Rules.
We have lots of them-from the rules your mom makes to the rules we craft for society They are important, but why? In America, there's a lot of talk about bending or breaking rules but they do exist for a reason and believe it or not, it is not to bring you down.
Rules exist for all kinds of reasons but specifically, I am here to talk about human video, right? So let's talk about those rules...
I hereby pledge to write and post at least 18 blog entries that discuss the rules in the FAF handbook- the wherefore and why of them- and hopefully help YOU get a little bit closer each time to crafting a human video that is worthy of merit. Stay tuned! ^_^
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Wow. I do not post often enough!
I get lost in life, it seems, and forget to post.
Got any ideas for posts? Any issues you'd like me to discuss?
Let me know!
Until I hear from you I'll be brainstorming with... myself... or something.
:P
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Together in One Accord: A Simple Song Selection
Today, I went on a little iTunes downloading rampage. I must have spent about $35 on all kinds of worship music. I'm afraid to look at the actual total. Afterward, I put on the music and sort of let it carry me away. I got lost in prayer and it occurred to me- that seldom happens anymore when I watch Human Videos. Why is that?
Mostly because I think that music selection is often primary; that is to say, music selection usually comes first and then the story is crammed in to fit the music. Someone hears a song and thinks, "That would make a good human video." They are inspired by a picture, or more often, something they saw someone else do. I am not sure that is always the best way to go about things.
In my youth ministry, back in the olden days when dinosaurs roamed the earth and we connected to the internet once a day on dial-up, we had a motto: "Innovate, don't replicate." And I did not come up with it, but it is chalk full of wisdom.
Think about the last good movie you saw, or last good book you read. Why did you connect with them?
I'm willing to bet that it was because they:
1. were unique
and
2. had a compelling story.
What I often see at festival time is a video that someone learned from someone else who saw it at Fine Arts the year before who saw it on YouTube. There is nothing wrong with building on the past, but unfortunately, the replication is of something that wasn't that great to begin with.
Now before you go and get all upset with me I'll tell you what my rubric is for evaluating something and calling it good or not good. It has to have 3 things:
1. A sacred message that someone who has NEVER READ THE BIBLE can understand
2. A unique message or personal element
3. A complete story (exposition,conflict, climax, resolution)
It should not be difficult to have all three of those things, but, sadly, it seems to be.
All three of these things are all bound up together. They rely upon each other and enhance one another. I am drawn to this concept more and more lately: that we are all of us connected in a way that we cannot yet comprehend, and drama, the sharing of the experience of conflict, draws us even closer. What one of us does or says effects us mightily. If, then, a drama does not have drama (conflict) then it cannot connect or draw us closer together.
As a Pentecostal, I look to Acts 2:1 and ponder what was happening when the Holy Spirit first came.
"And when the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place," other translations say "one accord."
To be at the same place or time -- together.
That act of drama brings you together to the same place like no other. It should be, in the sacred performance, drawing everyone into the same story, saint and sinner, male and female, old and young, and takes us toward the good news. Further up and further in toward His heart.
So.
How does this happen when the story begins from the outside? Can it ever be as powerful, poignant, as binding, as one that flows out from within, like streams of living water? Well it can't begin by you telling someone else's story. I cannot draw closer to you when you are not present in the work you perform. It cannot happen when you create something because you see some cool move you can do, or when you are trying to impress, or when you are trying to be better than someone else. Those things only push us farther apart.
But if it begins with your testimony, if parts of others are added to it, if then you find a song that expresses that longing for Jesus, that struggle, that pain, that bliss, then we are pulled together- we become as one Body, we are then in "one accord."
Well... I certainly have gotten a bit melodramatic here, but I think you see my point.
My hope is that this year, as I move in to my favorite time of year, Fine Arts season, is that I see more stories flowing out from within, and less copying, conceit, and MUCH less competition pressing itself in on your presentations. Spend some time deep in prayer, poke around the iTunes store and find the less obvious, the old, the songs that express the longing, struggle, pain, and bliss that you feel.
Draw me in.
Further up and further in!
“The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.” And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all stories, and we can most truly say they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.
