Community Sabbath (Week Five): Pixar

(Picture by budding Pixar Animator, Sam Snook)

"So God created humanity in his own image, in the image of God he created humans; male end female he created them." (Genesis 1:27)

Creativity, it seems, is a very important part of being a human.  After all, we have been created in the image of the Creator.  Maybe we are not all artists, but we are all creative.  We are creators of speech and relationships. We are creators of homes and gardens and music and airplanes and treehouses.  We were created, it could be argued, to create.  And so we are drawn in large numbers to the worlds created by Pixar; the creator of such memorable movies as Toy Story, Cars, Planes, and Monsters, Inc. 

It was interesting for me to learn that Ed Catmull, president of Pixar, takes a ten-day silent retreat every year for "care of the soul." (Global Leadership Summit, 2015)  This practice illustrates our normal approach to Sabbath: We carve out a day, or a part of a day, or ten days if we can, to connect with God.  From that connection with the Creator, our lives are shaped and brought back to the divine image we were created with.  As a result of our time with God, we begin to connect with who God created us to be and we begin to connect again with those God gave us to be with.  

And there is good evidence that the best of Pixar's creations mirror, in very creative ways, the story that God has written on the storyboards of our hearts.   

Consider, for example, one of my favorite movies, Cars. The hero, Lightning McQueen, discovers that there is something more valuable than winning; friendship.  In Lightning's self-sacrifice, we are reminded of the Gospel story where Jesus, who instead of winning, brings others to the finish line through self-sacrifice.

And in Planes: Fire and Rescue, the broken Dusty Crophopper sacrifices his own life to save others.  In the end, he is restored and brought to new life. As we are told near the end of the movie, Dusty is now, "Better than new!"  There is hope in our brokenness.

It can be argued that these stories tell Biblical truths and reflect a connectedness to the Creator. The problem with my theory is that I haven't been able to find evidence that every Pixar employee takes a ten-day silent retreat every year. So, how did Pixar get to the point of bringing to life these stories written on the deepest part of our hearts without intentional Sabbath?

As we look closer at Pixar, we discover that computer scientists, animators, and other employees, while encouraged to decorate their personal workspaces in whatever way suits them (i.e, as a castle, spaceship, tiki lounge, etc.) work takes place in an open environment that fosters corroboration with other employees.  (Business Insider, April 2, 2014, Drake Baer)  

Could it be for us as individuals that cultivating our personal creativity and interpersonal relationships would connect us with the Creator?  And could it be for us as a church that cultivating individual creativity and encouraging interpersonal relationships could reveal the stories that God is writing in our midst?

Yes!  In fact, I believe that cultivating personal creativity and nourishing interpersonal relationships are Sabbath.  If you are feeling stuck in your Sabbath keeping, cultivate your inner Pixar.   First, do something creative; Maybe you could pick up a pencil and paper. Maybe a guitar.  Second, reach out to those all around you.  Listen to their story.  If you do these two thing, chances are that you will connect with the Creator of the universe and you will discover the story that God has been writing on your own heart.  

Church Stopping. Less Doing. More Being.