Chances are that you imagine a beautiful painting or drawing hanging on a wall. You see it and say, “What a beautiful work of art.”

You would be correct, of course. That is the most common way that we use the term art in our culture. However, that meaning only scratches the surface of the depths that this word holds.

In this post I want to explore the meaning of the word ART.

“Why?” you might ask.

I have two reasons:

First, I am beginning a series this summer that is prefaced with the phrase “The Art of…”

• In June I want to explore the Art of Prayer.
• In July, the Art of Ordinary Time.
• In August, the Art of Discipleship.

It seems important to define what I mean by “The Art” of something if I’m going to use it so often.

Second, I am an artist, and I have shifted my online moniker to The Art Pastor. Quite honestly, the pursuit of the meaning of the term “art” speaks to a core piece of my own sense of identity. What does it mean to be an artist? What does it mean to be an Art Pastor?

Word Nerd

The English term art comes from an Old French word art, which comes from the Latin term artem, meaning “work of art; practical skill; a business, craft” which comes from the Greek words arti and artizein, meaning “to prepare” or “to fit together” (source)

Art means practical skill at something.

When I say that we are going to explore the Art of Prayer, we could reframe it and say, “We are going to explore the practical skill of prayer.”

Yes, that is what I mean.

And, there’s more to it than that.

There is another biblical word that means practical skill.

It is the Hebrew word hochma.

The first time we encounter this word is in Exodus 28:3,

“And you shall speak to all who have ability, whom I have endowed with skill, that they make Aaron’s vestments to consecrate him for my priesthood.”

The first people in the Bible who are considered to have hochma are craftsmen skilled in making garments.

Here’s the really interesting thing about the word hochma. It is usually translated as WISDOM.

Let that sink in.

Psalm 104:24 (NRSV)

O Lord, how manifold are your works!

In wisdom (hochma) you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

Psalm 111:10 (NRSV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (hochma);

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

Proverbs 2 is an ode to hochma. I encourage you to soak in that chapter for a while.

The Art of Prayer and the Art Pastor

I call myself the Art Pastor as a play on words.

On the one hand, I am playing into the culturally accepted meaning of the term art. I am a visual artist. I draw, paint, animate, etc.

I am a pastor that does art.

On the other hand, I want to emphasize the incompleteness of this first definition and use the more accurate meaning of the term art to explore my true calling.

I seek wisdom. I seek to develop the skill of living a life that reflects and overflows the heart of God.

Look at my art page and you will find a saying that has defined my practice of drawing and painting for a long time:

When you want to draw or paint something, you must slow down. You must contemplate the subject. If you are a more representational artist, like me (meaning I like to draw things that look like the thing I am drawing), then you must sit with that thing. You must look at it intently. You must learn

to see it,

to understand it, and then

become united with it

in such a way that you can translate it through your body and onto the canvas.

This deep dwelling in a subject–whether a tree, a person, or a concept–is the heart of listening. It is, at its core, the heart of relationship.

I want wisdom in this kind of dwelling.

So, I draw.

I use the skill of drawing and painting–and visual communication in general–as a medium for seeking to grow in my relationship with God and gain wisdom in living as a disciple of Jesus.

I am a pastor, because I want to help you to gain wisdom as well.

So, as we explore the Art of Prayer, I will, indeed, draw and paint my way into this subject. However, it is not merely about drawing and painting. It is about growing in the practical skill of prayer.

Jesus’ disciples asked him in Luke 11, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

May we grow in the wisdom of prayer together this month.