Going to Church

What do you remember about your youth? I remember times of awkwardness, times of embracing challenges that adults might have thought impossible because I didn't know fear, falling in love, and last but not least always going to church. Going to church is what we did--no question about it. Our family has done it for generations--no question about it. I was thinking about our youth director this morning. I know he's preparing for a confirmation retreat this weekend. Today I pray especially for parents of young children and youth and their spiritual leaders. May parents be encouraged to include their children in worship so it is only natural for the children to continue worshiping and become members of their faith communities as they grow into teens. Worship is work but it can be joyful work for an entire family if it becomes ritual and routine. Now I'll put my soapbox aside and let you enjoy the image below from one of my favorite American artists.

Going to Church, William H. Johnson, 1940-41, Smithsonian American Art Museum

William H. Johnson painted rural scenes inspired in part by his memories of growing up in South Carolina. This family of four rides on an oxcart toward a distant hill, where three crosses mark their physical destination as well as their spiritual home on Calvary.

Church and Steeler's Football

I love my hometown of Pittsburgh. Currently it's hard not to get swept up in Steeler's Nation excitement even though I'm not a native nor am I a huge professional football fan. Someone suggested the studio might enjoy making Steelers' stoles for pastors to wear this Sunday. I'm sure I could sell at least one, but we chose to keep worship of God....just that, and nothing else. The closest we ever came to breaking this was for a pastor that ministers in a college town with two schools that have a huge rivalry. We created the stole in this photo for him. The Sunday prior to "the big game" he walked into worship wearing both school's colors. When it was time to delivery the sermon he approached the pulpit and reversed the stole to the other side that delivered the message of peace. I wasn't worshiping with this congregation on that Sunday but I did appreciate this pastor's desire to connect to his congregation with his sense of humor yet in the end try to bring them around to focus on the Lord. Carrot Top Studio enjoys a challenge and we look forward to the next "unique" commission!

Simple Can Be Great

This is a great example of a banner that is just a solid color and what a wonderful statement it can make. We spied this banner at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Center. The simplicty works well because there is much else happening visually. Churches with worship spaces that are visually "busy" might consider keeping their injections of color and textiles very simple. Color can be a statement within itself. Upcoming solemn, somber, penitential Lent is a great example of a time when this might work well....think solid, deep, dark purple!

Intriguing Video

Into Great Silence was the most intriguing film I watched while enjoying some downtime during the Christmas season. I've always been curious about monestaries and the lifestyle that surrounds them. Watching this film totally immerses you into the daily life in this simply beautiful setting and the daily life of the monks. One of the conditions of the creation of the film was that no additional voiceovers or background music would be added. I understand the request but I think it is also an artistic benefit allowing the viewer to be totally absorbed. Viewing this community that is totally committed to serving the Lord made me step back and look a little closer at my life. "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) is a piece of scripture that I am often drawn to....probably because it takes a lot of work for me to be still. Watching Into Great Silence affirms that I could work a little harder in 2009 on this 'skill'! If you haven't seen this film I recommend you find a venue, go in with an open mind, and enjoy the art.

Epiphany

Epiphany comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which is translated both as "coming" and as "manifestation" or "appearing." While Christmas celebrates Christ's coming in the Incarnation event, Epiphany celebrates manifestation--the ways in which the Incarnation is revealed to us. Today we celebrate Christ's identity being revealed to the world with the visit and adoration from the Magi and Jesus' first miracle at the wedding at Cana. Today may we have a glimmer of understanding of the hugeness of this revealed mystery of Christ.

Celebrating Ephiphany Sunday

Didn't get enough of "We Three Kings" in worship today? Watch this video that combines the song with images by artists throughout the ages.

Merry Christmas!

The studio closes at noon today and we're grateful for the busy season that it has been for us but we are also looking forward to a week's respite with family and friends. What gets me through this jam packed season that is really supposed to be about expectant waiting and preparation is a new book of meditations I treat myself to each year, all the delicous sugary treats, and laughing at commercial advertisements for "the season". Here were a few commercial slogans that gave me a chuckle this year:

• Let’s make Christmas! (how could we "make it" better than it's already been made?)


• You can give them Christmas (for a jewelry store)


• A million reasons to Believe (for a department store)

Merry Christmas to you and yours. We look forward to the next year of helping you celebrate the visual with stoles and worship banners from our studio.

Greeting Cards

It's the season to receive an influx of Chrismas cards. Many of those with religous art images will be reproductions of Renaissance paintings. Paintings from this time period were produced for churches, for the home, or for people to travel with and show others to inspire or help others contemplate a scene in hopes that they would draw closer to the meaning of the life of Christ. The symbolism is extensive in these paintings. A wonderful article is found here if you'd like to learn more about decoding specific symbols such as why Joseph is often portrayed as an old man, why we don't see more paintings that include a cave, and what the order of the wisemen and how they are standing might mean. I love the idea of the Renaissance notion that the art can be a teaching tool or open the door for conversation with a friend. This isn't so foreign an idea for us today. We sometimes just need reminders that there is a vast amount of people that respond to the visual. Enjoy your Christmas cards and consider setting them in obviously places for others to see or saving the artwork to use at a later "teachable moment".

