Guggenheim Museum Bilbao 

I rented, again, last night "Sketches of Frank Gehry" a documentary on the groundbreaking architect directed by the famed Sydney Pollack. Now honestly, I am not into architecture. Well, like at all. I just don't care. But I have watched this Cannes Film Festival Selection a few times because of Gehry's creativity. He is more artist than architect. His superiors and peers laughed at him in school because he was "too weird." Instead of simply wanting to learn to build buildings, he wanted to change everything. And this is why I have repeatedly watched a movie about an architect. (I mean, who does that?) The film is about the inside life and passions and patterns of a creative genius, not about designing structures.

Director Pollack surprised me in the bonus material interview. The 73 year-old admitted he did not feel qualified to shoot the film. He has been a personal friend with Gehry for years, but new little about architecture or even documentaries. When approached to work on the project, he simply said he was not qualified.

Pollack was depressed in Spain a few months later, on a twelve-country tour promoting a movie that everyone hated. (He would not say which one, but my money is on Sliding Doors with Gweneth Paltrow.) Walking down the street he literally stopped in his tracks when he saw the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. It looked like a ship had landed from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Pollack previously had never given architecture a second thought. But then he had never seen Gehry's masterpiece.

Pollock was now fascinated, but again, felt unqualified to tell Gehry's story cinematically. The creator "of the greatest building of our time" later told Pollack, that his inexperience is exactly why he should make the movie. Real creativity would come from a filmmaker who has not studied architecture.

Creative people know that what is new, or inspiring, or beautiful, or life-changing, comes from a brave soul who combines two or more aspects of life that have not been combined before. That is where genius comes from. Gehry combined art with architecture. Alice Cooper combined Vaudeville with Rock n' Roll. George Lucas science fiction with spirituality and family oriented films.

The creativity and work of the Spirit of God is not let loose in the world by professionals. Those with seminary degrees and religious backgrounds are not the groundbreakers of God's new presence in the world. He shows up through those who feel unqualified. Those who feel new to all of this. Those who now have some unexplained interest in knowing their Creator, but may know little about the Bible, Church, or what it's supposed to be all about.

These newcomers become the geniuses of Spirit who combine walks of life that are not typically combined. Business management skill and a new interest in Jesus Christ. Working construction, playing in amateur alt rock cover bands, and exploring the Bible. Engaged in a field of science and its theories, enjoying Ridley Scott movies, and experimenting with prayer.

For those of you who feel that this God stuff is all new, honestly, you are in a great place to not only be personally transformed, but to help channel the new things that God Himself is up to.

For those of use who are experienced God-people, maybe we just need to sit back and go to school. Who knows, maybe the creative geniuses have arrived? And maybe God's new thing will arrive through them?

Love you all! Have a great weekend!

Brian

Oh, and don't forget to set your clocks BACK an hour Saturday night. You can show up at 9:00am, but only a few of us would be there. And of course, this would be a great week to invite a friend; they will have an extra hour to sleep off Saturday night!