artists as outsiders

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an actor. Not because I particularly enjoyed acting (although I did later when I actually tried it), but because I wanted to be famous. I wanted to have people know who I was.

I imagine that the desire for celebrity drives many in show business. But for Danish actress Connie Nielsen (Gladiator, Law and Order SVU), acting is about something different. For her, being an actor means being an outsider. 

"As an artist you actually do have to make a choice to be an outsider. If you're an outsider you have the freedom to say what people on the inside don't dare to say," she told CNN.

I think this speaks to what we are doing at Convergence. We are constantly asking questions, taking risks, seeking to truly know and experience God as intimately and authentically as possible. If God has particular interest and desire to connect with outsiders (and I believe God does), then this fits right in with our vision. 

Convergence exists to support and resource and build community with artists. We realize in doing this, we look very different than most churches. We don't try to be different just for the sake of being different, or to be cool; we just strive to do whatever it takes to connect with this group of "outsiders"--the artists and art lovers in our community.

How much of what we call church are we willing to let go of to actually be the church?