The Chronicles, The Last Battle
(1956)
Closing lines, in Ch. 16 : Farewell to Shadowlands
Mostly because I think that music selection is often primary; that is to say, music selection usually comes first and then the story is crammed in to fit the music. Someone hears a song and thinks, "That would make a good human video." They are inspired by a picture, or more often, something they saw someone else do. I am not sure that is always the best way to go about things.
In my youth ministry, back in the olden days when dinosaurs roamed the earth and we connected to the internet once a day on dial-up, we had a motto: "Innovate, don't replicate." And I did not come up with it, but it is chalk full of wisdom.
Think about the last good movie you saw, or last good book you read. Why did you connect with them?
I'm willing to bet that it was because they:
1. were unique
and
2. had a compelling story.
What I often see at festival time is a video that someone learned from someone else who saw it at Fine Arts the year before who saw it on YouTube. There is nothing wrong with building on the past, but unfortunately, the replication is of something that wasn't that great to begin with.
Now before you go and get all upset with me I'll tell you what my rubric is for evaluating something and calling it good or not good. It has to have 3 things:
1. A sacred message that someone who has NEVER READ THE BIBLE can understand
2. A unique message or personal element
3. A complete story (exposition,conflict, climax, resolution)
It should not be difficult to have all three of those things, but, sadly, it seems to be.
All three of these things are all bound up together. They rely upon each other and enhance one another. I am drawn to this concept more and more lately: that we are all of us connected in a way that we cannot yet comprehend, and drama, the sharing of the experience of conflict, draws us even closer. What one of us does or says effects us mightily. If, then, a drama does not have drama (conflict) then it cannot connect or draw us closer together.
As a Pentecostal, I look to Acts 2:1 and ponder what was happening when the Holy Spirit first came.
"And when the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place," other translations say "one accord."
To be at the same place or time -- together.
That act of drama brings you together to the same place like no other. It should be, in the sacred performance, drawing everyone into the same story, saint and sinner, male and female, old and young, and takes us toward the good news. Further up and further in toward His heart.
So.
How does this happen when the story begins from the outside? Can it ever be as powerful, poignant, as binding, as one that flows out from within, like streams of living water? Well it can't begin by you telling someone else's story. I cannot draw closer to you when you are not present in the work you perform. It cannot happen when you create something because you see some cool move you can do, or when you are trying to impress, or when you are trying to be better than someone else. Those things only push us farther apart.
But if it begins with your testimony, if parts of others are added to it, if then you find a song that expresses that longing for Jesus, that struggle, that pain, that bliss, then we are pulled together- we become as one Body, we are then in "one accord."
Well... I certainly have gotten a bit melodramatic here, but I think you see my point.
My hope is that this year, as I move in to my favorite time of year, Fine Arts season, is that I see more stories flowing out from within, and less copying, conceit, and MUCH less competition pressing itself in on your presentations. Spend some time deep in prayer, poke around the iTunes store and find the less obvious, the old, the songs that express the longing, struggle, pain, and bliss that you feel.
Draw me in.
Further up and further in!
“The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.” And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all stories, and we can most truly say they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.
The Chronicles, The Last Battle
(1956)
Closing lines, in Ch. 16 : Farewell to Shadowlands
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Not about Human Video...
Just about doing a little Good...
My friends Jarod and Mary and trying to adopt a baby... the problem is it's super expensive.
Mary is totally awesome and will make a wonderful mother, and it's a shame that they have to go into so much debt to find their baby.
Just so you know what a good mom Mary will make here is one of her first blog posts to her baby:
"Dear Magnolia,
I’ve been reading someone else’s blog about preparing for coming home with their first adopted baby, and they speak of it as the inevitable. That one way or another, their baby was coming home, and it hit me when I read those words that this is how I feel about you.
We are only in the beginning, see, and your mama, who is a worrier by nature, is already fretting. The what ifs pile up pretty easily, when I’m just beginning to get the house cleaned so I can take photos of it and your papa’s hair cut so someone can take photos of us looking like respectable, parental type people. We have everything ahead of us, and it is hard not to imagine the roadblocks. I worry that what we turn in won’t be enough or that they will not be satisfied by the answers we have to their questions, and sometimes it seems a little to much to bear.
