by Cathy Baker

A favorite childhood memory took place out back behind my grandmother’s house. There, on her scuffed red cement steps I concocted masterpieces in the form of mud pies. People came from miles around just to taste a morsel. Or at least that’s the world my only-child mind created. 

“From the old lady who fills a page with doodling as she talks on the phone, to the man who welds dinosaurs in the middle of the desert out of wrecked car parts, all around us are examples of this mysterious, powerful urge to create, to be creative, to live out or somehow respond to the beauty of our creative Father. We are driven to create at this deep wordless level of the soul because we are all fashioned in the image of God who is an Artist.” – Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand

Try this: Consider the sanctuary of your church and other church sanctuaries where you have worshiped. Which space best expressed the beauty of the Lord and drew your heart toward him, and why? You may want to sketch the spaces to remind yourself of how they looked and the elements they contained. 

Now suppose you have the job of designing a church sanctuary. How would you make it reflect the beauty of the Creator. Sketch out some plans. Don’t worry about the quality of your artwork. –Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand Study Guide

How did your creative spark play out when you were a child?