Sunday, December 9, 2007
Trinity
A while ago, I was talking with a friend who was struggling with the concept of the Trinity. As I thought about this, I couldn't help but think of electricity. If we are the light bulb, the Father is the source of electricity or the breaker, Christ is the medium through which the electricity is poured or the cord, and the Holy Spirit is the flow of electricity by which the light bulb is lit. All three are necessary to light the bulb. As humans, we can go throughout life without the Triune God, but we fail to fulfill our purpose. Just as a light bulb can exist without being lit, but what's the point.
Advent 2007
Dedicated as a Christmas gift to my dearest friend, Jason. God bless.
Hope
Advent – Week 1
God, by the power of your holy son’s blood, you wash away our sins.
Initially this was a “mess up”. I’d tried to create a sunrise… a tree… I failed.
I painted the entire canvas blue and began dripping water over the painting. Gradually, the water began to remove the layers of paint wherever it passed. This got me thinking – Jesus’ blood similarly washes the sin from our souls – so I added red.
Sin is usually symbolized with black, so once again I started over. This time, I painted the canvas black.
As I dripped the red across the black, I realized I’d have to add water to thin it enough to get the effect I wanted. Adding water to the red paint, I thought of baptism and how through the sacrament we are made new and cleansed of our sins.
The black began to fade and the white of the canvas underneath began to show as the “blood” and water washed over it.
Dipping the brush repeatedly into the water made it cloudy and black. With fresh water, the white of the canvas showed through even more.
By Christ’s blood and the water of our baptism, our sins are washed away. And yet we continue to fall short and sin. When we let go of our pride and regrets, and renew ourselves in Christ, we allow Him to work more deeply – just as getting fresh water helped to bring out more of the original white of the canvas – how the Creator originally formed us. The process of being completely restored in Christ takes a lifetime, but hopefully in the end we will have / become a clean canvas. In the meantime, let us humbly enjoy the beauty of what He is doing – transforming our hearts.
May we fully yield ourselves to Christ’s transforming love through His death on the cross and new life through baptism.
Peace
Advent – Week 2
God, in the chaos and confusion of life, may we find calming peace in knowing that you are supreme. You make everything we see and all that lay beyond the stretches of our imaginations. When we look out to the night sky, let us be reminded that you are much bigger than anything we could ever know and that you’re orchestrating it all.
I had in mind what I wanted this painting of peace to look like. Yet, as I began to put my thoughts onto the canvas, they became muddled. Taking a deep breath, I painted it all black and set it aside to dry.
Turning to work on the next canvas, I became frustrated once again that my ideas were not transpiring as I so desperately wanted them to.
Breathing in deeply and whispering a calming prayer, I began to paint with a watery paintbrush that splattered all over – including the blackened canvas that I’d set aside to dry. The splatters looked like stars. Returning to the black canvas, I flung more paint across the canvas to reveal a galaxy of stars that looked more impressive than the original idea I was going for.
Suddenly I realized that while my hands and mind were working – choosing the colors and actions – the ability to create or produce anything remotely meaningful comes from God. Just as the paintbrush is my instrument, I am His.
Let us humbly yield ourselves to God, that He may produce wonders beyond our imagination and find peace in serving the Artist of all.
Joy
Advent – Week 3
God, may we experience your overwhelming joy as we offer ourselves to you. Let us share the love you have so selflessly offered us with all who you bring into our lives.
Once again, this painting is not my own.
For quite some time I struggled with every detail of this piece, including the color. As you can see from the edges, I went from bluish-green to brown. Several times I scraped and wiped the canvas until finally the dingy background is what I was left with.
Mixing a green, I simply began to paint squiggly (yes, that’s a professional term) lines. Then I highlighted them in yellow and red – still having no idea where the painting was going. Randomly, I decided to add some blue.
All the while thinking of God’s joy and trying to figure out just what exactly it means to have His joy and to spread it. Most of the time, I find God’s joy in serving others and giving of what He’s offered me.
As I stepped back and looked at this new creation, I realized that there is almost the outline of a hand opened. Interesting that when we are open to God and use what He’s given us, we often use our hands.
The brown background reminds me that the work we are called to do is not always pretty and glamorous.
The random blue parts make me think of the Spirit and how it’s the Spirit that through each of us to reach others.
May we open ourselves to humbly serve the Lord and His people while allowing God to work through others to reach us. Thank you for helping us to recognize that to give is often much better than to receive. Help us to keep this in mind throughout this blessed season.
Love
Advent – Week 4
God, may we learn to love as you do – willingly offering all that we have for the betterment of others.
Originally I was going to paint a picture of a flower reflected in water with the idea is that God’s love is the flower and we reflect it – imperfectly.
Anyway, as usual the idea did not work so well and the canvas ended up blue. Playing around with some yellow and white, it began to form a shining star. I thought about the star of Bethlehem and the beginning of Christ’s life.
God expressed His love for us by coming to the earth. But the extent of His love did not end there.
He loved us so much that He took our sins upon Himself at Calvary while we mocked Him, placing on His head a crown of thorns. Talk about indescribable and unselfish love.
The whole meaning of Christmas is bound up in this painting that yet again I did not intend to paint.
