News From The Wilderness of Art As Prayer

Repoussé: to push forward

2010-10-25T21:06:00.003-04:00

The Enclyclopedia Britannica online defines repousse as a "method of decorating metals in which parts of the design are raised in relief from the back or the inside of the article by means of hammers and punches; definition and detail can then be added from the front by chasing or engraving. The name repoussé is derived from the French pousser, “to push forward.” Not all of the design is pushed forward or is a "positive" space, some of the spaces are pushed backward as "negative spaces".
The negative spaces provide contrast for the positve spaces making them look impressive and stand out.

So it is in our lives, the negative experiences and low points help make the positve, mountaintop experiences even more exhilarating. Joseph, the eventual Prince of Egypt first spent time in a hole in the ground and then in prison. Ruth was a poor, widowed gleaner of fields until she caught the eye and wedding committment of Boaz, just thinking....

The art of making wine at the Cana wedding feast.

2010-01-01T20:28:00.005-05:00

1 Corinthians 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
The Apostle Paul was speaking of the influence or "yeasty" leavening of the Pharisees of his day, the ruling body of popular opinion that ran counter to the movement of the Holy Spirit's work in his time. During Passover the Jewish people removed any bread that was leavened from their homes in commemoration of the feast. Made me wonder about other scriptural prohibitions about leavening. Were all the references in scripture to leavening contrary?Then I remembered the first miracle Jesus performed that was recorded. It happened at a wedding. Jesus did miraculously what I am doing in a quite ordinary fashion in my basement in a one gallon jug, he made wine. Wine making requires grape juice and leavening.I used white grape juice and a special yeast. If I am lucky, the wine will be ready around Valentines Day, six weeks from now. Jesus's wine was made without grapes or grape juice. The jugs He used were filled with water. He did not pour in any yeast,nor was a six week period of time observed for fermentation. The jars were taken out and immediately served, the best wine that the guests had ever tasted! How can one participate in the Eucharist and not think of that first miracle at the wedding supper at Cana and the eventual wedding supper with the lamb of God. I believe He forshadowed His love for mankind at the wedding in the form of the wine miracle, the good wine, the sweet wine, the new wine. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, you will wind up with vinegar at best.

Trusting in the Wizard of Oz?

2009-08-26T09:23:00.006-04:00

John 2:24-25 (The Message)

"During the time he was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover Feast, many people noticed the signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed straight to God, entrusted their lives to him. But Jesus didn't entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn't need any help in seeing right through them."

When I need guidance I look to the Word of God and read about the author and finisher of our faith on earth, Jesus Christ. John tells us that Jesus knew that the heart of mankind was untrustworthy. He realized that people were trusting him more t because of the wonderful things he did. He knew that when the time came that he would do something that they did not understand they would turn against him. I am thinking of the song from the Wizard of Oz, the lyrics go " If ever or ever a wiz there was, the Wizard of Oz is one because, because of the wonderful things he does".The people, during those days at the wedding feast thosught they had arrived at the Emeral City instead of of Jerusalem. Come see the Wizard, was in effect the way they were approaching Jesus and their trust extended only so far as his ability to bestow tokens in the form of miracles, or the wonderful things he did. Today we approach Christ in a similar "bless me" fashion and like the crowd in the end of the story disappear when the prizes are all handed out and the time for sacrifice arrives. In the remainder of the story, only a few women lingered, sitting vigil at the foot of the cross when Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, everyone else ran for cover or hid. In any given situation, are you off to see the Wizard or sitting at the foot of the cross at the feet of Jesus? I have been in both places at various times in my life. At the foot of the cross there is suffering and death, the refuse of life is strewn around. Scavenger animals pick at decaying flesh. Can you sit at the foot of the cross, the dark place where hope seems to be gone? Can you believe in the Son even when it doesn't shine? Can you see what springs forth when flesh is crucified and God is glorified?

Six Word Memoir

2009-05-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

Six Word Memoir

In the blog Abbey of the Arts, Christine Valtner Paintner asks, " What six word memoir would describe your life at this present moment?" She used these words to describe herself," urban monk bearing witness to beauty". After a few brief moments of thought I wrote these words: "Passing by watering gardens, seeking rest". As there are many types of gardens for different purposes, so there are many situations in life, home, work, neighborhood, church, organizations, school. In all of these I have endeavored to pour the living water of God's love and mercy. I now find that the pitcher is running dry. Where there was once the joy of the mountains, my interior landscape is looming as flat as a Kansas prairie. Putting six words togther in this fashion was a good way to guagw the condition of my soul. Put six words togther and describe the condition of your soul. Is is well with your soul? It isn't well with mine, but I know the well to draw from, the water is sweet and I am taking long drinks and resting in the shade. I'll be back shortly I expect, God willing.

Worship Arts Festival At Ascension Anglican Church,Pittsburgh

2009-05-26T16:16:00.003-04:00

I am posting this announcement from an area calendar posting on behalf of my friend Suzanne Trenney on of the artists involved in the Convergence Worship Arts Festibal Saturday, May 30 2009 in Pittsburgh , Pa. Suzanne Trenney's worship arts have been featured in an earlier blog posting on this site and she has her work also posted on the Ascension church site. The Ascension Church is also the place where the Saltworks Theatre resides. Here is the article copied and pasted from the community bulletin board for your information should you wish to attend:

CONVERGENCE: Community Arts Worship Festival

The Church of the Ascension presents Convergence, an experience in the arts for people of all ages. This unique community arts festival is an exploration into the eddies of art and faith. Experience this kaleidoscopic presentation by local artists in painting, multimedia, drawing, sculpture, calligraphy, mosaic, song, story, poetry, photography, music and much more. Convergence will be held on Saturday, May 30th 2009 from 12:30-4:30 PM at Church of the Ascension, 4729 Ellsworth Ave. in the Oakland/Shadyside area. Admission is free. The schedule includes:

A performance by The Ascension Youth Band, Broken Glass
Scene reading and monologues by Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Park
The Ascension Puppet Troupe
Children’s Stories with Jude Blank
Lucy Scandrett and the Harp Orchestra
Sacred Stories with Roland VendeLand
Alan Irvine performing Parables and Legends
The Music of the Organ with Jeanne Kohn
David Minniefield’s one man show “Ecclesiastes”
Dance by James Gilmer
Blues Guitar with Mike Janiszewski
Poetry Reading by Lucille Seibert
Hands on crafts and Puppet making for all ages

Ascension prides itself on being a place of belonging where a wonderfully eclectic slice of Pittsburgh gathers to learn and worship. Many visual and performing artists have found a home at Ascension. Several area arts groups are active and supported from within the church community. For more information call Alan Irvine at 412-521-6406. Directions are available at www.ascensionpittsburgh.org The image is Suzanne Trenny's "Laundry Day"

The Art of Healing

2009-05-08T06:30:00.001-04:00

Below is a portion of the text found at: http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/ancient-medicine.asp#location1 This article discusses ancient mideastern healing practices especially among the early Jews, including the practice of excluding someone from the temple. The authors thesis is that because there were so many outcast from the temple because of disability they group in small communities together to support one another. When Christ came he ministered to these and the Christian movement exploded. I feel that if we follow Christ's example, people will come, be healed, refreshed and made whole. The key is studying and then following the original blueprint.

"By the post-Exilic period (after the return of the Exiles from Babylon in the late sixth century B.C.E.), official concern over health had greatly expanded. The Priestly Code, exemplified mainly in the book of Leviticus and completed in the early post-Exilic era, contains the most complete health care policy in the Hebrew Bible. Its most notable provision is that persons stricken with tzaraath (usually translated as “leprosy”) were banned from the Temple and, indeed, from the community. Priests acted, in effect, as public health officers who diagnosed the condition and decided whether such persons merited expulsion from society.

“Leprosy,” as used by Leviticus, cannot be identified with any single disease known to modern medicine.g Its key involved chronic discoloration of the skin (or almost any surface, including the walls of houses!). Thus, any of a number of diseases that produce chronic changes in the skin was probably diagnosed as leprosy, including skin cancer, psoriasis and lupus erythematosus, if these diseases existed in any significant form at that time.

The “treatment” for this chronic illness was removal from the community for as long as the disease persisted. From Leviticus 13:45–46, we can deduce the following scenario after the diagnosis had been made:

1) The patient is to shout out “Impure, Impure”;

2) the patient shall live alone;

3) the patient shall live outside the camp community;

4) this exile lasts as long as the affliction.

Why this four-step process? The usual response is fear of impurity or contagion. But this is too simple. Recent anthropological studies show that the definitions of contagion and impurity are as much a matter of socio-economic status as they are expressions of the fear of contagion.8 In other words, socio-economic status, and not simply fear of contagion, plays a role in deciding who and what is declared impure by those who have the power to define impurity.

The priestly establishment may have sought to classify as “impure” those members of society who posed the greatest socio-economic burden. The blind and the lame (see 2 Samuel 5:8), for example, who should have posed no real threat of contamination or contagion, were excluded from the Temple. In effect, the Priestly Code advocated a health care policy by which the state unburdened itself completely of the care for at least some of the chronically ill. The eradication of chronic illness would be left for a future messianic utopia. Indeed, Ezekiel 47:12 attributes a possible therapeutic function to the future Temple and its garden:

“By the river on both banks (shall be) every type of tree fit for food. Their leaves shall not wither, and its fruit shall never cease. Every month it shall renew its fruit, for its waters spring from the Temple itself; And its fruit shall be fit to eat, and its leaves (shall serve as) medicine.”

The community responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls was even stricter toward the chronically ill. Certain patients were expressly forbidden to enter the sanctuary city, according to the Temple Scroll (11QT 45:12–13):9

“All blind persons shall not enter into it for their entire life, so that they might not defile the city within which I dwell.”

Concerning the “leper,” the Temple Scroll (11QT 45:17–18) states:

“Any ‘leper,’ or afflicted (person) shall not enter it [the holy city] until they are purified. Once he is purified, he shall offer. . .”

These policies, while no doubt causing emotional hardship to the families of the chronically ill, probably did check the spread of many contagious diseases. In contrast, Greek temples of Asclepius, which welcomed the chronically ill, including lepers, may have helped to spread disease by concentrating the sick in small spaces.

The Priestly Code’s hard-line attitude towards the chronically ill may have unwittingly served to provide a springboard for the rise of Christianity. The code was responsible for the growth of chronically ill populations with little access to the Temple. Since Jesus and his disciples appear to target these populations (Matthew 10:8; Mark 14:3), early Christianity can be seen, in part, as a critique of the Priestly health care system.

Early Christianity recognized that illness was not necessarily a sign of God’s disfavor or anger (Matthew 15:22; Luke 11:14; John 9:2). Christianity also emphasized that the cure for illness was available in this world. Yet, while criticizing the Priestly health care system, Christianity preserved many older Hebrew traditions regarding miraculous healings (Acts 5:16, 9:34) and collective health (James 5:16), though the influence of Hellenistic healing cults, including the Asclepius cult, also may be seen: For example, both Jesus and Asclepius were called soter (Greek for “savior”), both stressed the role of faith in healing and both used similar procedures, such as using spit to cure eye ailments. Further, many of the healing testimonies of Asclepius (particularly those written on a fourth-century B.C.E. inscription at a temple of Asclepius in Epidauros, Greece), like the healing stories related in Matthew 9:18–34, consist of a series of short healing stories that sometimes report the specific number of years that a patient has been afflicted.

In short, disagreements about the ideal health care system among Jewish sects may have been one of the prime factors in the development of Christianity."

If Chrisitianity is in decline today, what are we being short sighted about? This article has touched on some practices of exclusion we may consider when we attend worship on Sunday or any other day. It seems our ministry is done best in remote locations on mission trips. WHo are we excluding in our congregation, our neighborhood, our community. Who does not feel welcome to enter the temple for worship because they are "unclean?"

Worship Arts Festival

2009-01-26T18:40:00.007-05:00

A note from the Erie-Meadville District Superintendent:
Friends,
We are called to offer our very best to God at all times, and especially when we gather for worship. Our creative expression of praise and thanksgiving honors our Creator God.
The Worship Arts Festival offered by the Erie-Meadville district on Saturday, February 28, 2009 from 8:30 to noon at Edinboro UMC is designed to help your congregation honor God in new ways.
You and your team will come away from this event inspired and equipped to lead the congregation to a higher and deeper level of worship.Now is the time to help your worship committee move beyond ordering altar flowers and signing up acolytes. Now is the time to form a team who desires to offer God the very best of the congregation’s talents.Please print the attached flyer and post it to promote this event. Your individual invitations supported by your personal commitment to the importance of worship are the best way to gather a team.

Register today using the attached form to ensure a space in your preferred workshop.
Peace,

Pat Harbison

Theresa Cates, sojourner with a paintbrush

2009-01-18T16:47:00.010-05:00

On February 5, 2009 Theresa Cates will have a solo exhibition at the Red Door Gallery, 3715 JFK Blvd
North, Little Rock, Arkansas 72116. What is the big deal about Theresa Cates , who is she and why should I be interested you may be asking? Well since you are wondering... we are currently mourning the loss of a great American painter, Andrew Wyeth, a man who seemed to capture the essence of the mystery of life on canvas and paper in a simple and evocative way. Just as I was mourning the loss of the visual richness of this man, I stumbled across an article about thirty nine year old African American artist, Theresa, who began her "art career by doodling on the backs of bills. Her work is reminiscent to me of Harlem Rennaisance painter Jacob Lawrence, whom I greatly admire for his ability to use color and shape boldly while telling a story on canvas.Theresa was commissioned to paint switch boxes and bus stops in her native Arkansas and painted what she knew and loved best, people in church worshipping the Lord. She shows all the passion of the African American worship tradition in her work. Having just come from a staid and proper formal worship event at my church, I found her paintings stirred in my heart a longing for more passionate expressions of spirituality. Her her church paintings evoke the type of imagrey and passion that I imagine of the scene in which a woman poured expensive ointment on Jesus's feet and then wiped them with her tears while the rest of the folk sat upright and all proper in their chairs. Here are a few images from the Cates' exhibition. This is an artist whose work I hope to be able to see someday, other than in internet thumbnails. I think she has a lot to say if we will pay attention.