Looking for a Christmas Craft?

Here's an idea based on an old favorite activity...

Create a "Chain of Blessings" that will decorate your christmas tree: using colorful slips of construction paper, have each family member or church member write down blessings that they have enjoyed throughout the year; attach the slips together to make a paper garland of blessing around the christmas tree.

If you've like to go the extra mile and create a chain that can be enjoyed and added to for many year you can make it out of fabric and write your blessings with a fabric maker. Here is a tutorial.

Chains like this are great because they can be made by all ages, can be a great "team" project, and the repetative activity can actually be soothing and calming cause us to sit and pause during what is supposed to be a reflective season. Have fun!

And the winner is....

Drum roll please...G.S. from Virginia is today's winner of 50% off a stole from our website! He is a longtime client of our studio and enjoys officaiting at weddings. An interesting fact regarding his ministry is that he says the official blessing for the participants at his local breat cancer awareness walk in the fall.

Thanks to all that participated with such interesting comments, nuggets of history, and insight as to why we celebrate Christmas in December!

Keep checking the Carrot Top Studio blog--you never know when the next contest or special offer will be.

First Ever Christmas Trivia Contest!

The Holy Family, Giorgione, probably 1500, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

This past Sunday I ushered in Advent by worshiping at a church that is not my home church. I was there to hear a candidacy sermon and observe the congregation calling a new associate pastor. It was joy filled and if you have time to pause and listen to the 11/30 sermon you may do so here.

Digesting the sermon prompted the topic of Carrot Top Studio's first ever trivia contest. Comment on the trivia question on this blog post and you will be entered to win a 50% off coupon for any stole on our website excluding the Haiti stole series (because we don't want to take away from the profits that go to this mission). The coupon may be used anytime in the next six month. If you don't need a stole and you win the 50% off coupon you may let us know that you are gifting the certificate to someone that might enjoy it. If you're not a "blogger" emails us at jenny.gallo@CarrotTopStudio.com and we'll make the entry for you.

What's the trivia question? .... Why do we celebrate Christmas in December?

All commenters will be entered to win and one name will be drawn to be the winner.Contest closes at midnight, December 7, EST. Winner will be notified on 12/8/08.

We're Reading...

Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas compliled by Plough Publishing House. It contains a meditation for each day of the Advent season and is easy to pick up and put down as time allows. The complided authors include Bonhoeffer, Eliot, Lewis, and Yancey among many other wise sages.

Senses of the Soul: Art and the Visual in Christian Worship, by William Dyrness is really making me think. It combines historical fact with contemporary research adn observations. It seems like it will be a great springboard for discussion in churches seeking to begin, expand, be more sensitive to including the visual in Christian worship.

Happy Thanksgiving

Perfect for today, The Doxology... as we celebrate the American holiday Thanksgiving...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him, all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye heavenly host:

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Christ the King Sunday

Tomorrow is the last Sunday of Ordinary Time and we will celebrate Christ the King. It is a day to celebrate and remember Christ's kingship over all creation, as well as a time to remind us that all mankind should follow Christ. What did it mean for him to be a king? Jesus led with acts of kindness, peacefulness, and service--to all. He was a great listener. He did not hold up cultural standards to judge others. May we try with earnest to follow by his lead.

Count Down to Advent

I look forward to times of preparation. I've never been one that was able to rush into something so making a list for a large family meal like Thanksgiving, the nine months of pregnancy or the seasons of Advent and Lent are times that I look forward to and cherish. During Advent and Lent I usually chose a book to work my way through. These are typically very busy times in my professional cycle at Carrot Top Studio so having a book seems to ground me into a routine of quiet thoughtfulness and focus. God With Us edited by Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe has been sitting on my desk for a month. I've read the intro pages and can hardly keep from peeking ahead. It focuses on "Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas" through daily meditations, scripture, historical references, and fine art from many different ages. If this lovely text sounds just right for you and you can't get your hands on it you can subscribe to receive the daily meditations at the rediscovering website hosted hosted by the editors.

The Circle

For many years I've heard about an exciting ministry in my hometown that uses a dynamic blend of music and drama in their worship services. It was joyful to finally have the opportunity to worship with the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh, PA last Sunday. They desire to be a bridge to Jesus Christ by participating in communion, welcoming all into community, listening and having compassion, growing in faith and sharing Christ’s story with the community in this area of Pittsburgh, the surrounding neighborhoods, and the world. The worship ended with Communion served as we exited to go to an outside patio. All worshipers exited, received the elements and then stood in a huge circle to pray and receive a benediction. How fitting it was to stand in a circle for this sacrament. I love the symbolism of a circle: unity, God's neverending love, the Church universal, completeness. Additionally we chose to place this ancient symbol in our new mini-banner that focuses on the story of the hemorrhaging woman as recorded in Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, and Luke 8: 43-47. The circle is this artwork is to remind us of the committment of our whole selves to God. I'm thankful for the spiritual nourishment of present day experiences like taking Communion but also remain thankful for being able to learn from stories from the past like the couragous women of the gospels.

