Art ATtaCk! April Edition ‘08. Fri.-Sun. 4/4-4/6

Whew! It’s busy on the blog, huh?!  Here’s some more…ART ATTACK WEEKEND in LOS ANGELES, baby!  Be there, or be hexagon.

EVENTS!

Fri. 4/4. 6:30p-7:30p. Terrace Cafe.  Hitcliff, our resident DC Dancer, may be offering Ballroom Dancing for us laymen and ladies.  The class is a big MAYBE, but if you’re around you might just check-in a little before/during that time and see what’s up; then follow your lesson up with our “Open Mic” nite at 8pm.  Same place. Same nite.

Location: 626 Coronado Terrace, Los Angeles, CA, 90026. (213) 273-7075

This Fri- Sat. April 4-6th. is our monthly Art Attack weekend.  Here’re this month’s details, with one big change…

Fri. 8p-9p. Terrace Cafe- Open Mic. Music, dance, spoken word…fun! (If you have a short video to share, bring that, too! We’re gonna try to get the flat screen to cooperate with us this time…anyone know how to bribe a t.v.?  Just askin…)    

Location: 626 Coronado Terrace, Los Angeles, CA, 90026. (213) 273-7075

Friday l8 nyt art: Chalk-Alot is on hold this month, guys.  Why?  Read Sunday’s blurb.  But, our ”Friday l8 nyt art” will return next month, and should remain rocksteady from that point on. Will keep you posted.

Sat. 3p-6:45p. Family Center Kitchen/Main Room - Creative Cookies  Cupcakes!  Just say, “Yum”.

Sun.

• 12noonish-1:30p. Art in Echo Park. 
• 2p-6p. Public Mural in Skid Row.  This is our community visual art, guys!

Come to Art in Echo Park or meet us there.  We leave for the mural @ 2:30p and will figure out carpooling with whoever’s there. 

The organization commissioning these community murals wants that block of Skid Row to be a light in a dark place.  So, we get a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing, touch lives we may never meet and be a part of something bigger than ourselves.  Join in! Bring clothes you can get messy in. 

So, yeah! Come out and exercise your right brain. Creativity is ageless, so there are no bones to break or tendons to strain.

So, to recap…

Thanks to all who attended our latest Art Attack Weekend =)

Here’s a looooong story short:

Open Mic: short but very sweet.  rap, poetry, music, song, improvised group “floetry”. (heh). cozy, intimate, fun.  Thank you all for attending!

Chalkboard mural: eh. The chalkboard’s maw is wide open, waiting to be fed with some ka-razy artastic creations.  Whoever’s game, leave your mark (but make sure it’s of the kid-friendly variety.)

Creative Cold Cuts: fun!  I made a duck and ate it. (I was hungry.) Others did some fun stuff with bologna, cheese and other edible medium. Then we made up a cake-t0-g0 with custom frosting.

Art in the Park: YaY! Very relaxed with a lil’ painting, a lil’ writing, a lil’ eating and lil’ guitar strummin.  Was a beautiful day and a great ending.  People made new friends, and that’s a good thing…as Martha would say.

I wasn’t able to run around and take my own pics, but hope to rectify that next time.

Til then, folks.

Called to write

What are we without God? Nothing. And a Christian writer without God is but another talent in the sea of talents with pen and paper but no clear purpose. That’s why we have our writer’s focus group every third Sunday of the month, to keep us, mighty writers for God, focused on the Word, and pumping ourselves up with God’s inspiration!

The writers small group had their first official bible study at the Family Center at room 203 lead by Abby, with participants Quoleshna, Lori, Jason, Dan and John. Writers’ bible studies will be held every third sunday of the month, 1:30 pm at room 203, at Angelus Temple. It was a pretty good attendance for our first focus group. The following is the gist of the message shared. Our reference is “Called to Write” by Marlene Bagnull, which I recommend to all writers who are seeking God’s direction in their writing.

THE CALL

Do you believe in the concept of being called?

In the bible, we read several stories about God calling his people to accomplish things for his kingdom. Abraham was called to be the father of all nations, Saul was called to be Paul, the twelve disciples were called to follow Jesus.

Do you ever feel that you have been called to do something? Have you ever felt a tug in your heart, an irrevocable passion to do something? In the book, “Write His Answer,” Marlene Bagnull writes about how she witnessed of violence and chaos in her neighborhood. This impacted her with a strong sense of responsibility, and eventually lead her to proclaim God’s truth in her writing. She felt an unshakable itch to do something about those things, and that itch was to WRITE.

As she sought God’s will in her calling, God revealed this verse to her:

“Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it at a glance and rush to tell the others.” Habakkuk 2:2

Questions to consider:

Do you believe that God has called you to “write his answer?” (source: Called to Write) Tell us about the time you realized this. If not, what do you believe God has called you to do?

Can you recall any verse that God has revealed to you that tells you what he has called you to do?

God has a special and unique purpose and calling for your life.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

THE RESPONSE

When we were little kids, we’d be called by name by our parents. What would be your usual response? You would either a) say yes and acknowledge it, b) pretend you don’t hear it, or c) say no, you can’t come. In the same way we respond to God, our father in different ways, when he calls us. We do not always respond positively.

We might respond in:

a) Fear

We fear the unknown. We ask God, why are you calling me? Is it really me? How do I do it? I’ve commonly asked myself the question of what should I write? Where should I start? Where do I get money for writing classes? We fear that we may not be able to get to the destination where God wants to take us. We have worry and unbelief. Worry is merely unbelief in disguise.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

b) Doubt

We ask ourselves, am I really being called? Can I do it? If you have doubts about where God is calling you to, the best thing to do is to pray about it. One of my friends at church told me of a time that he felt so confused about the direction of his life. He had been jumping from one job to another, not finding any fulfillment. Finally, in his exhaustion, he surrendered his career direction to God. He waited on God’s answer. God finally opened the door to the job that he now excels in, and loves. He is glorifying God in his work.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fail.” 2 Peter 1:10

c) Denial

Evident in procrastination, arguing with God, having more “important things to do.” I have experienced this time and again, acting also in fear and doubt, denying God’s calling. I have had the passion to write ever since I was a child, writing in small pieces of paper, hoping to form a word before I could even spell. Yet sometimes I have thought of pursuing an alternate career, because I fear that writing may not bring the financial stability that I want for myself. Do I not believe that God put this desire in my heart for a reason? That my passions and my dreams are inextricably connected? Do I not believe that as I pursue my dream, God will provide?

I encourage all those who are creatively inclined, seek God’s direction in your life, and take the leap. God will catch you.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

d) Self reliance

We do not surrender our talent to God, leaning on our own understanding. We write for our self-glorification and not for the advancement of God’s kingdom. This does not literally translate to having Bible themed writing all the time, but we must ask ourselves, what is the purpose of our writing? Is it consistent with God’s plan for us?

We must keep our eyes on Jesus.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will makes your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Let us base our response on His character, not our own.

We usually don’t hesitate when we know the voice of the person calling us. How different would your response be if you were called by a stranger? As we seek to know God more, we recognize his voice when he calls us. We can trust in His calling.

“The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” John 10:3-5

Challenge question:

Can you recall a specific person in the bible who was called by God? What was his/her response?

What is your response to God’s call?

(note: feel free to respond to questions through the comments box.)

If God has called you, he will equip you. We are able to respond in courage because God enables us.