Counter-rituals for the Christian creative

We are constantly surrounded by culture.

 If you want to listen to music, you simply have to open your phone. If you want to watch a movie, or a TV show, there’s seemingly hundreds of streaming services clamouring for your attention. If you want to read a book, there’s libraries and book shops and online platforms (and the IVP website, of course!)

This is something which Ted Turnau describes in his book Oasis of Imagination, where he looks at how we should react to culture. He argues that as Christians we shouldn’t retreat from the world but should interact with the culture around us – if you’re not convinced, I recommend the beginning of the book!

Nonetheless, Turnau still shows us that interacting with culture is costly. It seeks to shape us and mould us into becoming something and we can all too often be negatively impacted by it.

This leads him to the question: ‘How can the Christian imagination survive?’                                          

How can Christian creatives draw from a fresh well of creativity when there’s so much stagnant water around them?

Turnau’s solution revolves around a type of recalibration – a reorienting through faith habits which refresh the imagination and reorder our desires. When Christ is our first desire, everything else should slot into place.

So, if you’re a Christian creative looking to be refreshed, here’s some practices you might consider engaging in.  

1. Regularly read the Bible (and maybe try meditating on some of Jesus’ parables.)

As Turnau shows, the Bible is counter-cultural, continually telling a different and better story. Spend time in the Word each day and pick a particular parable from Jesus to look at. See how He relates to the non-believers around Him but still manages to tell the truth of the Good News. If you want a place to start, look at the Parable of the Prodigal Son which throughout the centuries has been admired for its portrayal of forgiveness and its clever story structure.

2. Take a sabbath.

Try to take a sabbath – a specific time for rest and worship – to reorient yourself every week. Take a break from work and try not to worry about the week ahead. If you’re not sure about the sabbath or whether it’s something worth doing, you could read Lynne M. Baab’s useful guide to it here.

3. Enjoy art that glorifies God, even if only subtly.

Find art that you think does a good job of glorifying God, even if it’s not explicitly Christian. If you can’t think of any art like this, maybe talk to your friends and family and try to create a list of books, music and films that you think share the gospel successfully.

4. Pray about your creative pursuits.

Set aside time to pray about your art and how God could use it. Whether you are a photographer, musician or filmmaker, consecrate your work to God. Focus on your faith, as well as the end product of what you create.

5. Take a break from social media.

Spend some time unplugged to focus on your faith and reset your imagination. Spend time with your church community, read a good book and keep on praying!

How can the Christian imagination survive, then?

Through moments of recalibration, time spent with God (whose creativity is so much better) and through faith habits which restore the soul.

You can find out more about counter-rituals in Ted Turnau’s Oasis of Imagination which you can buy here.