Editorial

Steve Cole

This edition of Artisan goes out to you around the world with much love and support. As cheerleaders and co-botchers on the side of your life pitch our desire is to encourage you in the pursuit of God in the context of your profession and place of operation in the Media, Arts and Fashion industries.

As we enter another year, prayer continues to be the major focus and the catalyst to everything. For over eight years in London we have been creating space for industry people to come together to Unite, Humble ourselves and Pray for one another and the industries where God has called us and placed us. This simple call is now being replicated in other cities including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol with potential events starting in another eight cities around the world over the next eighteen months.

The Artisan web site is a work in progress but is beginning to facilitate networking and the promotion of your gigs, exhibitions etc. This will be developing further throughout this year. If we don’t have your details please register on the site – www.artisaninitiatives.org

Of course alongside the web and the prayer events around the world the publication will be distributed three or four times this year. The publications in the past have grappled with issues such as ambition, rejection, money, touring, success, image, sex, the bible, Jesus and the Church. This publication looks at the issue of prayer.

To pray is to walk in the full light of God and to say simply, without holding back, ‘I am human and you are God.’ At that moment conversion occurs, the restoration of the true relationship. A human being is not someone who once in a while makes a mistake and God is not someone who now and then forgives. No, human beings are sinners and God is love.
With Open Hands by Henri Nouwen

I was chatting with someone recently who was beating himself up about his own spiritual mediocrity. ‘I don’t read the Bible enough, I don’t pray enough.’ Then the surprising question to me was, ‘How do you do it?’ He was under the impression that as a person who leads prayer events I must be up at 4am to pray. I had to disappoint him and admit that as a father with two young children, I was always tired and could not get out of bed to pray until 4.30am. Yeah right, dream on Coley!

To communicate 24/7 with the creator is mind blowing. It is clear from scripture that God is not interested in flashy words or well constructed sentences. He longs for relationship that is as natural as breathing. We develop this through engaging with the Bible, and also through opening our mouths and learning this exhilarating and diverse art of silence, ranting, worship, confession, listening, shouting, complaining, thanking… or prayer as most people call it.

Get outside and see God’s handiwork, be visually inspired and allow your words to simply react to what you see. Don’t spend so much time praying for yourself and your bank balance, look around you, be alert and see the situations and people that interact with your life day by day – allow these to shape your God talk.

Prayer is more than a one to one rant or conversation, there is an important corporate dynamic and significance when people agree something together. On the global day of prayer in 2006 over 200 million people in 199 nations united together to pray. This year on Pentecost Sunday 27th May 2007 the momentum continues in stadiums across the globe www.globaldayofprayer.com so get involved in a nation near you!

One of the foundational scriptures they use for this day is from 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says, ‘If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’

The repercussions from prayer changes people, situations and whole nations. For me I believe that God has called us who are involved in the most influential industries in our world to unite, humble ourselves and pray. In different hubs around the world with many different churches and organisations we pursue this call, not to create headlines or draw attention to anybody but simply out of obedience and a passion to see change. Alongside us coming together to pray, there is a growing network of intercessors who are committed to praying for issues relating to us and the industries.

As people involved in the industry our hope is in the Lord who loves us and longs for us to relate with him individually and corporately. Prayer is an exciting privilege and has been the catalyst to things happening from day one. So get out, buy a latte, enjoy God, kick some leaves, show him your molars and ask the Lord to give you faith to enable you to pray big stuff.

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 4:18

I stand with you in this pursuit with a big L on my backside – that’s L for learner not loser!

Love to you all

Steve