Visual imagery communicates in our Post-modern culture. But this
is nothing new, because pictures have always been been a helpful way of clarifying the reality. What we
are seeking, as we pursue our guiding vision, is to see, understand, experience
and appropriate the reality of fruitfulness in music ministry. Scripture,
history, and life's experiences all provide pictures that can help clarify our
vision and lead us towards the reality.
Commentators tell us:
-
"Images are the language of our
culture. And they are tools that help connect us to God’s unchanging
truth. To fully minister to our culture in the 21st century, we
have to be able to speak its language -- visual communication." [ Visual
worship
By Todd Carter, source unknown]
Certainly visual communication is a dominant language of our time, but before we look at some pictures that can
clarify a guiding vision for us, again I emphasis that our focus must
remain on the reality and not on the picture. The worshippers that God seeks are
those who worship Him in Spirit and in Reality (John 4). Ever since Marshall
MacLuhan tried to convince us that the 'Medium is the Message', I fear we
might have become more intrigued by the medium than the message. More than ever our
society needs reality. Sure, we need to speak a language they understand, but
there are many signals that escaping into the unreal and virtual worlds of film,
TV, computers and the Internet, leave us empty and hungry for Truth, Life, Light
and Reality. So whatever pictures we use, and whatever media we embrace to
communicate the message, the focus of our vision must remain on the reality of
God and His Life in us, His purpose for us, and His expression of Himself
through us.
Many pictures can guide us towards this
reality.