Northwestern Pennsylvania Worship Arts Festival

2009-01-12T18:23:00.005-05:00

Saturday, February 28, 2009 at the Edinboro united Methodist Church 118 High Street, Edinboro, Pa. there will be a Worship Arts Festival and Conference sponsored by the Erie Meadville District of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.The registration begins at 8am and worship at 9. Following an inspiring worship service participants will choose one of the eight specialized workshops to attend, providing hands-on opportunities to learn technique, style and acquire the tools to implement the arts in their worship settings. The Rev. John Zimmerman will be teaching a Multi-media workshop. Liturgical Dance and Expression will be presented by Michelle Hunt. Praying in Color and Visual Arts in Worship will be presented by Carole Werder and Suzanne Trenney. Puppet Ministry will be led by Bob Klingler.The Rev. Roy Gearhardt will teach a Drama workshop and Liturgical Weaving will be led by Mathilda Murphy. Glenn Rankin will present Creating Coffeehouse ministries and Alternative Worship and Margo Evans will present a worksop on building Praise Bands and blending worship.A light lunch will follow for all who attend. To register contact the Erie-Meadville District office UMC, 5304 US HWY 19, Cochranton, PA 16314. Make check or money order for 10$ payable to the Erie-Meadville district UMC to cover the registration fee and mail to the district office along with your contact information. Students are free. See you there!

Worship Arts Conference, Jan 31, 2009

2008-12-30T07:50:00.008-05:00

This announcement has been shamelessly lifted from the internet verbatim but I wanted everyone in our region who reads this blog to know that a mere three and half to four hour drive away this opportunity exists to learn and grow in knowledge and fellowship among those interested in the worship arts, not just music, but the visual arts. I had a delightful conversation with the preseter of this workshop via dropping in by telephone. SHw was gracious and generous in answering my questions about worship arts. SHe also supplied the information leaading to the link I have supplied at the bottom of this posting which is for the United Methodist Fellowship of those who work in the worship arts ether they be music, dram, visual and liturgical arts or whatever you could imagine. I encourage you to explore their website and join their national effort. They have a national conference coming up in Florida this year. More to come. But for now, this January, here is an item of interest to those of you struggling with worship arts, or maybe not struggling, just looking for encouragement:
***************************************************************************************************

Artistic Creativity Workshop For Worship Centers and Alters- January 31, 2009

Altered Altars- This workshop focuses on designing worship centers as the focal point of the worship service We will talk about the differences between an altar and a worship center, where do we center the altar/worship center and what resources are available. Another topic in this workshop is how to decide what to put on the worship center and how often do we need to change the center.

Creating Sacred Spaces - Although we can dialogue with God , worship and praise our Creator in any setting, we often need to turn ordinary space into sacred space. This workshop explores the purposes of your particular worship spaces, whether it be an Annual Conference setting, church sanctuary, or small meditation room. How can we craft the space to provide the most meaningful worship experiences. This workshop includes looking at the whole environment of the space. We will also look at ways to create the art needed and how to contact and contract with artists to create your ideas

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Linda McMillion Clemow is a Liturgical Artist and Workshop Leader who served as the Arts-in-Ministry Coordinator at First United Methodist Church in Oneonta, New York, a position which she created. Linda’s duties included teaching art to children, youth and adults as well as studying the arts in relation to society, religion and creative spirituality. With her students, she also designed and created liturgical art. Linda now sells her art, leads workshops, retreats and seminars through her own Soul Source Studio. She has led workshops and retreats on the Conference, District, Jurisdictional, National and International levels on: Art and Spirituality, Visuals in Worship, How to Have an Arts Ministry, Techniques for Creating Liturgical Art. She is the first ever Chairperson of the first ever Visual Arts Committee of the national organization The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts.

To register for this workshop go to their website or call:
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
1100 South Goodman Street
Rochester, New York 14620-2589

Main Number (585) 271-1320
Workshop is an affordable $55.00

To contact the United Methodist Fellowship of Worship Artists go to this link:
http://www.umfellowship.org/

Alex Woinski, Jesus Christ Superstar

2008-11-02T06:39:00.005-05:00

A 13 year old boy dressed up as Jesus Christ for Halloween.

The boy, Alex Woinski, of West Brook Middle School in Paramus,New Jersey was sent home from school on Friday because he declined to remove his costume when school officials told him to.

Alex,with his naturally shoulder length brown hair, wore a white robe, red sash,sandals,fake beard and a crown of thorns. School officials were all right with the white robe and red sash but insisted that the crown of thorns and beard be removed. The District Superintendent, James Montesano, felt that the entire costume would be too "distracting" during the course of the school day.

Alex, who just celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and is studying Bible scripture,said no deal.
The boy's mother is Catholic and his father is Jewish. He recently celebrated his bar mitzvah and has spent much time studying scripture in preparation.

As a veteran teacher, I have seen a lot of creatures come into school on Halloween in my thirty five years of teaching experience, all of them "distracting". As a faculty we chalked up this past Halloween day to fun and fantasy, maintaining a sense of humor, as we usually do. The children I teach, Alex's age group, eighth grade, are heavy into demonic fantasy and slash/gore. I would have welcomed Alex's Jesus Christ personage and it would have given my students pause to think about their costumes. In censoring him a teachable moment was lost. Even though I can't speak of my religious faith in public school, I could have used the opportunity to note that no one thought to come dressed as Ghandhi,Buddha,Mother Theresa, Benjamin Franklin, Noah, Ghengis Khan or Zeus. All of these aforementioned are covered in the Social Studies curriculum, including Jesus Christ...a teachable moment was lost.

Blue eyed Jesus

2008-08-07T08:20:00.016-04:00

The visual arts are not seen often in the church, except for stock 1941 Kriebel Bates Warner Sallman lithos of a very germanic appearing Jesus reproduced from a print fifty years ago. I recently worshipped in a church with the golden blue eyed Jesus picture prominently displayed in an idyllic fashion at the altar. It made me wonder what the rendering said about the group of people who worshipped there and their world view in terms of "Open minds, Open hearts, Open doors", as well as what a person of another culture or color would think worshipping at the altar of the blue eyed Jesus? In 1941, however, the western world would have been comfortably at home with this image so much so that in the film making industry, the character of Jesus is protrayed as a variation of the 1941 litho standard of which about 500 million images were printed.
It could be said that the art or the music of a congregation is a matter of taste and context, so much of what I have seen traveling around in and out of local sacred spaces has been limited to the few same images, the blue eyed Jesus being one. When I was a child I was comfortable with the image, now it is time to put away childish things, in a sense, as mu personal image of Jesus has become more comphrehensive. It could also be time, in this global age, to rethink the images of Jesus we use in our worship spaces and in our literature. Oh can anyone show me the real Jesus? More importantly, do you see the real Jesus in the way I life my life, or in the way other professed believers live theirs?

The Real Jesus

Wide-Eyed and Mystified
by downhere

Lyrics:

Jesus on the radio, Jesus on a late-night show
Jesus in a dream, looking all serene
Jesus on a steeple, Jesus in the Gallup poll
Jesus has His very own brand of rock and roll

Watched him on the silver screen
Bought the action figurine
But Jesus is the only name that makes you flinch

Oh, can anybody show me the real Jesus?
Oh, let Your love unveil the mystery of the real Jesus

Jesus started something new
Jesus coined a phrase or two
Jesus split the line at the turning point of time
Jesus sparked a controversy
Jesus, known for His mercy, gave a man his sight
Jesus isn't white

Jesus loves the children, holds the lambs
Jesus prays a lot
Jesus has distinguishing marks on His hands

If anybody walks behind the Good Shepherd
If anybody holds the hands that heal lepers
And if you recognize the eyes that see forever, please...

Jesus, Jesus
Oh, can anybody show me Jesus
Oh, let Your love unveil the glory, the real Jesus

Oh, can anybody show me the real Jesus?
Oh, let Your love unveil the glory of the real Jesus, the real Jesus

Let sleeping dogs lie.....

2008-07-26T10:22:00.002-04:00

I took Kelsey, my fifteen year old shetland sheepdog, to the vet yesturday for her annual exam. her teeth needed some dental work so she had pre-op blood work done and it was discovered that her liver enzymes were too high to put her under anesthesia. The blood work signaled other pending health issues as well. The vet advised me to number her days in terms of thinking of radical health measures for Kelsey. For her size and breed, she is "geriatric." I was her to have a good end of life and discussed dog hospice care with the vet.

My brother, at age 48, and my mother, at age 75, were both in hospice care briefly until they passed. No IV's, no extra fluids, with the assistance of medication to make them comfortable to deal with pain management and then just letting nature take it's course. They both died quietly slipping away in their sleep. That was my prayer this morning for my dog, that she will slip away in her sleep and I will find her some morning in her favorite spot curled up in a sweet dream. As for now, we went on a very short and slow walk this morning with frequent stops so she could catch her breath. She enjoyed the sunshine and the birds as well as the passing of another dog, which actually caused her to quicken her step a bit. She still enjoys her chow and her naps.

While I watch her age rapidly before my eyes, my body too is going through a similar decline, although not so rapid, would that my souls's willfulness would experience as rapid a decay as parts of my body! Where my dog was trained in obediance and would heed my commands, I am not so often keen to obey the word of my Master. My dog is simply what she is, there is no pretense, and it would be crazy on my part to hold her responsible or be disapointed because in the end of her life she was judged as not living up to her potential as a dog. On the other hand, when I say "I am only human" it is a lie, because Christ lives in me. I will end with this quote, " My ego is like a fortress. I have built walls stone by stone. To hold out the invasion of the love of God." Howard Thurman

The art of practicing surgery or Sunday school

2008-07-13T21:29:00.006-04:00

In a few days I am going to have surgery under a general anesthesia. I certainly hope that the surgeon studied hard in medical school and worked on the cutting and suture techniques that will be needed to open and close the wound. The surgeon and the anesthesiologist will have my life literally in my hands when they administer powerful drugs to render me unconscious while the surgery is performed and at the same time make sure all my vital body functions are still carrying on. It is assumed that to maintain their licenses to practice medicine that they must go to training seminars and be briefed and updated on a regular basis on the latest, best practices in their special fields. Myself, the patient, would of course, be the beneficiary of all this training and knowledge, my chances of a successful outcome greatly enhanced. I certainly do not want a mediocre surgeon or anesthesiologist! Nor would the physician want a malpractice suit for practicing sloppy medicine!

Yet as Sunday school teachers we are not required to attend any kind of bible study or retreat to keep our minds sharp scripturally. Once pastors have finished their seminary training or licensing school they are on their own as far as continuing education as well. Knowledge workers: Doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, dentists, therapists, counselors, teachers, pharmacists, are required by their professions to attend continuing education every so many years. It seems to make sense that it should be so for those who work for God. Shouldn't we give our utmost for him? Sometimes what passes for ministry, whether it be music, pulpit, ministry or christian education is mediocre at best because the time isn't put into the practice, study of best practices and preparation. Each one of us is responsible to study and practice to bring into quality the gifts we have been given. It is a discipline and a sacred responsibility. The apostle Paul talks about pressing on to the higher calling. Paul sets a pretty good example. He was never satisfied, never thought that he had attained, or had it made but was always moving forward. We all need to follow that example and keep pressing on. It beats being mediocre like the church in Laodicea, was that God's version of a malpractice suit?

The art of pain management...

2008-05-08T20:34:00.005-04:00

Sometimes it is hard to keep a smile on your face. It is downright inauthentic to smile (stoically through clenched teeth maybe?) when life takes a turn of events that are tragic, painful, hurtful, difficult. Pain tells us something is wrong. It may be something we can change but then it also may be something beyond our power to impact. 1 Peter 1: 3-9 brings me comfort at these times.

Praise to God for a Living Hope from the NIV Bible :

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

We weren't promised prosperity or peace. Will we go through troubles in life? Jesus said to his disciples in John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Shalom.

In His Image

2008-03-23T07:25:00.004-04:00

We are created in the image of God, male and female. Being that that is the case, is it not strange to look at another human, made in God’s image, as basically one thing, a sex object? As brothers and sisters sharing the mage of the Holy One, we are equal, there is no Jew, Greek, slave or free, just people, mankind, imago dei. Yet the reality is that we live in a world that bombards men, more so than women, with sexualized images daily, although women have their images as well, just not in the abundance. Everything from cars to sports bars are sold with a sexual twist. Movies, television, video games, dolls and toys, images of people, objectified. The God of Love, Agape, reflected and distorted as Eros...a totally different and very limited manifestation at that.

It is difficult for many to move beyond lust-driven intimacy to close friendships in male female relationships given the sexually charged nature of our society. Our young people are suffering. One in four of them will contract a sexually transmitted disease, some of which have no known cure. They tend to have an objectified and gratuitous view of relationship lacking long term committment and integrity.

