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!

The Vision of The Worship Studio

The Vision for The Worship Studio: Raising Up Artisans to Reveal God's Glory

During a season of crying out the Lord for revelation about my calling and my place in the Kingdom, the Father woke me up 2 mornings in a row at around 3:09 am -3:10 am. The song that was playing in my head was a song by Jason Upton called “Lion of Judah” where it says “Raise up an army, raise up an army, raise up an army like Joel saw!” On the second morning, I went to my studio and opened up the Bible to Joel 3:09 (NLT) and sure enough, here is what it said:

9 Say to the nations far and wide:
“Get ready for war!
Call out your best warriors.
Let all your fighting men advance for the attack.
10 Hammer your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Train even your weaklings to be warriors.
11 Come quickly, all you nations everywhere.
Gather together in the valley.”

And now, O Lord, call out your warriors!

12 “Let the nations be called to arms.
Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I, the Lord, will sit
to pronounce judgment on them all.
13 Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.[a]
Come, tread the grapes,
for the winepress is full.
The storage vats are overflowing
with the wickedness of these people.”

The Lord told me I was to go to the nations, gather the warriors and the weaklings – the master artisans and the emerging artisans – and raise up an army of artisans to reveal His Glory in the earth. He showed me how in this passage of scripture, warriors and those that saw themselves as weak were being called together to take whatever was in their hands – the normal tools of their trade (plowshares & pruning hooks) – and turn them into instruments of war. The Father then showed me that this movement of artisans was pivotal to His end-time purposes of bringing in the great harvest in our generation.

Camp Out By the River of God
The next morning, the Father woke me up again early. While I was praying, the Lord told me to go to Ezekiel 47 and I began to read about the Healing Waters and the River of God. In this passage the Lord describes how there are mighty trees planted by the water, how they yield fruit every month and how their leaves are for the healing of the nations. That’s when the Lord told me that our job at The Worship Studio was to “camp out by the river of God”. He said He would plant master artisans like mighty oak trees in The Worship Studio and their shade would bring comfort and rest to emerging artisans as they gathered around. Then I looked up and saw the wind blowing through the trees. The Lord told me that these master artisans – mighty trees – would spawn many branches (artisans) and fruit (art). He said “And every leaf will sing a little different, paint a little different, dance a little different as the wind of my Spirit blows through the trees. And the leaves will be used for the healing of the nations.”

With these 2 clear mandates from the Lord, The Worship Studio was born. Since then, God has continued to clarify the vision and strategy for ministry.

The Purpose of The Worship Studio Movement
The Worship Studio is:
• An Equipping Resource for Artisans
• A Catalyst for Creativity in the Kingdom
• A Hub for Creative Communities

Our vision is to encourage and equip artisans to form creative communities committed to fostering personal wholeness, engaging the Holy Spirit in their creative process, artistic skill development and releasing the Glory of God through creative expression.

The Strategy of The Worship Studio Movement
God has given us a 3-fold strategy for ministry in order to effectively lead artists into the fullness of what God has for their lives and creativity. The strategy includes: Wholeness, Prophecy & Creative Skill.

• Wholeness
God desires for all people to walk in complete freedom and wholeness. Through loving community, relationships, healing ministry and accountability artists will come into a deeper measure of wholeness in their life.
o "10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" John 10:10

• Prophecy
As artists are coming into wholeness, we encourage them to hear and engage the Holy Spirit in order to understand His desire for their life and creative expression. Out of those encounters with the Lord, artists learn to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit through their life and unique creative expression, revealing the Testimony of Jesus in the earth.
o "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10

• Creative Skill
In the spirit of Bezalel & Oholiab & the musicians in the Tabernacle of David, we encourate artisans to minister skillfully before the Lord as they create and worship through creative expression. Through mentoring and training relationships with master artisans, participation in learning opportunities and practice, we will train artists to become master artisans within their chosen medium.
o "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship." Exodus 31:2-5

How Does It Look?
Our desire is to see creative communities established all over the world who share the same DNA, commitment and passion to raising up an army of artists to reveal the Glory of God in the earth as we do. God is mobilizing all of us for His purposes in our generation as we form this network of creative communities around the world. By design, every artist and consequently, every creative community will be a little different depending on the artisans God uses to establish the community and their collective passion.

The first studio we formed, in Canton, Georgia (NW Metro Atlanta) is actually a working artist community with art classes, monthly worship opportunities, classes & workshops and more located in a physical building on 2 acres. Other communities that are springing up are simply groups of artisans who gather at a local coffee shop or home to discuss their faith, art and life. The beauty of being a part of an artist community is that each community can be as unique as the artisans involved. The sky is the limit!

We are currently working on the development of a school in Asheville that will serve as the headquarters for The Worship Studio, including worship, training with master artisans, workshops, seminars, conferences and retreats, personal ministry and mentoring. Our dream is that God would raise up an epi-center of creativity and anointing that would be a deep well of blessing and healing for artisans around the world.

What About You?
Are you passionate about seeing a creative community form in your local area? For more resources on forming a creative community in your local area, please http://www.theworshipstudio.org/about/communities

To be a part of The Worship Studio Community, we simply ask that you align your creative community with the values outlined on the website above, including:
• Our DNA for Ministry as described in our Vision & Strategy
• Offering the “Artisan” Series in your Community
• Fostering Creative Community Among Artisans
• Collaboration & Support Among Communities