It’s not ecclesiastical art, but this Lutheran quilter/seamstress is giving away handmade purses on her blog, as a way of promoting her new sewing business.  Blog and website can be found here:

http://die-steppdecken-des-quilter.blogspot.com/
http://debsquilt.com/

Part 1 can be found here.  Even though the images are not entirely original– these paintings are being done to simulate stained glass, and the first one uses imagery from Durer’s famous altarpiece and depiction of the Trinity– I am proud of the concept behind this series.  Basically, the three paintings represent the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments.  The medallions at the bottom of each painting depict iconic images of Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Confession & Absolution/Office of the Keys (respectively).  The idea is that Baptism corresponds naturally to the Creed, the Lord’s Supper to the Lord’s Prayer, and Confession/Absolution to the Ten Commandments.  Not that they aren’t all interrelated, but–

The Apostle’s Creed, which showcases the work of the Trinity and “God for us,” is the baptismal creed, as the name of the Triune God is invoked and we are baptized into God’s name and family.  The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer of God’s children, as they boldly approach him and commune in his very presence, trusting in God to meet their needs of both body and soul, both daily bread and the forgiveness of our trespasses.  The Ten Commandments are God’s Law to us, exposing our sin, helping us to know how to confess those sins, and so to receive forgiveness and the strength to live a new life for God in the Gospel.  All three paintings will have banners across the top with words that intro the passage in question– the Ten Commandments will include the “I am the Lord your God…” intro, and the Lord’s Prayer will have “Our Father who art in heaven…”  Just to clarify the illustration.

What do you think?

This first painting is meant to be a “sketch” of a larger canvas, perhaps a 40″ x 60″ canvas.  I actually offered to make this large series for a church out on the West Coast, but I believe the idea was ultimately dismissed because of financial considerations.  The pastor approached me with his desire to have something like this, and I offered to do the paintings for free, asking them to provide the materials’ cost and shipping.  But if you’re a church looking at financial struggles to begin with, even something like two hundred dollars tends to be out of consideration.  Even so, I have to confess that it’s a bit depressing when you feel you can’t even give fine art away to the church, though it is any given church’s perogative what they’ll have.  I start to feel Sarah Hempel’s pain.  This is thousands of dollars’ worth of artwork I’m trying to give away.  But enough wallowing in self-pity.  I really should start the sketches for the other two parts soon.  I paint for my own satisfaction, and on commission, but someday I hope I find a church out there– one without a huge budget which would like nice, liturgical, Lutheran art in their building– that can use them.

I believe that that was the name of the in-depth sectional that Alex and I attended at the Higher Things youth conference in Minneapolis this July.  The speaker was Pastor David Kind, who was also our liturgist for the services.  He gave an excellent presentation on art in the church, touching on the Old Testament, the New Testament/early church, and today.  One point that he made that really stood out to me was the nature of certain images used in church.  Some of the pictures we use in church are purely didactic; they depict Bible stories, for example, like the medieval church where the stained glass windows were said to serve as a kind of “lay Bible.”  Pr. Kind pointed out that in early Christian art, however, the images tended to serve quite a different purpose.  They were intended to pull you in to the reality of what you were immediately experiencing in that building.  A graphic image of the flood or of other baptismal symbols communicated the reality of dying and rising with Christ through Baptism.  The set-up of the architectural space with “thrones” around the altar, or images of the elders encircling the throne as found in Revelation, says to the church-goer:  “You are experiencing heaven on earth!  In worship, God comes down to you and you experience this amazing communion!”  I thought it was a point well made.