I really enjoyed chapter 3 of Imagine. I think one of the main ideas that I got out of this chapter was that some people use "art" as their cover-up. I am not sure if Turner meant to make it come across this way, but he talks about how there is a musical comedy with a girl that is not wearing much clothing. Turner proceeds to write that this girl hides behind the word "art." I am a firm believer that art can be whatever you want it to be - makeup, clothing, painting - as I have said in previous blogposts. But I guess I just never thought of how some people actually use art as their excuse in life, and that maybe we need to take a second glance at the reality of how we use the word.
Another idea that I took away from chapter 3 is that CHRIST is the only thing that can set us free. We sometimes (most of the time for me) get so caught up in the everyday routine of life that we forget to slow down and focus on what is really important. I love how Turner writes deeply about how we twist simple sayings like "Love not the world." But really all we have to do is focus-in on who we are serving, why we are here, and what our purpose is.
One quote that really impacted me was "Art only becomes an idol when it replaces God." For me, art has always been kinda like my hobby and my escape from reality. When things are going wrong in my life, I tend to gravitate towards art and music.. because that is where I find peace. But this quote by Steve Turner really put things into perspective for me. Art for some people can be an idol, just like my phone and my Netflix account are my idols sometimes. I think that this quote just reminds me that yes, we all struggle. But my personal struggle does not have to be the same as the person beside me, and it most likely won't be the same as the person beside me. And that is what makes us beautiful and unique. If we all struggled with the same things, life would be boring, and small groups would not be as effective as they are (at least for me). I really like how Turner wrote this because it just reminds me we all fall short, we all struggle, and that everybody is going through
something.
I also really liked when Turner wrote about Philippians 4:8. If we emphasize this verse too much or take it out of context, we miss the beauty in healing. We miss the hurt and the pain, we miss the journey to success. Turner writes about David's adultery and Judas' betrayal.. yet when we end the stories, we are left thinking about the good that the two did, not the bad. I have a heart for brokenness and healing, and I think that's why I want to do something in counseling when I go to college, so I really like how Turner speaks about this.
Another idea that I took away from chapter 3 is that CHRIST is the only thing that can set us free. We sometimes (most of the time for me) get so caught up in the everyday routine of life that we forget to slow down and focus on what is really important. I love how Turner writes deeply about how we twist simple sayings like "Love not the world." But really all we have to do is focus-in on who we are serving, why we are here, and what our purpose is.
One quote that really impacted me was "Art only becomes an idol when it replaces God." For me, art has always been kinda like my hobby and my escape from reality. When things are going wrong in my life, I tend to gravitate towards art and music.. because that is where I find peace. But this quote by Steve Turner really put things into perspective for me. Art for some people can be an idol, just like my phone and my Netflix account are my idols sometimes. I think that this quote just reminds me that yes, we all struggle. But my personal struggle does not have to be the same as the person beside me, and it most likely won't be the same as the person beside me. And that is what makes us beautiful and unique. If we all struggled with the same things, life would be boring, and small groups would not be as effective as they are (at least for me). I really like how Turner wrote this because it just reminds me we all fall short, we all struggle, and that everybody is going through
something.
I also really liked when Turner wrote about Philippians 4:8. If we emphasize this verse too much or take it out of context, we miss the beauty in healing. We miss the hurt and the pain, we miss the journey to success. Turner writes about David's adultery and Judas' betrayal.. yet when we end the stories, we are left thinking about the good that the two did, not the bad. I have a heart for brokenness and healing, and I think that's why I want to do something in counseling when I go to college, so I really like how Turner speaks about this.
http://www.michaelnoyes.com/gifts/religious/new-testament/think-philippians-4-8