The Mystery of Creativity
Resurgence.
Reawakening.
Revival.
Rebirth.
What does each have in common? They are all synonymous with the word renaissance and more interesting is this:
The root of the word renaissance is the Latin word “renasci” meaning to be born again. What’s even crazier is this specific type of rebirth makes claims towards a nation. [1]
Am I saying a nation can be born again? Absolutely.
A Coming Creative Renaissance
For instance, according to Shawn Bolz in The Mystery of Creativity, we are currently amid a creative renaissance and expression of innovation that no generation has seen before.
Even better than that? This outpouring of God’s genius isn’t limited to the traditional artisan. Meaning, you don’t have to identify as a “creative.” You can create, so that makes you a creator and this makes you eligible!
In other words, God’s creative energy has been made available to every believer and yep, that includes you! No matter how creative or noncreative you think you are, we all can create.
In fact, we were created to do this.
This is a gift given by our Creator, the Master Creator himself. And you’re being beckoned to use this ability to help usher in the rebirth of a nation.
What nation? Well, that would be wherever you are.
“God is a dreamer and a builder, and as a creator, He created all of this around us. And He’s put inside of you the creative power to think differently, but also to be different. It’s your time to create with God.” | Shawn Bolz
Jesus was a divergent thinker. He thought differently and used His difference to birth a nation, which was of course through Christianity (Isaiah 66:7-9; Acts 2). [2] How? Bolz points out that Jesus often used creativity in the form of parables to “culturize” and connect people to Godly principles. Going further, Jesus frequently did this without any direct mention of the name of God.
Martin Luther was a divergent thinker. His 95 Theses alarmed, transformed, and reformed the Christianity you know. After disrupting the status quo of the Catholic Church and the common man’s approach, or lack thereof, to God, Luther began to translate the Bible into “common speech.” This act further ignited the creative renaissance God affirmed to undergird the greatest Reformation the Church had ever seen.
And you are a divergent thinker. Your capacity to think differently and embrace that, then give expression to your difference can ignite a revolution – a significant turnaround. So don’t be afraid to think creatively and so what if your ideas aren’t like others.
Create is translated as bara’ in Hebrew and has two primary meanings:
- To create something entirely new.
- To transform something [transform implies changes to something existing, to reform].
For the same reason, your difference is okay and welcome because that’s kind of the point! *smiles*
Video Features
- Jesus as a Divergent Thinker
- How Creativity Changes Culture
- The Glorification + Villainization of Creativity
- Co-creating with God
- God’s Creativity as a Solution to Personal + Cultural Identity Wars
- Creative Stewardship
- A Prayer of Activation
Last Remarks
You were born with the creative nature of God. Christ awakens this quality in each of us and through an intimate partnership with the Holy Spirit, you can originate things that are out of this world.
Beyond that, your creative contributions can act as conduits for:
- Healing
- Restoration
- Transformation
- Spiritual liberation [deliverance]
- And some
Moreover, those things can bring people face to face, breath to breath, body to body, with the Master Creator Himself.
I hope you enjoy the message and finally, I pray it awakens God’s creative spirit in you!
References
- “Renaissance.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2017.
- Although Jesus spent years teaching His disciples, in one day the Church was born. Its conception was on The Day of Pentecost when Peter stood to preach a message at which about 3000 people believed and accepted it (See Acts 2:41, See Matthew Henry’s Commentary – a more exhaustive expository is avail here).
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