~Artis Divina~ Where Creatives and Artists find ways to follow God

The Passing of Johnny Hart

2007-04-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Johnny Hart

(18/2/1931 - 7/4/2007, USA)

- Gary Varvel

"The world has just lost a cartooning giant. Johnny Hart was one of the masters. His humor and drawing style influenced my generation of cartoonists but it was how he wove his faith into his work that inspired me most. The Bible says that God knows the plans he has for us. Johnny discovered early in life what God's plan was for him and he fulfilled that plan. Well done, Johnny."

- Gary Varvel, editorial cartoonist

From Paul: I've been a fan of Johnny Hart's comics with a Christian thought, as a method of enjoying our Christianity, and sharing it with others. I appreciated his creativity, and his humor. He will be missed. Following are a selection of tribute toons, and some from my archive that I've gathered.
(click to open larger)

There once was a cartoonist named Hart
For the Gospel he did his small part
And he proved it’s not a rumor
That God has a sense of humor
Picking Easter for Johnny to depart

posted on 04/08/2007 12:27:47 PM PDT by EternalVigilance

The Strip that caused so much controversy...

2006-10-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Love of God the End of Life

Since life in sorrow must be spent,

So be it—I am well content,

And meekly wait my last remove,

Seeking only growth in love.

No bliss I seek, but to fulfil In life,

in death, thy lovely will;

No succours in my woes I want,

Save what thou art pleased to grant.

Our days are numbered, let us spare

Our anxious hearts a needless care: '

Tis thine to number out our days;

Ours to give them to thy praise.

Love is our only business here,

Love, simple, constant, and sincere;

O blessed days, thy servants see,

Spent, O Lord! in pleasing thee!

Translation from the French of Madame de la Mothe Guion by William Cowper

Dear Lord, with the birth of our second boy,
Phoenix Andrew Kiler,
Help me truly realize the importance in the poem above...
Help me to do nothing more than love.

Your Loving Son, Paul

The Beauty of Your Face

2006-07-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

The Beauty of Your Face

I am touched by the warmth of a sunbeam.
In it I feel the echo of Your eternal caress.
Lord, I feel You.

I hear a bird singing Your song of hope.
His sweet melody carries promises of Your Glory.
Lord, I hear You.

Yes Lord, you are here with me.
You live in my heart.
You experience my joy when I laugh,
And You cry my tears when I am sad.
But You never leave me Lord,
And I know that.

What darkness then seeks to cover my soul
As the deepest point of my person cries out to be held?
This desire must be for You Lord,
As I crave the sweet succor of Your presence.
You and eternal life,
Living and breathing from my soul outward.
Waiting for the day that we will be united in Glory.
Come quickly Lord!

How could I have questioned Your promises to me?
What arrogance I possess!
To think me above Your love,
And above the sacrifices You have made on my behalf.
Lord, please forgive me in my unbelief.

My urgent cries for your attention are always heard.
Yes, I feel You even while I lament your absence.
Your love has no bounds,
And Your grace is a mystery
That I can comprehend only as You breathe through my prayers.

Help me to focus all of my energy on advancing toward Your kingdom Lord.
Help me to share the beauty that I see.
The beauty that is You.
So that as I look into the eyes of my brother,
I see not a face from this world
But I see the beauty of Your face smiling back at me.

Amen

posted by Albert Romkema at: http://no-man-is-an-island.blogspot.com/

Lord, Teach Me to Pray

2006-07-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

I have happened upon a blog of poems by another man whose work is very special, and speaks to me, especially following the Lord's Prayer images from my last post.

You can find his posts, (albeit meager pickings), at:
http://no-man-is-an-island.blogspot.com/

Lord, Teach Me to Pray

Lord,
I am constantly reminded of my own weakness
As I sense the weakness of my brother.
I feel great pains of loneliness
As I try to relate to the solitary lives we all must lead.
There is hope only in finding You Lord.
Only Your comfort can bring us back from despair.
Speak in me Your prayer of love Lord,
And take away my pain.

Lord,
I often feel alone and desperate when I imagine You are absent.
When I consider how my life might be without You reigning within me I shudder.
How could others reject You Lord?
How could any of us reject Your call?
Such love and promise You offer.
For the free gift of grace,
All we need do is consent to Your love and welcome You.
Loud claims of our goodness will not cause You to answer,
But only from our silence in humility will You speak our name and call us beloved.
Speak in me Your prayer of grace Lord,
And share my path.

Lord,
I consent to Your arrival.
I know that when You breathe in me, all people are enriched.
When You share my pain, all of nature is blessed.
Truly we are all one people, searching for and finding You from within our suffering.
Pain and grace coexist,
Lifting our souls toward Your love.
Speak in me Your prayer of community Lord,
And bind us all by Your love.

Lord
Teach me to pray.
Help me learn to live a life where my actions and Your will are the same.
Teach me to hold on to the secrets I hear You whisper even now.
Fill my soul with Your sweetness I pray,
Pull me into the gap that holds eternity.
And bring me home.

Amen

posted by Albert Romkema

The Lord's Prayer, by Max Pechstein, 1921

2006-07-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

I have really enjoyed these prints of the Lord's Prayer, by Pechstein, since discovering them a few years ago... And it's so very nice to have such good quality images to enjoy, courtesy of the Robert Gore Rifkind collection at LACMA, ~ THANKS ~ LACMA!!!!

Take some time, and pray these images...

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven

Hallowed be thy Name

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven

Give us this day, our daily bread

And forgive us our debts

As we forgive our debtors

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

For Thine is the Kingdom

And the Power, and the Glory

Forever and ever, AMEN

Favorite Sculptures of Christ

2006-06-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

These very large scultpures of Christ have shaped my thoughts in any number of ways, and I'm glad that the people responsible had the time, energy and money to create these gigantic monuments...

Christ Redeemer

top of Corcovado Hill, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Cristo del Otero, in Palencia, Spain, by Víctorio Macho. It's the second largest Christ statue in the world, after the Corcovado, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Cristo Rey (Christ the King) along I-10 at Sunland Park, New Mexico.
This statue was made by the sculptor Urbici Soler, completed 1939.

