Lectionary Art: Eating Meals

If you follow the Lectionary you probably know that one of the text's this week is the story of Jesus at a Pharisee's house. It is found in Luke Chapter 14. This story speaks to me because I'm a bit of a foodie and absolutely love it when our house is full of people sitting around the table for food and conversation. I'm thankful that there are so many Biblical examples that involve scenarios around sharing a meal because I can relate to them. Luke shares this story so we can see that service is more important than status and that the table is open to everyone. Here are two master art images that illustrate this lesson...

Tamalada, Carmen Lomas Garza

Making tamales is an experience of food and gathering of people around a table...often for a special occasion. Everyone is welcome! Everyone has a job to complete and no job is more important than another. The tasks are all required for the end result to occur. 

• how does your family celebrate special occasions?
• how do you include everyone in your family whether they are a blood relative or not?
• why do you think the artist chose such vivid, happy colors for this painting?

Mother with Baby, a Child Placing Bread in an Oven, Hablot Browne 

Artist Hablot Browne sketched a child serving by helping with the bread baking. This is fitting for our Biblical text because it can cause us to think about who is able to serve.

• how do the simple colors and loose lines make you feel? Do they enhance or detract from the story the artist is telling?
• examine the facial expressions. What do they imply about the scene and everyone's level of "status" at this frozen moment in time?
• how old do you need to be to serve? How do you serve in your home? 

Faith, Hope and Love

Finding the batik fabric on this stole, knowing we have several more weeks to honor Ordinary Time, and recently reading a reflection on 1 Corinthians 13:13 (and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love) led us to create a new stole focused on this passage.


I appreciate the study notes for this passage that are in my NIV Bible. The author shares: In morally corrupt Corinth, love had become a mixed-up term with little meaning. Today people are still confused about love. Love is the greatest of all human qualities, and it is an attribute of God himself. Love involves unselfish service to others; to show it gives evidence that you care. Faith is the foundation and content of God's message; hope is the attitude and focus; love is the action. When faith and hope are in line, you are free to love completely because you understand how God loves.


We have messages of love all around us. Some are positive examples and some are not. At the forefront of my mind is the flooding in Pakistan and the apparent lack of support these people in need are receiving. It seems as if Americans showed their love in a different way when there was an earthquake in Haiti last February. Secondly, while in the studio this week I've been listening to the novel Glass Castle. It's the story of children raised by parents who had issues with alcohol, sexual abuse and neglect but the children unconditionally love their parents who really short change the love back at them. The children shouldn't have to be more mature in their loving than the adults. They are a positive example. Lastly, my oldest child becomes a college freshman next week. I'm having to lean on my faith, hope AND love on this one. I'm so proud of this young man that leaves his heart open to listen for God's guidance, and I have faith that while listening he has made great choices for his future. And now I am leaning on my faith, and hope and God's love as I prepare for this next stage of parenting. We wish that this stole will be a visual reminder of love being more than an emotional high; it is a conscious choice, a continuing commitment as we chose to nurture that love so it can grow.

What Others Have Said about "Church Art"

A few bits of wisdom to dwell upon from those who have gone before us on the topic of "church art"...

We are able to feel and learn very quickly through music, through art, through poetry some spiritual things that we would otherwise learn very slowly.- President Boyd K. Packer, 1976 Devotional Speeches of the Year

When I was teaching (yup, that's a very 80's looking photo of me) I tried to implement activity for all learning styles into my lessons (as the quote above implies). Now I have also come to understand that this applies to people of all ages and carries into worship and the work we do as the church.

The invention of the arts, and other things which serve the common use and convenience of life, is a gift of God by no means to be despised, and a faculty worthy of commendation.- John Calvin

I recently stayed in an old monastery turned inn and was delighted to see the baptismal font still on the premises. It was literally simply elegant. It served as a reminder to me of church art that is functional and has a common (yet special) use. The simplicity of the font drew a vision in my mind of the water being poured from a shell....a wonderful specimen of art gifted from God's natural world. Maybe Calvin would have appreciated this?

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.- Thomas Merton

Art can be complex and deep in meaning or simple and superficial...such as these fabric banners seen this summer at Laurel Mountain Christian Camp. They are a simple use of color and line to evoke the feeling of joy for the Lord that is felt by these campers as they worship in the mountains away from their city homes. With the aid of the visual and the art in the music the children find themselves and lose themselves all at the same time as Merton suggests is possible.          Photo credit: Ian Gallo.

Christian art is by no means always religious art, that is, art which deals with religious themes. Consider God the Creator. Is God's creation totally involved with religious subjects? What about the universe? the birds? the trees? What about the bird's song? and the sound of the wind in the trees?- Francis Schaeffer

Did Schaeffer mention the bird's song? You might recall reading about these babies born above our back door. We're proud to announce that just months later the nest is being used again and each morning I am greeted with the song of hungry little ones. I thank God. 

Arts in the church can be many things. How are you and  your congregation doing? 

Five Favorite Faith Based Children's Books

Several friends having babies recently found me in a children's book department scooping up copies of beloved titles to enhance these little one's bookshelves. Children's picture books can be a great source of faith based images and symbols. Here are five of my favorites...

Babushka by Sandra Ann Horn tells the story of a journey to Bethlehem to meet a special newborn baby. This is a lovely tale of a star, an angel and the swirl of mystery. What draws me into this book are the illustrations by Sophie Fatus....the camels seen on the cover are a great example of her whimsical artistic style.

I had a phase in which I was obsessed with versions of the Noah story. Maybe that's why I love making our Noah's ark stole? Regardless, Noah's Wife by Marty Rhodes Figley is one of my favorite Noah version for children. This delightful tale focuses on Noah's "very, good wife." If you're a wife you'll love the symbolic image this woman sets forth to be. She'll make you laugh and appreciate what a caring and capable person God gifted Noah with.

Speaking of women, another beloved tale is titled Mrs. Moskowitz and the Sabbath Candlesticks by Amy Schwartz.This is the winner of the National Jewish Book Award among other accolades. It focuses on ritual, tradition, family and making a home. I've enjoyed using this book when discussing keeping the Sabbath and traditions and symbols that span from our Jewish roots into our Christian faith. The author's black and white illustrations are especially charming and cozy.

An additional book filled with delightful black and white illustrations is A Children's Guide to Worship by Ruth L. Boling. This pack filled resource/story will engage children and adults alike while it defines the breadth and depth of the rhythm of liturgy. I've used it with my children at home, in classes on worship and have seen it in pew racks in church sanctuaries. If you like this you'll enjoy Ruth's other titles on worship and the seasons of the church year also.

And last but not least is One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham. This is such a unique version of the Christmas story spanning from the creation story to the Resurrection. And, Richard Jesse Watson's illustrations are nothing short of amazing. They are artistic interpretations that tell the story just enough so you know what it's about but then leave you thinking and wondering. This is a great title to venture through slowly--savor it throughout the days of Advent.


What are some of your favorites?