The Creator's opening line is one of the best leads in history, virtually unsurpassed for force and compressed beauty: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

     The Bible's dramatic writing testifies to its Author's superb artistry! Scriptural descriptions of God's world are inspiring, moving and motivating. They are words of force and power.

     Think, too, of the strongly dramatic situations inside Scripture. Moviegoers won't forget the dramatic scene of Charlton Heston as Moses parting the Red Sea on Universal Studios' back lot. But--the book was better than the movie!

     The scene of Moses lifting his staff causing the Red Sea waters to open with Israel hanging breathless on every action was a never-to-be forgotten blockbuster scene (Exodus 14:15-31).
Israelite writers referred to it constantly.

     Years later, Joshua, Moses' successor, exhibited a sense of stage presence by delivering a major public address in the natural amphitheater of the valley between mountains with the colorful titles Ebal and Gerizim (Joshua 8:30-35).

     "The book of Job," adds Billingsley, "shows a clearly dramatic structure... It could be adapted for the stage with little difficulty."

     Esther is a suspense thriller set in the mystery mode, saving its punch line to the end when the diverse strands in the plot converge in a divine comedy. And Jesus' parables? Many have noted how they resemble miniature novels complete with lively characters, visual activity and riveting dialogue.

     How ironic, then, for so many Christians to be resistant to art in worship or artistic endeavors.

     Some cite Old Testament commands against idolatry in Exodus 20:4-5 as evidence that God's people are to shy away from artistic expression. Clear New Testament commands to avoid contamination from the world have been used to indict the whole field of popular culture.

     Kenneth A. Myers, a Christian publicist and broadcaster, calls for balance. In All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes, Myers writes of the need for Christians to move beyond the anticulture mindset:

     "I believe that the challenge of living with popular culture may well be as serious for modern Christians as persecution and plagues were for the saints of earlier centuries...

     "Popular culture, like the meat offered to idols in 1 Corinthians 10, is a part of the created order, part of the earth that is the Lord's, and thus something capable of bringing innocent pleasure to believers. But not everything that is permissible is constructive."

     God and great art are not mutually exclusive. When Israel was in the wilderness period of its history, God specially endowed selected artisans with "skill, ability and knowledge" (Exodus 31:3). Later, God inspired King David to prepare a magnificent temple as a house of worship. David struck the note of godly appreciation for artistic beauty:

     "The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God--gold for the gold work, silver for the silver,
bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stones and marble--all of these in large
quantities" (1 Chronicles 29:1-2).

Drama and Pageantry

     What about drama? God inspired his prophets with attention-getting techniques to get his message
across.

     Hosea was ordered to marry a loose woman to portray the nation's unfaithfulness to God (Hosea 1:2-3). Isaiah was summoned to walk naked for three years to depict the shame of captivity that would befall the chosen people (Isaiah 20:1-6). Jeremiah--and especially Ezekiel--acted out many unusual signs to hold a jaded audience's attention (Ezekiel 4:1-17). Their lives became their art--and great art it was.

     The same flair for the dramatic appears in the New Testament.

     The heavenly host above the skies of Bethlehem formed a mass choir at the greatest event in history--the appearing of the Savior (Luke 2:13-14).

    Jesus was a master of the simple but effective prop. He held up a Roman coin and told people to give Caesar his due and God his. To his ambitious disciples, Jesus had them watch as he placed a child upon his knee--a lesson in humility.

     Jesus' successful and acclaimed procession through Jerusalem just before his death showed that he understood the value of the well-timed personal appearance, the ability to teach through a carefully orchestrated mass event (Matthew 21:1-11).

     Actor. Cue. Prop. A cast of thousands. Jesus got attention because he demanded attention. He carefully planned it.

     And what are such cornerstone Christian ceremonies as baptism, the Lord's Supper and the laying on of hands? "They are visible, highly symbolic demonstrations of spiritual truths and experiences; they must be acted out," says Billingsley in The Seductive Image.

     This should inspire Christians in their worship. It should also cause them to take a second look at the performing arts. The simple formula that if something is art it must be evil is not supported by the testimony of Scripture.