In her excellent book Walking on Water, the author Madeleine L’Engle wrote, “Jesus was not a theologian. He was God who told stories.” Storytelling was not only a major focus of Jesus’ ministry, it’s also a signifigant part of our calling as artists and creatives. Today’s guest helps us expand our vision as creative storytellers as we talk about music, imagination, invention, worship, and writing. This is one of those interviews that will expand your mind and leave you thinking for days.
I’m honored to bring you this conversation with Manuel Luz. He is a songwriter, author, inventor, arts advocate, and creative arts pastor. He has served with Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California for over 25 years, which is an eternity in creative arts ministry.
Manuel’s new book, Honest Worship: From False Self to True Praise, addresses the critical intersections between spiritual formation and worship. Manuel’s published book, Imagine That: Discovering Your Unique Role as a Christian Artist, is a practical and personal theology of the arts. I highly recommend both of them.
Manuel is also the inventor of the patented musical instrument, the WalkaBout™, which was wildly received at the world-renowned NAMM Show recently.
In our conversation, we explore several themes from his two books, such as humility, imagination, storytelling, and honest worship. We also dive into the behind-the-scenes process of inventing, manufacturing, and marketing the Walkabout, which is a new kind of percussion instrument. As as drummer myself, this was incredibly interesting! Finally, you’ll learn practical tips about writing from Manuel’s own creative process.
To read the full show notes, visit https://kentsanders.net/manuel.