Earliest depictions of Christ

2006-06-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

The British Museum says that this Roman 4th C. mosaic discovered in England in 1963, at Hinton St. Mary, Dorset, is the earliest known representation of Christ. (the two greek letters chi and ro, [X and P] behind the head indicate that this is Christ. The Chi-ro monogram refers to His name, and was the usual symbol of early Christianity.

I'd maybe take issue with the statement calling this the earliest, as the early catacombs had depictions of the Good Shepherd, a common early aspect of Christ depicted, as seen below; but as also seen below, another 4th C. catacomb painting, of Christ as Alpha and Omega. Both pieces of Art are incredibly early, and probably both are the first directly attributable images of the Christ, in a deity image.

Commodilla Catacomb

First image of Christ in a beard,
late 4th C.

Christ the Good Shepherd
early Christian - 3rd C.
painting on ceiling, S. Callisto catacomb

early Christian
painting-sculpture
the earliest iconography, San Callisto

5th C. Coptic textile

The Heavens Declare - Oh The Wonder!

2006-05-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

A very good friend of mine has an expression, that echoes Psalm 19:

Oh The Wonder!!

The text from Psalm 19 has been a favorite of mine, for a very long time...
I love to look at the sky.

I've been late to work on some days, just for looking up at the clouds in the sky,

Enjoy the text of Psalm 19 ~ a few different ways... :-)

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Message:

Psalm 19

A David psalm

1God's glory is on tour in the skies, God--craft on exhibit across the horizon.

2Madame Day holds classes every morning,

Professor Night lectures each evening.

3Their words aren't heard,

their voices aren't recorded,

4But their silence fills the earth:

unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

God makes a huge dome

for the sun--a superdome!

5The morning sun's a new husband

leaping from his honeymoon bed,

The daybreaking sun an athlete

racing to the tape.

6That's how God's Word vaults across the skies

from sunrise to sunset,

Melting ice, scorching deserts,

warming hearts to faith.

7The revelation of GOD is whole

and pulls our lives together.

The signposts of GOD are clear

and point out the right road.

8The life--maps of GOD are right,

showing the way to joy.

The directions of GOD are plain

and easy on the eyes.

9GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,

with a lifetime guarantee.

The decisions of GOD are accurate

down to the nth degree.

10God's Word is better than a diamond,

better than a diamond set between emeralds.

You'll like it better than strawberries in spring,

better than red, ripe strawberries.

11There's more: God's Word warns us of danger

and directs us to hidden treasure.

12Otherwise how will we find our way?

Or know when we play the fool?

13Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

Keep me from stupid sins,

from thinking I can take over your work;

Then I can start this day sun-washed,

scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.

14These are the words in my mouth;

these are what I chew on and pray.

Accept them when I place them

on the morning altar,

O God, my Altar-Rock,

God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

A Special Treat - Rudolf Schäfer's altar screen from Germany

2006-05-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

These three panels are from an altar in Germany at a Mental Health Care facility sponsored by the Church. www.eben-ezer.de

Rudolf Schäfer was an artist who made many many woodcuts for Biblical publications, and a whole Bible published first in 1929.

I contacted the Eben-ezer facility and they sent me some photos of Schäfer's altar screen.
~ hope you enjoy them...

Barry Moser's Illustrated Bible, a First level source for Visio Divina image Meditations

2006-05-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Today, I wanted to introduce to you the Barry Moser Illustrated Bible, finished in 1999.
I am aware of only two bibles entirely illustrated in the woodcut style by one person in the 20th Century, The Moser Bible, and the Schäfer Bible, which I may cover later.

The Barry Moser Bible has 229 woodcut style images, done in a medium of plastic designed to mimic the best medium for wood engraving, English Boxwood.

Moser's images are starkly and terribly wonderful and extremely powerful. I am constantly stunned by these images, when I view this Bible. So Many of his images are really portraits, that do not limit the ethnicity of the person to western facial features, but many are semitic, giving great authenticity and strength to these portraits.

The versions appearing here are prepared by someone else, and their quality and contrast pale comparatively to their originals, but the cure is easy, and cheap...Buy a copy for yourself, and your family, and all your friends and loved ones, to share with all of them the power of images in their lives and relationship with God.

Here's a link for this at Amazon.com

This is really a classic and first level source of images to use in Visio Divina meditation... It's really a "WOW" bible.

The Road to Emmaus

John the Baptist

Elijah fed by Ravens

The Crucifixion (one panel of two)

Jonah and the Whale and a Young David

Here is a link for an internet story on Moser, and his life's journey, as related to his Bible images and their making:

Today in Literature: Barry Moser Bible

Cornelis Monsma Abstract Christian Artist

2006-04-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

"Prayer Focus", by Cornelis Monsma

I am always blessed by viewing, dwelling, meditating and enjoying Visio Divina Meditations with Mr. Monsma's work. You may too...

Cornelis Monsma's Website

Our Creator/Artist God Rejoices in His Works (artworks)

2006-04-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Reading this morning in an absolutely favorite psalm, Psalm 104, I was struck by God standing back, and looking at his creativity, enjoying it.

We so often do the same after completing a project, we spend time standing back and gazing upon the works of our hands... I just enjoyed thinking about God looking back at me, and enjoying that he'd made me... :-) Hmmm...

It's great to read the whole psalm, fast, then slowly, and then think about what catches your attention, and ask God to bring His mind to you... but here is a truncated version of Psalm 104 below... the parts that hit me this morning...

Have a great time with God today...

Paul

Psalm 104

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent

3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.

4 He makes winds his messengers, ^[a]
flames of fire his servants.

5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.

10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.

11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12 The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.

13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:

15 wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart.

16 The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the pine trees.

24 How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.

27 These all look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.

28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.

29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.

30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-

32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.

A Bit More for Holy Week ~ Favorite Unusual Images of the Season

2006-04-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

These images are some of my favorites for Visio Divina meditation, for the Easter Holy Week.

Be sure to click on an image that interests you, as the linked image is much larger for these images.