But then I think of you, and I think of the UPS tracking number I have saved in my inbox for the shoes I bought you already, and I think of the small thing I already know I’ll buy for you when we sail over that first hurdle, and I just think we’ll be all right. We will find our way to each other, somehow.
Love,
Your Mama"
If you'd like to help (and I can think of no worthier cause) click the link and follow the instructions. You don't have to do anything major, just sign up and make some online purchases this season that you'd probably make anyway.
My friends Jarod and Mary and trying to adopt a baby... the problem is it's super expensive.
Mary is totally awesome and will make a wonderful mother, and it's a shame that they have to go into so much debt to find their baby.
Just so you know what a good mom Mary will make here is one of her first blog posts to her baby:
"Dear Magnolia,
I’ve been reading someone else’s blog about preparing for coming home with their first adopted baby, and they speak of it as the inevitable. That one way or another, their baby was coming home, and it hit me when I read those words that this is how I feel about you.
We are only in the beginning, see, and your mama, who is a worrier by nature, is already fretting. The what ifs pile up pretty easily, when I’m just beginning to get the house cleaned so I can take photos of it and your papa’s hair cut so someone can take photos of us looking like respectable, parental type people. We have everything ahead of us, and it is hard not to imagine the roadblocks. I worry that what we turn in won’t be enough or that they will not be satisfied by the answers we have to their questions, and sometimes it seems a little to much to bear.
But then I think of you, and I think of the UPS tracking number I have saved in my inbox for the shoes I bought you already, and I think of the small thing I already know I’ll buy for you when we sail over that first hurdle, and I just think we’ll be all right. We will find our way to each other, somehow.
Love,
Your Mama"
If you'd like to help (and I can think of no worthier cause) click the link and follow the instructions. You don't have to do anything major, just sign up and make some online purchases this season that you'd probably make anyway.
Monday, August 11, 2008
New Blog!
For those of you who are really into newness, there is a new blog out there written/produced by yours truly.
Hope you like it!
HumanVideoGirl
Hope you like it!
HumanVideoGirl
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
On Ministry, Spirituality, and the Subjective nature of Judging.
In my efforts to gather sources for my Human Video I get the opportunity to gauge public opinion of Human Video more than the average person. In these special opportunities I often come across items or ideas that make me desperate to blog. This is one of those times. This blog post will cover a lot so stick with me. In one of the 150 surveys I handed out during the week of Fine Arts I read this:
"I think we need to focus more on ministry aspects and not so much theatrical movements. After all this is what we are here on earth for- ministry. Everyone should buy the videos from Springfield, put out by Randy Phillips. That is what judges should be required to view before judging. Also, I believe that their (sic) should only be Spirit-filled judges, so they can accually (sic) be aware if the annointing(sic) is present during Human Video Ministry. The anointing is the key to effective ministry what ever form."
Wow. That is full of a lot of interesting concepts, and some challenging words. And what makes it so exciting for me to answer it is that I have heard things exactly like that before. So, to answer this young person's serious list of charges, this post will cover Ministry, Spirituality, and the Subjective nature of the Judging Process.
Let's get this sucker started already!
First, let's talk about Ministry. Human Video is about ministry-- Its very status in Fine Arts is based on that fact. But what exactly does "ministry" mean? Everyone has their own interpretation of the word. Some people place a higher emphasis on things that "move" them emotionally, because to them, an emotional feeling equals "ministry" or the "anointing." Others place more emphasis on a clear, straight forward message, based on the idea that "Pre-Christians" or those who may not know the stories in the Bible need to be "ministered to" by being taught or enlightened. Which way is right? Who can say? I may not be able to come to a conclusive answer, but I can certainly try to clarify the word itself.
Encarta defines ministry as:
"min·is·try n
1. The profession and services of a religious minister
2. A a religious minister's career or period of service
3. Ministers collectively, especially religious ministers (takes a singular or plural verb)"
But that doesn't really seem to apply to the concerns of our young survey taker.
