Redigging the Wells

I don't know why, but I'm always blown away by how the Lord chooses to align people and situations in the Kingdom to fulfill His purposes. Lately, I have been feeling a real unsettledness as it relates to my calling in Asheville and I began to ask the Lord about it. Nothing really came as far as a direct word or direction, but I felt a nudging to begin to research the history of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the Craft Revival and the Settlement School movement of the early 20th century.

Being in Asheville, the center of the folk art and craft movement, I was able to visit the Folk Art Center up on the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday. I spent several hours reading, researching and plundering the wonderful research library they have onsite that has hundreds of rare and out of print books on the subject of handicrafts, art and what we call the southern highlands.

During my research yesterday, I literally began to weep while sitting at the table. The Lord started showing me in bold color the fullness of the purposes he has for me and The Worship Studio here in Asheville. Turns out, the whole arts and crafts revival that changed the very DNA of this region in the early 20th century was fueled primarily by missionaries - Godly people both ordained and lay - who had a vision for economic and cultural impact in the context of the Kingdom through art, beauty, craft and wholistic education. I couldn't believe it! The very thing the Lord had called me to a year ago - to raise up an army of artisans to reveal His Glory in the earth - to establish a center for training and ministry - to be a creative hub and prototype that would spawn other creative communities around the world - Literally, people in this area were doing it over 100 years ago with incredible favor and success.

John C, Campbell (pictured above) and his wife Olive Dame Campbell (pictured left) were two of the main pioneers in this movement. In fact, John was an ordained congregationalist home missionary who was sent by the American Missionary Association to southern Appalachia to minister to the 'mountain whites'. Rupert Vance, in his forward to the reprint of Campbell's The Southern Highlander and His Homeland said "This was a period when many felt that unless home missions, private church academies, and outside philanthropists were adequate to save the mountain people from stagnation and isolation, they could not be saved."

The model of ministry was for missionaries - some families and couples, but also many young, single women - to relocate and live among the people to minister through relationship and daily mentoring. These were passionate people who saw a desperate need to reach a people group and gave their lives to minister to them. Allan Eaton describes a common scene during this time around Allanstand (Francis Goodrich's outpost) as women gathering once a week for "sewing, chatting and for a short religious service." Upon John Campbell's death, it was his wife, Olive who picked up the torch and ran with the vision they shared - visiting the Danish Folk Schools, starting the John C. Campbell Folk School and along with other leaders, leading the movement to start the Southern Highland Craft Guild - unifying Appalachian artisans in a way that would be economically and artistically beneficial to them.

The incredible part for me about all of this is that because of the significant Arts and Craft Movement that really flourished between 1880 and 1910, the Social Settlement Movement, the Country Life Movement in England and the Social Gospel Movement in the US, people and entire organizations embraced the idea of art, craft and beauty as a valid way to impact people and shift culture - the same calling we embrace today with The Worship Studio. It seems around 1900, people began to get a vision for this type of social activist ministry and we started seeing workers migrating south to help revitalize the economy and culture through basic craft training and production. Quickly, whole denominations within the Body of Christ began to lay hold of the vision, sending missionaries, funding missions programs and sponsoring what were known as settlement schools all over Appalachia. By 1920, Campbell lists over 150 schools and academies like this all over southern Appalachia with backing provided by most Protestant denominations and wealthy patrons. LIterally within about 20 years, the whole face of a culture and economy were shifted because of people who had a vision for the Kingdom and shifting culture through creative expression.

Today, God is calling us to redig the wells that have been dormant in this region and around the country. What once started as a kingdom-focused ministry sponsored by the Body of Christ to equip people in their calling has now been turned over in large part to humanistic, government funded influences who resist the marriage of faith and creativity. We are praying for a resurgance and revival within the arts community that would shift culture and impact the lives of artisans in greater ways than even those early forerunners dreamed possible. We will see, as Allen Eaton said in the early 20th century, "Pioneer Centers" raised up that will spawn other creative communities all over the world with a passion to integrate wholeness of the artisans, the ability to engage the Holy Spirit within creative expression, mentoring by master artisans and skill development. Just like the John C. Campbell Folk School, Allanstand, the Fireside Industries of Berea and Arrowmont, among others, God is raising us up for such a time as this in the Kingdom to release His Glory and impact culture around the world in unprecedented ways.

Riding the Wave of His Presence

I love this short video clip about famous surfer, Laird Hamilton because it speaks to the very core of who we are as artisans in the Kingdom of God. There's a quote at the very end that says of Laird "No one had ever ridden as Laird rode on that wave before. It was the imagination of dealing with that unimaginable energy and coming up with the plan spontaneously - he couldn't practice!"