Our young people see that in the church and in society in general many men continue to frustrate women- denying them the roles they have a deep calling to. They see many women, at the same time, frustrating men- parading their sexuality. So they follow suit. Young people can't stand hypocrites and are pretty pragmatic about doing what seems right and practical in their own eyes.

As Male and Female created in the image of God, in what way has God called us to service in our very being? He has not called us to impede one another, laying stumbling blocks before each other. How can we leverage our unique gifts and identity in building up and serving one another? What would this look like in a church? What would this look like in a confused world where men and women are either stereotypes or suffering from bland androgny? What would it look like to be fully male and fully female in Christ? Christ was fully man and fully God. We are called to be one in him, in His image. What do you see when you look in the mirror? What do our young people see when they look at us? Have we put on Christ?

Truth

2008-03-09T20:05:00.002-04:00

• "Our truest responsibility to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find the truth." Something to think about by Madeleine L'Engle.

Work of Art

2008-02-09T17:51:00.000-05:00

"It is easy to become a Christian, it is much harder to turn your Christianity into a work of art."
Ash Wednesday service quotation, Rev. Rand Edwards

Be Ye Glad

2008-02-03T20:40:00.000-05:00

I want to share the remedy for the winter blahs I have. It is listening to Micheal Kelly Blanchard sing a song he composed, Be Ye Glad. I couldn't find him doing it on utube but found several other artist doing their renditions of his work. The hymn he wrote is compelling and I can't stay down after I have considered the lyrics. I share it with you today. I did the painting almost 37 years ago right after I accepted Christ into my heart. Here are the lyrics to the song:
BE YE GLAD

Words and Music by M.K.Blanchard
© Gotz Music/Benson
(860) 673-5100

In these days of confused situations.
In these nights of a restless remorse,
When the heart and the soul of the nation,
lay wounded and cold as a corpse.
From the grave of the innocent Adam,
comes a song bringing joy to the sad.
Oh your cry has been heard and the ransom,
has been paid up in full, Be Ye Glad.
(Chorus)

Oh, Be Ye Glad, Be Ye Glad,
Every debt that you ever had
Has been paid up in full by the grace of the Lord,
Be Ye Glad, Be Ye Glad, Be Ye Glad.

From the dungeon a rumor is stirring.
You have heard it again and again.
But this time the cell keys are turning,
and outside there are faces of friends.
And though your body lay weary from wasting,
and your eyes show the sorrow they've had.
Oh the love that your heart is now tasting
has opened the gate, Be Ye Glad.
(Chorus)

So be like lights on the rim of the water,
giving hope in a storm sea of night.
Be a refuge amidst the slaughter,
for these fugitives in their flight.
For you are timeless and part of a puzzle.
You are winsome and young as a lad.
And there is no disease or no struggle,
that can pull you from God, Be Ye Glad.
(Chorus)

Being called as an artist, Suzanne Trenney

2008-01-05T19:10:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading an older child's tale by Madeleine L'Engle, A Wind In The Door. As part of the story she talks about the enemy being the one who "un names". Reading in scripture in the book of Exodus, God tells Moses that he knows him by name, knows who he is the stuff of which he is made. In order to be true to that for which we were created and called, we need to know the "name" by which God calls us. My friend Suzanne Trenney has struggled with her "name" and is finally realizing that she is indeed called to create art for the glory of God. She has a gift and that gift is a blessing with which she is to practice, study to show herself approved by the on going development of her skill and therefore God bless others. Suzanne's work is pictured here. Suzanne Writes:
The piece behind the leaded glass is entitled, "Empty plate, empty bowl, full wallets" and has a second title, "The Great Omission". In it, a relatively well off couple passes the sparsely filled offering plate. Behind them is a stained glass window with individuals who are potential saints(an elderly woman, a troubled teenage young man, a Muslim woman and a starving African child holding an empty bowl) who might turn to Christ if the parishioners truly gave proportionally. Also pictured is a crutch and shackles both of which can be removed by God.
I drew this around two years ago when I was new to Ascension and had not fully left my former church and was also helping at a church plant. I was really struggling with where to give my offerings. My former church (which was really huge) was able to give over a million dollars annually to missions. The church plant seemed to need the money the most. But I was being fed at Ascension. Although I was disappointed with the level of giving at Ascension after attending my first annual budget meeting as well as the amount of the church's budget which directly went towards fulfilling the Great Commission, God told me that my tithes were to go to Ascension as I had, by that time, begun to consider it my church home. This drawing was made during this period of frustration.
Later, I attended a class at Trinity called "Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" which was taught by Ken Bailey. He told us about how he was once teaching about the parable of the servants who were entrusted with money while their master was away and were later rewarded based on their faithfulness. He discussed how they were rewarded based on their faithfulness-not productivity, but that in each case, faithfulness did lead to an increase. He was asked by a woman about a situation that didn't seem to be addressed in the parable where a servant was faithful but what was entrusted did not increase. Though he did not have a good answer for her at the time, he continued thinking about it and realized that Jesus did not include that scenario because it doesn't exist! We do not possess the yardstick to measure productivity. Just as love never fails, Ken Bailey said that he believes that faithfulness never fails. Rather than attempting to measure the productivity or kingdom value of a church, or its members, I need to be faithful with what I have been given and to that which I have been called. We do, however, need to prompt and encourage one another to faithfulness. We have been blessed in order to be a blessing.

The Art of Avoiding Vertigo

2007-12-31T07:57:00.000-05:00

(To link to the home site of this art go to: http://www.brickels.com/index.htm )
True vertigo, from the Latin "vertere," to turn, is a distinct, often severe form of dizziness that is a movement hallucination. The dizziness, is a symptom, not a disease. The term vertigo refers to the sensation of spinning or whirling that occurs as a result of a disturbance in balance (equilibrium). The body cannot find it's "center" in much the same way that a compass cannot find north, a scale cannot calibrate accurately to zero, or a piano tuned to middle C. Some things have to be tuned, centered, adjusted or they spin out of control, lean, tilt, crumble, flatten, and falter. This past year has been one of faltering, a year of moral vertigo. I do not mean to pick on just 2007, It's just that as the news media reviews 2007 there is little good news. The popular media my Generation Y students consider their "daily bread" would have made my mother blush, at best, it only makes them shrug. They are jaded by life already for the most part. These are the offspring of corporate scandals, single parent homes, the war in Iraq, school shootings and nuclear insecurity. They have the capacity to smell a phony and a fake a mile away and are looking for adults who are living the faith authentically. The idiom, " A divided against itself cannot stand", was coined by Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address. It actually refers to the words of Christ quoted in Matthew 12:25, 'And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand'. The illustration I present to you today is this image of the "vertigo house" by American ceramicist John Brickels. The link to his site to view more of his delightful work is supplied here. Brickel's vertigo house serves as a visual metaphor for the state of the interior life of the soul manifest in many. A confused potentate, Pilate once asked Jesus, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" JOHN 18:37, 38. May this be a year of tuning to C, finding true north, and standing tall and upright in the Truth.

The Art of Christmas Gift Giving

2007-11-24T08:58:00.000-05:00

As I write this message it is Black Friday, the biggest retail event of the year. A woman was interviewed on the television news broadcast this morning. She was waiting in line with other consumer hopefuls in front of the Walmart on Peach Street to be the first, when the store opened, to buy a big screen television at a reduced cost. She had arrived during the wee hours of the morning to secure her spot. If she manages to get one she figures it will be worth the wait, she tells the reporter. The national financial prognosticators are foretelling holiday sales will be down due to a slumped real estate housing market and rising interest rates. Savvy advertising experts know that while playing "Joy to the World" throughout the shopping mall in December will bring joy to the cash registers of shop owners, "Silent Night, Holy Night" will work even better causing many shoppers cave in to the pressure to spend beyond their means. There’s always that anxiety though, when the bills roll in on January. Many other folks will feel a sense of sadness because the Christmas promised in the movies and magazines does not match their reality and buying more things is only a temporary fix. For many it has become a secular holiday, a time of giving gifts to family, friends and coworkers. Some of the gift giving is done in a spirit of love and generosity, some with obligation and strings attached. There are Several web sites can be googled for those who need nine steps to stress free gift giving this season. Once the gifts are purchased and wrapped, there’s the cards, letters, the tree, the lights, the employee parties, cookie exchanges, concerts, wait, isn’t something important being missed while everyone around us is in a frenzy preparing for the physical trappings of holiday season, this time we call Advent. Did I just see Santa boot the baby out of the manger?Centuries before Jesus was twinkle in Mary’s eye, the prophet Isaiah wrote:
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel. God with us.
In this time of preparation, how is God with us? Can He be found in the frenetic shopping at the Mall, in the long lines at the cash register or the traffic congestion on upper Peach Street? God became man secretly wrapped under Mary’s heart waiting to be revealed to us . How do you wrap an indescribable gift? how do you wrap Love? Did Mary fully realize the nature of the precious cargo she was carrying to term? That God loved human kind so much that He came to earth as tiny child born of a poor working class woman. In the eyes of mankind a real god or king would come in spendor and wealth with a display of power.Mary was surely familiar with the further Messianic prophesy in Isaiah:
Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder :
and His name shall be called Wonderful , Counselor , Mighty God
Everlasting Father , Prince of Peace.
Later the baby, as a grown man, would tell his disciples, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. The world or earthly peace, Jesus was speaking of lasts only as long as happy hour or until the baby wakes up, the boss calls, the bully shows up, the house is broken into, or the next ruler decides to commit an act of aggression. On the contrary, the Peace of Christ is God given, a gift, and is a state of heart.
Our culture, instead, would like us to have our thoughts focused on Santa coming to town “You had all better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town.” He’s making a list a checking it twice, going to find out who’s naughty or nice”... How much of what we think we know about Jesus is really the theology
expressed in this song about Santa Claus? I admit my view of God has been a Santa view in the past, resulting in many a misunderstanding between myself and the Savior. Santa like God is portrayed as omniscient, all knowing. Judgment day comes annually at Christmas when only good children are rewarded with gifts and bad children get coal and sticks. What if you are having a bad year financially? What if every year is a bad year? For those among us who are in financial difficulty Christmas can be cruel and anything but “good news to the poor”. Children don’t understand that getting a gift is not dependent on their behavior but on their parents disposable income or line of credit.
In Isaiah 53 we find a prophetic description of the One who understands when there is nothing under the tree no food on the table, no room in the inn,a God who stepped down from His throne on heaven on our behalf and was willing to take the rags of our sorrow, pain and failure upon His shoulders and give us the riches of His Kingdom:
1 Who has believed our message
       and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
       and like a root out of dry ground.
       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
       nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
       Like one from whom men hide their faces
       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on him
       the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
       yet he did not open his mouth;
       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
       so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
       And who can speak of his descendants?
       For he was cut off from the land of the living;
       for the transgression of my people he was stricken. [b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
       and with the rich in his death,
       though he had done no violence,
       nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
       and though the LORD makes [c] his life a guilt offering,
       he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
       and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
       he will see the light of life [d] and be satisfied [e] ;
       by his knowledge [f] my righteous servant will justify many,
       and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [g]
       and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [h]
       because he poured out his life unto death,
       and was numbered with the transgressors.
       For he bore the sin of many,
       and made intercession for the transgressors.
How can we make meaningful of this time of Advent and not miss the God With Us, Emmanuel? With the media bombardment we are tempted to hunger and thirst for more and more stuff. More holiday drink, more holiday goodies, more holiday treat and surpises, more, more more.This is a joyful season but we don’t want it to miss it’s significance by allowing it to be buried in rampant commercialism. Jesus, the humble savior, whispers to us” Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” As we desire for more this season, Jesus says in Matthew 5 “Blessed are you who hunger, blessed are you who thirst”. He doesn’t say that those who are satisfied are blessed but those who are yearning and grasping for something. Jesus is blessing the emptiness not the fullness, He is blessing something that we think makes no sense, unless
you look at it from the point of view of the Kingdom of Heaven, not this world. In the Kingdom of Heaven, It is better to come empty, being hungry and thirsting is the precondition for being filled. This season consider opening up your heart anew, presenting it as an empty container for the Divine One to fill with the gift of His righteousness, “Let every heart prepare Him room,” goes the line in Joy to the world. May this be a season when all our hearts expand to hold and treasure the indescribable gift, God with us, Immanuel.

The Art of Remembering

2007-11-14T18:18:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when you have a traumatic even that occurs in your life you can't remember it, or you don't remember it completely. Professionals in the field of psychology will say that the memory has been repressed. Sometimes people choose not to remember things that happened in the past because they can't bear the horror of the recall. Someone I love is struggling with trying to deal with a traumatic memory of abusive events that occured in their life in their childhood so that they can get on with their life and heal.

Someone else I love is refusing to remember they were the perpetrator of abusive events in my past. I have dealt with this issue of memory with this individual for a long time, incredulous that this other person in my life will not come to terms with what they did to me. They simply refuse to remember any wrong doing they have told me I am crazy, but others had seen. I agonized in prayer, asking for the ability to be able to forgive, spent time in therapy and still struggled with an empty sadness over the violation of a trust. Finally I had a realization that this person was choosing not to remember and in fact denied these events even took place, because it was too painful for them to remember. They were as traumatized by the fact that they had committed the offenses as I was. They could not face themselves, let alone me. God has since given me the compassion and grace to be able to freely love this person I cannot "escape" as they are "family" . I am no longer tormented by sad or angrey feelings about them, my relationship today is no longer defined by what happened in the past. I have moved forward and have been able to develop a new relationship, different too, because I am no longer a vulnerable child, but a wise woman, and they are elderly.

