The Church as Artist Studio rather than Museum

Jean Kim-Butcher, a wonderful woman, mother of six, and and wife to Brian (he and I were graduate students at MASI some years back), contributes regularly to Canadian Christianity, an online Christian news and ministry magazine. In Jean’s most recent article, she writes about the benefit of participation in the life of the Church especially for families. You can read the entire article here.

I do want to emphasize one particular section of her article, though – see below. I think it shows a certain mature perspective of the Church. Read it over a few times. What do you think?

Our attendance at church is an act of humility, in that we thereby profess our need to learn and be supported. Indeed, to be relational is to image forth the very life of the Holy Trinity. Ought we not to view church as an artist’s studio rather than a museum? It’s a place where the raw materials of who we are become moulded into works in progress, rather than one where finished products are presented for admiration. For then the church environment can be one of acceptance ­– one where all feel safe to come.