers seek. They are tired of entertainment and self-focused, chorus-driven worship. They want to see more. The rediscovery of worship as an art form that signifies the Christian reality of the relation between God, creation, history, incarnation and the ultimate re-creation of all that is, is a place where our new worship leadership can begin."

April 20, 2004- Stations of the Cross Reenacted

Found this site that moved me. What do you think?

The Times they are a changin...

I spent last week listening to old Bob Dylan albums I Peaked and burned to CD, pops and all. then I ran across this pretty obtuse quiz- maybe you'd like to try it. If you are even old enough to care...

No I changed my mind...

April 19, 2004 News from around the web

The man with the purpose (Joel News)

Rick Warren's plan for spiritual fulfillment is making him one of America's
most influential ministers, reports TIME Magazine. Over the past 17 months,
15 million copies of 'The Purpose-Driven Life' have been sold. Nearly
300,000 ministers from 50 states and 120 nations have participated in
Warren's pastor-training seminars and internet classes. His church
Saddleback has become a bustling megachurch, with an annual operating
budget of more than $19 million, and now sits on an immaculate 120-acre
campus south of Los Angeles. On weekends the 15,000 members and about 5,000 visitors choose from services at six different times and 10 different
venues around the campus.

The ultimate 'American pastor's dream'? Maybe, but there's another side to
this story. Mindful of the checkered history of high-profile evangelists,
Warren stopped taking his $110,000 annual salary from Saddleback and
refunded all the money the church had paid him over the years. He says he
keeps only 10% of the book royalties and gives the rest away to projects
fighting poverty, illiteracy, and disease - especially AIDS - in America
and abroad.

Warren wants each of Saddleback's 2,000 small groups to adopt a village in a developing country, make mission trips there and send educational and medical supplies, along with spiritual and financial support, to its residents. Eventually, he hopes to expand the program to the more than 10,000 other Purpose-Driven churches around the nation.

LINK: http://makeashorterlink.com/?O14631AD7
---
Will TV advertising save the church?

There's a new kind of preaching on television. But this time the preachers
are seeking their own salvation. Faced with little growth, or in some cases
decades of declining membership, America's mainline denominations are set
to pour hope and millions of dollars into TV advertising. A technique once
regarded as distasteful self-promotion has become an accepted necessity to
save aging buildings, costly pension plans, and the increasingly rare work
of missionaries. An article by G. Jeffrey MacDonald in The Christian
Science Monitor.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0316/p01s03-ussc.html

Forget about Gas Prices this is a REAL crisis

The National Ice Cream Retailers Association says ice cream prices are going up. Executive director Udderback predicts the average cost for the frozen treat will go up between 20 and 30 percent. In other words, stock up now on ice cream ...

You too can dress up like your favorite food...I always said I look good in everythiing I eat.

From Relevant Magazine

According to Premiere, here are the top 100 greatest movie characters of all time. Take a look and see if you agree ...my favorites are at least listed...

A security man with the World Vision International (WVI) in Ghana was sentenced to five years imprisonment for stealing a quantity of Holy Bibles and then later selling them. Unfortunate, but at least the Word's getting spread ...

And speaking of thievery...

Christian teens are stealing Christian music through Internet downloads and CD burnings at the same rate non-Christians are stealing secular music, according to a new study. The study, which has not been made public, showed only 10 percent of Christian teens considered music piracy to be morally wrong, The Dallas Morning News reported. that's one way to kill innovation and creativity- just starve the artists....