God is calling us as artisans to that same place of imagination and creativity in order to take a mountain that's so big, no one has ever dared take it before - the mountain of arts & entertainment. He's calling us through our creative expression and the expression of our lives to release the Glory of God and impact culture around the world. He's looking for those artisans who are willing to risk it all for the thrill of conquering in His kingdom. He's looking for those who have dreamed of a moment like this, where their actions and the actions of those around the would forever alter the fabric of history in this realm.

The story of Laird Hamilton is not that he reached some long sought-after destination but rather the culmination of everything that he was, knew and had experieced prepared him for this perfect wave on this perfect day. It wasn't that he wasn't looking to go conquer that particular wave that day. In fact, he probably thought it was just another day on the water like he had spent many days before.

The same is true for us. Conquering the mountain of arts & entertainment and impacting culture is not some destination. Rather, it's about doing what you do every day as an artisan in the Kingdom and then all of a sudden waking up to the reality that you're right in the middle of the biggest moment of your life. It's the day to day journey of life, community and creativity that prepare us for these moments of destiny. Whether you're just beginning this journey of creativity in the Kingdom, or you've been preparing your whole life, I'd like to offer some sign posts for the journey to help guide you down this road of destiny.

Ride the Waves
One of the most important principles to learn in the Kingdom is that God creates the waves - we ride the waves. Arthur Wallace once said "If you would do the best with your life, find out what God is doing in your generation and fling yourself into it." Any time we get into creating the wave, manufacturing the circumstances, stirring up the momentum it likely leads us to moving outside the Spirit. Don't hear what I'm not saying though. God's looking for dreamers - those who will go for it - but all under His strategic guidance.

Every wave we experience in our life - creative or not - is seasonal. It's up to us to learn how to embrace the season we are currently in so we can fully experience and cooperate with what God is saying and doing now. When we try to operate the other way, by manufacturing situations or momentum, we become easily frustrated and blocked both spiritually and creatively. The Jesus model is to love us in relationship, show us the mysteries of God and then reveal greater works to us.

¹⁹ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

It's All About Balance
When you're riding a wave, the focus of your attention has to be about balance and forward momentum. You can't stand still on wave or you'll get crushed. The same is true creatively. You'll die as an artist if you don't learn to move with the Spirit of God and connect to the source of all creativity.

The balance we do desperately need as His creative ones is learning to flow in the right things at the right time. I'm typically an all or nothing kinda guy, so balance doesn't come naturally. If I am going to pursue something it's usually at the expense of something else. The Lord's plan for us as artisans is to be so tuned in to Him creatively that no matter what He calls us to - art, family, an upcoming show, volunteering at church, community events, work, a new project - we are able to flow in the grace and creativity He is releasing for that season. Again, our job is not to create the wave but to cooperate with it.

Beyond Practice
Lastly, I believe the Father wants to take us to a place in Him that's beyond practice and the rudiments of our creative medium. His desire is that we trust and flow with Him in the realms of life and creativity where it's impossible to practice or prepare.

This may seem unnatural to you, but it's exactly the story of Laird Hamilton and of Jesus. Both worked their whole life - listening, looking, percieving, preparing - Laird with the flow of ocean waves and Jesus with the flow of His father. Then, at the right time, with no real notice, they find themselves on the ride of their life where everything they are doing is the culmination of their entire experience.

For us to go to the levels in God that is required for us to take dominion over the mountain of arts & entertainment and really shift culture, it's imperative that we learn to go beyond what we can do naturally. We must learn to operate in the supernatural creative flow of the Holy Spirit. That's the place where the Kingdom and God's power are simply flowing out of you. Whether you're eating lunch, creating or talking to a friend, you're flowing in the Kingdom and the Glory is being revealed in and through you. It's what I call the 'shadow anointing'. Just like the disciples when they walked down the street and people got healed when their shadow fell upon them. The disciples didn't do anything per se but just be who they were in the Kingdom and boom - a normal everyday event like walking down the street becomes a supernatural explosion of creativity and healing.

I encourage you as a fellow artisan in the Kingdom. Pursue the deeper life in God and in the Glory of His presence. Learn to flow in His rhythm and together we will see an army of artisans arise!

