For Your Book Shelf

I recently found a quiet Sunday afternoon (I love the Sabbath!) to sit and savor Art for God's Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts by Rev. Philip Graham Ryken. This little gem draws out the Biblical view of the arts and the artists who make art for God's sake. Ryken concisely discusses how artists are called and gifted by God and recognizes how art is often misunderstood or rejected by the church. This book is full of encouragement for artists. It affirms that God loves all kinds of art (meaning types of medium) and that we as artists should have a high standard for goodness, truth and beauty.

I would recommend this book if you are considering incorporating the arts into your ministry, if the visual arts in your congregation can be improved or if you have a group (artists and non-artists) that needs a book to use as a discussion starter. The icing on the cake is Ryken's concluding suggestions for further reading. Pick up this highly recommended book to enjoy the conversational writing style. Maybe you are being called to be a catalyst to recovering the arts in the Church.