So let's keep looking.
How about wikipediadia, the world's largest and best (at least in my humble opinion) free Encyclopedia?
" Ministry, in Christianity, is the activity carried out by members of the church fulfillment of the church's mission. It can signify this activity as a whole, or specific activities, or organizations within a church dedicated to specific activities. Some ministries are identified formally as such, and some are not; some ministry is directed towards members of the church, and some towards non-members."
"Ministry occurs wherever someone meets the physical, emotional, or spiritual needs of God's people or enables others to love their God and their neighbor. To be effective in ministry, one must obey both of these commandments, embodying a living and growing faith."
(To this I would only add that one can minister also by meeting intellectual needs as well. We are encouraged in both the Old Testament as well as the new to study to show ourselves approved, to love God with all of our minds, etc.)
When we look at ministry from this perspective, both whose who prefer to see the congregation touched emotionally, and those that prefer to see people edified intellectually (or spiritually) are right. Neither group is categorically wrong, but they both are a little narrow-minded if they insist their preference is superior to the exclusion of the other. What's that mean? One isn't any more right than the other-- both need the other for balance. So, where is it that our Survey-Taker feels that Human Videos are not "ministering?" Specifically in the area of Fine Arts. Elsewhere in the survey they have written, " [Human Video is] meant or developed for Ministry. Fine Arts has formed it more toward Theatre which I don't Approve. (ministry, ministry, ministry) ."
But, my friend, Ministry and theatre are not enemies on opposite sides. I do not believe that Fine Arts has "formed" Human Video "toward" Theatre, and I do not think that being theatre makes a ministry less effective. Human Video is theatre (more specifically dance) and as such should have rules and standards that govern it, and those rules should serve to challenge it's artisans and practitioners to take it to ever increasing levels of excellence. Does this mean that once we see human video as theatre that it becomes any less a powerful tool for ministry? By no means! The rules that govern human video as a theatrical genre do (and indeed must always for the Christian) include meeting the "emotional (intellectual) or spiritual needs of God's people" or enable "others to love their God and their neighbor." I think the fundamental misconception is that because theatre involves spectacle, and pretend, that it has some preternatural predilection toward the profane (that it's evil). This is just not true, especially if you look at theatre as a "purgation of pity and fear" or catharsis. (Catharsis is a term that Aristotle used to describe what happens when people watch a theatrical production and they are purged of destructive feelings and unhealthy emotional blockages.)
The rules that, as of right now, govern human video do nothing to hinder this activity. What we do find however is that by deviating from some of the more basic rules, and by being led by emotions, judges can be misled to encourage bad habits in human video practitioners. Having a Human Video that ministers to someone has little to nothing to do with wheather or not the person creating it followed the rules in creating it. The "theatrical movements" that our writer talks about then are not simply theatrical (having to do with theatre) but they are superfluous. Ah-hA! It is not **theatre** that we object to, but baselessly, needlessly, meaninglessly gesticulating. If one does follow the "rules," (of Fine Arts and Theatre in general) if one does listen to the advice and critique of the judges (who are not only academics, but practitioners and ministers in their chosen field), then one is more likely to actually communicate with people, thus making it more likely that a greater number of people will be ministered to by the end result.
Onward and Upward.
To the second charge: It is our friend's position that "there shold only be spirit-filled judges." And to be honest, that kind of hurts. In saying this the writer implies that not all judges are filled with the Spirit. "I believe their(sic) should only be spirit-filled judges. So they can accually be aware if the annointing is present during Human Video Ministry." Ouch.