Practical Steps to Engaging the Holy Spirit in the Creative Process

It seems the passion of my life has been to create and to be immersed in the creative process. From the time I was a little boy until today, my desire to create has taken me down many paths from making mud-pies and makeshift army forts as a child, to songwriting, leading worship, graphic design, marketing consulting, basket weaving and a deep love for Appalachian-style fine craft. For most of my life I have to admit, I felt a little ADD – feeling like a jack of all artistic trades and yet a master of none. Only recently have I come to a more full understanding of who I really am as an artist and been able to embrace it. Not only embrace it, but able to fully engage the Holy Spirit within the creative passions of my heart to see Him show up and reveal the Father in new and exciting ways!

Stuff It
For most of my life, I tried to stuff my creativity into a religious box. Being a Christian and sensing a call to ministry early in my life, I blindly went down the road of ‘Christian service’, hoping to find the fulfillment of a life’s calling and creative outlet. What I ended up with was a lot of frustration and confusion about how my calling was to be worked out within the Church and the Kingdom. Never would have I described myself as an ‘artist’, only a functional title like musician, pianist, singer, or worship leader. Even the visual artist in me was reduced to just functional tasks within ‘ministry’ – designing media presentations, brochures or various printed materials. It was all in a neat little box, but God wanted to bring me to a place where He was breathing on ALL my work, flowing in my ALL art and allowing me to touch His heart through ALL my creative expression in the wider context of His Kingdom.

I have to admit, half of me has always been a closeted artist. The musician/worship leader/songwriter part of me has easily been on display in the context of the Church. Even the graphic designer part of me, from time to time. However, there was a side to me that very few people ever saw. The side that loved to get up early on a cool fall morning, put on my overalls, boots and ball cap, grab my garden clippers and head off into the woods on a treasure hunt. I’m a basket weaver. From the time I was a teenager, I have loved to walk in the woods, alone, searching for natural vines and other materials to weave baskets. At times it’s been artistic and at times therapeutic. All the time, that process for me has been deeply spiritual – and yet it’s the part of my artistic expression that I was the least comfortable. I mean honestly, we’re talking about basket weaving here! First of all, most guys don’t consider that the “manly” thing to do. Secondly, how many jokes have YOU heard about basket weaving as the favorite activity of mental patients. Thirdly, as someone ‘busy’ with ministry, how could I justify spending time on what seemed like a meaningless hobby when I should be ‘working for the Lord’ and serving my family? (Can’t just feel the religion all over that? Yuk!).

As I’ve grown as an artist and as one who is called to walk with artists in their journey of faith in the Kingdom, I know all to well that my story is the story of thousands. Ones who love the Father and desire to serve Him, but feel misunderstood and marginalized by religious mindsets and preconceived notions of what is spiritual and valued by the Father. How is it that the times I have heard and engaged the Holy Spirit in my creative process have had little to do with Church, ministry or organized religious activity? Rather, it has been in the quiet moments walking in the woods, enjoying the kudzu-covered hillsides of north Georgia and creating something beautiful out of crusty, gnarled vines that I have sensed His pleasure the so deeply.

Light Bulb Moments
It’s funny. I’m still getting comfortable with this title of ‘artist’. Just a few weeks ago, I was leading worship at a large youth camp in South Carolina. During the course of the week, I struck up a conversation with the camp nurse. She sat at the leaders table and we shared about our lives, interests, hopes and dreams. One day I talked about being a worship leader and songwriter. Then later on I’m sharing about the clients I am working with as a designer and marketing consultant. Later in the week, she saw me sitting on a log outside the lodge weaving a basket out of kudzu and wisteria vines. Another day we discussed my passion for raising up artists and The Worship Studio (an artist community I lead with a team of other artists in Canton, GA). By the end of the week, she just laughed and said ‘So, Matt, what do you do for money?’ I had to chuckle and say ‘Well, a little bit of everything – however the Lord brings it’. In that moment, she said something very profound to me, which I have to admit made me feel a little uncomfortable at first. She said “Well, you’re quite the artist aren’t you?”. I thought for a moment and then like a rush of wind in my spirit, the Holy Spirit said “Yes you are, and I love it!”.

What the Lord began to show me on my own journey as an artist in the Kingdom is that I’m not like everyone else, nor am I supposed to be. The very sensitivities and creative spark that He’s put in me is the very essence He wants me to explore with Him. His desire is not for me to jump on some corporate treadmill, get a dead end job and have a ‘hobby’ on the weekends when I have nothing else to do. He has created me as one who is a creator – a co-labor with Him in the Kingdom – a dreamer who desires what could be, sees what others miss, loves beauty, appreciates detail, and senses His presence at the most inopportune times. I am an artist.