I pray someday this person will be able to know that they are accepted by God unconditionally. As for now, when I see them they ask, "Do you love me?" I can honestly say yes. Yes, from the bottom of my heart. Love is a gift of God. It was freely given to me and I have been finally able to be set free enough to give it freely to them. I remember with thanksgiving, the comforting love and grace of God that brought me through the struggle and pain, then the joy of being set free of the bondage of anger and sadness. It didn't happen overnight. It took many years, praying continually, until the breakthrough came.

Luke 17, 11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

I remember with Thanksgiving what God has done for me, may you be blessed to do the same. Happy Thanksgiving.

Staying Alive, The Art of Praying with a Disco Beat

2007-09-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

Do you remember 1977 and The Brothers Gibb? The Bee Gees' U.S. Top Forty chart domination began in 1977. "Stayin' Alive" was the then number one hit and a major song for the movie Saturday Night Fever. It was then replaced in 1978, with the group's younger brother Andy Gibb's single, "Love Is Thicker Than Water", followed by the Bee Gees' own "Night Fever". This was then replaced by Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You". Since Barry Gibb had a hand in writing all four of these songs, he became the only person in history to write four consecutive US Number One singles; this feat has not been matched to this day. Robin Gibb was quoted as saying, "Stayin' Alive" is about survival in the big city—any big city—but basically New York."

I have been humming the refrain to "Staying Alive" for the last two three weeks. I'll probably be humming it until Christmas. I'm a little over booked in terms of committments and overwhelmed at the present. So right now, I am trying to stay alive and keep my heart and mind focused on Christ while being pulled in many directions. Both of my grown and living at home college student children became very ill these past couple of weeks so there was a flurry of medical activity and extra care. It was like being beseiged when we discovered that their illness was a class 1 communicable disease and the county health department was called in.

I was reflecting on the actions of the prophet Jeremiah who, while his city was besieged, bought some real estate, as an outward prophetic expression of hope. The Lord said to him, " Jeremiah, when you brought the field, you showed that fields will someday be bought and sold again. You say that this land has been conquered by the Babylonians and has become a desert, emptied of people and animals. But someday, people will again spend their silver to buy fields everywhere---It will happen because I will give this land back to my people. I, the Lord, have spoken.

Sometimes I am just staying alive, and that is the best I can do under the circumstances, until the season is passed. God knows that I am an experiential learner. I learn best by doing,experiencing, not by reading books. I have to live through overcommittment and fully rely on God rather than reading about it. For those of you who can learn from reading about the mistakes of others, I post this piece. God is good all the time.

The Art of being married twenty five years

2007-08-21T21:51:00.000-04:00

"If we commit ourselves to one person for life, this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather, it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession but participation."
(Madeleine L'Engle,The Irrational Season, 47)

In the second act of the broad way musical Fiddler on the Roof, preceding their daighter Huddle's marriage, Tevye looks at his wife Golda and asks her "Do you love me?". Golda, does not directly answer her husbands question at first. She does bring to his attention, however, all of the things she has done for him during their twenty five years of wedded bliss, such as cooking, cleaning, bearing and raising children, and milking the cow. Tevye wants more from her than a litany of all she has done faithfully through the years. He wants to hear the words spoken from her lips. "Do you love me?", He asks again. Golda sings in reply, "For 25 years I lived with him, fought with him, starved with him, 25 years my bed is his, if that's not love what is?" Tevye responds: "Then you love me..." and Goldie answers, "I suppose I do." Tevye responds, "I suppose I love you too!" Finally they sing together: "It doesn't change a thing but even so, after 25 years it's nice to know."

I have thought often of another song. The song by Elton John written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, " Goodbye Norma Jean". The first part of the refrain grabs me over and over, "And it seems to me, you lived your life like a candle in the wind never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in". I think about this person having difficulty and not having anything solid to hang on to, to act as an anchor to be a steadying object or a compass as a guide. Goldie and Tevye, the two characters in Fiddler on the Roof are are very different than Marilyn. They are, like my husband and I, common folk, trying to do our best, sometimes blessed, other times, beset with difficulties.

Today is my husband and my twenty fifth wedding anniversary. I don't know how we got here, one day at a time, "sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years". It really was nothing remarkable, we were young, then suddenly middle aged! The good times flew by, they always do, but it was through the difficult times our personal faith sustained us. Like Goldie and Tevye, there have been many times that we have taken each other for granted and forgotten to say those all important words,"I love you," yet there has not been a time when we havn't known who to cling to when the rain set in. If there was a visual representation of what our marriage looked like it would be a braid, three strands plaited together. One strand would be my husband and the other interwoven would be myself and the other strand binding us together would be God. We began our marriage twenty five years ago as a covenant between us and our heavenly Father. Today we celebrated and gave thanks, dinner out and new wedding bands, as we had worn out our old ones. If we live long enough to see the next twenty five years, we will be quite elderly. "Grow old with me, the best is yet to be" the front of the card read, I gave my husband.

The Art of Managing Stress

2007-08-10T17:36:00.002-04:00

What causes you the most stress, is it big things or the small stuff ? For me it is the big stuff topped off with the whipped cream and cherry of the small stuff. The big stuff is so obvious that I know it going to be stressful so I am on guard and I do all the things I know to do to maintain calm but add the whipped cream and cherry of life events and I 'm over the edge with a migraine, stomache ache, foul mood, sleeplessness and irritability.

Exercise, especially if it is a prayer walk, is a great stress buster. I put on my shoes head out the door, listen to an inspirational tape or music and then pour my heart out to Jesus while I am pounding the pavement. Cleaning the house while eating chocolate and listening to good music helps too. The house cleaning part makes me feel like I did something to sove the problem. Chocolate is just plain good and reminds me to taste and see that the Lord is good. Boy and I rationalizing here or what about the chocolate? A trusted friend that will listen and prayerfully offer Godly council and not just what they think will make me feel better is worth their weight in gold. Nothing beats reading God's Word and reflecting on the psalms of the lives of the saints, especially if there is a cat curled up in your lap at the same time!. I like to read the blogs of people who are on a journey of faith. They inspire me to keep moving in mine. I find blogging or jouranling and doing art work also helps me unwind and focus on my real goal, to love the Lord my God with all my heart soul and mind and to love my neighbor as myself.

What is your favourite music to chill out to? I find myself humming James Taylor's, "Going to Carolina in my mind." I imagine Carolina being like heaven and being there with others who are looking for refuge. I love Twila Paris's "God is In Control" and will put that on and belt it out with her. I need to sing it at the top of my lungs to drown out my own thoughts of wanting to grab control of my life at the moment. Isn't that what get's us into trouble most of the time with this stress thing? Feeling a sense of entitlement that we deserve a break today, yesturday, tomorrow? That we deserve to be on throne seated at the right hand of God, not Jesus?

Anywhere I can find where I can be alone is good to get focused again. The woods are the best for me. They draw me with the smells of earth and green living things. Our back yard is woodsy. In the wintertime in the snowbelt, in a small house with dogs, cats, kids and a husband finding a quiet place isn't always easy. Some of my best setling down then is done driving the car on the highway to a grocery store. I can say I am getting groceries, but I really have an ulterior motive. Where do you go to chill?

I am pretty introspective and reflective although I do love being around people. I find after a day teaching school surrounded by people that I need silence and time alone. A party is the last thing I want to attend. I prefer small gatherings of people around a shared meal of well prepared food in a quiet place.

I have shared some of my stress busting tips, please feel free to share your favourite.

I am a friend of God and a pilgrim in a strange land

2007-08-07T23:24:00.000-04:00

Here are five questions to ponder about the art of making a pilgrimage and being a friend of God.

1. Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? The question conjures up images of visits to historic holy places where once a mighty work of God happened. I think of the many people on this planet forever looking back at where God has been reminiscing about the glory days of the past when the manifest glory shone on this or that favored one and special truth was revealed or grace bestowed. But I am on a pilgrimage looking ahead to the future. I don't know for sure where God is leading but I know that I want to be in His company. There is no use asking "are we there yet?" either, only God knows the appointed time. In the meantime His presence is enjoyable and there are so many interesting things to do and learn along the way. Some of them are tough, hard, difficult, but He more than shares the task at hand.

2. Where have you wanted to go on a pilgrimage? I have always wanted to visit a place of ease and comfort on this pilgrimage but that doesn't seem to be where He is taking me. I pull His heavenly arm longing for beautiful scenery, like a retreat to a secluded shore with crashing waves, or a mountain retreat for peace and quiet. That doesn't seem to be where I am being taken, however. We stay home, where He gently leads and guides me to find sanctuary and sacred places in the day to day life I lead. He shows me how to carve out precious moments for time alone in prayer and solitude throughout the day and to have an attitude of thanksgiving for the present moment.

3. Would a suit case or a back pack be the best thing for your journey, or would you travel lighyt with nothing at all but the clothes on your back and a song in your heart? A suitcase or backpack for this type of pilgrimage is not necessary, but I do have a tote bag that I bring wherever I go. Whats in the bag? A Bible, it is the "map" for the journey, a small notebook and two or three other devotional books, in paperback form, so that they are not too heavy. Any time I have a second to my self I can whip one of the books out and read a few passages, or a chapter and reflect, pray and ponder.

4. If I could make a pilgrimage with someone besides Jesus I would choose to go spend time with Corrie Ten Boom. I have read her books and often thought about her witness in the face of the darkness of the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. She was one gutzy lady and I admire her and her walk with the Lord. I think she would have a lot to teach me. Who would you go on a pilgrimage with, (beside Jesus ,of course)?

5. Eventually the pilgrim must return home, which is simply a transition of attention to the outer life from my inner spirit life based on whatever interuption or need presents in my life. The goal is to integrate them so that some day there will be no transition. I think Brother Lawerence called it "practicing the presence of God". For now I hum to myself, " I am a friend of God." Abraham was a friend of God and he was on a journey. I am too. How long would you stay away? How would you know it was time to come home?

Are you a friend of God too? Are you on a pilgrimage or checking the travel brochures pondering the possibilites? The journey continues for me.

I am a friend of God

2007-08-07T23:19:00.001-04:00

Friday 5- looking back, looking forward

2007-07-23T20:38:00.001-04:00

The Friday 5 questions- looking back, looking forward from the RevGalBlogPals website were developed by Sally from
http://sallysjourney.typepad.com/ I usually don't engage in the Friday five questions, at least publicly, on line, but this time the questions begged a formal written answer. I hope I do them justice.

"When I began work here at Downham Market a wise friend told me that after one year I would see a few changes and sense God at work- years two and three would cause me to question and to wonder why I had chosen to accept the post here and in year four I might see the beginnings of something new.

And so with that in mind alongside yesterdays celebrations I bring you Friday 5 Looking back, looking forward." (Sally's introduction)

1. Share a moment/ time of real encouragement in your journey of faith:
I was at this years Annual Conference as a lay delegate and was feeling pretty depressed about some things that came up suddenly, external events, concerning my family, that had caused me to put the process of moving forward from candidacy into ministry on indefinite hold. While I was sitting in the conference hall listening to the message for the afternoon about Peter casting his net into the water and being a fisher of men, the small quiet voice whispered into my ear and said, " Get back in the boat."

2. Do you have a current vision / dream for your work/ family/ministry? I thought I was heading down the path of becoming a liscensed local pastor. I completed liscensing school and then family issues arose. Putting the Local Pastor role aside for now, I am in a period of uncertainty. I know God will make a way, that He has called me into ministry, and in that sense I am to "get back into the boat" and start fishing. How God will make that way is not yet apparant. The passion I have in my heart concerns mental health ministries and outreach as well as working with campus ministry, older youth and adults. For now I will continue to teach public school this fall and do some post graduate studies on community counseling. By that time the family situation should be more clear and focused as to how to best meet the need while fulfilling my call.

3.Money is no object and so you will.....Retire from my day job (teaching school) and work full time setting up a community outreach for mental health in our area with other community and church members with the same passion.

4. How do you see your way through the disappointments? What keeps you going? I feel the truth sets me free in more ways than one. I cling to the truth of the gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, that all is not vain, my life is not pointless, it matters to God and has a purpose. I have cultivated a few select quality friends who are in covenant with me to pray for each other and be a sounding board and a place to confess what needs to be confessed. Maintaining spiritual disciplines of personal daily prayer, bible study, fasting as God leads, corporate and private worship, service and tithing are important to me. Lately, as this current situation is a difficult one, I have enlisted the support of a professional therapist as well as a pastor to help navigate the murky water of decison making and help me keep my head clear and emotions in check dealing with the current family situation.

5. How important are your roots? My spiritual roots are very important. I have made several covenants in my life that I take very seriously. First I made a covenant with God that He would be my Lord and Savior on May 11, 1971. Prior to that my life was run by horoscopes, tarot cards, whims, fancies, fads, whatever was popular at the moment. All these years since, in spite of all the things that have occured, I have known the peace that comes from having a relationship with God and growing in His wisdom. My life before was aimless and without direction. I became rooted that day in May into the family of God. I made a covenant of marriage with my husband almost twenty five years ago that I would love and honor him in sickness and in health until death parted us. He is my best friend, he was then and still is. I could say I am rooted here in my town, but that is for the present. Who knows what the furture will bring? Relationships matter, they root my heart in faith and love.

6. Bonus= what would you like to add ? These are good questions to ask oneself and reflect on from time to time. When I start to assume things is when I am no longer walking by faith.