Let me assure you that I know those many of those who judge for National Fine Arts, and those who lead them, and they are all spirit-filled and love the Lord very much. It is actually a great sacrifice for some of them to go to nationals every year and they don't do it for fame, believe me. They do it to serve the Lord and help develop talent for His glory. Let's just look at this logically, shall we? If you want judges or adjudicators or evaluators or whatever to "judge" the anointing, what happens when two "Spirit-filled" people disagree? What if one person "senses anointing" and another does not? Does this mean that the person who is slightly less intuitive is somehow less Spiritual? And for that matter HOW does one judge spirituality? The fact is, there is no scientific process by which one can measure anointing. What most people think of as "anointing" is actually a feeling or an emotional reaction. Since there is no *possible* way to measure it, there is no way to score it. No way to score it means it should not be part of any "judging" process. If you go into a competition thinking that the level of anointing you are granted is going to be measured by those watching, you will only be disappointed. This kind of thinking leads nowhere, and in the end people will only be hurt by it. Personally I assume, at the outset that those who are performing all have an equal amount of God's blessing or anointing (because they have all prayed and prepared,) and if they fail to work under that annointing (i.e. they do not practice, they do not care about refining their sloppy movements) that they ought to be gently reminded that it is not all about feelings. (If you are, say, trying to minister to someone who does not believe in God, for instance, and they dont have a "tender heart" then your movement and storytelling will impress them more and will perhaps make them think, bringing them closer to the truth. If you rely on feelings and look like a pack of loons prancing around the stage incomprehensibly, then you effecting them for Jesus is slightly less likely)
God's word says that we ought to study to show ourselves approved, and Studying artistic disciplines is WORK. It is not just about doing what you feel mindlessly. Fine Arts is not about who is more Holy or who loves God more. It is about developing talent and focusing that talent for heavenly purposes. To that end, judges evaluate skills and how well they have been developed. These are two measurable things.
If we were to try to measure anointing or spirituality, no one would end up coming out on top.
Finally, I would like to discuss The subjective nature of judging. "It should be a guideline book of Human Video. That the judges have to follow. And not each individual opinion judging." Now, to me, this appears to be the most ludicrous critique of them all. How is it, exactly, that three individual people each from three entirely different ackgrounds (to make judging fair and not biased toward any particualr geographical area) would ever agree on everything? It is impossible. There are three different judges for a reason: so that the results will be fair, unbiased and comprehensive. As Human Beings we must (in all things) remember chiefly that we are not perfect. The only way that we can find balance by consulting three things: The Bible (God's inspired word) our Prayers (personal Communication) and the counsul of other believers.
This is the real key when trying to interpret judging sheets. Do not look for them to be all alike. Instead, desire them to be as different as possible! If they are as different as possible, then when you get a score of superior from all three, you will know that you have deserved it. Try to understand what it is about judge number 2 might cause them to see things differently from judge number 3. One person can see and understand a movement or concept and another person could completely miss it. This doesn't mean the person that misses it is stupid, it means that you care not communicating effectively enough. This is where the real learning begins. The biggest challenge in ministry (and in theatre) is trying to communicate with people who don't see things in the same way that you do. By focusing on doing your best and not taking criticism personally (as an attack on your Christianity or anointing) you grow as a person, "Rejoice my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
So why did I write all this?
Because judges aren't evil, because they aren't out to get you and make you feel stupid. They are trying to minister to you, not by judging your spirituality, but by evaluating your finished product as objectively as possible. They are trying to show you that the way you come off is not necessarily how you think you do. It's not a matter of someone trying to bring you low like Simon from American Idol, but it is someone who loves you very much (who probably prays for you most of the year) trying to guide you in the right direction. Keep that in mind when you read judging sheets, and take heart--do not be discouraged! They see potential in you and if you work hard, you will only get better and better.
"I think we need to focus more on ministry aspects and not so much theatrical movements. After all this is what we are here on earth for- ministry. Everyone should buy the videos from Springfield, put out by Randy Phillips. That is what judges should be required to view before judging. Also, I believe that their (sic) should only be Spirit-filled judges, so they can accually (sic) be aware if the annointing(sic) is present during Human Video Ministry. The anointing is the key to effective ministry what ever form."
Wow. That is full of a lot of interesting concepts, and some challenging words. And what makes it so exciting for me to answer it is that I have heard things exactly like that before. So, to answer this young person's serious list of charges, this post will cover Ministry, Spirituality, and the Subjective nature of the Judging Process.
Let's get this sucker started already!
