The Lantern House
Takeaways from a conference for songbirds, writers, and artists
Last month I had the opportunity to attend an all-day conference for Christian creatives called The Lantern House. To put it simply, the conference was a gift.1
I went into the weekend a bit apprehensive. I was supposed to share one of my songs after the keynote speaker, Jonathan Rogers, the voice behind one of my favorite podcasts. I knew the room would be filled with musicians and writers who are, quite frankly, better than me. My nerves and over anxious brain tend to get the best of me in these situations.
What am I doing here? What do I have to offer?
Instead of being met with feigned humility and intellectualism, I was met with warm hospitality and generosity. I’ve been in spaces with other artists before that felt like each person was just trying to prove themselves to earn a seat at the table. In contrast, The Lantern House cultivated an environment of mutual support and edification.
As the emcee of the day (shoutout to Lane Marie) opened the day with announcements, she reminded everyone gathered that the purpose in the event was presence not performance.
There were multiple gems from Jonathan’s keynote, but here are a few that I’ve been pondering the past month.
Tend your patch of ground. Too often we envy what others have instead of cultivating the gifts God has given us. God has given each of us unique circumstances and a unique voice. Use it.
You’re not getting better to be “better than”. As we grow in our gifts, it’s not to one-up our neighbor. It’s to love them, love God, and bring beauty into the world.
Creativity is setting a table. Creativity is no fun in isolation. Invite people into the process. Invite people to come and behold our good God.
I shared my song, “Know and Known”, and afterwards heard multiple stories of people wrestling with the same things as mentioned in the song. Tired parents, church planters, caretakers, and retirees, all of them with a longing to be faithful in their every day lives.
The afternoon included several breakout sessions. I chose to first attend a Q&A with a musical heroine of mine, Taylor Leonhardt.
During Taylor’s session, she equated songwriting with another passion of hers; trout fishing. Sometimes we have quick success when working a song, but sometimes we have to show up faithfully and “cast the line” again and again. It’s not always about the catch but more about showing up in the first place.
Taylor ended her session with a prompt to write our own version of George Ella Lyon’s poem, Where I’m From. What a gorgeous piece of writing. This exercise made me think about my roots and the experiences and people who have shaped my writing.
The last session I attended was a songwriters’ song share. Let me tell you, I was blown away by the talent in the room. Multiple genres, multiple generations. The vast majority of the ~20 people who shared are not full-time artists, but the musicianship and lyricism spoke of years of well-honed craft. The session ended with a spontaneous belting of the Reginald Heber hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy”, a beautiful moment that has replayed in my mind since.
After a delicious dinner and time of celebration, the night ended with a concert from Taylor Leonhardt accompanied by Stefan Cashwell. At this point of the day, my necessary extroversion was waning, but my heart was full. There’s a remarkable sense of relief and joy when you discover that there really are people with shared passions just around the corner.
To Brian and the team at The Lantern House, thank you! At each event I’ve attended, including this one, there is an invitation into a community of artists cheering one another along as we seek to love God and others well. I’m excited to see how God continues to use this collection of artists and art lovers to build His Kingdom in Athens and beyond.
Want to support the mission of The Lantern House? Learn more here.
Three things I’m enjoying this month:
A Spring May Well Up by Jacob Goins. I met Jacob and his brother, Andrew, at the conference and was blown away by the songs they both shared.
Virgil Wander by Leif Enger. He’s become one of my favorite writers, and I always find myself falling in love with his characters. My personal favorite: I Cheerfully Refuse.
Lunchtime walks on the trail at our local botanical gardens. I work at a computer 40+ hours a week, so I’ve started taking a much needed break outside. There’s nothing like solitude and hearing the crunch of leaves underfoot.
Grace and peace, y’all.
Both literally and figuratively. A gracious donor helped to make the event FREE for all attendees.