Praying through Art

 

My Mom and Gram were great lovers of beauty – they taught my sisters and me to appreciate the beauty around us which God created, and they also taught us that being creative honors God’s gifts to us. Their view was that while God could have created everything monotone, no texture, no variety – He didn’t; the world He gives us is filled with color, contrasts, variety.

Gram had a flower garden that was famous in our county – people often stopped on the side of the road just to sit and look. She frequently dropped what she was doing to point out something remarkable: “see how these petals change so softly from one color to another, look at this little toad – how rough his back is and how the colors help him hide, see this tiny speckled egg, how perfectly it is formed”, and always followed by “isn’t God’s creation wonderful?”.

Mom had a particular talent for seeing beauty hidden beneath the ugly; she could root out a broken piece of furniture at a junk shop and see how it would look after being restored. She brought many beautiful things into our home. She sewed clothes for us that were anything but utilitarian; each piece was a work of art, beautifully executed and gorgeous colors. She encouraged our creativity – she graciously shared her art supplies, we often ate at the dining room table because the kitchen was full of painting projects.

The 16th century Sarum Prayer brings their influence to my mind:

God be in my head — and in my understanding

God be in my eyes — and in my looking

God be in my mouth — and in my speaking

God be in my heart — and in my thinking

God be at my end — and in my departing.      

Would you do a prayer exercise with me?

Find a piece of art, or an object (a leaf, a flower, a piece of glass…anything!) to which you are drawn; look at it critically…

What do you see that is remarkable? What do you see that makes you think of God’s imagination? His provision? Is it an abstract piece, drawing you in further and further and letting  your mind approach God’s presence, or a more literal piece that makes you ponder specifics: how fearfully and wonderfully human bodies are made, the majesty of mountains and valleys, the intricate detail of a flower blossom? Does it make you want to bring a specific concern to God, or does it put you in awe and gratitude for His provision?

 

 

Joy Christian

Art by Teagan Shroyer, 5 years

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