Fujimura's Letter to the Churches

I have been reading about Makoto Fujimura this week and ran across his "Open Letter to the North American Churches." Sometimes people ask me why I talk about the arts and theology or why artists, poets, dancers and musicians feel so sidelined by the church. It is almost a, "What's the big deal?" sort of conversation.

But here is the thing, how do you communicate to someone who does not know or understand the frustration of being welcomed in to the church, but being told that your gifts are not useful or appropriate? "If only you played the guitar or the piano" "If only you sang like 'so-and-so' then you could be on the worship team" "If only your painting was more immediate and less abstract, maybe people would understand your work..." "If only you thought more like the rest of us..." Well, I think this frustration is felt by many different people on different levels, but artists are uniquely sidelined and misnamed by the Evangelical church in particular.

One of my not so helpful inner (sometimes outer) rants used to be (sometimes still is), "Why is the music in the church geared toward those who really don't understand music? My musical education and training have made me irrelevant to the church I attend. Even worse, I hate the music and it makes me sit in the back and weep because it is so theologically and musically poor. I'm starving!" (I now go to a church that features Gregorian Chant, so I have side-stepped the issue altogether. However, I still wonder if this is the best way to deal with my disappointment and frustration with an Evangelical free church style of worship, but for now I am at peace in the midst of a more structured liturgical model.)

All this to say, Fujimura's letter sparked something within me. He articulates something of what I try to communicate and teach to my students, only much better. I'm still sorting this one out for myself, and I am thankful for any help along the way. Thanks, Mako! You give me hope.

• Fujimura's Letter to the Churches