art – Wandering and Wondering

It takes a long time to create Bethlehem

This week’s mid-week meditation led to a powerful insight:

it takes a long time to create Bethlehem.

There is so much going on in the world, it came seem like a frivolous waste to gather and simply create art, but I have found this creative time to, in fact, be more important than ever. It is in these peaceful settings that we can take a moment to take stock of all that we have seen and heard and begin to try to understand our place and our calling within it all.

This week, when we gathered, our theme was mosaics. Given our time frame, we created our mosaics with paper, and I limited our paper to just solid colors. I offered the option of some pre-drawn blackline masters that I gathered from the internet and also had plain paper available. I tried to give people as little direction as possible because, like in each of our other weeks, the purpose is the reflection on our thoughts and the process more than the product that is produced.

People always find our time too short and these activities could easily be done on retreat in multi-hour blocks.

This was my creation based on Rublev’s picture of The Trinity. I was really caught by the idea that each of us have the capacity to be part of the trinity; thus the non-identification of the personalities. I also recognized how we need to be mindful of how we interact with one another. Even with our best intentions we sometimes press into each other’s space.

To help us be in the right mindset to create, we began our time together by putting our hands in the form of a bowl and filling our bowls with all the dread, frustration, anger, and worry that we brought in with us. After gathering it together in our own imaginary bowls, we placed the bowls below the cross in the center of the table and agreed that if stressful thoughts came our way we would give them over God through a symbolic gesture of hanging our worry on the cross. Once we released the troubles we came in with, we offered a prayer and lit our candle. Then I read a poem called Mosaic by Lily Whitelock (click here to read the whole poem) and offered a quote by Anita Krizzan. We were particularly enamored with the words of Lily’s third verse,

“Every word I know somebody else has told me.

Every smile I give someone else has shared.”

“We are mosaics. Pieces of light, love, history stars . . .Glued together with magic and music and words.

Anita Krizzan

We then created for half an hour, gathering back together to discuss and reflect on the process. There were many insights that individuals had about how they created, what they created, why they created; and there was one that took all our breath away. As one congregant shared this work:

She explained that she didn’t have enough time and would be taking this home to finish. She somewhat flippantly said,

“If you didn’t know, it takes a long time to create Bethlehem.” MC

When she said that, my heart stopped. It was a reminder to us all that within the struggle and frustration that we are all feeling these day, we need to remember that to create takes time, energy, perseverance, patience, and vision especially when your vision is as complicated and simplistic as love, justice, and compassion.

We closed with a simple prayer and all went out into the world with a little more hope and with clearer understandings of where we might fit into the larger picture and how our gifts and talents might be used.

If you decide to try to create, I’d love to see what you make. Please post in the comments.

Holy One, Sometimes challenge comes not in complexity but in simplicity. As your co-creators in life, help us to step back and take stock on that which is essential. Encourage us to release that which gets in the way of your vision of heaven on earth being made real in the world. Call us into partnership with you so that together we might together create a peaceful, loving, and just world. Remind us of the time when your son was born in a simple stable. Let us remember its simplicity and yet also his power to transform the world. May you use us to do the same way. AMEN

Listening to God through art

This week in our Mid-Week Meditation: the Arts Edition we did collage. Most people associate collage to the vision boards that we all made in Jr. High where we pasted pictures from magazines on a board as a way to try to capture our hopes and desires. This session was a little different than that although the basic artistic process of cutting and pasting was the same.

I put out a plethora of materials, but only a few magazines (and the magazines that I read are not very picture oriented). I had glue sticks and created some modge-podge type glue through a 50/50 blend of white glue and water. I had both straight edge and design edge scissors out, but had considered not putting them out so that they would have to rip and tear the materials. I had old maps, bags with designs on them, excess materials from my scrapbooking days, and other odds and ends (I encourage you to trust that what you put out will be enough)

We opened as always with lighting the candle. Then, I then offered three short readings. One a quote from Pablo Picasso about taking a lifetime to create like a child. The second a quote from Rilke about living the questions. Then finally, this passage from Journey of the Universe by Brian Thomas Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker:

In a simple but elegant form, awareness appears in unicellular organisms. The capacity for discernment resides in a thin outer layer of each cell, called its membrane. The membrane, through its receptor and hannel protiens, selects what is of interest and what is not, what will enter and what will not. Each cell encounters a wide spectrum of atoms and molecules and otehr ogranisms floating alongside it. Each time the cell makes contact, primitive discernment emerges.

In the vast majority of these interactions, the membrane remains tightly sealed in order to block a novel molecule form its inner life. However, in encounters with molecules of particular configurations, the cell responds very differently. the molecules of the cell’s membrane latch onto this new molecule. The cell then alters the structure of its own membrane so that this molecule can be drawn in. Because of this discernment, the new molecule becomes part of the cell’s internal milieu. In this way the cell finds and captures its “food” – the energetic molecules it can digest.

Discernment is crucial. Mistaken decisions can lead to death because the inner coherence may be broken by the strange new guest-molecule. Thus, at the edge of its body, each cell makes an elemental choice. Is this a risk worth taking? Is this food nourishing? Will this increase the chances of remaining alive?

I then tried to offer as little direction as possible so that those that participated might look deep into their own heart. The two pieces of guidance that I did offer was:

Try to engage. At least, move yourself over to the materials and see what shimmers.
Don’t try to “make” something. Let you mind, heart, and the materials do the creating. Later we will look to see what may have been said through them.