Grace and Peace to you, this Resurrection week...

Paul

Julius Schnorr, Peter Asks for forgiveness

Jacques James Tissot, What Jesus saw from the Cross

Salvador Dali, Christ of Saint John of the Cross

Rembrandt, The Three Crosses

Jean Leon Gerome, Consummatum est Jerusalem

He Qi, Easter Morning

Matthias Grünewald, Isenheim Altarpiece Resurrection

He Qi, He Is Risen

Stations of the Cross at Crossroads Church

2006-04-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

This week, my church, Crossroads Church in Corona, CA, presented 11 Stations of the Cross.
(not to be ignorant that there are more stations than that, it's just that 11 artists volunteered to make artworks for 11 stations, so there are 11 of them... :-)

But the Jesus is Whipped and beaten Station, just seemed to be so terribly well done, with the whip ends being the words, "ME", or "YOU". It is about 12 feet long, so the sheer size of the whip is overwhelming as well. Not to give the other stations short shrift, they were also excellent, done by talented Artists.

This one just hit me at a point of personal relevancy... as I suppose that the stations are supposed to do...

Good Good Friday. With the anticipation of Easter... :-) Paul

Passion Week Visio Divina Meditations

2006-04-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

For this Holy week, I thought that I might post the Holy week images from an old favorite book, "The life of Christ in Woodcuts", a book without words, just images, By James Reid, 1930.

So, Here's images to meditate upon for Holy Week, from the book, and these are the whole selection of this time period of the book, telling the story. Prior to these images, there is about two thirds of the book, and after, just two more images, 1. Giving the Great Commission, and 2. Christ's Ascension.

I pray that you can see God freshly anew in His magnificent Gifting this week.

As with all images, you can click to see a larger version, This one above is especially nice, and the larger version is bigger than the others...

Some Thoughts on Communion

2006-03-20T00:47:00.000-08:00

I couldn't begin to know what your experiences are with your Church life, in the celebration of Communion.

If you are Catholic or Orthodox or the like, you likely take communion every Sunday.

I grew up, and have attended churches that take the elements once a month --- until the Church I attend now, that does it every week. (and in some instances, like a monastery, you may take communion daily.)

Of course, daily or weekly communion can in time, fall into routine, and even contempt, or just the numbness of nothingness. And until my experience with my current Church, I would have preferred once a month, to keep it fresh and full of importance and meaning.

My new church is far from being a liturgically based church, it just takes the elements weekly. And I truly have appreciated this new and more frequently celebrated opportunity. Here’s my thoughts on why that is:

First, the man who speaks and leads this moment in the service, intentionally helps us to slow down, reflect and pray, and re-relate to God in that moment, helping put the Commune in communion. He really helps us to ‘be’ in that moment, instead of it being something to ‘do’, and get over with, so we can leave. It is this granting of unhurried grace to us in the chairs, that this man helps us to simply ‘be’ in those moments in time.

I am truly grateful for this leadership.

Second, this weekly remembrance puts me in a place of communing with my Creator God that is the duality of action and contemplation; ingestion of the elements, combined with mental and spiritual engagement with God in adoration, thankfulness, contrition, and confession. If your heart engages with God, even if it this once a week, it helps to make that connection with God.

And Third, it is this confessional aspect that also is helpful, in that it helps me to keep short accounts with God. Keeping short accounts means that coming to God in confession, helps to keep you from wandering far afield from God’s mind and intentions in your life path. I appreciate that keeping short accounts with God cultivates your communication and intimacy of relationship, and it is especially good for the maintenance of this most precious privilege of relationship.

Lastly, the Church also puts up on the Projection screen an image that acts as a focal point for your mind and medtational thoughts during this time. And Having a visual element in this time is very nice to dwell upon the richness of these significant moments. Sometimes it is a Stained glass image of Christ, sometimes it is a Cross image. But I appreciate this visual component immensely.

I pray that you can think of new ways to keep the celebration of communion fresh and vibrant.

Only by His Marvelous Grace,

Paul Kiler

St. Patrick's Breast-Plate prayer

2006-03-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Many many people have thought how beautiful this prayer is, you may as well... And this I post in his honor today.

The beautiful prayer of St. Patrick, popularly known as "St. Patrick's Breast-Plate",
is supposed to have been composed by him in preparation for this victory over Paganism.

The following is a literal translation from the old Irish text:

I bind to myself today

The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:

I believe the Trinity in the Unity

The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today

The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,

The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,

The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,

The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today

The virtue of the love of seraphim,

In the obedience of angels,

In the hope of resurrection unto reward,

In prayers of Patriarchs,

In predictions of Prophets,

In preaching of Apostles,

In faith of Confessors,

In purity of holy Virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today

The power of Heaven,

The light of the sun,

The brightness of the moon,

The splendour of fire,

The flashing of lightning,

The swiftness of wind,

The depth of sea,

The stability of earth,

The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today

God's Power to guide me,

God's Might to uphold me,

God's Wisdom to teach me,

God's Eye to watch over me,

God's Ear to hear me,

God's Word to give me speech,

God's Hand to guide me,

God's Way to lie before me,

God's Shield to shelter me,

God's Host to secure me,

Against the snares of demons,

Against the seductions of vices,

Against the lusts of nature,

Against everyone who meditates injury to me,

Whether far or near,

Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues

Against every hostile merciless power

Which may assail my body and my soul,

Against the incantations of false prophets,

Against the black laws of heathenism,

Against the false laws of heresy,

Against the deceits of idolatry,

Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,

Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today

Against every poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against death-wound,

That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ at my right, Christ at my left,

Christ in the fort,

Christ in the chariot seat,

Christ in the ship,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today

The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,

I believe the Trinity in the Unity

The Creator of the Universe.

Ecce Homo

2006-03-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

This is a favorite engraving of mine, although I yet to have a copy of it... (it's not really too expensive), and I'm not even sure why it is that I am so drawn to it, but it speaks to me.

Since this is Lent, it's an appropriate time to have this image in our minds... and it's a good image to meditate upon. Click on the image for a little larger copy to view.

