Ash Wednesday ~ Sacred Journeys

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. It's also the beginning of the Sacred Journey experience at Living Word Community Church in Red Lion, PA.

This year our theme revolves around this passage in Ecclesiastes 3~
"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven."

We hope you take time to experience God in new ways as you go through seasons - the sacred journey. For information on hours and location, please click here, or visit the Living Word website.

May you notice God in intimate ways this Lenten season...
Grace & peace ~ deAnn

Visual Encounters

A few weeks ago at the Snowflake Gala I met the most energtic and wonderful woman, Pricilla Williams. Her vibrant outfit reminded me of India and her fiery red hair matched her passion. She is a talented artist and she desires others to experience God through their creativity (sound familiar!? It's no wonder she and I immediately connected.)

She had a table at the Gala with beautiful prints of her paintings and a workbook she had written called, "Visual Encounters - Meeting God Through Creative Journaling." You know I HAD to buy it! And I'm glad I did. It's full of wonderful ideas and examples of creative journaling.

I like to write and I like to draw, always have. When I look for a journal, I usually try to find one without lines so that I can sketch when the mood hits. Reading through Pricilla's workbook made me realize how significant shapes, colors and lines are and how they relate to our feelings. Well, let me share an example from page 41 of her awesome workbook:

"When we share our hearts with one another, or even when we need to get in touch with our own heart through the journaling experience, we may need to draw on these texture associations we have in our mental reservoir.
- A rough experience (noted with busy, bumpy lines)
- A sharp, painful word spoken (notes with black pointy up and down lines)
- A soft, encouraging word (noted with wispy soft lines and little dots)
- A prickly comment thoughtlessly spoken (noted as many little pointy, jaggy lines)
- A soothing, relaxing experience (noted with smooth long wavy flowing lines)"

I wish I could show you her drawing examples, but I think you get the point. It's a great visual of how my words can affect others or how other peoples' words can affect me. Very powerful.

The workbook is a great tool if you want to deepen your journaling experience. Check out Priscilla's webpage for more information about her and her ministry.

Grace & peace on the creative journey ~ deAnn

Bonding Over Sawdust

If you read this blog the other day, you may know that myself and a team of artists are transforming our chapel into a "sacred space" and will open on February 25, Ash Wednesday. The installation time for a project of this magnitude is two and a half weeks. After the luan walls were up, I knew we'd have to build a few more panels to complete the space. So my husband I bought the materials at John H. Myers this past Saturday and began constructing the remaining walls later that day.

We set up all the necessary power tools in our garage and the first to go over the table saw were the 2x4 studs. Each narrow side needed a dado (inset) to receive the luan (plywood sheeting for flooring). That meant two passes down the 8 foot stud times TWENTY studs. My husband passed them over the table saw while I received them on the other side of the machinery. If you know table saws, you know that one side is pretty sawdust-free and the other side is not. I was on that side. Yes, completely covered in sawdust, my eyes were prickly and my lungs crunchy. My husband just laughed at me.

Well, after we ran the studs through for the dado's we then had to rip each piece into two pieces(1x2's). It was a long process to say the least. But the kicker for my husband was one statement I said during this romantic bonding time together: "Wow, it sure smells like Pine-Sol. Someone must be cleaning their garage."

Ahhhh, yeah....he looked at me to see if I was being sarcastic only to realize it was an honest and innocent statement. Then, I got it. "DUH!!!!" Okay, so I was one fry short of a happy meal in that moment! :0)

Just thought I'd share that embarrassing moment with you.

grace & peace on the creative journey! deAnn

(if you aren't quite sure what I'm talking about, the 2x4 studs are made from pine trees.)

Monday Quote

"Art addresses us in the fullness of our being...There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories or songs or images. Art awakens, enlarges, refines, and restores our humanity."

~ Dana Giola, poet and former chairman, National Endowment for the Arts

Gala Reflections

The Snowflake Gala was a great event - here are a few images from that afternoon. Above is a downstairs ballroom where the arts ministry/businesses had tables set up.

The performing arts stage was in the upstairs ballroom and was stunningly beautiful.

On the main hallway that took visitors to the refreshments, hung the photography of Kevin Henderson and the mixed media art of Carol Shafer.

Upstairs in a room full of art glass sat Michael Novak's gorgeous fused glass work.

I had so much fun at the Snowflake Gala, we'll return again next year! Vertical Creativity had a table set up in the ballroom and Kevin and I had great conversations with others about this ministry. I was blessed no more than five minutes after I walked in the door. I met so many wonderful artistic people and I look forward to connecting with each of them in the near future.

Carol Shafer, Michael Novak, Kevin Henderson and myself all had art on display and was registered through Vertical Creativity. Deb Munson and Elaine D. did a fabulous job in making the Gala happen and seeing the Munson's vision come to life.

The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal has a nice write up about the event. I hope you take time to read through it.

Grace & Peace on the creative journey ~ deAnn

A Sacred Journey

The images above are from last years "Sacred Journey" Lenten sacred space experience at Living Word Community Church. We transformed our Chapel into nine distinct rooms using art, plants, curly willow, fabric, special lighting and music, and a ton of prayer! The space was breathtaking. Approximately 1000 people experienced the "Scared Journey."

Beginning today, our awesome team of spiritual directors, artists and creative-types will begin the installation of the 2009 Sacred Space, "Seasons ~ A Sacred Journey." It will have a much different flavor than last year, but will be equally beautiful and meaningful.

