The biblical conception of God as holy has profound significance for the philosophy of the worship arts. The biblical worshiper encounters the Lord as the Holy One. The basic connotation of holiness (Hebrew qodesh) is not the goodness or righteousness of Yahweh but the fact that he is encountered as one “set apart,” sacred or sacrosanct, unlike that which is experienced in the ordinary events of life.
As the framework of God’s relationship with his people, the biblical covenant finds expression in the worship arts. Worship celebrates the distinctive themes of the covenant: the kingship of the Lord; his leadership and protection in warfare; his covenant promises and the story of his great deeds of deliverance; his laws and precepts, in the observance of which the worshiper maintains his place in the covenant; and his judgments against violation of the relationship, as expressed in prophetic psalm or song uttered during the assemblies of the people.
In Scripture, activity associated with the fine arts is connected with divine inspiration. In the case of visual arts, Bezalel, the chief artisan of the Mosaic tabernacle, is introduced as a man “filled with the Spirit of God” (Exod. 31:1–3). The association of the Spirit of God with musical activity is more pronounced. Samuel, having anointed Saul king, tells him that he will encounter a band of prophets coming down from the sanctuary, prophesying to the accompaniment of musical instruments; the Spirit of God will come upon him, and he himself will prophesy, being “changed into a different person” (1 Sam. 10:5–6).
The concept of humankind as created in God’s image has several implications for human artistic activity. First, it suggests that there is no need to fashion an artistic image of the deity; humankind is already that representation—the handiwork of the Creator who has provided his own visual reminder of his presence in, and ownership of, the earth.
Most attempts to shape a Christian philosophy of the arts have centered around the doctrine of the Incarnation. The biblical proclamation that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14) is viewed as an affirmation that humanity, along with the physical world in which people live, is made sacred in virtue of God’s participation within it.
Biblical worship may incorporate artistic motifs drawn from a creation God pronounced to be “very good” (Gen. 1:31; the Hebrew word can have the sense of “beautiful”). The appropriate use of such imagery can be an affirmation of the supreme authority of God the Creator, in the conviction that “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Ps. 24:1).
A biblical philosophy of the arts may take its departure from the scriptural understanding of the creative activity of God. In the biblical perspective, the Creation is the result of the initiative of God in bringing order out of chaos, “dividing” light from darkness, the land from the waters (Gen. 1:3–8).
The biblical doctrine of Creation has important implications for the use of the fine arts in worship, as does the doctrine of the Incarnation. The scriptural view of humankind as created in God’s image, the concept of inspiration and the biblical understanding of the covenant also contribute their perspective on the fine arts. The arts are uniquely capable of expressing the non-rational element in the worship experience.
The liturgical calendar, which sequentially presents events in the life of Christ, ends with Pentecost. The season between Pentecost and Advent is called the “season after Pentecost” in most Christian traditions. Although it does not feature any major festivals of the Christian year, many lesser feasts and fasts fall in this period. Two of these, standing at the beginning and end of the season, are Trinity Sunday and the Festival of Christ the King.
The celebrations of the Easter season have always been the most joyous festivals of the church year, for they focus on the event that vindicates Jesus as Lord and Messiah and that offers the promise of life for those who belong to him. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). The Easter or Paschal season includes Ascension Day and concludes with Pentecost.