Ramping Up
During a recent season of healing and brokenness in my own journey, the Father began to really show me how to walk with Him as an artist and engage Him on a deeper level creatively. It came after a job loss. I was a worship pastor most of my career. In 2003, I left full-time ministry during a mess at the local church I was serving. God was working on all of us, and honestly, God needed to get at some places in me that He couldn’t get to in the context of church. Long story short, I started a design firm, grew it pretty large over a period of about 5 years, made a lot of money and then lost it all – I mean all. I floated for a little bit, worked some odd jobs and then settled in a corporate job at a major multi-billion dollar technology firm doing sales and marketing. I did well there, even won a lot of awards, but was never fulfilled. The whole time I was crying out for God to rescue me from ‘cubicle hell’! He was working something deeper in me.

During that season, I had come to the place where the Lord was opening up doors for ministry again as a worship leader. Conferences, retreats and even some interviews for worship pastor position at some large churches around the country flowed in. I was getting antsy. Part of me wanted to escape. The other part of me really wanted to engage creatively again. After almost a year at the company, I was laid off in a massive corporate downsize because of the economy. I was faced with a choice – jump back into a dead-end job that will pay the bills or lay it all down and let God do what He was going to do. For me, it was one of those Paul moments where I was like “Why not just go for it? I can’t lose anything more than I’ve already lost. And who knows, God might just show up this time!”. He did, and in a powerful way.

Popcorn
During this season of waiting, the Lord told me several things. First, he showed me a picture of a huge field with mountains, the sky and a breeze blowing through the field. Then He said “Don’t look for a job, your provision will come like popcorn.” As I looked at the field again, popcorn started popping everywhere and He said to me “I’m turning up the heat and pouring in the oil”. The next day, people started calling me out of the blue for websites, logo designs, and other design projects. Before I knew it, I had 6 clients and was making more money that I was when I was working fulltime in cubicle land.

Right after that, the Lord had me start seeking Him in a more intense way. My wife and son would be out the door in the mornings by 6:45am. I’d grab my coffee, go downstairs in my studio and begin to seek God. I’d lay on the floor, worship, cry, read the Word, journal, walk around, intercede and anything else He told me to do. Then, before I knew it, lunchtime had rolled around and I’d eat lunch. Then I’d go over to my church and seek Him some more in the prayer room. This went on for weeks. All I was doing for most of the day was what I call ‘soaking prayer’ – literally just laying in His presence and allowing His love to wash me and renew me in a deep way.

Pretty soon, the Lord began to pour out great vision for my life, my art, my destiny as a father to artists and even business opportunities that I had not even dreamed of. It was during this time that I began to see how the Lord wanted to connect the dots with His presence and my creative expression.

1) The Secrets of the Kingdom are our inheritance (Luke 8:10)
There are things that God wants to release in the earth – secrets – that He will only reveal to those who diligently seek Him and who desire His kingdom, not their own. He is the source of all creativity. He already owns everything. He knows everything. Every problem, challenge or issue that’s in the world today He already has a solution for – He’s just looking for some passionate lovers of His heart that He can reveal those to.
2) Filled and Skilled (Exodus 31:1ff)
The Father loves craftsmen and artists. Since the beginning of creation, He’s allowed people to walk in creative authority in the earth with Him, under His inspiration. All throughout the Bible (Tabernacle of David, Building of the Temple of Solomon, Tabernacle of Moses, etc), God speaks of filling artists with the Holy Spirit and endowing them with skill in artistic expression for the purposes of beauty and prophesying. He’s doing the same thing today – filling artists with the Holy Spirit and teaching them how to involve Him in the creative process. The result is not just art for art’s sake, but co-laboring in creative expression that literally carries the presence and the power of God – prophetically declaring His purposes in the earth. God Himself is a multi-faceted Creator, and loves sharing
His nature with those who care to partake.

3. I’ve also noticed during this season that as I put my focus on becoming more skilled in my craft – whether that be design, music or craft – I sense the presence of God much stronger. Skill brings freedom; specifically, the freedom to respond the the Holy Spirit in a unique expression of creativity. Without skill, I believe we limit our ability to co-labor with Him in the Kingdom
Excellence is an honor to Him, and a more accurate representation of who He is. Sure, God can ‘boom’, give us the skill. However, I’ve found the Father is much more about the journey to skill and the process of development than He is the end result we so desire. We come to know Him and ourselves better in the process. It is astounding!

3) Focus on the Kingdom brings Creative Inspiration
Jesus said “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you”. If you need anything added to you, seek the Kingdom. Whatever you need in your life, seek the Kingdom and seek His presence. When we connect our desire to Him and His heart, all the things that we need in our life suddenly begins to manifest. Connection to His purposes unlocks a divine flow in our life where we are able to walk in prophetic expression in every area we put our hands to.

