This week, we are busy with Incarnate Leadership Training and are excited to catch up with our Incarnate alumni. This video was created by Susana Rodriguez to celebrate International Tap Day which happened earlier this week (May 25). Susana attended Incarnate in 2014. 

This week, Inspiro is busy with the Incarnate Leadership Workshop. Participants in the workshop are preparing to help lead Incarante 2022 and are taking in lots of rich information about ethnodoxology, arts, theology, and so much more. As we think about Incarnate this week, we are taking some time to catch up with our Incarnate alumni. 

In a previous article, we alerted you to the opportunity for visual artists and musicians to submit their work for an arts outreach project in Belgium. Though submissions have since closed, we wanted to update you as to the progress of this project!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)

This week, I made an unusual discovery. My husband was busy weed-eating our front yard, and I was surveying the area, watching the weed-eater do its thing and thinking about the work we would still need to do to landscape our front walkway. Then, something caught my eye.

Within Inspiro, we talk a lot about artists. On the ‘Who We Are’ page of our website, we state, ‘We cultivate and empower artists globally to spark beautiful worship and witness among the least reached.’ We are a ministry comprised of artists that ministers to and through artists who seek to fulfill the Great Commission as artists. However, we realize that the term ‘artist’ can mean different things depending on your cultural context. We never want anyone interested in serving with us to be hindered by a misunderstanding of this term. In an effort to all be on the same page, here are some reflections on what it means to be an artist.

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness"

Psalm 30:11

Have you ever found yourself in a place of deep sadness, wondering when the storm will relent and the sun shine through? These seasons are marked by intense waiting, praying, and trusting but also by profound growth as we draw closer to the Lord. In this unpredictable and bleak time, many of you may find yourself in similar contemplative seasons of growth. It is with great joy that we can press into Jesus, the One who gives us reason to dance and promises to walk with us in our sorrow.

In the following video, artist Linda Wells, director of Compass Dance Academy and on staff at Inspiro Arts Alliance, shares her story of how the Lord used the artform of dance to bring healing and deepen her walk with Him. Check out Linda's story by clicking on the link below: 

Dancing into Freedom: An Interview with Linda Wells

Are you a visual artist or musician looking for a unique opportunity? Our partners in Belgium are hard at work planning and preparing a traveling art exhibition using the early Christian motif of the labyrinth to feature both historic Flemish and contemporary artwork.

“The imperfections show that a person made this.” Someone recently said this to me in a conversation about arts and perfectionism, and my breath caught in my throat for a moment. She was right – the little imperfections in our art make it more accessible, reminding others that we are just like them. Yet, so often, I find myself hesitant to engage in creative expression because of a deep fear of imperfection. Thoughts such as “Will it be good enough?” “What if it’s awful?” and “Maybe no one will like it,” stomp all over my creative spark, putting it out before I can even begin.

 COVID-19 has been difficult for so many for a variety of reasons. One of these is the cancellation of events that many people have looked forward to and feel the loss of keenly. Read below about how one of our ministry partners is bringing joy into peoples’ lives by expressing the hope of the gospel through a traditional artistic practice.

“Does God really love me?” I think it is a question we have all asked at one time or another, and one that is particularly relevant in the midst of the current times. I have recently found myself frustrated and anxious, as I cognitively understand that God loves me but have struggled to believe it in my heart.

While recently discussing my frustration with my husband, he asked a question. “How do you know God loves you?” Slightly tongue-tied, I rattled off something about Scripture, the Gospel, and salvation. There was a moment of silence. He said, “Right, that’s good…how do you know God loves you today?” This time, I was speechless. “What do you mean?” He explained, “Well, today, what has God done to show you He loves you?” I started listing off all the possible things I could think of, and, wouldn’t you know it, they were all the “ordinary” things about the day that I had taken for granted. Tears sprang to my eyes as I thought about the Lord’s love in this new light.