Created to Create: The Bible’s Blueprint for Culture
🌸Why Beauty Matters…
In a world where truth is often debated and goodness can feel subjective, I’ve found myself thinking more and more about the quiet yet powerful force that lingers beneath the surface: beauty.
Throughout history, beauty has captivated societies and quietly opened the door to faith. Whether in breathtaking music, majestic architecture, moving stories, or everyday moments of harmony and order, beauty speaks a language that logical arguments alone never quite reach.
Now more than ever—in our screen-saturated and sometimes cynical world—beauty’s influence is desperately needed.
🎨 How Did the Church Lose Its Creative Voice?
But here’s the big questions:
👉 How did the church, once the creative bedrock of Western culture, lose her voice in the arts?
👉 Why are so many of us (parents, pastors, artists, and everyday believers) hesitant to champion beauty as central to our faith?
👉 And what can we do to change this—for ourselves and our children?
These are the urgent, inspiring questions we explore in the latest episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World, as I sit down with Isaac Gay—accomplished musician, actor, theologian, and disciple-maker of Christian artists.
Our conversation is a call to rediscover the sheer power and biblical importance of beauty, not merely as decoration, but as a spiritual superpower in our parenting, churches, and daily lives. Together, we dive deep into the theology of creativity, how the Church became the driving force of Western culture, why Christianity lost its influence—and why I believe beauty is our secret weapon to getting it back.
✨ Beauty moves us when facts and arguments simply can’t.
💡 Highlights From Our Conversation
1️⃣ Beauty Speaks When Words Can’t
In a post-truth world, it’s easy for people to tune out arguments or sermons. But beauty disarms us—it draws us in, awakens wonder, and opens the heart in ways intellectual proofs never will. Isaac called beauty an “apologetic”—a way to communicate the Gospel that our culture can still hear.
2️⃣ Creativity Isn’t Reserved for Artists
I’ll confess: for a long time, I believed that creativity belonged to painters, musicians, or writers. But Isaac reminded me (and challenged all of us!) that every act of bringing order out of chaos is creative—parenting, problem-solving, organizing, even just making a home welcoming. We’re all creatives, because we’re made in the image of the Creator.
3️⃣ Our Identity is Rooted in Creation
The very first way God reveals Himself in Scripture isn’t as King or Judge or Father, but as Creator. That floors me. And it reframes parenting, work, ministry—all of it—as part of a grand creative calling.
4️⃣ How We Lost Our Influence—And How We Can Win It Back
Isaac and I unpacked how the Church once led the way—think Michelangelo, Handel, Shakespeare—after the Enlightenment, utilitarian thinking, and a sacred/secular split pushed us to the margins. We began to believe only measurable, “useful” ministry counted. We sidelined beauty, often just copying what the world does, instead of leading with real, Spirit-filled creativity.
5️⃣ Parents and Leaders: We Set the Tone
If you’re a parent, like me, you’re shaping the next generation of artists, thinkers, and culture-makers—whether you realize it or not. If you lead in church or community, you’re also gatekeeping which gifts are welcomed and nurtured. It’s up to us to foster creativity in our homes and congregations, and to see beauty as essential, not optional.
🎧 Listen here: Click here to listen to “CREATED TO CREATE: THE BIBLE’S BLUEPRINT FOR CULTURE”
(Cover art is of the Sagrada Familia in Madrid, the divinely inspired
Cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi, known as “God’s Architect”.
I’m convinced that he saw the buildings in heaven!
Learn more about him HERE.)
Or you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
🌱 What Can We Do Right Now?
✔️ Encourage creativity in your own home. Whether your child is a budding artist or just loves building with Legos, celebrate the ways they bring order and life into the world.
✔️ Support and bless the creatives in your church. Isaac and his wife Emily have built incredible resources at isaacandemilygay.comto disciple artists. Check them out!
✔️ Rethink ministry “success.” Not everything of value can be measured. Sometimes, the art, music, or story that touches just one heart is doing the deepest kingdom work.
🎧 Don’t Miss What’s Next
This is just the beginning. In next week’s episode, Isaac and his wife Emily will join me to discuss the fractured relationship between artists and the church, and how to mend it, so that we can reclaim creativity—in our churches, our parenting, and our own lives.
I can’t wait to dig into the “how to”—and I’d love for you to join us.
You’ll find the full transcript from this week’s episode attached (below)—I think you’ll find so much richness there. And if what I’ve shared resonates with you, will you reply to let me know how beauty and creativity are showing up in your own journey?
One final thing... next week on Thursday, September 28th at 12 p.m. CT, I will be the guest on a live webinar with Elizabeth Urbanowicz of FOUNDATION WORLDVIEW. We will be discussing three of the most prominent myths about motherhood in our culture. AND IT’S FREE! You can sign up to attend here:
Please join us!
Episode Resources:
About the Guest: Isaac Gay is a modern-day renaissance man with a background in theatre, music, and ministry. As the founder of The Parallel Society, he equips Christian artists to use their gifts for cultural renewal and gospel advance. His work with his wife Emily has built creative communities and fostered discipleship of artists across the U.S.
The Prodigal by Isaac Gay
For resources, free guides for parents, and more on nurturing creativity in your kids, visit catherine@catherinesegars.com.
Stay curious. Stay creative. Let’s raise a new generation of culture-makers—one story, painting, song, or act of love at a time.d so do our kids.