Grace and Peace to you, Paul

An Artist's Prayer

2006-02-23T00:38:00.000-08:00

The Lord’s Prayer Meditations for Artists

“OUR FATHER” of an artist

by Beat Rink

Invitation to calm down and reflect with the "Our Father" of an artist

OUR

"Thank you, that I may say our father,
not only my father.
I belong to your congregation, and therefore I am not a lonely artist.
Let me think of other Christians as better than myself,
even when they don't understand me, or worse: when they admire me.
I want to be part of them, regardless of my imperfections -
I want to be part of your imperfect but loved people.
Thank you for all the other artists that know you:
Bless my sisters and brothers today
in the cultural world."

FATHER IN HEAVEN

"No, I don't have to be an autonomous artist,
or an outstanding genius.
Because you are higher than I am.
I am your creature. I am your child.
Everything that I have and all that I can do is a gift from you.
When I am in danger of becoming proud of my artistic uniqueness:
Please say to me:
"I have created you uniquely but at the same time you are my child
and my image, and that is much more!"

HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME

"Even if my name should be praised in the newspapers.
Even if art experts should say my name respectfully -
It would not be of importance!
Only your name is of importance!
I want to praise your name:
When I am successful
and when I am criticised.
When I am working all by myself
and when I am on stage.
When I perform in church
and when I present my artistic works
in secular circles.
When I present spiritual ideas and when my artistic works reflect
you in a more hidden way.
When my work is outstanding
and when it is mediocre
or even below my expectations.
I always want to praise you
And give my best for your glory."

YOUR KINGDOM COME

"Let me never forget: Your kingdom,
that has come with Jesus,
will come in unimaginable dimensions.
Your kingdom, that means
neither the realm of politics, nor of business.
Neither the realm of science, nor of culture.
Not the realm of the churches,
and definitely not my realm.
Your kingdom wants our kingdoms:
our nations and enterprises, our universities and museums,
our libraries and concert halls and theatres,
our churches and my own private kingdom
to pierce, to penetrate, to change
with love and justice.
Turn my art
into a yearning prayer
into a prophetic call
into a rejoicing hope
into a shrill warning:
Your kingdom come!
mankind's kingdom vanish!"

YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

"I need this prayer when I am strong-willed
and when I lose my sense of direction:
Lead me.
Create in me a new heart.
Fill me with your Spirit.
Help me not to follow paths that you don't like.
I am an artist.
I don't like compulsions.
I don't like the petty bourgois.
I don't like a pious style.
Thank you, that you don't force
any human will or religious culture upon me.
You don't force anything upon me.
In your will is freedom.
In your commandments is love.
And in your order is the power that frees me from compulsions:
From everything false around me
and within me.
Also from my own fatal will.
Your will shall coin and guide me day by day."

GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD

"You know that many artists have to fight for their existence.
You know that they also need spiritual bread.
Give me bread, Lord!
I will cast my worries on you. Give me bread.
I will then break it with the hungry ones.
I want to receive in order to pass on to others.
I don't want to be focused on my worries
but on you and your kingdom.
And then everything else will be given to me.
Thank you!“

FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN OUR DEBTORS

"If it is true that artists have a prophetic mission
that God's Spirit wants to speak through the arts
that art shall free from darkness
proclaim redemption
and glorify Jesus Christ
then it shall be free
free from everything that displeases you!
then as an artist I repeatedly
want to happily repent
and generously forgive others!
Show me what is unrighteous at me
pride, envy, wishes of having power,
living according to my desires,
discontent, bitterness, cynicism, superficiality,
pious behaviour, religious law-fullness
Take it away from me!!
Let me be a light
With my art!"

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE

"Thrice you, Lord, have been tempted.
And thrice you have said no.
Help me to say no, too.
No to the temptation to turn stone into bread:
To feed people with the arts instead of pointing to you!
No to the temptation to throw myself into the depth:
To indulge in artistic world-weariness and depression.
That is not from you. I don't want to shut out the suffering,
but it is not final, because your Son has hung on the cross!
And finally no to the temptation to slowly slide away from you
because of my success
And to bow down before the world (and all its demonic guarantees of success).
You alone I adore. With you I stay.
Deliver me from the evil one."

YOURS IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY

"Let something from your kingdom,
your power and glory shine through my art.
It is so difficult, for we have lost the language for it.
Help! I don't want to produce trash!
Please, add to my art a special dimension
of your glory.
I don't have any aesthetic concept,
no technique, no style for it.
Only your Spirit can do this!"

AMEN

"That's how it is!
How difficult this word is for me, sometimes.
I have been told doubts are chic
There is no definite truth.
Art has to constantly question things.
The Amen is therefore so important for me.
My sensitive and often shaken artists' psyche
strengthen it in an unshakable faith
that you live,
that you love me
and that you have also heard this prayer:
That's how it is!"

http://www.crescendo.org/index.php?id=84

2006-02-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

Placing reminders in our life, to come to God in prayer.

2006-02-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

My pastor from several churches ago, told a story of what he did to remind himself to pray. Everyday, as he drove to Church, to work, he stopped at a stop sign, before getting to work. (and it was probably early in his journey.)

He chose to use that particular stop sign as a Visual reminder to pray, during the journey to Work. (Now you might think that all Pastors *DO* is pray, but that is far from the truth, and you’d be amazed how little time many Pastors do pray each week…)

But the point here, is to take the idea of placing something in your life, to be a reminder of prayer for you.

I chose to include this image of a brick cross embedded in a wall, as a very obvious symbological visual cue, but anything can work, really…

Some people are afraid of prayer, in one way or another. But Prayer is really just a part of ‘being’ in relationship, instead of another ‘thing to do…’

Our lives are very often, and our church life is so very often centered around what we ‘DO’. But this is a ‘being’ thing… relationship is about being together, not just doing together… And it is *out* of our being in relationship, filling up our cup of communion with God, that our service and life of doing can be fed from. Our relationship with God needs to be a balance between the doing and the being, and the balance of the discipline of studying the bible, and the romance of having a relationship with God. We short shrift the people that we serve, our God, and ourselves, if we try to serve people and God out of the leakage out of the bottom of our cup, instead of from out of the overflow of the top of our communion with God cup.

