Immerse | A Journal of Faith, Life, and Youth Ministry

Going Deeper With Rustin Smith’s St. Johnny and the Artist’s Pilgrimage

by Aaron Mitchum on September 12th, 2011 -- filed under Arts and Culture

Smith identifies the calling of the Christian minister as that of an artist and the craft as that of forming human lives toward their intended shape. This is done through the use of mediums like sermons, meetings and questions, all undergirded by the Holy Spirit. Then, putting his finger on the integral need of this “communal artist,” Smith poses the question, “How do we become inspirited, inspired?” His answer comes in a three-part harmony articulated mainly through the device of story.

Getting Back

Renting the story of Johnny Cash, Smith highlights how that great artist’s journey is one of self-discovery with extreme ups and downs. For Smith, getting back is about re-finding oneself outside the narrative surrounding oneself.

I resonated deeply with this idea. I was struck with the realization that getting back is not something we do just once or even annually, like a checkup at the doctor. We are always getting back. Even while we’re getting this and getting going, in a way, we’re still getting back. It’s something we struggle with every day. Getting back is the means of grace that breathes into us a renewed sense of God-filled identity.

But, as seen in the story of Johnny Cash, getting back isn’t fully done in isolation. It requires community. Often this looks like someone calling out the shining image of God in us that we are too bogged down to see. Or perhaps more accurately it’s someone else creating the space needed for us to hear God…

Going Deeper with: Aaron Mitchum’s “Pleasures of the Imagination”

by Micah Thomas on March 7th, 2011 -- filed under Arts and Culture

As an artist, I have wondered from time to time what it is that makes art good. I live, think and practice primarily in the musical realm, but I believe whatever can cause art to reach past the surface and into the soul is transferable between mediums. I was delighted to read Aaron Mitchum’s “Pleasures of the Imagination” and learn from his observations. According to Aaron, “Honesty is why some art is great while other art is not. Before technique or form, honesty is first in defining good art.” At first blush, I was not entirely convinced of this simple calculation, but after further consideration, I believe Aaron is really onto something.

We have all experienced art that is enjoyable and that reaches us in ways that cannot be put into words. It can be difficult to determine how much honesty is involved in the creation of such art. However, I believe it is the test of time that will naturally and accurately winnow art that was created with honesty and art that was not. Even cheap, gimmicky, or surface-level art can be attractive, but it has little staying power.

For some, this is best proved through top-40 radio or contemporary Christian music. These genres tend to be self-referencing to the degree that anything new is the same as what came before with only slight modifications. This overplayed and under-created kind of art tends to lose its effect and annoy those who encounter it faster than heavily donned cheap perfume…