God, your love is so amazing. I stand in awe, wondering ‘why me’? So often I've taken advantage of the unfailing love you offer – acknowledging this, I am ashamed and humbled. I don’t deserve this kind of love. Everything I have – the very breath in my body – is given to me freely. How generous you are, Lord. Teach me to love as you do.
Hope
Advent – Week 1
God, by the power of your holy son’s blood, you wash away our sins.
Initially this was a “mess up”. I’d tried to create a sunrise… a tree… I failed.
I painted the entire canvas blue and began dripping water over the painting. Gradually, the water began to remove the layers of paint wherever it passed. This got me thinking – Jesus’ blood similarly washes the sin from our souls – so I added red.
Sin is usually symbolized with black, so once again I started over. This time, I painted the canvas black.
As I dripped the red across the black, I realized I’d have to add water to thin it enough to get the effect I wanted. Adding water to the red paint, I thought of baptism and how through the sacrament we are made new and cleansed of our sins.
The black began to fade and the white of the canvas underneath began to show as the “blood” and water washed over it.
Dipping the brush repeatedly into the water made it cloudy and black. With fresh water, the white of the canvas showed through even more.
By Christ’s blood and the water of our baptism, our sins are washed away. And yet we continue to fall short and sin. When we let go of our pride and regrets, and renew ourselves in Christ, we allow Him to work more deeply – just as getting fresh water helped to bring out more of the original white of the canvas – how the Creator originally formed us. The process of being completely restored in Christ takes a lifetime, but hopefully in the end we will have / become a clean canvas. In the meantime, let us humbly enjoy the beauty of what He is doing – transforming our hearts.
May we fully yield ourselves to Christ’s transforming love through His death on the cross and new life through baptism.
Peace
Advent – Week 2
God, in the chaos and confusion of life, may we find calming peace in knowing that you are supreme. You make everything we see and all that lay beyond the stretches of our imaginations. When we look out to the night sky, let us be reminded that you are much bigger than anything we could ever know and that you’re orchestrating it all.
I had in mind what I wanted this painting of peace to look like. Yet, as I began to put my thoughts onto the canvas, they became muddled. Taking a deep breath, I painted it all black and set it aside to dry.
Turning to work on the next canvas, I became frustrated once again that my ideas were not transpiring as I so desperately wanted them to.
Breathing in deeply and whispering a calming prayer, I began to paint with a watery paintbrush that splattered all over – including the blackened canvas that I’d set aside to dry. The splatters looked like stars. Returning to the black canvas, I flung more paint across the canvas to reveal a galaxy of stars that looked more impressive than the original idea I was going for.
Suddenly I realized that while my hands and mind were working – choosing the colors and actions – the ability to create or produce anything remotely meaningful comes from God. Just as the paintbrush is my instrument, I am His.
Let us humbly yield ourselves to God, that He may produce wonders beyond our imagination and find peace in serving the Artist of all.
Joy
Advent – Week 3
God, may we experience your overwhelming joy as we offer ourselves to you. Let us share the love you have so selflessly offered us with all who you bring into our lives.
Once again, this painting is not my own.
For quite some time I struggled with every detail of this piece, including the color. As you can see from the edges, I went from bluish-green to brown. Several times I scraped and wiped the canvas until finally the dingy background is what I was left with.
Mixing a green, I simply began to paint squiggly (yes, that’s a professional term) lines. Then I highlighted them in yellow and red – still having no idea where the painting was going. Randomly, I decided to add some blue.
All the while thinking of God’s joy and trying to figure out just what exactly it means to have His joy and to spread it. Most of the time, I find God’s joy in serving others and giving of what He’s offered me.
As I stepped back and looked at this new creation, I realized that there is almost the outline of a hand opened. Interesting that when we are open to God and use what He’s given us, we often use our hands.
The brown background reminds me that the work we are called to do is not always pretty and glamorous.
The random blue parts make me think of the Spirit and how it’s the Spirit that through each of us to reach others.
May we open ourselves to humbly serve the Lord and His people while allowing God to work through others to reach us. Thank you for helping us to recognize that to give is often much better than to receive. Help us to keep this in mind throughout this blessed season.
Love
Advent – Week 4
God, may we learn to love as you do – willingly offering all that we have for the betterment of others.
Originally I was going to paint a picture of a flower reflected in water with the idea is that God’s love is the flower and we reflect it – imperfectly.
Anyway, as usual the idea did not work so well and the canvas ended up blue. Playing around with some yellow and white, it began to form a shining star. I thought about the star of Bethlehem and the beginning of Christ’s life.
God expressed His love for us by coming to the earth. But the extent of His love did not end there.
He loved us so much that He took our sins upon Himself at Calvary while we mocked Him, placing on His head a crown of thorns. Talk about indescribable and unselfish love.
The whole meaning of Christmas is bound up in this painting that yet again I did not intend to paint.
God, your love is so amazing. I stand in awe, wondering ‘why me’? So often I've taken advantage of the unfailing love you offer – acknowledging this, I am ashamed and humbled. I don’t deserve this kind of love. Everything I have – the very breath in my body – is given to me freely. How generous you are, Lord. Teach me to love as you do.
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