Prayer isn’t formulaic, prayer is relational and conversational.

As Artists and Creative personalities, our mental makeup is much more weighted towards the romantic side of this balance between Discipline and Romance. And also, our psychological makeup is much more contemplative. This Contemplative way of being suits us well to be in relationship with God, in ways that other people who are more rationally and logically oriented may not be able to enjoy. This makes Artists especially suited to be able to have great relationships with our Creator God, and we should take all advantage possible in this vein to have special times and conversations with God.

And then, this gift of relationship with God can be shared in ways to our brothers and sisters who may be less able to enjoy this with God… *and* this relationship can be helpful in our art making, giving us insight into God’s heart, direction, and methods, helping our Art to shape our culture.

Relationship is really something to strive for, especially when combined with good efforts, to know the mind of God through studying His Word.

Let me know if you need any help in this area…

Grace and Peace to you…

Paul

Meditating on Themes in Music, and with Music

2006-02-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

With the advent of digital technologies to play and replay music, whether it is a CD or MP3 player that can sample or repeat a track passage of any length, or your computer which can repeat them too, there is a magic that comes from repetitively listening to music that is targeted to bring you into the presence, or the mind of God. The repetition is helpful in keeping your mind directed towards the subject of the lyrics, (whether they are sung or unsung, as long as you know them...)

The repetition is helpful in keeping your mind directed towards the subject of the lyrics, Oh, did I just repeat myself...? :-) The repetition helps me focus on God' and God's attributes, which is where we need to concentrate our thoughts, and not so much on what God will do for me, or has done for me. This meditation on God's person, helps us remove ourselves from the equation, and give credit where it is due, not to ourselves, in any way.

On occasion, there have been a few songs that have struck me so deeply on my first listening, that I have listened to it repeatedly for a couple of hours. (And this may seem incredible, but if you're struck dumb by beauty, it can work that way...), and I have continued to come back to these musical pieces for sustenance and Beauty.

One such musical piece that struck me, and made me completely incapable of doing anything but be entranced by it, was a live broadcast of "A Simple Song", from the Mass, by Leonard Bernstein. (Which I fortunately recorded) The Male vocalist had just the right tonality, and delivery, that made me melt into the lyrics, and into the musical simplicity, and the melodies that were slightly and flirtatiously atonal. The closest commercially available recording I've found to that first version I heard, is sung by Peter Hoffman, and conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas:

Mass, theatre piece for singers, players, & dancers A Simple Song

and here's another link for realplayer:
One Minute Clip

Another song that I have used while in the Studio making Artworks has been the song by Michelle Bloom, "When I survey" (the wondrous Cross). I found that I could play this piece of music literally, all day long, repetitively... Sure, I would get a tad bored, but I was intentionally placing my thoughts upon the Cross, through the song. My mind could come and go, in my noticing and interaction with the song, but it was there, all the time, and I could pay attention to it, or get wrapped up in my work for awhile, and then later, reconnect with it... and this helped me meditate on the message , and helped me to pray, all throughout the day. I've not been able to find an audio clip, but here's her website, and you'll need to write to her to buy a copy of the CD, or the song...

http://www.michellebloom.com

Here are some other pieces of music, or songs that I have been using in this way, and playing for either just the length of the recording, or playing for extended repetition:

Gavin Bryars' piece, "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet", a 74 minute piece formed around a street man/drunk singing an old hymn accapella, that repeats for the entire 74 minutes, and is accompanied for the recording by a full compliment of musicians, and later by Tom Waits.
You can find some of the background to the recording at Gavin's website, under the discography:
http://www.gavinbryars.com

Here is the recording:

In the same vein, and by the same artists, is Gavin Bryars', "The Sinking of the Titanic", that uses the Episcopalian Hymn, "Autumn" as the foundation for a repetitively slow changing and long piece that purposefully sounds as if the musicians are playing underwater.

Other pieces of Music that I use in alone times with God are nature sounds, and some of what people call "New Age" type music, that is essentially slowly moving music without words. This might be something like the idiosyncratic, global soundscapes of Stephan Micus:

I have mentioned all of the works above, because these works are very far from being in the prominent public eye, and would probably be completely hidden, were it not for friends recommending them to other friends... :-)

I pray that these words and music can bring your times with God to a different level, and bring your mind closer to focusing on God.

Grace and Peace to you. Paul

2006-02-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

What Color does God seem like today?

What color does your relationship with God seem like today...?

What color would you like it to be today?
If there is a difference, pray about this with God...

I hope that these questions haven't seemed silly, but an opportunity for you to engage your God in building your relationship, and engage your creative thought processes, and how you relate to the God who created everything... the Creator God.

Mull over these thoughts today, and then interact about them with God, and see what kind of interplay is the result...

Grace and Peace to you, Paul

Hymnsinger - The Witnessed Word

2006-02-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is a quote from my friend Gem Fadling’s Blog, I was touched by it…
-And, this is part of my series on the ways that God can speak to us, in this case, through the
"Witnessed Word", the cloud of many witnesses as seen from Hebrews 11.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

I'll share with you the lyrics of a song entitled, Hymns, from Cynthia Clawson's CD, Hymnsinger. The song was written by Paul McCusker & David Maddux. It is a tribute to those who have walked in faith before us. It is also a personal prayer that we might be an inspiration to those who come after us.