First, let's talk about Ministry. Human Video is about ministry-- Its very status in Fine Arts is based on that fact. But what exactly does "ministry" mean? Everyone has their own interpretation of the word. Some people place a higher emphasis on things that "move" them emotionally, because to them, an emotional feeling equals "ministry" or the "anointing." Others place more emphasis on a clear, straight forward message, based on the idea that "Pre-Christians" or those who may not know the stories in the Bible need to be "ministered to" by being taught or enlightened. Which way is right? Who can say? I may not be able to come to a conclusive answer, but I can certainly try to clarify the word itself.
Encarta defines ministry as:
"min·is·try n
1. The profession and services of a religious minister
2. A a religious minister's career or period of service
3. Ministers collectively, especially religious ministers (takes a singular or plural verb)"
But that doesn't really seem to apply to the concerns of our young survey taker.
So let's keep looking.
How about wikipediadia, the world's largest and best (at least in my humble opinion) free Encyclopedia?
" Ministry, in Christianity, is the activity carried out by members of the church fulfillment of the church's mission. It can signify this activity as a whole, or specific activities, or organizations within a church dedicated to specific activities. Some ministries are identified formally as such, and some are not; some ministry is directed towards members of the church, and some towards non-members."
But that doesn't seem to apply here either. It doesn't really tell us what these activities are supposed to accomplish.
But don't despair!
"Ministry occurs wherever someone meets the physical, emotional, or spiritual needs of God's people or enables others to love their God and their neighbor. To be effective in ministry, one must obey both of these commandments, embodying a living and growing faith."
(To this I would only add that one can minister also by meeting intellectual needs as well. We are encouraged in both the Old Testament as well as the new to study to show ourselves approved, to love God with all of our minds, etc.)
When we look at ministry from this perspective, both whose who prefer to see the congregation touched emotionally, and those that prefer to see people edified intellectually (or spiritually) are right. Neither group is categorically wrong, but they both are a little narrow-minded if they insist their preference is superior to the exclusion of the other. What's that mean? One isn't any more right than the other-- both need the other for balance. So, where is it that our Survey-Taker feels that Human Videos are not "ministering?" Specifically in the area of Fine Arts. Elsewhere in the survey they have written, " [Human Video is] meant or developed for Ministry. Fine Arts has formed it more toward Theatre which I don't Approve. (ministry, ministry, ministry) ."
But, my friend, Ministry and theatre are not enemies on opposite sides. I do not believe that Fine Arts has "formed" Human Video "toward" Theatre, and I do not think that being theatre makes a ministry less effective. Human Video is theatre (more specifically dance) and as such should have rules and standards that govern it, and those rules should serve to challenge it's artisans and practitioners to take it to ever increasing levels of excellence. Does this mean that once we see human video as theatre that it becomes any less a powerful tool for ministry? By no means! The rules that govern human video as a theatrical genre do (and indeed must always for the Christian) include meeting the "emotional (intellectual) or spiritual needs of God's people" or enable "others to love their God and their neighbor." I think the fundamental misconception is that because theatre involves spectacle, and pretend, that it has some preternatural predilection toward the profane (that it's evil). This is just not true, especially if you look at theatre as a "purgation of pity and fear" or catharsis. (Catharsis is a term that Aristotle used to describe what happens when people watch a theatrical production and they are purged of destructive feelings and unhealthy emotional blockages.)
The rules that, as of right now, govern human video do nothing to hinder this activity. What we do find however is that by deviating from some of the more basic rules, and by being led by emotions, judges can be misled to encourage bad habits in human video practitioners. Having a Human Video that ministers to someone has little to nothing to do with wheather or not the person creating it followed the rules in creating it. The "theatrical movements" that our writer talks about then are not simply theatrical (having to do with theatre) but they are superfluous. Ah-hA! It is not **theatre** that we object to, but baselessly, needlessly, meaninglessly gesticulating. If one does follow the "rules," (of Fine Arts and Theatre in general) if one does listen to the advice and critique of the judges (who are not only academics, but practitioners and ministers in their chosen field), then one is more likely to actually communicate with people, thus making it more likely that a greater number of people will be ministered to by the end result.
Onward and Upward.
