God in Beauty
By Nanedi Faith, 7 min read
Today we got to chat with the main singer of the seven-man band named Rivers and Robots, Jonathan Ogden. He actually came up with the name Rivers and Robots when he was 18, and he got it from mixing the two music styles that were in his household. His brother is a DJ and his dad is very much into folk music. He wanted to see how he could combine the two styles of music into Worship music--So then BAM the charming name Rivers and Robots.
How do you make sure you are doing what God has called you do even if it doesn't look like what other people are doing, or what other people are like?
He shared that it comes down to discovering your authentic self and aligning with God.
1. See how you interact with your community
2. What your community speaks to you
3. What you enjoy doing in your free time
4. How you act when you're alone
5. What do you do, when you're not performing
Allowing yourself to be yourself and not fit the image that people want to see. Leaning into and understanding the truth about what God says about you in the word of God and making sure your life is aligning with the truth and see maybe where you are not aligning with God, and changing it so you are. Community is important because they can spot things in your life and call certain things out to help you be your best self.
Should we do more as Christian artists, or should we focus to excel on one thing?
Jonathan does dabble in other projects where he directs his own videos, he does graphic design, mission work, and of course his music. He shares that he has always thought that he should specialize, but there is a lot that he does enjoy. He also enjoys just trying everything.
"Jack of all trades master of none is actually a misquote of Jack of all trades master of one."
You can be good at a lot of things but choose to specialize in one thing. For him, he is still trying to figure out what his thing is. He is feeling that he is leaning more towards music now, but in general, he just focuses on what he enjoys and what he enjoys creating.
We share that sometimes people have the desire to create but we are afraid to just try it. We are encouraged by Jonathan's spirit of freedom and how he just goes for it.
"People overthink their purpose in life, and what God is calling them to do or gave them to accomplish here on Earth...so people question, ‘Well, I enjoy doing this but how do I know if this is what God wants me to do?’"
How did you find freedom in pursuing what you enjoy?
1. Realizing his identity was tied to what he does
2. His measure of success was based on the things he creates
But he realized those things are what tied him down. He found freedom in realizing that being the thing that every human being was designed to do is to be in a relationship with God and receive his love and choose to love Him in return. That is the one reason every human being is created and to be someone who is loved by God and loves God is a successful human.
“Before you've even done a single thing, you are successful if that is the position that you're in. That is what shifted my mindset, so before I write a song or create a thing,I already have that success of being a person who is chosen to love God, loved by God, and be in a relationship with Him. The stuff that I do then is a kind of vocation or calling or purpose and something that you unearth over time.”
He didn't realize music is where he would be; he was into animation. It is looking at what you have around you, what are the things you enjoy, or the things you are naturally drawn to.
"For me, It was kind of a surprise going into music, but then looking backward well, of course, it would be music. I've loved producing that all my life and I love listening to music and God has put that desire in me so why wouldn't that be what God wants me to do? Try to relieve yourself of that pressure: Instead of asking yourself is this thing the creative purpose God me for? Try to look at the things you enjoy, what you have around you, what do you have a resource for, what do you have the time for, and give it a go and try it!"
Sometimes even saying we do it "For God" and it's making it about us sometimes, it puts it so much on us and gives us the glory because we are doing it "For God."
Leaning into the process is important:
1. I am not going to be at this level immediately
2. I know I want to do this but I don't have the skill yet
3. Utilizing social media and bringing people on that journey
4. Share unfinished things or works in progress
It's freeing that you don't have to grow to this pinnacle moment. You remove some pressure by just gradually improving. It's freeing to share that journey with others because you are simply passionate about what you are learning and creating.
“Beauty is a window into the divine” -Jordan Peterson
Beauty is something so clearly something God has created in us! Sometimes we are moved by music and art and it doesn’t make sense! It’s a beautiful gift that God has given us to be able to appreciate creativity, beauty, and art.
The experience of seeing things that pour out beauty is just a glimpse that God is the creator and the beauty of who he is and how he has created us. God creates beautiful things and the fact that we can create things that have beauty is a gift that we can give to others as well. What we give is only a sliver of beauty that God can make.
“There is something really amazing about creating beauty through art and the way that makes us feel in the human spirit that connects with something that God is and the beauty that he has created us to appreciate.”
If you haven’t listened to Jonathan Ogden’s album 24, you must go listen to it!
What inspired you in writing those songs for each hour of the day?
Psalm 19: 1-2 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork, day unto day pours out speech and night unto night reveals knowledge.”
“This sky is an example of God’s masterpiece of creation that he has displayed every single day and no matter where you are in the world, you can see the sky and see the masterpiece that he has created and every single time it is different and he is showing more of his love and beauty every single time. There are no words and no speech where his voice isn’t heard. There doesn’t need a plane in the sky saying, ‘God loves you,’ just the very fact that it is beautiful and creative is revealing something of God’s heart to people.”
Andy shared with Jonathan that after doing these podcasts he feels that, “Art is sometimes simply noticing God’s beauty, and art has a softening effect on our hearts. When we hear a poem about God or hear a work about God is softens us to reengage.”
Is there anything unique about your creative process?
1. Big challenge is getting started
2. Fear of the blank page
3. Practice just doing something
4. Take time every day to make something
5. Start a bunch of ideas and just experiment
6. You don’t have to finish every project
7. It is okay to start something and leave it
Jonathan had a revelation in a prayer room where he saw a sailboat and then the camera zoomed out and there were a bunch of sailboats that all looked very different. All the boats were sailing off into the horizon or the unknown, but he had a feeling that River and Robots projects were one of those little boats. And as they sail they are moving towards the knowledge of God that along the way they will meet those other sailboats who are all sailing towards that same goal in different ways. He thinks those other sailboats represent other artists that they will meet along the way, and although they may do things differently they are all moving towards God and have the same heart and goal which is to communicate God. Then after the boats fell off, into another ocean where they ran into other boats where it seemed like many generations of people who have come before them.
On this journey, we just need faith and community. There have been others who have had similar visions and its totally God’s orchestration! He is the one behind giving everyone these ideas and the minds to create these beautiful things.
Sometimes we may feel discouraged, and asking God if maybe we’re doing things the right way, but the heart of it is always the same: “Am I creating something that is pointing people to Jesus?”
You can hear the full conversation by looking up “The Bread Podcast” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Be sure to check out our previous episodes as well!