HYMNS

I hear their songs
Their words of beauty reaching deep
Within cathedrals of my heart
Angelic choirsReverberate the stained glass windows
Of saints and sinners in their place
Singing out "Amazing Grace"
While in the glory of their faith
I'm drawn to find my part
And sing with all my heart

I know their words
Their thoughts reflecting simple truth
Of testimonies rich in love
Their eyes can see
The mystery of loving kindness
Of chains and blindness torn away
Power found in each new day
The Lord's compassion on display
His touch from Heaven above
Gave words to speak their love

Composer of my soul
Show me all You show to them
The hymnwriter, hymnsinger
Let me know their eloquence
Let me share their offering
Put the notes in my heart,
The lyrics on my lips,
And let the essence of my life
Be a song that others will want to sing

I see their lives
Like tears that fall upon a page
A mark indelible in time
What sacrifice!
Their hearts poured out like raging water
For sons and daughters to believe
And generations to receive
The harvest white from all their seeds
No greater love sublime
Could change this heart of mine

Composer of my soul
Show me all You show to them
The hymnwriter, hymnsinger
Let me know their eloquence
Let me share their offering
Put the notes in my heart,
The lyrics on my lips,
And let the essence of my life
Be a song that others will want to sing

http://tidesofgrace.blogspot.com/

Thinking outside the box with Jesus

2006-02-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Many times in my life I have been the oddball, especially since I am an artistic personality, (surrounded by literal and linear thinking people…).

Non-linear thinkers, and those who think often in images, metaphors, and associations, all have a great model in Jesus to consider. Rules that were manufactured by people after God Spoke the law were ignored, and attitudes that placed more emphasis on personal exposure to something that might get them “dirty” in some way, over the act of loving the people in our lives were also put aside.

Creative people can immediately see through the manufactured false facades put in place by the religious people of Jesus’ day, and perceive that Jesus was about loving people, and loving them right where they were, right then. He didn’t love their sins, but He loved the people despite their sins. The small list below may provide you with some meditational moments some time this week.

Reflect on what Jesus did, and how you can follow him.

Jesus' nonconformity- as told in Luke

Association with lepers (5:12-16);

His claim to forgive sins (5:21);

Association with tax collectors (5:27-32);

Plucking grain on the Sabbath (6:1-5);

Curing on the Sabbath (6:6-11) n.b., esp. v 11.;

Association with Gentiles in the trans-Jordan district;

Association, even by touch, with a sinful woman (7: 36-50);

Association with women, some of high rank (8:1-3);

Association with dead girl and a menstrous woman ( 8:40-56).

Grace and Peace to you…

2006-01-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

Making Space for God

2006-01-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

As a Creative, I have immensely enjoyed the writings of Oswald Chambers, himself a creative. I highly recommend using My Utmost for His Highest as a part of any time alone with God, whether you be creative, or not. He really hits the nail on the head…

My Utmost for His Highest
Oswald Chambers

January 25
Leave Room for God

When it pleased God . . . — Galatians 1:15

As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him-to give God "elbow room." We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly— God meets our life ". . . when it pleased God . . . ."
Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.

+ + +

You can’t make space for God,
unless you intentionally leave space for God.

My Experience with being quiet and spending time with God, is that we have become such a busy culture, that we find it difficult to find the time to spend with God. And so, to make space for God, we have to leave the space for time with God, in our lives, and not let anything creep up to fill in this time. It is a life led by intentionality, planning, and an open handed attitude, palms up – if you will, waiting on God, in His presence, in direct communication, and communion. When you ask him to come be with you, be assured that He will.

At this point, there is quite a dearth of materials written to help an artistic and creative personality develop this time alone with God. Except for materials that I am writing, Don Postema’s book, “Space for God”, is really the only publication that has such a strong way to help Creative people draw closer to God, and I recommend it for yourself, or even a small group. He has written a series of meditative readings and spiritual exercises that will enrich your spiritual journey. The book includes many paintings and artworks, poetry, quotes, and Scripture.

There is a leader’s Guide for anyone able to use it in a group context. See below for this resource for your own time with God, or leading others through, after you use it first. I have enjoyed it very much.

Space for God, by Don Postema

Leader's Guide

And back to My Utmost for His Highest for a moment. Not too many people know that Oswald Chambers went to Art School in College, before he was a Preacher and Pastor. Chambers was one of us, he was just called to a larger ministry. But because he sees many things through that mindset, I have enjoyed his writings, and used My Utmost for His Highest for time alone with God for many years, and so, have cherished a leather bound edition that I use daily at home, a vest pocket leather edition that I travel with, and another hard cover edition, as well as the updated version. And I listen to it on Audio as well, when driving…I even keep spare copies around to give away to people…

My point is, that if you buy a copy, plan on buying one that you can use for many years to come… here is a link for the Leather bound version on Amazon, it’s worth the search to find yourself a good copy for your life’s growth.

My Utmost for His Highest leather bound edition

The Brick Testament - The Bible in Legos

2006-01-11T15:19:00.001-08:00

The Brick Testament
An illustrated Bible presented by The Rev. Brendan Powell Smith

http://www.thebricktestament.com

This is just so fun, the Guy has done loads of work... what agreat hoot, the Bible in Legos... WOW!!!

Here's the Last Supper

Artists are Missionaries of the Beautiful

2006-01-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

6-5-2001

This note I wrote, because I am drawn to Beauty and God, and am fascinated when they come together. I also enjoy the poetry of St. John of the Cross, a 15th C. Spanish Monk, whose relationship with God was really very good, and something that I would like to emulate in my life.

“One day, St. John of the Cross asked a nun in what her prayers consisted?

She replied,
‘In considering the beauty of God, and in rejoicing that He has such beauty.’

St. John of the Cross was so pleased with this, that for some days he said the most sublime things concerning the beauty of God, at which all marveled.”

- From the introduction of Poems of St. John of the Cross, by Roy Campbell

Then, I continued to meditate on this thought, and wrote:
Prayers, a life of prayer, “considering the beauty of God – and in rejoicing that He has such beauty…”

WOW!!!!! What a subject to pray about!!!

And to have Prayer be about beauty –
And to be in Prayer about this attribute of God ---
This is a powerful thought -- and revolutionary in opening up another line of thinking about God –

*God’s attributes – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Creator, Lover, Beauty-full, Artist

What are the Creative/Artistic attributes of God?
-Creator-God
-Designer
-Designer of the artistic/aesthetic systems
-Beauty
-Love (– it fits in here, because from it springs all else…)

These Creative/ Aesthetic attributes of God are so tremendous to dwell on, to give directees to meditate on, and to teach in workshops, lectures, and other group contexts.

