Currently April Yamasaki is writing the 2015 Mennonite Women Canada and USA Bible Study Guide. Her focus is creativity. In this post, from her blog, she seeks your input on creativity as she develops the Bible Study Guide.
April Yamasaki is the lead pastor of Emmanuel Mennonite Church, Abbotsford, B.C. and the author of Sacred Pauses: Spiritual Practices for Personal Renewal. Wisit her website and blog at aprilyamasaki.com
By April Yamasaki
Five weeks ago, I posted Why Writers Should Stop Blogging, and decided to take my own advice by cutting back on blogging from three times a week to just once or twice. Just as I had hoped, this more flexible approach to blogging has felt freeing, and I’ve been able to use some of the extra time for other writing:
- a guest post for the Lenten series on Godspace – my post will go live during the fifth week of Lent when the focus will be the brokenness of God’s family; in the meantime, check out this week’s post on thebrokenness of homelessness.
- an article for Purpose magazine on listening for God.
- my newest writing project is a Bible Study Guide for Mennonite Women Canada and USA on the theme of creativity, which is to be released in 2015. I’m honoured by the invitation to work on this, and so excited about this particular topic!
I’ve been interested in creating and the creative process ever since I wrote my first poems in elementary school, ever since I started experimenting with different recipes as a young bride, ever since I studied theology and reflected on God as our great Creator. Creativity was one of the first boards I started on Pinterest, with resources on creativity and wonderful quotes:
Creativity is intelligence having fun.
– from Albert Einstein.
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
– from Maya Angelou.
My first deadline for this project is the end of July, when the first Bible study and the outlines of the other twelve sessions are due. I’ve already happily started brainstorming:
God as the great creator and source of human creativity.
Pottery is one of the creative arts in scripture.
Creative arts in Scripture: music, singing, dancing, gardening, metal work, fabric arts, cookery, poetry, pottery, storytelling, architecture, others?
Jesus as creative storyteller who used everyday things like flour and yeast to teach about God.
Galatians 6:4-5 (The Message): “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”
Resources: Walking On Water: Reflections On Faith & Art by Madeleine L’Engle, The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayers.
Questions (from the Bible Study Advisory Council): Why are we creative beings? How do we unleash our creativity?
As I begin this project, I’d like to ask for your help. What questions do you have about creativity? What resources would you suggest? If you were looking for a Bible study on creativity, what texts and topics would you like to see addressed?