[This post is adapted from the devotions I led at the arts camp in June.]
One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4 NIV)
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17 NIV)
Working with others to create art is one of God’s beautiful gifts.
When King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, it was far more than a construction project—it was a community of people using their God-given skills to create a place that reflected God’s glory. Stonecutters, carpenters, metalworkers, engravers, weavers, and other skilled craftsmen each contributed their unique abilities, shaping stone, carving wood, casting bronze, weaving fabrics, and overlaying furnishings with gold. Every person served according to the gifts God had been given, and together their work became a magnificent house of worship. The Temple reminds us that when God’s people faithfully use their unique gifts in unity, they create something far greater than any one person could accomplish alone.
The same is true in the New Testament. Jesus first called twelve disciples, then after His resurrection about 120 believers gathered to pray. On the day of Pentecost, about 3,000 people came to faith, and soon thousands more joined the Church. Together they used their different gifts to share the Good News of Jesus with the world.
The arts work much the same way. When you sing in a choir, play in a band or orchestra, act in a play, dance with a group, or create a film, you are joining your gifts with the gifts of others to make something beautiful that no one person could create alone. God often works powerfully through people who create together.
That reminds me of a remarkable place that shows what can happen when thousands of people contribute their gifts to a common vision. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris was not built by one brilliant artist or one master builder. Beginning in 1163, it took nearly 200 years and the work of thousands of architects, craftsmen, artists, and laborers to create one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
Architects designed it, stone masons shaped the walls, carpenters built the wooden framework, blacksmiths forged metal pieces, sculptors carved statues, and stained-glass artists filled the windows with color and light.
Then in 2019 an electrical short caused a fire that destroyed much of the roof and severely damaged the inside.
After the fire, hundreds of modern craftsmen and specialists once again came together to restore the cathedral. Historians, engineers, carpenters, stonemasons, glassmakers, organ builders, and metalworkers each used their unique skills to rebuild what had been damaged.
The stories of both Notre-Dame and the Temple remind us that God’s greatest works are rarely accomplished by one person alone. They are the result of many people, each using their unique gifts to serve a shared purpose. Together, we dance, sing, act, create visual art, play instruments, write, speak, and tell stories. Creating art in community is one of God’s beautiful gifts. As we use our creativity to encourage one another and point people to Him, we discover that God can speak to us through art just as He enables us to speak about Him. When we offer our artistic gifts back to God with grateful hearts, our creativity becomes an act of worship that brings Him glory.
God of Beauty and Community,
Lord, help us recognize and cherish the gift of creating in community. Draw us ever closer to You, that we may delight in Your presence all the days of our lives. May Your favor rest upon us, and establish and bless the work of our hands as we use our gifts to create beauty that honors You and serves others. In Jesus’s name we pray, AMEN.