They then got to it. We could have used a much longer expansive time, but due to our limitations and our desire to share about the process and our insights, we only had 30 minutes to create. (One benefit to a shorter period of time is that it encourages quick decisions that rely more on our gut than our mind that often gets high-jacked with judgement.)

When they finished creating, we took 2 minutes to listen to what God and / or our own inner being might be trying to say to us. Then we thanked God for this opportunity to create. We talked about what we learned in the process of creating and then about what we noticed in our own creations.

It was amazing, as always, how different they all looked.

One of the interesting responses that I have been getting from these workshops is how not only are they a place of peace, but that the peace they find in the moment also carries with them throughout the day. I noted that this is important. There is definitely a lot of work to be done in the world AND we must balance that we self-care, time for reflection, and worship. The rhythm between the two becomes sustaining rather than depleting. It also helps us with our discernment about where to put our energy and invites us to think about problems from a more creative perspective. Activist, Attorney, and Author Valerie Kaur likens the balance we should find in life to giving birth. You cannot keep pushing. Periodically, you have to take a breath.

May we each find our balance and in our balance, may we offer the world a more grounded and compassionate perspective.

I usually try to create alongside the participants as best I can given the other things I am focusing on. Here is my creation that day.

If you take time to give it a try, I’d love to see what you create.

Illuminating the Word

At this week’s mid-week meditation we explored the idea of Illuminating the Word: an ancient practice of embellishing our sacred scripture with drawings and designs. (A great article on the history of Biblical Illumination can be found here.)

First, we explored what has been done historically and then we engaged with the process. As we were not actually hand writing the entire Bible and only had an hour for our process, we chose single verses to illuminate. I had brought a scripture coloring book which had some scriptures pre-chosen and printed for anyone who was uncomfortable picking a text, but interestingly everyone opted to chose and write their own.

I shared with them what an important part of sermon prep for me writing the text long hand was. I have a specific way of breaking down each line and separating out prepositional phrases and such which helps me to see patterns and notice words in a different way. This personal interaction with the word helps me to integrated the text within me so that I can begin to play with it and ask it questions.

I also showed them an example of the many Bible’s these days that make space for Illumination within them these days.

*This is an example of one that I have that I embellish periodically.* Notice the nice wide margins.

Illuminating the text not only gives us an opportunity to get to remember the text better, but it also helps us understand it more deeply. In order to add to it, you have to listen to it with your heart first.

At the end of our time, which many of us agreed wasn’t a long enough time – some of these meditative activities you could engage in for hours, we shared our creations in the state they were in in the moment and reflected on the process.

Here are some examples of what people created.

Remember with all of these meditative art processes, it is not the product that matters. It is the process. Enjoy! I look forward to seeing what you create or hearing about your own Illuminating workshop.

Art can open your heart for God

I have found that art is a great way to shut down the noise of life and settle into the arms of God. Recently, I’ve been using art as a way to help others do the same. In my new church setting, I am offering my second series of mid-week meditations. Our first meeting was this morning when we found our center by doodling.

It is funny that when we are young, teachers and others try to get us to stop doodling. “Pay attention. Don’t doodle.” “Why are you just doodling? Draw something real.” As adults though, we need to recapture the freeness of doodling.

Doodling has been associated with all sorts of benefits: everything from improved concentration to better memory, from calmer disposition to reduced cortisol levels. Artistic skill is not a necessity and there is a benefit to its repetitiveness. So doodle, doodle, doodle all day long.

Doodling isn’t as much about the art as it is about the state that you are able to bring your mind into. Different people have different reactions to it based on the mood that they are in, but in general doodling helps us open our heart and quiet our mind. In that state we become more receptive to God.

Today, I shared this practice with several congregants. The workshop was an hour long. We began with a prayer and read a poem. Then for 15 minutes we worked off of a preset doodle to warm up and get used to the process. At the end of the 15 minutes, we reflected on the process and continued on to read another poem. Then we moved to the “scary” idea of a blank sheet of paper. Where participants had another 10 minutes to draw from scratch.

Different people find their connection with God in different ways. For some, they sit in silence. For others, they prefer to pray or sing. These are all ways that we have acknowledged and are included in most worship services. Less accepted are movement and art, but they are also legitimate ways to center ourselves.

May we all be willing to experiment with how we can best hear God speak to our heart.

Resources:

Open my mind to remember
your presence.
Open my mouth to speak
your wisdom.
Open my heart to extend
your love.
Open my hands to serve
you generously.
Open my whole being
to you.

-Joyce Rupp

https://mindfulartstudio.com/art-journaling-for-healing-doodle-and-de-stress/

https://svmoa.org/taxonomy/term/48

We specifically use A.A. Milne’s poem and the one by Dan Albergotti. There was no drinking except water and tea.

Have fun and Enjoy!

May you quiet your mind enough to hear God in your life.

Here was our first Mid-Week Meditation series which was based on spiritual practices. Our next series will be the writing edition where we will focus on the written word.

And the beat goes on . . .

Here is a poem inspired by yesterday’s poem.

The Sunset

As the pink and blues morph and move,

I think of all who have stopped to watch the sky before me.

I think of all that will come after this night

and all my nights.

I think of all who are in this moment looking up to see God’s glorious artistry.

I think of Ahs and Ohhs and Ooooohs.

I think of the silent watching that stills the soul

and the movement which happens so subtly it’s barely perceptible

until the vision has somehow vanishes before our eyes.

And I think of those who never thought to look

or saw but were not caught up by the beauty.

I weep for those who do not see the wonder in a setting sun

and think that they must go to a museum to see a masterpiece.

May all who breathe be awed by the everchanging and fleeting artistry of God.