Meet the Artist...

2007-07-17T19:14:00.002-04:00

"Religion without humanity is very poor human stuff." Sojourner Truth is quoted as saying.

Artisans for Social Change is a collection of pen and ink drawings of peace and social activists with famous quotations they are known to have said. These posters are free and available to download and print by going to this link:
http://peace.mennolink.org/artisansposters.html
The posters were drawn by Mennonite minister Leo Hartshorn and offered to anyone who would be blessed by them through the Peace Signs ezine. They can be especially used to teach children about the peacemaking people in the world throughout history. The link below is to PeaceSigns, the emagazine that the Mennonites publish and distribute online centered around peace and justice issues. If you are committed to the ways of peacemaking and justice, or just want to learn more, you can sign up for a free subscription. It will be delivered to you "inbox". It is worth reading and some of the articles have caused me to review and reconsider my point of view more than once. Check it out and be blessed.

Follow this link to PeaceSigns: http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?

The Art of seeking the Healer

2007-07-16T08:47:00.002-04:00

I could write this myself, in my own words, I could also attempt to rewrite the poetry "Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. What would be the point? The Rev. Larry Eddings of Wind Of the Spirit Ministries has put it, healing, so succintly that I feel no need. His own words stand. I encourage those of you who seek healing or an understanding of healing ministry to check out his website, the address is supplied at the end of this article. Read his testimony and what he has to say. Judge for yourself.

The Rev. Larry Eddings
Excerpted from a keynote address given at the 44th North American Conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia, June 19-21, 2002
"You see, when you're sick in the spirit, don't seek healing; seek the healer, seek to be in the presence of the healer. Healing is a serendipitous experience while being in the presence of the living Lord.
And when I learned to seek His presence and to allow His spirit to flow within me like a river of living water, I experienced spiritual healing.
Now when you're sick physically, you go to the doctor and the doctor writes a prescription and prescribes a therapy. The same is true for spiritual healing.
The Scriptures are our prescription book. And in the old covenant there is a phenomenal prescription that the Lord has written out for those who are spiritually sick. There are many of them, but this one especially you ought to get filled: "If my people who are called by my name will do these four things - humble yourself, pray, seek my face, and turn from your wicked ways - then I, says the Lord, will hear from heaven, forgive your sins, and heal your land" (II Chronicles 7:14).
What a prescription that is. All you have to do is take it. And don't do it just one time; take the whole course."
http://www.wosm-nw.org/pages/shop.html

Basically, seek the Giver not the gift. Trust that the Giver of all good things will give the most perfect and appropriate gift in His perfect time. It is hard to trust in God and not use our own logic, our own sense of how things are supposed to be. Trusting is the way of spiritual maturity. God will grant the grace to trust if we ask. If we ask and yield, God grants us the grace to trust that He will keep His Word, He cannot lie. Remember that and be at peace.

Kaziah Hancock, What is your gift?

2007-06-29T13:38:00.001-04:00

What is your gift? What is your talent, ability? Use all that is within you for the glory of God. Meet Kaziah.

Cross Training

2007-06-25T08:15:00.001-04:00

At the end of his Watch Night liturgy, John Wesley writes:

"I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal."

I am " laid aside" for a purpose. Some things have arisen in my personal life that need time and attention. The last four years have been a time of frenzied movement from jobs, meetings, classes, appointments, committments, sandwiched between the dying and death of my brother and mother, settling estates and all the shifting involved. Four years later, I am finding that I still have not taken the time to stop and even process the grief. Four years later, I am finding that I am out of touch with the person I vowed almost twenty five years ago to love, honor and cherish until death parted us.

Athlete's cross train when they want to stay fit and active throughout the year and utilize all their muscle groups. This is a period of "cross-training" in my life. God's timing is perfect. There are reasons why now is not the best time for an appointment at this place in my journey. Cross training has taught me that the work we do in the secular world is also a calling and a ministry if we choose to approach it as such. I will return to my secular job as my "calling" for now. Cross training has taught me that I am not my own, I belong to Jesus, and what I want, in the time I want it, if it is not what God wants, needs to be nailed to the cross and left there so that I can be free and unencumbered to be all God wants for me to be. What is of the flesh is flesh, what is of the Spirit is Spirit.

Paul what are you here for ?

2007-06-23T17:24:00.001-04:00

Paul Potts is singing opera on his first appearance on Britain's Got Talent. He is a mobile phone salesman from Wales. The desire of his heart is to sing opera. Scripture tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. What is your desire? What were you created and called to do for His glory? Do you know what it is? Are you doing it? If not, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find , knock and the door will be opened to you. We were born to walk with and give glory to God in all we do. Let's do it! Check out one man's journey, theologian Dallas Willard, good stuff: http://www.dwillard.org/biography/tenure.asp

It isn't just what you see on the surface.

2007-06-21T13:02:00.000-04:00

I awoke the other morning with this image on my mind. "The Three Worlds" by Dutch artist Mauritz Escher is a famous print that I show my students in school when we study his amazing work. In it we can see the reflection of the trees and light on the pond surface, the leaves floating on the surface and the fish swimming under the surface. The idea that I have been struggling with relates to the process of discernment of God's will. I have been black and white in my thinking about the leading of the holy Spirit. I was thinking that the answers I was seeking to life's complex issues always have a Yes or No, Right or Wrong component. I was not thinking in terms of choices, that there are many ways to view something, many lenses by which we can filter our gaze; the reflection of what shines from above, the stuff floating on the surface or what lies underneath. Looking at a still pond or this print, either way one must decide how it is that their gaze will be cast. If breezing through, passing by, I only get a quick glimpse of the surface, then I will make assumptions about ponds that will not necessarily be based in fact. There will be so many delightful pond "things" that will be unknown and unappreciated because they are under the surface of the water. When Peter got out of the boat to walk on the water with Jesus, it was a leap of faith but suddenly he turned his gaze on another part of the picture, the wind, and becoming afraid began to sink. Jesus saw the whole picture then, He sees the whole picture today, I only see the part I am gazing upon and then try to base a decision on that. The answer is No we can't walk on water, but the answer is also Yes we can walk on water, it depends on what we are looking at, where we are putting our faith.

The other part of this image is the fact that I can gaze at the reflection or look at what is on the surface or look into the depths below. Peter, after his water walking experience, it would seem, would have learned a few things about following Jesus, yet he continually misteps because of lack of understanding and perspective. Sometimes, he is reacting and acting rashly, like slicing off the ear of a slave, later he is is doubtful,fearful, denying; further on in his faith journey legalistic, wanting to enforce Judaic law in a surface superficial sense, until God gave him a revelation with a deeper understanding. I have a feeling that God was using the picture The Three Worlds to tell me to fasten my seat belt and get ready for a more thrilling part of the journey. My destination? To a place where easy glib answers and legalistic fomulas, programs and ideas of "the way it's supposed to be" and "that's the way we've always done it" are about to be challenged. Please Lord let me see the picture the way you see it, using the eyes of faith and not the eyes of fear. Your perfect love casts out fear. Let me remember that when I am unsure of the ground or the water I am walking on.

God will make a Way....

2007-06-12T08:22:00.000-04:00

Acts 2: 17-18

"And in the last day it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit and they shall prophesy. "

Last night I dreamed I was worshipping the Lord in song and He told me to stop focusing on singing and focusing instead on letting Him come in and fill me completely with His Spirit. The more He filled me the lighter I became and I was able to float around the room I was in. I was as light as a feather, unencumbered by gravity. I asked Him if I would be able to pass through the walls as well. He told me that was not to be until I had died and shed my earthly skin. I woke up praising God for the lightness I had experienced in my dream. My understanding was to pour out praise to God and to recieve back from Him His blessing and allow it to fill every corner and crevass of my being.

I have been so weighed down with concerns. It feels like I have been carrying a big bag of rocks on my back, and more rocks keep getting added daily to the bag. This week at the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church the keynote speaker emphasized repeated in his messages, "God will make a way!" I think last night, in my sleep, God showed me the way. Praise and continued humble acceptance of God's grace and Holy spirit. Below are the lyrics to a praise and worship song my husband sings. It bears reading, reciting and considering:

Blessed Be Your Name by Beth and Matt Redman

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say,
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be you name.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be your glorious name.

Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful,
where the streams of abundance flow,
blessed be Your name.

BLessed be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk in the wilderness
blessed be Your name.

Blessed be Your name
when the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name.

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering.
Though there's pain in the offering.
Blessed be your name.

You give and take away
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be your name.

Feast of Dedication

2007-05-17T21:25:00.000-04:00

The only reference to Chanukah , or Hannukah, in our Protestant bibles is in John !0 :22-23 where it is written that Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate it in the temple. Jesus would have been familiar with the story of the events it celebrates as found in the book of 1 Macabees in the Apocrapha. Depending on the year,
Chanukah is celebrated in either November or December.

Known as the Feast of Lights or the Feast of Dedication, this festival commemorates a miracle that occured in the temple, which would be the second temple, around 164 B.C.. A Greek conqueror, Antiochus IV, who knicknamed himself Epiphanes or “god manifest.” Decided to destroy Jerusalem and profame the holy temple since the Jews were resisting Hellenization. Jewish High Priest was assassinated, and a pig was slaughtered on the altar and burned a statue of Zeus erected in theholy place. The Jewish religion was outlawed, replaced by with his own pagan worship. Anyone who who resisted was executed cruelly.

A small group of ill equipped men led by Judah Macabee began a guerrilla revolt, descending from the mountains and striking. They were successful in driving out the occupying army, the temple could be cleansed and rededicated. But there was only enough purified olive oil to light the Menorah in the Temple for one day and it would take eight days for the purification. The Menorah lights burned miraculously the entire eight days and the temple was purified and dedicated.

The Ark of the Covenant was missing from the second temple, but The Light of the World filled the second temple on that Feast of Dedication and he said “my sheep hear my voice and follow me.”

I suggest that we celebrate today our own Feast of Dedication, taking a moment to cleanse and consecrate ourselves, these human forms which are the temple of the Holy Spirit to renewed service. This service is to be sweet, as “Jesus tell us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light” Hebrew children, when they begin to study the Torah are given honey on their tongues to remind them that to dedicate oneself to the knowledge of the Word of God is a sweet thing. So we remind ourselves as we “study to show ourselves approved”. Let us not be weary.

The Chanukah Menorah, the eight candledabra is lit by a servant candle, the Shamash on each day of the Festival. Although the “Shamash” is located above the other candles, it must bow low to light them. This reminds us that Jesus humbled himself, taking on the form of a servant, sharing his glorious light with us. We are all called to bear His light into this dark world. It is good to remember that we too, must bow low for the sake of the body of Christ and share our light with others.

Without Chanukah there would be no Christmas, if the Greeks had succeeded in wiping out the Jewish faith. Without the Festival of Lights there would be no Light of the World whom we love and serve.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Beating Swords Into Plowshares, Reflection on the Virginia Tech Massacre

2007-04-17T16:21:00.000-04:00

These are our students today getting off the busses, ready for a new day of learning with their peers and teachers; a scene repeated one hundred and eighty days or so across America from September until June. Our school is public, open to all children regardless of race, religion, economic status,ability or disability. It is where I was first "called" to ministry, to educate and serve these children, their parents, this staff back in the early seventies. In many ways my job is still very much the same, but over the years, subtle changes have occured in the children and their families, our families, America's families. Families have become disconnected from one another, caught up in obits around personal interest. One of the ways people become engaged with one another, I was told at a seminar is through service learning. The science teacher and I engaged our students in an Earth Force Project collaboratively to create a place of beauty on the school grounds that could become an outdoor classroom. We began to build a garden. A month later, almost exactly nine years to the day of the Virginia Tech tragedy, our science teacher was shot and killed and others wounded at our school spring dance.
Our shooter like the one at Virginia Tech was also a student and described as a "loner". At school today we did not speak of todays news. It is still too painful to speak of things that remind us of this past, but our garden is blooming. Our children are tend it lovingly and take pride in each new revelation of nature. Right now, it's the Red Emperor Tulips that are beginning to greet us, soon it will be the irises and the peonies. Beauty for ashes in the garden, we tend and I tell each new crop of fifth grade caretakers the garden story. Why it's important to care about each other and to tell them so. Why it's important to say and do kind things and so on.

We comfort with the comfort by which we were comforted. Our faculty received many gifts of grace, love and peace from our community and the nation at the time. Letters of condolence, cards, churches even brought snacks to the school when we came back to the building after the funeral. It helped us stay together, support one another and grieve. The swords of violence that tore the innocence of our school community apart has been beaten into a plowshare. I pray for the students, faculty, staff and families of Virginia Tech that they would find beauty for ashes in the midst of this tragedy. That they would receive comfort and peace.

The veil is torn, He is Risen!

2007-04-08T19:07:00.000-04:00

Photo by Jan Curtis of an Aurora Borealis http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/

Christ has risen! The veil that separated us from God's holiness is torn through the selfless act of Jesus's perfect sacrifice on the cross and his miraculous resurrection. Through accepting the gift of his forgiveness and by his grace and mercy we have clean hands and pure hearts so that we may ever be with the Lord. Christ our Passover lamb was sacrificed for us, therefore let us celebrate! I am a sinner, self righteous at times, lacking in mercy, grace, self control, purity,tolerance, forgiveness at other moments. I am one of the hypocrites who attends church regularily, yet I am a forgiven sinner, one who turns to the Savior for repentance and restoration, as often as is needed, and it is needed often as I soil my soul with the frequency of infant diaper changes. Jesus forgives me seventy times seven and then some. The church, my fellow sojourners in the way, push me to press on to the higher calling, like a coach urging a team to do it's best. The earth is the Lord's and all that dwell therein. We are his hands and feet in this world today. May we walk in His holiness being the Easter people we are called to be. This is my favorite Psalm. It is my frequent prayer to have clean hands and a pure heart. I pray that it would be your prayer too in this present world.