To the second charge: It is our friend's position that "there shold only be spirit-filled judges." And to be honest, that kind of hurts. In saying this the writer implies that not all judges are filled with the Spirit. "I believe their(sic) should only be spirit-filled judges. So they can accually be aware if the annointing is present during Human Video Ministry." Ouch.
Let me assure you that I know those many of those who judge for National Fine Arts, and those who lead them, and they are all spirit-filled and love the Lord very much. It is actually a great sacrifice for some of them to go to nationals every year and they don't do it for fame, believe me. They do it to serve the Lord and help develop talent for His glory. Let's just look at this logically, shall we? If you want judges or adjudicators or evaluators or whatever to "judge" the anointing, what happens when two "Spirit-filled" people disagree? What if one person "senses anointing" and another does not? Does this mean that the person who is slightly less intuitive is somehow less Spiritual? And for that matter HOW does one judge spirituality? The fact is, there is no scientific process by which one can measure anointing. What most people think of as "anointing" is actually a feeling or an emotional reaction. Since there is no *possible* way to measure it, there is no way to score it. No way to score it means it should not be part of any "judging" process. If you go into a competition thinking that the level of anointing you are granted is going to be measured by those watching, you will only be disappointed. This kind of thinking leads nowhere, and in the end people will only be hurt by it. Personally I assume, at the outset that those who are performing all have an equal amount of God's blessing or anointing (because they have all prayed and prepared,) and if they fail to work under that annointing (i.e. they do not practice, they do not care about refining their sloppy movements) that they ought to be gently reminded that it is not all about feelings. (If you are, say, trying to minister to someone who does not believe in God, for instance, and they dont have a "tender heart" then your movement and storytelling will impress them more and will perhaps make them think, bringing them closer to the truth. If you rely on feelings and look like a pack of loons prancing around the stage incomprehensibly, then you effecting them for Jesus is slightly less likely)
God's word says that we ought to study to show ourselves approved, and Studying artistic disciplines is WORK. It is not just about doing what you feel mindlessly. Fine Arts is not about who is more Holy or who loves God more. It is about developing talent and focusing that talent for heavenly purposes. To that end, judges evaluate skills and how well they have been developed. These are two measurable things.
If we were to try to measure anointing or spirituality, no one would end up coming out on top.
Finally, I would like to discuss The subjective nature of judging. "It should be a guideline book of Human Video. That the judges have to follow. And not each individual opinion judging." Now, to me, this appears to be the most ludicrous critique of them all. How is it, exactly, that three individual people each from three entirely different ackgrounds (to make judging fair and not biased toward any particualr geographical area) would ever agree on everything? It is impossible. There are three different judges for a reason: so that the results will be fair, unbiased and comprehensive. As Human Beings we must (in all things) remember chiefly that we are not perfect. The only way that we can find balance by consulting three things: The Bible (God's inspired word) our Prayers (personal Communication) and the counsul of other believers.
This is the real key when trying to interpret judging sheets. Do not look for them to be all alike. Instead, desire them to be as different as possible! If they are as different as possible, then when you get a score of superior from all three, you will know that you have deserved it. Try to understand what it is about judge number 2 might cause them to see things differently from judge number 3. One person can see and understand a movement or concept and another person could completely miss it. This doesn't mean the person that misses it is stupid, it means that you care not communicating effectively enough. This is where the real learning begins. The biggest challenge in ministry (and in theatre) is trying to communicate with people who don't see things in the same way that you do. By focusing on doing your best and not taking criticism personally (as an attack on your Christianity or anointing) you grow as a person, "Rejoice my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
So why did I write all this?
Because judges aren't evil, because they aren't out to get you and make you feel stupid. They are trying to minister to you, not by judging your spirituality, but by evaluating your finished product as objectively as possible. They are trying to show you that the way you come off is not necessarily how you think you do. It's not a matter of someone trying to bring you low like Simon from American Idol, but it is someone who loves you very much (who probably prays for you most of the year) trying to guide you in the right direction. Keep that in mind when you read judging sheets, and take heart--do not be discouraged! They see potential in you and if you work hard, you will only get better and better.
Monday, February 05, 2007
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