It will OPEN on Ash Wednesday, February 25. Plan for one hour in the space. Some people spend more time than that, others, a little less. But you don't want to rush your experience. We have a companion booklet that guides you through the rooms and prompts you with thoughtful questions and reflections. The sacred space will close Saturday, April 11 - as we enter into the Celebration of Easter.

It's a good idea to call the church office, 717-755-0089, and schedule your time to experience the space. This way we don't have too many people going through at the same time, which could be a bit distracting. Call the church office for the hours and other questions regarding this Sacred Journey Experience.

We invite you to slow down, escape the pulls of daily routine to enter a beautiful space for your to encounter your Lord in a special way this Lenten Season.

"One of the spiritually profound experiences LWCC has every Lenten season is our Labyrinth or Sacred Space experience. Once again our wonderful team of artists and spiritual directors are working on this. Be sure to have this experience on your calendar this year. I visit this Sacred Space multiple times every year and encounter Christ in fresh ways every time." ~Pastor Brian Rice

"I cant wait....its always so beautiful." ~ Hilary Toon

"I always love the sacred space! I am counting down the days until it is finished." ~ Cindy Gardner

Grace & peace ~ deAnn

Monday Quote

"Art addresses us in the fullness of our being...There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories or songs or images. Art awakens, enlarges, refines, and restores our humanity." ~ Dana Gioia, poet and former chairman, National Endowment for the Arts

Grace & peace on the creative journey ~ deAnn

Sabbath Day

Today is Sabbath - a day to do what feeds your soul as you engage with the One who created you. Kick up your feet and relax, take a walk at the lakes, sit before the canvas or open your sketchbook. Whatever it is, do it gratefully and with your whole heart. Enjoy this day.

grace & peace ~ deAnn

(And yes, that is a drawing of my feet from 2007. I know they are funny looking!)

The Arts as a Pathway to God

Byron from Hearts and Minds emailed me when this book, Creating Change, hit the shelves of his (awesome) bookstore. I picked it up an immediately connected with several of those who contributed to this book: Thomas Merton, Diana Butler Bass, and Henri Nouwen to name a few.

The first paragraph in the Introduction has a personal letter from someone you might have heard of before...

April 12, 1888

My dear old Bernard,

Thanks for your kind letter and the sketch of your decoration included with it, which I find really amusing. I sometimes regret that I can't decide to work more at home and from the imagination. Certainly - imagination is a capacity that must be developed, and only that enables us to create a more exalting and consoling nature than what just a glance at reality (which we perceive changing, passing quickly like lighting) allows us to perceive.

A starry sky - for example, well - it's a thing that I should like to try to do...

~Vincent van Gogh

That really intrigues me. He wrote this letter before he painted the famous painting we're familiar with. What inspired him? A conversation with his dear old friend, Bernard? Vincent confesses that he would like to work more out of his imagination than he did (that's my take on it from this excerpt, anyhow). That encourages me to no end.

As I've stated before, I can't seem to draw anything from my imagination. I need inspiration then my imagination can engage. If I'm really honest, I know inspiration is all around me - just waiting for me to "see" it - really see it.

Any how, I digress. I also wanted to share an excerpt from Keri K. Wehlander, the editor of Creating Change. She writes, "...engage art for the sake of mystery instead of a message. Art reaches toward God, where humanity touches divinity, and where the intellectual fades to apprehending beauty. Art is important because it is a pathway of mystical experience with God."

I had a very special experience the past two Monday evenings with a group of women in our Spiritual Direction program. I led the ladies through two spiritual exercises using the arts, one focused on Visio Divina and the other - Visual Prayer. It was awesome and the sharing time afterwards made my heart sing. We experienced that mystical pathway to God and it was moving.

In the days to come, I'll share what these two classes looked like. Even those who said they don't have an artistic bent really enjoyed the experience.

We are creative spiritual human beings. Made in His image. Can you consider that you could engage God intimately through your creativity and through the arts? Even if you aren't "artistic"?

More to come...

grace & peace ~ deAnn

Snowflake Gala

The Artists’ Junction 2009
Snowflake Gala
Sunday, February 8th
2:00-6:00 PM
at the Mulberry Arts Studio
21 North Mulberry Street in Lancaster

In a time when world circumstances are challenging everyone, The Snowflake Gala is a celebration of God’s creative expression through His artists and the importance of being together in tough times. Just like last year, we will celebrate Life in the Kingdom of God by bringing together artists of faith in every art form for a special afternoon of performances and exhibits. It will be a showcase of the gifts and talents God has placed in each of us! In addition, this year we will be showcasing arts ministries and businesses, giving us all a chance to celebrate how God uses artists and the arts to further His Kingdom – and giving community exposure to their services. We are also adding a “hands on” art experience area for children (and their parents) giving them an opportunity to become creative.

Several artists from LWCC will participate in this event!
Come out, join the festivities and support local Christian artists.

The Gala will include Visual Arts, Literary Arts & Performing Arts.

This year’s entrance ticket rates are:
Individuals … $7.00 each

Family Rate Ticket A …$15.00
for a family of 3 - 5 (living in the same household)

Family Rate Ticket B…$25.00
for a family of 6 or more (living in the same household)

Tickets available at the door the day of the event.

For information go to www.artistsjunction.org

See you there!