Psalm 24
1The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
3Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
7Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
8Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

The Last Supper

2007-04-03T20:46:00.000-04:00

When I was in high school, I used to cut class and get on the public bus, not hard to do living in suburban Washington, D.C. at the time, and go to the National Gallery of Art. I would look at many paintings and sculptures while I was there but would always have to stop and visit this one, the Last Supper, by surrealist Salvador Dali. At that time the oil paint had not yet begun to crackle on the canvas as it has now, my face also had not begun to crackle as it has now. The painting and I are aging together and still I get lost in the mystery of it. I shared the image, a paper reproduction, with my mentor pastor who pointed out that the theology of the painting was not accurate. Theology aside, I think it is the mystery the painting alludes to that draws my imagination now as it did when I was sixteen and tired of school. The mystery of one dead, rising again, the mystery of His body broken for me and for many for the forgiveness of all our sins: committed in the past, present and still to be done. I try to wrap my mind around the meaning of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me and in all of us who are in Christ, it is as overwhelming as trying to stand in the midst of the waves of the thundering ocean. In this painting I see Christ in all and through all, that is what it has meant to me. I hope you visit my favorite painting when you go to Washington D.C. The last time I was in the National Gallery of Art it was hanging on a wall as you came up a grand staircase. I hope you get to see it some day and are blessed.

It's not about the rabbit, or the bunny...the art of teaching children about the Resurrection

2007-04-03T19:41:00.000-04:00

Two Saturdays before Palm Sunday we had a children's "retreat" at our church. It was actually sort of a condensed three hour Vacation Bible School on a Saturday afternoon. The idea was to teach the youngsters about the coming Holy Week and all the symbolism with songs, Bible stories and hands on activities. I was trying to explain to the children that Jesus was called the Lamb of God and why. We talked about the egg being a symbol for the resurrection and that they could think of it as a tomb like the tomb Jesus was buried in. The fact that the Easter bunny didn't figure into any of this baffled them all. After the reading of the big Bible picture book about Easter and the making of the Lamb of God banners, the Jesus is in my heart "stain glass" suncatchers and the coloring of hard boiled eggs; after the eating of the popcorn and the cookies and drinking the punch, we had a little review. When asked about the Ressurection, one little boy raised his hand and said, "They buried Jesus in the tomb and three days later he turned into an Easter egg!" We all had a good laugh. Maybe next year I will figure out a better way to get these concepts across to the children.

One of the liturgists from our church preached that Sunday as our pastor was ill. She talked to the adults about the significance of the days of Holy week and used as a resource Treasury of Easter Celebrations by Julie Hogan, ISBN 0-8249-4206-X Co.1999 Ideals Publications. I will have to get a copy of the book, a great resource if you want to know more about this season of the year and the origin of the traditions.

Hebrew people who joined the Christian religion brought with them the traditions of their ancient Passover festival. The lamb's life was a sacrifice to God. Jesus is our Easter lamb. Christ our Passover lamb is sacrificed for us, the Lamb of God. As the Lamb, Christ has reached a need we could not. He has become the sacrifice we could not give. He is the Lamb who was slain so that we could bow and sing in the presence of God on Easter Sunday.

The actual word Easter didn't appear until about 1400 years ago when the early christians adopted the word that referred to the spring celebration of the goddess Eostre. They thought this would be more acceptable to the people they were trying to convert to Chrisitanity. The rabbit was the sacred companion of this goddess of spring. Easter really should be called Resurrection Day, the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ. It's not about the bunny, its all about the Lamb of God!

No Idea Where I am Going

2007-03-18T19:21:00.001-04:00

The painting I have chosen is "Lifeline" by American Artist Winslow Homer, Right now I need a lifeline.

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"
I hope I am going in the right direction, I was sniffing the air and following the Holy fragrance.
Hoping that the wind blowing and gusting was not throwing off the chase to press hard after your Divine Presence. Then the storm. That things are not going well is not an indication that I have left Your path. Even though the boat has capsized I am lashed by the rope of your grace to the over turned hull. What started out as an idyllic Gilligan three hour tour has become a season of Survivor episodes. My heart beats like an echo location device, ping, ping, ping, Lord, you can find my location in this maelstrom. Drift me on the rolling waves to the safety of the port in the storm.

God is the Potter wedging the clay

2007-03-02T19:41:00.003-05:00

Before clay is fit to be molded and fashioned into either a handbuilt or wheel thrown item, it must be wedged.The wedging process involves slamming, pushing, pressing and kneading the clay repeatedly against a hard surface. Why wedge clay? Wedging helps homogenize the clay and get rid of air pockets. An air pocket trapped inside the clay will cause a hand built clay vessel to explode when it is subjected to the heat of the kiln during the firing process. A little trapped heated pocket of air will expand and "boom" there goes the beautiful handiwork the craftman spent so much time on, not to mention the mess of broken pottery shards now inside the kiln. That same little air pocket hidden in the lump of clay on a potter's wheel will make it difficult to impossible for the potter throw a pot of any value or beauty.

Jer. 18: 1-3 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

18:2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

Before the potter could create a work on the wheels , he had to wedge the clay. Before the Master Potter can mold us and fashion us into the image of His Son He must "wedge" us.

In Romans 12:1 Paul talks about being "transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." I pray that we yield, as clay in the potter's hand, and allow God to work the bubbles out of our thoughts, leaving in us the mind of Christ.

May You Stay Forever Young

2007-02-20T17:14:00.000-05:00

My house and I look about the same. We are older, what realtors like to call a "fixer upper". Just another old house, as I look at myself, just another aging, unremarkable in appearance middle aged person do I see. An aging temple of the Holy Spirit. I remember the smooth knees I had when I was six and the veinless hands. Now I have things growing on my hands from years of hard work, ganglion cysts, the doctor says, not to worry he can cut them out. Cholesterol, reading glasses, I sigh, just had a skin cancer cut out a month ago on my leg, a souvenir of teenage tanning. But it is not what is on the outside that is important, as my body ages and grows more shabby, like the plush kitty my son loved the fur off of so long ago, inside my soul the fire is burning. I am passionate about my Savior. I find myself caring less and less what people think and more and more about what my Savior thinks. Everyday is a new adventure walking in faith. We who love Him will spend eternity with Him. He will bless and keep us always, nothing can separate us from His love, even greying temples and wrinkled knees.

Bob Dylan, famous poet, songwriter and singer of my generation wrote this song. I share it with you today. It is my prayer. May we all be forever young in Christ.

Forever Young

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.

May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
And may you stay forever young.

Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you.

May you always be courageous
Stand up right and be as strong
And may you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.

May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay forever young.

May you grow up righteous and true,
See the light surrounding you
May you grow up righteous and true,
See the light surrounding you
May you stay forever young.

Bob Dylan- Ram's Horn Music - ASCAP

Kairos/Chronos

2007-02-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

In His time, not our time. Jesus said, "This then is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Matt. 5:9-10 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Eccles:3:1 In my life, I have spent a lot of time waiting for the fulfillment of God's personal promises to me. Waiting for an opening for a teaching position in my field: a year. Waiting for the right man to come into my life to be my husband: thirty years. Waiting for the first child to be conceived and born: thirty four years and second child: thirty six years and now waiting to become a pastor. Some of the things I have waited for I will probably never see on earth, but will in heaven: a cure for the Aspergers disorder that afflicts my son, a new spine for the disintegrating one I currently use and claim as my own, relief for the unrelenting depression my husband experiences that medication has not touched.

In Luke 24: 45 the risen Christ appears to the disciples and eats fish with them. He opens their minds to the scriptures and promises that they will receive power from His Father after He leaves. After walking with them towards Bethany, He blesses them and is taken up into heaven in front of them. I can only imagine what that must have been like and how time must have seemed to have "stood still" when He was with them but when He was gone, I can imagine that they may have been wondering how long they were going to have to wait for this power that He had promised?

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven... Lord, in your time. In Your time may it be spring again and the deep freeze of the arctic air recede upward back to it's place and leave us, allowing the snow to melt and the grass to green again. In our relationships, in Your time, may the flame of the Holy Spirit thaw the deep freeze of our hearts and may we turn our faces to the Son.

The Art of making a Valentine

2007-02-14T20:44:00.001-05:00

Valentine was a priest in Rome, who, with Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs during the persecution under Claudius II. He was caught, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, could not get him to renounce his faith. He was then beaten with clubs and beheaded on February 14. He is alleged to have prayed for his jailers daughter to receive her sight before he died and she die miraculously and to have sent letter encouraging Christians being persecuted, signing them, from your Valentine. The manner in which we make a valentine celebration today probably owes more of it's origins to a pagan Roman fertility feast that occured in February called Lupercalia, in anceint Greek mythology this month was the anniversary of the marrriage of Zeus and Hera called, Gamelion.

I think the art of making a Valentine is the art of making a gesture of love that is unconditional and unexpected. As Christ's love for us is unmerited, we also ought to extend love to one another that is unmerited. In my family, we are trying to "downsize" Valentine's Day and the expectations of gift giving that go along with it. It had become almost another Christmas in high emotional expectation. If love is to be freely given and freely received when one or the other did not meet the expectation there was hurt feelings and disappointment. Our Heavenly Father did not ordain this holiday as a Holy day. It is not a sacrament or a commandment. We need to keep it in it's proper perpective and honor and prefer one another in love but not in expectation.

I have had bouquets of flowers in years past and jewelry, dinners out, but money has been very tight recently with only one income coming in. My priorities have changed. I hope for the better. I hope I am seeking the best things, the things that are eternal and that matter over time. The best gift I ever received on this day was the birth of my daughter, made possible by the contribution of the Mr. The daughter, whose picture is above, is twenty two today and we celebrated with her on this blizzardy day. This year, the Mr. received two pounds of homemade fudge from me. It was fun trying to make it so he wouldn't discover me doing it, getting it wrapped up and hiding it until the right moment. The Mr. gave me a beautiful card and bag of chocolate kisses. Each kiss for a kiss I was told, it doesn't get much better than that. This year will be our twenty fifth anniversary.

The Art Of Blogging Prayerfully

2007-02-06T20:45:00.000-05:00

Blogging, journaling, keeping a sketch book are important ways of getting thoughts up on screen or down on paper so that you can see them for what they really are. I find that to prayerfully blog or journal is to learn something about myself in the process. I think I am putting my thoughts out there, where? But if I am involved in the Divine Conversation while I am writing discovery happens. Sometimes the discovery is not so good. Sometimes, when I look in the mirror it isn't pretty either, but the One who is engaging me in this dialogue is so gentle that the soul surgery is seamless and the restoration amazing. The moments of inspiration are to be savored and enjoyed, recorded for future times when enthusiasm is low and pessimism high. I usually keep the gritty, gnarly stuff for paper bound sketch books that can be drawn,pasted,scribbled and then tucked away hidden until the next desperate need or moment of triumph. Those are the intimate journals, my children will inheirit someday and probably laugh over their mother's sentimental foolishness. My prayer is that they will also see a record of someone they knew and loved working out their salvation with fear and trembling. This blog, News From The Wilderness, is a public persona, and what I share with my friends, neighbors and anyone who cares to stop by.

The Methoblog is a fascinating collection of thoughts and prayers about what and where the United Methodist Church is gong in the twenty first century. I have read many of the contributors writings. I am impressed by how artfully some of them can turn a phrase and make a point with out using the hundred and ninety words I am now. In several blogs I have come across mention of a book WRITING DOWN THE BONES. I have gotten a copy of the book and have started to read it. Reading about how to write and writing well are two different things. Reading about doing a work of art and actually making one are two different things as well. In any endeavor, we do all things to the Glory of God, even blog, then with that in mind, we give it our best shot.

http://methoblog.onlywonder.com/content/

Pysanka

2007-01-07T17:03:00.000-05:00

The word Pysanka means in the Ukranian language, an egg that has been decorated with a wax resist (batik) type method.
This art form goes back into antiquity when ancient people worshipped the sun. Why not worship the sun? In a land with the cold and barren darkness of winter, it was the sun that heralded the arrival of spring, new birth, new life! In the Ukraine, eggs were chosen for sun worship ceremonies, the yolk representing the sun and the white, the moon. Just as the earth seemed devoid of life in the winter and bursting forth with newness in the spring, the egg, seemed to be like a stone until a new life appeared in the form of a chick. Because new life came from an egg, people came to believe they had the power to help them in their daily lives. They would be buried in fields and mangers, given as gifts to ensure health and prosperity, ward off evil, or make fertile. The designs on the eggs were based on ancient forms and legends by an ancient people who respected and revered nature.

With the advent of Chiristianity new meanings were added to old symbols and the early missionaries incorporated the art form into the Christian belief of the local people, bringing more to a knowlegde of the love of Christ. The most important holiday in the Ukraine is Easter, which is more than a three day period but lasts a full forty days starting the first day of Lent. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, fast days, no eggs, meat or dairy are eaten after the Ash Wednesday church service. As well as physical and spiritual cleansing, the family would also emback on a spring cleaning of the house, the home would be cleansed in preparation for Easter as well. Any one who had had a disagreement with a neighbor during the previous year would make sure it was amended during this time. If the family could afford it new clothes would be made or purchased, otherwise they would at least get new shoelaces!

