Religion and Art - Where do they intersect?

As we explore the intersection of Art and Religion, or perhaps I should say faith, we should consider those who have mastered the task.

"My whole lifetime is but a moment to You."  

                                                                                               --- Psalm 39

Don't look at life as a whole but as a compilation of moments.  Each day is a chance. Each moment an option. The summary of the whole comes after we are gone and others are looking back. For us each moment brings another chance to breathe in God's wonder or turn our backs.  What are you choosing right now?

Mandala Meditation - Psalm 36

"For You are the Fountain of life; our light is from Your light." 

                                                                                           Psalm 36:9 (Tyndale)                  

      When I create these mandalas, within the context of my Lectio Divina practice, sometimes I am as amazed as anyone else about what is created.  This picture started with the center circle with three lines and lights coming from that.  Each light led to two more from there.  When I looked back though what I saw was not the spreading of the light, but the flower that had blossomed in the middle.

What verse in Psalm 36 touched you?  Did you create something from it?  Please share.  I'd love to see it.

Mandala - Another to consider

Here is another mandala that I have created:

I want to share with you the power of drawing mandalas.  This mandala was created with the intention of thinking about my upcoming Discernment Meeting with the Central Association of the United Church of Christ.  This meeting is the step toward becoming an ordained minister or a road block depending on its outcome.  Clearly one might bring a lot of tension into such a meeting. So when I went to the mandala workshop held by fellow seminarian, Kelly Beard, I used this meeting as the intent for my drawing.

You cannot clearly see in this drawing, but the drawing began with a lot of chaos and movement.  Eventually, the flower grew out of the middle and the chaos receded.  You will notice if you look carefully that my take away from this was that I was enough.  The flower I felt represented me and my gifts.  To me this was a messages that if I went into the meeting with the talents and skills that God had gifted me with then I was ok.  I was surprised by this result when it first emerged, but even more surprised when it emerged just before I entered the meeting.

On the day of my Discernment Meeting, I was sitting on the deacons' bench waiting to be called in.  I decided to take a minute to pray and center myself.  As I closed my eyes and began to pray to God to give me the words so that I could properly articulate my calling to these people who needed to open the next gate so that I could follow, a picture blossomed in my head.  I saw that flower bloom right before me.  God sent me a picture message reminding me that I was enough.  If I went in just as myself, I would be ok.

I have continued to draw several mandalas as part of my spiritual practice time now and over the next few weeks, I will share some of what I have created.