- - - - -

Yesterday, I thought about the movie, “Il Postino”, (The Postman) I thought about how Pablo Neruda, the Argentine poet in exile in 1950’s Italy, helped to open up the person of the village postman – Neruda was a missionary of the creative – He helped the Postman realize the beauty of his place, his village and island, heretofore unnoticed and under-appreciated. The Postman started to perceive beauty anew, where there once was none, but only to his unopened eyes. That’s what I do for my Church. That’s what artists can do in their congregations, they help people “see” the beauty of the hand of God, and the beauty of God himself, by just being there, and pointing it out to them.

And so I come to this conclusion about Artists and their role in the Churches…

***Artists are Missionaries of the Beautiful***

There is much here to talk about to the Church.
We have been given a tremendous opportunity to be missionaries of God's great hand of Creation, to those people who don't seem to be able to take the time to look, and really see.

I just love this quote from the great painter, Georgia O'Keeffe:

“In a way, nobody sees a flower really, it is so small, we haven’t
time --and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.”
- Georgia O’Keeffe

Artists are often the only ones who take time to really see. This is a great asset, and if given graciously to the family of our church's congregation, we are able to show them God, through his Hand's creation. This is such a tremendous privilege.... and I'm so excited to be able to give this gift of sight to other people. In this, Artists and Creatives can model the lifestyle of knowing God by taking time to really "see" him, and taking the time to really "listen" in the quiet places.
"--and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.”

"Their strength is to sit still."

2006-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

This is a nice way to walk today, enjoy the Solitude, silence, and prayer...

Streams in the Desert
April 7
"Their strength is to sit still." (Isa. 30:7)

In order really to know God, inward stillness is absolutely necessary. I remember when I first leaned this. A time of great emergency had risen in my life, when every part of my being seemed to throb with anxiety, and when the necessity for immediate and vigorous action seemed overpowering; and yet circumstances were such that I could do nothing, and the person who could, would not stir.

For a little while it seemed as if I must fly to pieces with the inward turmoil, when suddenly the still small voice whispered in the depths of my soul, "Be still, and know that I am God." The word was with power, and I hearkened. I composed my body to perfect stillness, and I constrained my troubled spirit into quietness, and looked up and waited; and then I did "know" that it was God, God even in the very emergency and in my helplessness to meet it; and I rested in Him. It was an experience that I would not have missed for worlds; and I may add also, that out of this stillness seemed to arise a power to deal with the emergency, that very soon brought it to a successful issue. I learned then effectually that my "strength was to sit still." -Hannah Whitall Smith.

There is a perfect passivity which is not indolence. It is a living stillness born of trust. Quiet tension is not trust. It is simply compressed anxiety.

Not in the tumult of the rending storm,
Not in the earthquake or devouring flame;
But in the hush that could all fear transform,
The still, small whisper to the prophet came.

O Soul, keep silence on the mount of God,
Though cares and needs throb around thee like a sea;
From supplications and desires unshod,
Be still, and hear what God shall say to thee.

All fellowship hath interludes of rest,
New strength maturing in each poise of power;
The sweetest Alleluias of the blest
Are silent, for the space of half an hour.

O rest, in utter quietude of soul,
Abandon words, leave prayer and praise awhile;
Let thy whole being, hushed in His control,
Learn the full meaning of His voice and smile.

Not as an athlete wrestling for a crown,
Not taking Heaven by violence of will;
But with thy Father as a child sit down,
And know the bliss that follows His "Be Still!"
- Mary Rowles Jarvis.

From Paul:
Being still has been the only way to hear God's voice in my life.
When one can quiet down and just "be", instead of busy-busy-bee-doing, you are able to connect with God completely, and without the worries of hurries. Try it, and don't be in a hurry, around half an hour is a good amount of time to start with.

Grace and Peace.

Whose ‘Will’ will it be?

2006-01-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

“Jesus, in John 15:2, reminds us that he prunes the fruitful branch so that it will bear even more fruit. But a branch that has been pruned feels, for a time, that it is anything but fruitful. How can we come to understand the difficult places of our Christian lives as places that will result in even greater impact and godliness in and through us.” From My friend Alan Fadling’s website…

The pruning never feels good. And neither does the surrendering of our will to His Will.

This is the forming, reforming, conforming, and transforming of us into the image and likeness of Christ.

I’ve come to understand that the question of ‘Wills’ is at the heart of the problem of how we relate to God, and to the world.

My Will be done vs. Thy Will be done

Whose ‘Will’ will it be?

This question of wills, is also the question of pride and surrender, the pride in ourselves and our accomplishments and work, and the surrender of our right of being first, of our placement of ourselves before God, and our will instead of God’s will.

This question of ‘wills’ is the question of who’s on the throne of our lives, and the question of the surrender of the hidden places of our heart, especially like Pride.

And as a young and growing Christian, the question of wills, self, pride, etc.; these are the issues that young Christians need to ‘work out their salvation’ with, and crucify their own self desires, and pride, to allow God’s character to shine through them. Each successive layered removal of dingy self importance and prominence reveals the pristine light of God shining out from within. It reveals the dearly loved Child of God cohabitating with the Spirit shining out from within.

And as we mature in Christ, it is not the pride of self that presents itself to the world, but the Spirit that shines through us. This presentation of Christ in Us no longer becomes an “I”, but a “We”. The word “I”, no longer has the attitude of pride, because it represents a person wholly in intimate and constant communion with God, - that is, - representing God, more than yourself. Pride of self has stepped out of the way to let God shine through.

This little story about the Desert Fathers reminds me of this process of letting God shine through us:

An old monk lived in the desert. He was known as Abba Lot. One day he went to see another respected spiritual father called Abba Joseph, to ask for spiritual guidance. He said: "Abba, as far as I can, I say my little prayer office, I fast a little, I pray and meditate. I live in peace, and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What more can I do?"

Abba Joseph stood up, and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps, blazing with fire.

Then he said to Abba Lot: "If you really will, you can become all flame!"

+ + + + + + +

Responses:

Paul,
I like this perspective of wills. To me this feeds into the whole point of Creation and of Redemption-- that is, Relationship.