In this state of mind, a woman would make Pysanky. Before they could be made, one was to be in a spiritual state of mind. The previous day was to have been spent peacefully, avoiding gossiping, dealing with the family patiently and preparing a good dinner. They were to be made at night after the children were asleep. Only the women in the family could work together, no one else was allowed to peek so that the goodness from the household would be transferred onto the designs and evil would be pushed away. Making Pysanka was not a social but rather a mystical event. Fresh eggs were gathered from hens where a rooster was in residence, for, according to belief, if non fertile eggs were used there would be no fertility in the home. Different blessings were asked for each egg so that their good wishes would travel with the pysanky. As one practices, technical talent develops in all artists, but it is the power and love which the egg conveys that is what is important. the process took several evenings to finish, usually about sixty eggs, for a family, by Holy Thursday. One or two of the eggs would be given to the priest. Three or four were taken to the cemetary and placed on the graves of the family. Then to fifteen were given to small children and God-children. Ten to fifteen would be exchanged by unmarried girls with the eligible young ment in the community. Several were saved to place in the coffin of loved ones who might die during the coming year. Several were saved to keep in the home for protection from fire and storms. Two or three were placed in the trough where the animals ate, so that they would have many young. At least one egg would be place under a bee hive to ensure a good harvest of honey. One was saved for each grazing animal to be taken out to the fields with the shepherds in the spring.

The egg dyes are non edible and the eggs are not hard boiled. You work on them either raw, or blown. I prefer working on them raw with the egg still in the shell. if they are stored so that air can circulate all around them, the insides eventually evaporate and become hardened. I have some of the first eggs I have ever made from back in 1976 still. I buy my supplies from the Ukrainian Gift Shop www.ukrainiangiftshop.com. There are other places you can purchase the special tool, "kistka", and the dyes. I buy bees wax from a local bee keeper. I keep my dyes in mason jars under my kitchen sink all year around. My daughter and I make eggs whenever we feel the "urge" just as my mother as I did before she passed away. Precious times. Inspiring symbolism.

The Art of Decorating Cookies and Hospitality

2006-12-26T07:07:00.000-05:00

Some of our Sunday school youth decorated cookies one day, sugar cookies with white icing, that we created snowman faces on, with assorted candies strategically placed. What a range of expressions can be conveyed on a cookie face with a simple piece of strawberry licorice for a mouth! The children had fun eating the candy and getting some of the candy on the cookies as well. The cookies were given to the shut ins when our church went caroling during the Christmas season. There were plenty of these wonderful confections left over and put in the freezer for after church on Sunday.
But, aah, the after service refreshment break.....
Romans 12:10-13 " Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor , not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality." In practising hospitality we give preference to one another in love, modeling this so our children can see it in action and learn how it is to be done. We need to be mindful of children to see the teachable moment when children are trying to get to the refreshment table at the end of the worship service, and in doing so, are pushing slower elderly people aside. Adults should be ready to assist children in the selection of the appropriate amount of refreshments and in the appropriate manner. I wonder if there was this much ruckus at the feeding of the 5,000 with the loaves and fishes as there is with the social time at our churches some Sunday's? In this time of fast food we need to be proactive about teaching our children the art of hospitality.

SNOWFLAKES

2006-11-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

We are all unique created by God, bearing His divine image, each in a special way. God tells the prophet Jeremiah in Jer. 1:5 " Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;" We are all created for a special purpose, maybe not to be a prophet like Jeremiah but we all have a purpose, to glorify God through all the special gifts and graces he has specifically endowed each and every one of us with. Like snowflakes we are all unique. That is why I like to say some of my best friends are flakes. Speaking of flakes, ice, cold, snow... God asks Job, Job 38: 29, " From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen." Tis the season as we begin Advent to enter the coldest months of the year in our region. A lot of time to ponder the words of God to Job and to check out the link about "Snowflake Bentley", a Vermont farmer who pioneered microphotography and created the first photographs of snowflakes in his barnyard. Here is an excerpt: Wilson A. Bentley The Snowflake Man

"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated., When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind." Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley 1925 www.snowflakebentley.com
Now for some art fun go to this link and you can create your own snowflake on line by manipulating your computer mouse! browser and voila' Have fun! www.zefrank.com/snowflake/

Iron sharpens iron

2006-11-25T22:55:00.000-05:00

Scripture tells us that "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another..." Words from Solomon in Proverbs 27:17. So what is my point and what does this have to do with art? When I am cutting something either wood, plaster, stone, cement, clay whatever the material, I need a tool that is harder than the material I am cutting. I would not use a plastic knife to whittle a piece of wood for instance. I would use a steel knife. And I would use an appropriate material to sharpen my blade. The material I would use would be as hard or harder than my steel blade and would sharpen it. In the same manner, if I do not regularly exchange thoughts and ideas with others of similar maturity in Christian fellowship what I hear God speaking in my life and listen to what they hear God speaking in theirs I will begin to grow dull. As Christians we were meant to function in community with one another. We were told to bear one another's burdens and pray for one another. When you put on the whole armor or God, (Ephesians 6:13-18)did you ever notice there is not armor mentioned for your backside? That is because you are supposed to be covered by your brothers and sister in Christ who are to be watching your back in prayer and admonition.

A Million Smocks

2006-11-21T08:35:00.000-05:00

A Million Smocks

Jesus said, "when you do it unto the least of these my bretheren you do it unto me"....this picture of Rachel bringing art to the children stranded in the New Orleans Astrodome and her story inspired me. This is a different way of reaching out in compassion through art....art in the wake of hurricane Katrina's chaos in Rachel Omenson's own words... Be inspired to check out her organization "A Million Smocks" at their web site: http://www.amillionsmocks.org

art as prayer

2006-11-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted. I came across a blog as I searching for information on art as a form of prayer and wanted to share a note of accptance I received from the originator of the idea. She is Anneli Anderson and lives on the other side of the USA from I. The painting featured here is an example of her work. Sometimes she paints and draws during the worship at her church with the sanction of her church body, interpreting the worship or the sermon visually as the Holy Spirit leads. Her website is interesting and her art work is edifying. If you have a moment take a look at what she is doing. It never occured to me to respond to worship as it was occuring with visual art, but why not? Is there any place Biblically where it says, "thou shalt not illustrate thy pastors sermon" or respond in paint and color to the beauty of the worship music? King David danced so enthusiastically in praise and adoration to the Lord that he danced his clothing off. He was literally naked before God and man as he danced in his spiritual reverie. For me producing art is a form of spiritual nakedness. I often feel ashamed to let people watch me work or embarrased and self conscious if my work is out there in the public eye. This is an area of my life that is a "work in progress with God". One day, while working on a drawing during a retreat on art as prayer, I head a still small voice say, " Who told you you were naked?" That was when I realized the shame I often experienced that had kept me so often from doing my art work was not of the Holy Spirit.I had then a mental picture of the garden of Eden and the serpent telling Adam and Eve, "Hey guess what? You are naked!" And then Adam and Eve run off to hide. All good and perfect gifts come from above, from our Abba Father. Some of the best gifts are being able to share in His creativity be it art, music, drama, fine craftsmanship, literature.....and not be ashamed.
Anneli Anderson writes: " For me it is one of the most exciting things, that is to partner with God in the creative process!" You can view Anneli's web site by clicking here: www.studioanneli.com . One site that comes to mind and always inspires me about art and the divine (but not necessarily on the subject of art and prayer) is the Episcopal Church and Visual Arts site:
http://www.ecva.org/contents.htm
There's some amazing work on there...Blessings all.

Washington National Cathedral

2006-09-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

When I was a child I lived in the Washington D.C. area and had the opportunity to see this building under construction. It is now completed and is an impressive and authentic piece of gothic style architecture on American soil. You don't have to fly to Europe to appreciate the grandeur and the awe inspiring arches and flying buttresses of this type of structure built for the glory of God. It is located in the northwest corner of Washington on Mt. St. Albans. Don't miss it next time you are there. The web site has a virtual tour. During the times the actual cathedrals were built , the dark ages, people were so superstitious that they thought that wearing pointed toed shoes protected them from evil among other crazy ideas. In Matthew's Gospel, Pilate asks Jesus, what is truth? Then as now, the truth still exists to set people free. Pilate really wasn't interested in the answer how many of us are?

Carole Werder, visionary female artist

2006-08-29T19:01:00.001-04:00

CIVA http:www.civa.org/

CIVA: Christians In the Visual Arts. Blessings to you all as you persue the arts for the Glory of God.
Christians In The Visual Arts:
Friends of mine, Carole and her husband Bob, belong to this organization and have attended some of their workshops in New England, giving these experiences highly favorable reviews. The web site has good information on it and would be worthy of consideration if you are interested in the visual arts and the sacred. I have copied some of the information from the webiste below to give you an idea of what you may find there.

The picture above is entitled "Ella Recycles" by Carole Werder. It is life size. Ella has passed on now but her memory is preserved in this lifesize cutout of her as the recycling angel. Carole and I were roommates and art majors in college back in the stone age. Bob, Carol and I used to stay up all night painting in the studio of the old Loveland Hall on the campus of Edinboro University of PA. We all came to the realization that there is no other God but Yahweh about the same time. Carole came to faith first, and helped lead me into faith and then we prayed for Bob. Bob is married to Carole and teaching high school art, Carole is a full time artist and does commissions and has been recognized nationally and had several shows in prestigious galleries. I was a bridesmaid in their wedding, Yay! And after all these years we are still dear friends. Carole was a stay at home mom until God raising her children and had put her painting aside. God called her to begin again and so she did, getting her MFA in painting and going from there. She was worried that after a period of time not painting that she would would have difficulty getting back at it, but that was not to be the case. God has truly blessed the work of her hands.

CIVA biennial conferences address issues of contemporary relevance to practicing artists, educators, clergy, and students. A sampling of themes from the past 16 years only hints at the discussions fueled by CIVA programs:
. . The Function of Criticism
. . The Narrative in Visual Art
. . Sacredspace/Publicspace
. . Past and Present
A distinguished roster of keynote speakers who have led CIVA through these issues includes Robert Hughes, Hilton Kramer, Betty Edwards, Chaim Potok, and Suzi Gablik. Among the Christian scholars who have addressed CIVA are Nicholas Woltersdorff, Jane Dillenberger, Os Guinness, and Anthony Ugolnik. The dialogue which occurs between conference speakers and conference participants exposes both parties to a wealth of new ideas and perspectives.
Lectures, seminars, workshops and worship combined with films, field trips and exhibitions make for a lively event. Conferees bring slides and artwork for discussion, critique, and exhibition. The quality and range of art, complemented by varied programming, stimulating dialogue, and the sincere expression of Christian faith make the CIVA conference a truly unique and exceptional experience.

© 2006 Christians in the Visual Arts. All Rights Reserved.
255 Grapevine Road . Wenham, MA 01984-1813
(978) 867-4124 . office@civa.org

Christ's monograms, Chrismon's

2006-08-10T07:58:00.000-04:00

A Chrismon, is a medieval Latin word meaning a symbol of Christ or Christianity, or a "Christ-Monogram".
They are symbols taken from Christian history that reveal the nature and character of Jesus.

The concept of Chrismons as ornaments originated from Mrs. Frances Spencer, who began making Christmas decorations from a variety of materials and left-over Christmas paper and decorations in the late 1940s. Since she was accomplished in crafting ornaments, her church, Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia, asked her to decorate the church’s Christmas tree in 1957. She adapted traditional designs and symbols into designs using the colors white, gold and silver that were symbols about Jesus Christ, and the meaning of Christmas. This unique Christmas tradition now has been adapted in various forms by many churches and denominations across the country as a way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Throughout the creation and development of Chrismons, Mrs. Spencer never personally profited monetarily. The ornaments have been an inspiration to Christians all over the world, and that was the only compensation that Mrs. Spencer ever desired. Mrs. Spencer passed away in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, on April 4th 1990 at the age of Seventy-Two.

To preserve the spirit of Chrismons they should only be made by hand and given as gifts, the predominant colors being the liturgical colors of Christmas, white (or silver) and gold. Often, a church will have a Chrismon Tree in which members of the congregation make the ornaments for the tree. In some churches, the idea of Chrismons is combined with the Jesse Tree, and becomes a project for the children of the church during the entire season of Advent. My mother in law's church in Bradford, Hill Memorial United Methodist, has a beautiful Christmon tree that decorates their sanctuary every Christmas holiday season. They were lovingly stitched in plastic canvas by a group of women who met regularily, working, until the project was finished. The tree is beautiful and meaningful.

I don't feel the concept of a Chrismon tree should be limited to the sanctuary of a church. Shouldn't our homes be sanctuaries as well? A televison commercial for a credit card company asks "What's in your wallet?" We should be asking ourselves, what's in our homes, does it reflect God's Glory?

