Remix Culture

I was reading today about the how a new form of art today is basically stealing from the cultural milieu (that may be the first time I've ever written milieu)  and making it your own in some way.  This has different forms, from sampling and mixing to mashups.  Perhaps the most notorious purveyor  is Gregg Gillis aka Girl Talk who is produced by illegal art.  And there in lies the problem or at least the question.  How much of today's music and art and film is legitimate and how much is blatant stealing and re purposing of others ideas?  How do we protect artists and give them motivation to create and provide the right rewards when their work is what brings the dollars rolling in?


The other reality is that art has always been a call and response.  One person taking influence and concepts from other artists and speaking new value into them, challenging these innovations or using them as a jumping point.  If you go to any art show there will always be an interplay between artists.  This brief article about Matisse and Picasso really brings that to light.  I think this reality blurs the line all the more...sure artists of the past had to reproduce elements of art on their own, and that made it more difficult to "steal" or incorporate someone else's work.  That said, there are new mediums, new artistic forms and opportunities and those influences can be more easily co-opted.  Is that necessarily wrong?


This same question is asked of pastors as many preach books that others have written, they simply take titles and themes from other pastors and authors and present them as they try to make them there own.  Is this legit?  Where is the line?  For me, I want my inspiration to always be God's Word.  So it is my building block, his word is my starting point. I try to preach exegetically, and to address our church and cultural situation.  I will read commentaries, occasionally listen to another sermon on a topic and even take an illustration that fits a theme from another source, but I also try to give the credit to the original source or at least from the source I borrowed from.  In some ways, that is where mashups and sampling always pays homage to the original and gives the credit back since its real source is not meant to be hidden but presented in the light.

Big Daddy

I'm reading through Genesis, in particular the story of Abraham as I will be preahing it from January to April.  It's funny because I can't stop reading.  I know I'm only preaching part of the story this week but I keep finding myself racing ahead to see how God shows his faithfulness and how Abraham grows on his physical and spiritual journey.  The picture above captures the key aspect of Abraham's story.  Basically Abraham is this guy without hope.  His father and brother have died.  Their plan to move to Canaan ends for some reason, and even though Abram has a lot of stuff he has no future because his wife is barren.  The Bible says, Now Sarai was barren; she had no children.  Either the Bible is being repettively redundant or it's trying to emphasis the severity of this situation.  She was barren she couldn't have any freaking kids.  Is how I might phrase it.  Anyway the point is Abram (whose name mean father) can't have any kids.  There is no future for his family. All his stuff will go to some punk kid (Lot or later we are told a servant).  It's all over for his family line.
That's where God steps in and gives him a new hope and a new vision. He says, Abram with me their is a future.  With me there is a life that you can't even imagine.  You'll be famous, and wealthy and people thousands of years later will be reading and talking about you, and your kids.  I'm going to change your name from an ironic joke. Abram= daddy when you can't have kids.  To something meaningful  Abraham= father of multitudes and have it be a reality.  I'm gonna change your name from Daddy to Big Daddy. (thanks Leo Schuster)  Just trust me.

Trust. That's the hard part Abraham goes through victories and struggles as he waits on God, as he learns faith and trust in the God who promises more than we could ever dream and then gives it to us, but not necessarily in the timeframe we were hoping for.  That's the God I seek to follow, and as I read this story I'm encouraged to stay on schedule to stay on the path, but also reminded that when I screw up God is willing to step in to straighten me and the situation out.  I'm excited about preaching Abraham's story, but more excited about living my own, because I know that there will be so many unexpected twists and turns and I'll get freaked out and scared and sad and have doubts.  BUT I know through it all God is going to work something amazing through all the times I screw up.  So let's go, let's do this, let's live this life, let's screw things up so that God can straighten me out and so that I can grow into a person of deep faith who eventually gets it.  Who eventually lives a life that is a blessing to all people.