I’m walking now in creative expression in areas I never thought possible. For example, the Lord is showing me new ways to create vessels using gourds, scripture, color and hand-tools. I’m writing new songs, learning new designs for baskets, creating new work for clients. The divine flow of creativity is causing my worlds to collide. To be honest, it’s quite freeing - to know that God is free to move through all of me at any time using many different creative expressions of my life.

4) Extended Time In His Presence Yields Extraordinary Creativity
God has wrought into my being the understanding that time with Him and in His presence yields much more than I could ever do on my own. It refreshes me, centers my heart for the day and causes me to listen for Him in ways that are different than what I can experience in the day-to-day busy-ness of life. The Father longs to give good gifts to His children – to dote on you – to make you smile – to give you the desires of your heart. We have to choose to be with Him. When we do, He stands ready to pour out such love, inspiration and creativity on us that once we experience it, we will never desire to go back to life as usual.

So many artists, myself included, never think about actively engaging the Holy Spirit in their creative process. It’s just ‘what we do’. However, now that we are His, so is our expression – but not in some robotic way. This idea of ‘more of Thee, less of me’ can cause us to be self-depricating, falsely humble artisans. If God wanted less of you He wouldn’t have created you. As Bill Johnson says, “He had none of you before He created and you and evidently He didn’t like it!”. God created you with His heart for creativity. He wants you to desire Him and explore the creative expanse of life with Him. He desires you to co-labor with Him in your creative expression so that your art becomes a prophetic declaration of the Glory of God in the earth.

PRACTAL STEPS TO ENGAGE THE HOLY SPIRIT
Most of you artists by now have skipped ahead to this section by now! “Just tell me how to do it and let me get back to my studio!” These are by no means steps in a formula to wrangle the Holy Spirit into your creative world. Rather, these are signposts that have helped to direct me on my own journey toward actively engaging the Holy Spirit in my own artistic expression.

1) Intentional Intimacy
I’ve found in my own life that the Holy Spirit likes to move in people who know Him, recognize Him and desire to be with Him. That being said, if you want God to invade your art, first He’s got to invade your heart. He wants a heart that’s completely His, a desire that’s for Him and a mind renewed with a Kingdom mindset. Facilitating intimacy is really as easy as setting aside time with Him just to be with Him. When I started this process, I thought I would go downstairs to my piano, play, worship, sing and wait on the Lord. In fact, the Father had other plans. He had me play CD’s and sit quietly in silence most of the time journaling my thoughts on paper – something I had never done before. What that did for me was take me ‘off my game’ and put me in a raw, unfamiliar place where I could really hear from the Lord without the normal ‘ministry’ or ‘quiet-time’ routines to which I had become so calloused.

2) Desire to Hear from Him
This goes a much deeper than just wanting to be with Him. It is not wanting just to talk to Him, but to hear Him. When I began to sit with the Lord in His presence and He really began speaking to me, I was blown away. A lot of the stuff He would tell me didn’t make sense. Most of it was vision – BIG VISION – of what He wanted for me, my life, my art, my family, my business. He began raising my vision to His vision, which can be scary. For me, it took me out of my comfort zone of what seemed normal into a ‘dreamers’ mentality. Instead of looking at natural circumstances around me, or trying to figure things out based on my experience, my skill, or the people I knew, I began to dream about what was possible. Pretty soon, my desire to hear from Him became insatiable! I went from being nervous about it (mostly because I was dealing with shame issues from my relationship with my own dad and past sin) to excited and anxious to hear from Him. Once I began to know Him, trust Him and understand His heart for me, my heart was undone with gratitude that He really did love me. He wasn’t mad at me – and He’s not mad at you. In fact, He’s in a good mood! He loves you with an everlasting love! He’s for you and wants to prosper you in His Kingdom today! Get this in your heart and you’ll spend a lot of carpet time with the Father, weeping in His presence.

3) Dance the Dance
Once you’re in the place where you are hearing from the Father, spending time in His presence and letting Him love on you, just dance the dance! What I mean by that is fully engage in the dance that He’s dancing with you! He wants you to swing your head back, kick up your heels and dance passionately! Take a chance and trust Him. Believe that what He has promised you will come to pass. Begin to create and pursue your artistic expression with new zeal and abandon as He inspires your heart. Pretty soon, you’ll become a conduit for the Holy Spirit to pour His presence through to touch the earth. The lives of thousands will be changed because you chose to dance with the Father!