Check out this link for more information about Chrismon's: www.chrismon.org/site/chrismon.htm http://www.crivoice.org/symbols/chrismon.html

garden stones, lively stones as the body of Christ 1Peter 2:5

2006-08-07T15:25:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday at the Franklin Center United Methodist Church in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, we made garden stones after the service as a church community. When you think of art as prayer, this activity is a "hands on" illustration of how the body of Christ as the apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 2: 4-5 can be literally fit together as lively stones. The scripture reference follows: "4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." NAS

The stones will be "revealed" next Sunday after church. We used a combination of the instructions you will find at the end of this post (and their web addresses are included) plus cardboard box forms for molds so that we could all do it at the same time. Broken jewellry, ceramic tile, stain glass and glass globs were some of the things we used to decorate our individual stones as we sought to develop a Christ monogram, a symbol of what Christ meant to each one of us personally. I used a pressed glass fish and some broken stain glass to create a "fisher of men" motif for my own. One man mad a circle of glass globs with stain glass "spokes" representative of the fund raising, charity bike races he participates in and reaches out to others with. Our lay speaker made a stain glass rainbow representing her involvement in the Kononia movement of Erie County, Pa. There were beautiful, colorful crosses, a memorial to a loved one using broken jewellry and a collage design of Christian symbols using various embedded elements such as book marks and buttons. We all had an enjoyable time and no one got messy, except the two guys outside who were mixing and pouring the cement. We used portland cement mix with sand (a ready mix) and discovered we could get seven 9 inch by 9 inch stones poured with one bag of concrete. The cement was mixed in a wheelbarrel. The garden stones, our lively stones, will be set in the ground near our parking lot, connecting to our sidewalk, creating a lovely path to our sanctuary. I copied and pasted the directions from two web sites for your convenience if you are interested in learning how to do this. The web addresses I found the instructions on are posted above the directions below:

http://familycrafts.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=familycrafts&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magma.ca%2F%7Erobicho%2Frhubarb.htm

MATERIALS:
- rubber gloves
- heavy plastic sheeting
- leaves
- pre-mix concrete - One standard-size bag will make three of the leaves shown here, which are about 45 centimetres square and eight centimetres thick;
- mortor or cement colourant, if you want a colour other than the light grey that pre-mix concrete produces (Lee Valley Tools has this stuff as well as Michael's Craft Store)
- Chicken wire or one-centimetre-square wire mesh
- wire cutters.

METHOD
1. To make the stepping stones, choose an area that will remain undisturbed for several days. Any level surface - a driveway, concrete patio, bare patch of soil or even the grass - will work.

2. Cut a peice of plastic sheeting at least 15 centimetres larger all around than the leaf (or another desired shape), and place it on the ground. Put the leaf in the centre of the plastic, vein-side up (Photo 1).

3. Mix the concrete to a stiff consistency, following package instructions. With gloved hands or a shovel, move concrete onto the leaf, spreading it almost to the edge of the leaf to a thickness of approximately 2.5 to 4 centimetres; press firmly to eliminate air bubbles (Photo 2). If you're using a small leaf or several leaves to create an imprint only, spread the concrete to form the shape you want.

4. To ensure strength and durability, place chicken wire on the concrete to within five centimetres of the edge, overlapping pieces if necessary. Shovel concrete on top of the chicken wire (Photo 3), again spreading to a thickness of about 2.5 to 4 centimetres and pressing firmly to eliminate air bubbles.

5. Gently lift the plastic up around the design (Photo 4), smooth edges with gloved hands or a trowel to ensure an even look, and place earth or gravel up around the form to support it while it cures.

6. Cover with a second piece of plastic to keep the concrete from drying out. Allow to cure for at least 48 hours, then lift the stepping stone from the plastic (the plastic peels away easily) and turn it over to see the walking surface.

7. Remove small pieces of vein or leaf with a hose turned to jet spray. If you've made the stepping stone in hot weather, much of the leaf will have already decomposed. You can place the stones in the garden immediately, but avoid stepping on them until the concrete has completely cured - curing time depends on the type of concrete mix used, but it usually takes five to seven days. Spray with water frequently during the curing period. Make sure the stones are set firmly in the ground and they won't move when walked on.

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/steppingstones/a/040201a.htm

Make Garden Stepping Stones
From Sherri Osborn,
Your Guide to Family Crafts.

Page 1: Introduction
Home-made stepping stones are a great way to personalize your garden, walkway, or anywhere! They make great gifts and are also great keepsakes if they are made using children's handprints or footprints.

My kids and I had a lot of fun experimenting with our stepping stones. We made one with a handprint, one with our dog's paw prints, one with flattened marbles/gems, one with marbles, and we also used patio paint. You can get so creative while making these we can hardly wait to try more.

I ran across garden stepping stone kits at a nearby craft store for around $20.00 (this makes one stepping stone). I decided to NOT use a kit because it would have been too expensive since I wanted to make more than 1 stone. Instead, I ran to a few different stores to gather the items I felt I needed; believe it or not, the supplies to make ONE of my stepping stones ended up costing me about $3.00!

Let me tell you what I used and help you decide what you want to use...

Page 2: Gathering Supplies
As I said before, the cost to make one stone with the supplies I bought was about $3.00, which is great if you compare it to the $15.00 - $20.00 a garden stepping stone kit costs.

The main supplies you need to make a stepping stone is a mold, cement, and items to decorate or embellish it. You should also always use protective eyewear and gloves when working with concrete as it can burn. If any gets on bare skin, wash immediately with warm, soapy water.

Page 3: Step-By-Step Directions
Deciding what design to make is the hardest part of making these stepping stones. However, you need to do this before you start so you know what supplies to gather.

Gather all your supplies and then you are ready to begin! Follow these simple steps and also refer to the suggestions on the supply page and hints and tips pages.

1 The first thing you should do is to protect your work surface and yourself. Lay down some newspaper, plastic sheeting, an old tablecloth, etc. Whether permitting, you can make these outside! Wear eye protection and rubber gloves... An old long sleeve shirt and sweatpants would also be a great idea.

2 Set your mold on your work surface. If you are using a special stepping stone mold follow any special directions if any that came with it.

I used clear, plastic planter saucers and did nothing to prepare them and they worked perfect! If you are brave enough to try a cake pan or other household item, you should try coating them with a liberal layer of cooking spray or petroleum jelly.

3 Now, you are ready to mix up the concrete. Follow the manufacturers directions on the bag of concrete you are using. I used a bag of Quikrete, which really had no specific directions. I discovered that a mixture of 5 parts concrete to 1 part water worked well. Your mixture will vary depending on what kind of concrete you use, but the wet mixture should have the consistency of soft cookie dough.

4 Once your concrete is mixed, you can start spooning it into the mold. Fill the mold about half full and smooth it down. Lay your cut piece of screening or hardware cloth (as explained on the supplies page) into the mold and then finish scooping the cement into the mold until full.

5 Gently tap around the outside of your mold to help remove any air bubbles and also to help even out the top. Now leave your stepping stone alone to set up for 30 to 60 minutes before you add any embellishments or decorations - this is more important if you are making handprints or other prints in the cement.

6 Once the cement has been given some time to set up, you can start decorating it. Use the decorating/embellishment ideas listed on the supplies page or think of your own. If you make a mistake, you can simply remove the items, flatten out the top with the side of a popsicle stick or spoon, tap the sides to smooth, and start over again!

7 Your stepping stone must now sit for 2 - 3 days without being disturbed - do not move it. Once it is dry, you can gently pop it out of the mold. Voila!

8 Now, you can finish decorating it if you are planning on doing any painting. You can seal the top of your stepping stone with a clear acrylic sealer if you do use patio paints.

9 I would suggest letting your stepping stone sit for another week before putting it outside. When you place the stones outside they should not be raised above ground more than about 1/2-inch so people don't trip on them and also so the stone doesn't break.

One more thing... Before you make your own garden stepping stones, you might want to read these tips and helpful hints...

Page 4: Tips and Helpful Hints
Here are some tips and hints that can help you while you make your stepping stones.

Some of these tips have been said already, but they are worth repeating. Read on and have fun making your stepping stones!

• If you are using cement dye, remember that the wet product will always be a shade or two darker that your finished product.

• Your stepping stones should be at least 2 inches thick.

• For best results, let your stepping stones set in the mold for 3 days. Allow the stones to cure for a week before placing them outside or stepping on them.

• When gathering items for embellishing your stepping stones, steer clear of wooden items because they don't stick into the concrete very well.

• Get creative with your embellishments! Try seashells, marbles, beach glass, mosaic tiles, buttons, small toys, and mementos of any sort.

• Make prints in the cement after it has set for between 30 minutes to an hour. Besides handprints and paw prints:

Try making prints with other items such as dog biscuits, leaves, cookie cutters, etc.

• If you want to try making stepping stones with pans or other household items, buy them at garage sales or thrift shops.

• Your cement should be the consistency of cookie dough. You want to have to scoop it into your mold, not pour it.

• When you place the stones in your garden they should not be raised above ground more than about 1/2-inch for risk of people tripping and falling and also so the stone doesn't break.

• Once the cement is poured into the mold, do not move it! This can cause cracking (I found this out the hard way!).

• If you make a mistake, you can simply remove the items, flatten out the top with the side of a popsicle stick or spoon, tap the sides to smooth, and start over again!

I hope you find this information helpful in understanding how to construct garden stones. Adults members of our church as well as senior and junior high youth will set the completed stones in the new pathway and then plant the border with perennials and bulbs. This walkway will not only be functional but beautiful as well. One member of the church, one stone, no pathway. All the members of the church; many stones, a pathway to a place of worship and holiness!

2006-07-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

Using the visual arts as a way to facillitate prayer and meditation

:http://www.prayerwindows.com/art.html This is the web address for the Prayer Windows site that I came across in my wanderings around the web. It could be adapted using other visual imagrey or even photographs. This same idea could be used in the context of music only, taste or smell. The Master of the Universe created the five senses and some people can tap into their spirituality better when they use these elements to facillitate inspiration. Think of a song that has moved you or a smell that touched you, the inscense used in some churches, the Lord's Supper are all examples of using the senses in a sacremental way.

http://www.sonlight-christian-art.net/index.html My Uncle Earl sent me this link to a website that belongs to a physician who is a nationally known watercolor artist. He combines imagrey with biblical text to create thoughtful pieces with the translucent quality so typical of the medium. This man has obviously practiced the discipline of watercolor and allowed the grace of God to flow through his work.

The Museum of Psalms

2006-07-11T22:41:00.000-04:00

THE MUSEUM OF PSALMS

I just came across a site that was selling intriguing art work called the Museum of Psalms. Here is the link:http://www.museumofpsalms.com/store/. The art work, contemporary and expressionistic is a collection of lithographs based on selected psalms. The artist has offered these prints for sale on this site. I know nothing about this artist or art work but thought the concept of illustration the Psalms in an expressionistic manner intriguing.

As an art student in the late 60's early 70's the attitude of the professors was that express yourself with shock and awe. Also, the bigger the better. I soon found out how impractical the size option was as most of the dimensions of the work I was required to do for class credit was so large, it didn't fit into my apartment let alone in the home of any family member I knew. The work was not of a subject that would exactly be rated "G" or "PG" if it was in the genre of film. My family, who was footing the bill for my education at the time, could not relate to or get a handle on this type of art. Later on as I began to teach school and eventually begin a family of my own, the former work of college days has slipped into the trash bin, slowly piece by piece. What is left, what endures of the early adult period of my life are what I would call, more classical pieces, not developed to please someone of the academic ilk but rather to please myself.

I went through a period of time when I would not do any more art work. I had been so influenced by my schooling that I decided that my work was not relevant enough to keep doing, that I was an impostor pretending to be an artist. It was at a retreat I attended that dealt with the subject of Art As Prayer that I began to "find my visual voice". We had been given an assignment to create a work based on a passage of scripture. I cannot remember the passage we were to meditate on, but I went back to the small room I was staying in for the retreat and spent time in prayer over the blank paper. After a while I heard a still small voice in my head saying, "Who told you you couldn't do art?" At the same time I had a mental picture in my mind's eye of the portion of the Sistine Ceiling painting by Michaelangelo where Adam and Eve are hiding because they realize they are naked. It struck me that to create art is to become naked. I was ashamed of my art and wouldn't create art because I was afraid of exposing my nakedness. I am creating art now, not as much as I would like because of my work and family schedule, but still I am doing it again!

Who, What is God?

2006-07-10T07:56:00.000-04:00

WHO, WHAT IS GOD?

As a child, my family moved often because of my father's job in the fledgling computer industry. By the time I was in sixth grade, I had attended four elementary schools in three different states. It seemed that we moved every three years or so, taking us farther from family ties and having to restart relationships with friends and neighbors over and over again. Every time we moved, we would attend whatever protestant church was in walking distance. My father, had been raised Roman Catholic and mother's father was Mormon, her mother Presbyterian. They had pretty much decided they would compromise and attend a protestant church when they married to avoid major issues and disputes over which. Sometimes my father would take me to other places of worship, the synagogue and the mosque. As a very young child then, I wondered about the nature of God, who it was, was it a he or she and why there seemed to be so many ideas about what the relationship of man to God is. I do not pretend to have all the answers now, more than halfway through my life, but I have honestly inquired and asked the question with as open a heart and mind as possible. In Exodus 33:18-23 Moses is alone with the Lord and he asks, "Oh, let me behold Your Presence!' And He answered, " I will make all My Goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name Lord, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show. But," He said, " you cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live." And the Lord said, " See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock and as my Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen." There is a song we sing sometimes, "Have you seen Jesus My Lord?". It goes on to say that He, the Divine presence, is in plain view when we look into the faces of one another, that that is when we have seen Him. God sculpted us in His image male and female, then He painted us all the colors of the rainbow. Gods face passes us daily in hundreds of faces if we open our eyes and see. "Have you seen Jesus my Lord? He's here in plain view, take a look open your eyes. He'll show life to you."