The Church Door

I appreciate great craftsmanship and making a house of worship special....God certainly deserves special in my mind! I'm intrigued by church doors as symbols of hospitality and a signal to those that enter of what lies ahead as they enter a worship space. For example, I'm intrigued by color, so I often find myself smiling as I drive past a row of churches in my community that all have red doors. Red can be warm and inviting, calling out to welcome a stranger or new comer. To a Christian these red doors also remind us of the Holy Spirit, alive within us and the church community within the doors. Last weekend I had an opportunity to visit the Duke University and my first stop was to see the Chapel--a grand, gothic building I have heard so much about and a faith community that I occassionaly enjoy listening to their worship services recorded online. This is one of the doors that leads to the Duke Chapel. The iron work is so unique and special I felt like the door was crying out "come in and discover what dwells within." Is your church door welcoming, intriguing, and full of Spirit? Beyond this I wonder today how we can be like a church door. Do people see us and our actions and wonder what it is that is special? Are we paving the way with welcome and hospitality for those that have not entered into a relationship with Christ to find out more? Today I set out to be a door. May God use me.

All Saints Day

Halloween and trick-or-treating provide for a very "sweet" holiday but this Sunday many churches will celebrate the even sweeter All Saints Day. Here is artist Wassily Kandinsky's (1886 – 1944), the father of abstract art, interprutation of "All Saints Day"--

Some historians believe this special day has been in existence since the year 270. This is an opportunity to honor all saints of the church even those not yet named and many include this to also celebrate unity within the entire church. We recall men and women of the Bible like Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Deborah, Ruth, David, Elijah, Peter, and Paul (among others), and thank God for their examples. Many congregations also memorialize those parishioners who were called to be with the Lord in recent years, particularly in the last year. Finally and most importantly, on this day we glorify God not just for the faithfulness of the saints, but for His faithfulness to the saints. Celebrate by gathering with friends and family at a special meal and discuss atttributes of saints you strive for, light candles in cemetaries, toll bells in your church buildings and celebrate in prayer in worship.

Let There Be Light!

My hometown of Pittsburgh, PA is celebrating it's 250th birthday this year. Throughout the year we are getting to celebrate in many different ways. Currently we are celebrating the transformational quaility of light as a reminder that Pittsburgh has also been transformational throughout history. Under the direction of Lucette de Rugy of Artlumiere, international designers have transformed building facades into stunning works of art. Pictured here is the Cathedral of Learning of the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Additionally, numerous Houses of Worship are lighted in subtle ways, under the direction of Adam Koe Leong, to showcase architectural detail and stained glass best seen at night. Pittsburgh recognizes the importance that faith and worship has played in its history.

Last night I had the opportunity to witness several of these buildings. They were absolutely stunning! As my daughter reacted dramatically to the effect it led me to think of times in worship that the experience had been enhanced with unique lighting. I remember an Easter sunrise service, an Advent Taize service lit by candelight, and a Lenten Tenebrae service. We try to remember the senses outside of auditory when planning worship...such as the visual which typically means stoles, paraments and banners, or the sense of smell with incense or a fresh baked loaf of bread for Communion. How does the use of light come into play when we plan a worship service? Bright light, no light, directed light, diffused light, lights that change, natural light, colored light....so many options...thanks be to God for light!

Harvest Thanksgivings

I must confess I love fall! Among other things it's the colors, the smell of the air, and the sight of the leaves swirling down from the tree branches. This change of seasons is very energizing to my creative soul. For example, since May I have been trying to support our local economy and eat healthier by buying all of my family's produce at the farmer's market. We've discovered that artichokes can be grown in Pennsylvania if it rains at the right time, that brussel sprouts grow on a stalk, and we're currently eating varieties of apples that we'd never even heard of before. This has been a fun endeavor that has expanded my cooking reportorie, opened up our palates to new tastes, and has made me very thankful for those that dig the earth, plant the seed, and lovingly nurture the produce that ends up on our tables. I've supported this experience by slurging on a new cookbook, In Season, by Sarah Raven. It's of course not about liturgical seasons, but celebrates the seasons of the earth.....so, for example, if you stumble upon something like a quince and have no idea what to do with it you can use this book as a reference and it will give you several practical recipes that use quinces.

It's rare that I can separate my personal life from my life in the studio because my studio life is very much a part of who I am. All the wonderful fall produce at the farmers market and the upcoming American time of Thanksgiving found us creating a new harvest stole design. It's a bargain on ebay this week and in the future you can find it here on our website.

I'm signing off to go celebrate the harvest and this God's great creation by making cauliflower soup from the largest, most magnificent looking head of cauliflower I've ever seen before.