Rich Kirkpatrick – Page 5 – Rich Kirkpatrick

Flexing the Muscle of Imagination: The hard work of creativity

Rich KirkpatrickAugust 5, 20200612 views

Leading worship requires a heavy dose of administrative strengths. There are team members to schedule, music to arrange and distribute, plans to execute, and budgets to keep. Just because you sing and hold a guitar doesn’t mean you automatically get to create! Yes, you serve by making music and prayers work in service for your church. Yes, the desire for unique artistic expression worthy of a worship service rate high on the task list. But, imagination takes a back seat.

COVID-19 is the Villian, but Who is the Hero?

Rich KirkpatrickMay 16, 20202543 views

What if the enemy in the pandemic was the cause of the pandemic, the coronavirus Covid-19? What if we could lay all our anger, grief, mistrust, and fear in the direction of this invisible-yet-deadly foe? Every one of us is a potential target, from Libertarians who squirm at their local pub being closed to businesswomen who had to layoff their treasured friends and employees. The virus succeeded in wholesale disruption, denying school kids their dreaded fifth period and terrorizing parents who love their kids but cannot change diapers while simultaneously presenting a Zoom call for work. Disruption goes deeper than lifestyle interruptions. Life itself is threatened as thousands experience a violent, ugly, and lonely death. No one is immune, literally–at least we are not sure…

The Artificial War on Christmas (Or, Advent's nemesis)

Rich KirkpatrickDecember 20, 20190661 views

Misinformed arguments over saying “Merry Christmas” drown out the news about the real war on Christmas. Don’t miss it. The Incarnation is the greatest miracle in history!

Good Friday: Loving our neighbor is not enough

Rich KirkpatrickApril 19, 20190489 views

Holy Week is the time we retrace the steps of Christ on his last week on earth We examine through Lent our adherence to the Great Commandment–to love God above all. However, this is through the lens that Jesus gave when he combined forever the Second Commandment with the First. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This Second Command forever connects with loving God making our public life of justice an outflow of an inward love for God. It is not a private thing to be a Christian, in other words. Our social acts are connected to our inward piety. In fact, Jesus raises the ante when he gives a new command: “Love each other as I have loved you.” Not only does our personal devotion…

In Our Own Skin: Create FOR the church, AT the church or AS the church

Rich KirkpatrickFebruary 21, 20190683 views

Art as a commodity The first thing artists are accepted as in the church setting is as artisans who make things for the purposes of the church. This can be songs, music, architecture, graphics–or anything where the crafts of these servants are utilized. Film clips are used as sermon illustrations and graphics to help promote church events. Songs support a theme. We sing prayers. What we see creation at this level is not wrong. But, created content lives in this space as a commodity. There are exceptional people who sell clips, graphics, and other content. There is a place where we need creative content to help our purposes as a church. Art as a commodity, however, leaves us stuck. Artists are often asked to donate…