When I pray "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven", integrity demands I take on His will, crucifying every desire of
the flesh. *smile*

This sounds scary to a new Christian. What happens, in fact, is similar to Michelangelo's carving. The extraneous dross is subject to the chisel, and the self in every original God given quality emerges.

Conformance to His will is too often confused with conformance to a church or a pastor or even a pre-existing idea of Christ; however, God desires our eyes become trained on His countenance until we become like Him. Notice how the eyes of a baby seek the face of the parent.

Enoch did that.

Glory!

Song

The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

2006-01-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

Jesus speaks here about unresponsive people, and then about those who are tired of complications and religious-ness, come and hear his heart, mind, and words…

From The Message 1
Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
“Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”

Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:20-30

Sometimes, we as creative people in the Christian Faith, get subtly, or even not so subtly sidelined by the congregations that we attend. Or sometimes even just get asked to DO things for our Churches, they think that we should be just overjoyed at being given the chance to be a part of the church, and give what they think may take a couple of hours, but in reality, may take almost a weeks worth of our time and thoughts.

Their mindset is often that we would regard it as a privilege to be used by the Church, to help the Church. And all this for the momentary usage of our works, then they are pretty much discarded, and also for the momentary chance to belong to the club of our church, and for once, be accepted, but only because they actually found a “use” for us, and our work. This isn’t so much of a rant, as much as a reality that we must learn to deal with.

But thankfully, and MUCH more importantly, Jesus asks us to come to him simply to BE with Him, and to come with all that we are, and all that we carry around as different types of baggage.

Jesus asks us to find, in completely unforced and graceful ways, how to come and dance with him. How to come and find his paths, and walk together in the cool of the day, enjoying each others’ company, laughing and just having a great time together. Jesus doesn’t ask you to bring your paints and music charts and carving tools and word processors. He just asks you to come.

He just asks you to come and follow him,
- and he will give you rest.

He would like us to find the unforced rhythms of heaven’s graces, and enfold them into our lives, seeking to continuously and spontaneously be with him and enjoy the presence of God in our every moment of consciousness. This is about a relationship, not a duty or a supposed obligation.

Pray that the Spirit would show you what He wants to show you, and then go ahead and re-read the Matthew passage again, maybe a few times, and underline the phrases that stick out to you, and then write two or three of them below.

1 _______________________________________________________________________________________________

2 _______________________________________________________________________________________________

3 _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Dwell on these thoughts for a few moments…

Do these thoughts have any implications for your life?
- for your life in relationship with God?

Spend some time now speaking with God, and talking to Him about it means to you to walk together with Him. Honestly tell Him what He means to you, and where you would like to be with Him.

Again, go back to the passage, and write down the promises that God tells you about walking together with Him….

Where does this take you?

What new and fresh life patterns and rhythms of grace do you sense God leading you to enter into?

What might be new passions for me to develop?

Pray and ask for God’s help in accomplishing these changes in your life’s relationship with God.

1 Peterson, Eugene H., The Message, (Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing Group) 1997.

How to think about alone time w/ God - Structured Time vs. Unstructured Time

2006-01-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings in the Name of Jesus

Early on in my attempts to spend daily time with God, in solitude, silence, prayer, reading the Word, and Meditation, I struggled so much with simply finding the time to do so. Being a freelance Photographer, my schedule would change every day, and I could never seem to get God on my dayplanner's time schedule. I actually had made a commitment, with a group of other men and women at my church, to do this, AND, my Pastor was writing daily studies to go through.

I had the encouragement and prayers of others, I had something to do with God to spend time with Him, and I watched as others were indeed having this daily time, and were growing from it. I couldn't figure out why it was that I couldn't have this time with God.

I had the desire to do so.
I had the method and content to study and build up my relationship with God.
I had the encouragement from the (saints) around me.
I had time available in my schedule, even if I couldn't seem to find the time...
And, I was Single, with no Family or marriage responsibilites...

So what was the deal?

Earlier in my life, when I worked in a Photo Lab, everyday, I was able to get to work earlier than needed, go in my darkroom, close the door, and have time with God. (Then, the issue wasn't the time, but WHAT to study, and actually do with the time...?) Which I have now mastered... mostly,...

So, I compared the two settings in my life: the Structured Time of a regular houred job, and the completely Unstructured Time of the Freelance life.

My realization and solution to the problem, was that of imposing structure into the unstructured time schedule.

In order to have time alone with God, I would prepare for it, and schedule it in my brain, the previous day...

Somewhere in my day, I would review my schedule for tomorrow, and assess my start time and location, figure in my travel, equipment loading, shower and breakfast, then add 45 minutes for quiet time, and figure out what time I had to get up, to leave that hole in my schedule for God and me... This would tell me also what time I had to go to bed that night, so that tomorrow morning, I would not be so tired to want to hit the snooze button, and lose my time alone with God.

That system worked out quite well for several years, until I got Married, and have a little boy here around the house with me, as Mom goes to work, and I play dad/mom at home when I'm not working...

It's quite different now, with a wife who wants her snuggle time, and a baby who wants attention...

Now the strategy is changing, and I don't yet have the really good strategy yet, but is is developing.

But another strategy for being alone with God that has worked extremely well for me was having a place to go to for this time with God.
We lived in a Condo, and on the front of the house, we had a low wall, 6 feet from the front window, that stretched across the front, to the entry.
With large Plants growing there, for a screen, I built a very small deck, between the house and this low wall. This proved to be THE perfect size and place for me to have time alone with God, out of the house, listening and watching the birds and creatures, and watching the sky above.

It was a great place to listen for God's leading in my Life, and this intimate space helped grow my relationship with God immensely.
I liked the space, and sometimes had the time and inclination, that I would spend four or six hours out there with God, reading, praying, and listening for His voice. It was where God asked me to be a Pastor to Artists and Creatives.

If you have some level of control over your environment, I highly recommend making a personal space to spend time with God.

Maybe these thoughts can help you, or another person...

Only by His Marvelous Grace,
Paul Kiler
Art as Servant Ministries
1 Cor 3:5