For some time the relationship between art and faith has been strained, with the church often abdicating the rigors of visionary, uncompromising artistic work to the world. As a result, artist-believers have learned to judge success by the world's narrow criteria of self-expression rather than by the very different standards of a call of God. Investigating the idea of the artist as intercessor in contemporary life may begin to restore balance to a church that avoids suffering and a world that avoids hope.