Loading Video . . . Poet Kent Shaw creative this challenging work exploring conviction, the theme of destruction, and 2 Timothy 2:3. 2 Timothy 2:3 Why God Keeps Making Conviction So Easy By Kent Shaw Credits: Artist Location: West Virginia Curated by: Hayan Charara 2014 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I have always been fascinated at the role of God's will in human lives, especially from the human perspective. How many times does a person sense a certain inclination and attribute it to God's will? How complicated, unnerving and angular would God's will be as it runs through the human heart? Conviction is such a potent word, and it wields such authority over a person's actions. But what is the source of conviction? So much of this poem positions God in ways that are more suitable to human views of God. He's here. He did this. He told me to listen to Him. People have a remarkable way of attaching their certainties to God. But what makes anyone so certain the voice they hear is God's? During a reading for my first book, someone in the audience asked me if I thought I had the authority to write poems about God, or to recast a Biblical passage so that it appears in a new light. To this day, the answer I gave to that question dissatisfies me. Hers was a reading of the Bible that presumes to "know" it completely, as though the Bible were a text operating on a single dimension of right and wrong. But I believe the Bible is more complicated than that, because my faith is more complicated. Since that reading, I have tried writing poems that unsettle the condescension I hear in simplistic readings of the Bible. My personal faith life is full of self-interrogation. And the reward is a complex, unnerving and angular relationship with God. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Kent Shaw ‘s first book Calenture was published in 2008. His poems have since appeared in The Believer , Boston Review , Ploughshares , Witness and elsewhere. He is an Assistant Professor at West Virginia State University and a poetry editor at Better Magazine. Website Kent Shaw About the Artist Kent Shaw Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art At first, God made conviction the size of a rabbit 's throat. Which was a matter of poor planning. In the suburbs, a rabbit is meandering and conspicuous. View Full Written Work WHY GOD KEEPS MAKING CONVICTION SO EASY by Kent Shaw At first, God made conviction the size of a rabbit’s throat. Which was a matter of poor planning. In the suburbs, a rabbit is meandering and conspicuous. A rabbit is running through the suburban neighborhoods and we’re starting to think that they’re pests. Maybe there was a time when they were precious and vulnerable. That’s when we were children. Conviction, Lord. The kind like boys after school chasing a rabbit and pinning it to the driveway. Does a rabbit hear the inside of a rabbit? Does it have a productive dialogue with absolutely terrified or petrified or inconvenienced or provoked or angry but not angry enough because look, it’s just boys. But the rabbit can’t move. The rabbit is helpless. And the boys found something heavy to hold over the rabbit’s head. It’s bigger than the rabbit’s head! Are you all seeing all this? Maybe the Lord started explaining conviction but we weren’t paying attention. Maybe conviction changed to the size of the heaviest thing in the picture. Maybe it’s the boy who can’t let go of what he used to think of rabbits, but that was before this rabbit. The other boys are laughing at this rabbit. Which is definitely easier. Lord, conviction runs deep. Conviction is plentiful. The shape of young animals running at evening. The shape of evening. The shape of God being boys, whatever a boy is or the inside of a boy or the inside of many boys when they’re laughing, so that one boy feels like it’s OK now. It’s a fucking rabbit, already. Don’t make it so hard. Close Loading Video . . . At first, God made conviction the size of a rabbit 's throat. Which was a matter of poor planning. In the suburbs, a rabbit is meandering and conspicuous. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Composer Sidney Marquez Boquiren explores the theme of healing through passages from Ecclesiastes, John, and Revelation in his work folia ligni. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 folia ligni By Sidney Marquez Boquiren Credits: Composed and Performed by Sidney Marquez Boquiren Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link folia ligni takes as its inspiration three sets of Biblical verses: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; John 14:27; and Revelation 22:2. The work itself is a diptych that consists of meditations on the verses from Ecclesiastes and the Gospel of St. John, written for piano, with the title ("leaves of the tree") taken from Revelation 22:2 which is the verse that undergirds folia ligni : "The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." It is this healing of nations and (by extension) of peoples that I tried to get at, not in the sense of a direct depiction of some process of healing but more as a sort of struggle to achieve this healing, a striving to reach "a time of peace." Et in terra pax. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Sidney Marquez Boquiren is a composer-performer who grew up in the Philippines and Saudi Arabia but has spent most of his life in the United States. He collaborates with artists on various projects that include opera ( Independence Eve with Daniel Neer); Biblical illumination ( folia ligni for Spark and Echo Arts); and multi-media ( The Gretel Project with Lauren K. Alleyne, Catherine Chung, and Tomiko Jones). As a pianist, he performs regularly with Rhymes With Opera and pulsoptional. A MacDowell Fellow, Sidney is currently the Chair of the Department of Music at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, where he teaches music theory and composition. He is also a cantor and sings in the choir of The Church of St. Francis Xavier in Manhattan, New York. Website Sidney Marquez Boquiren About the Artist Sidney Marquez Boquiren Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Will Shine interprets the passage of Job 28:20-28 through rhythm, composition, and performance. Job 28:20-28 The Rhythmic Search for Wisdom - Job on Drums By Will Shine Credits: Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2019 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Where does wisdom come from? What does it sound and/or look like? Navigating through life, its highs and lows is a task that no degree of strength or intellect is truly ever sufficient for. It would seem then that to be ‘wise’ is to know how best to respond in the midst circumstance. I think this is what Job is all about. We can certainly speculate about the universe and perhaps even glean some minute amount of insight–Job reminds us that ‘fear of the Lord’ or said another way, understanding your smallness and simpleness is wisdom; departing from evil (when complacency and distraction become idols) is understanding. Read the passage below and then watch/listen to the video. Let the textures of the drumming remind you of the text and let the visual on the screen provide a focal point for meditating on this most important question: Where does wisdom come from? Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Will ‘Honey Pockets’ Shine comes from a musical family and was ‘made to play drums’. Will’s dad, a professional guitarist and band leader often joked (hopefully) that the only reason he had a kid was because he needed a drummer he could rely on. All joking aside, Will became that reliable drummer and, by age 8, began playing local festivals and talent shows in the San Diego area. Will eventually went on to study music and ministry at Point Loma Nazarene University where he developed as a drummer, guitarist, bassist, vocalist, and worship leader. After he left college as a musical-Swiss-army-knife-of-sorts, Will recorded and performed his own music and frequently sat in for other artists around Southern California. In 2011, just after releasing his first solo record Here, There, and Everywhere In Between , Will moved to Hawaii where he served as a music teacher and worship leader on the island of Oahu. Will kept playing and took on numerous students in these years, most of whom were aspiring drummers. He released a second solo offering, Pacific Sessions, in 2014. During this time, Will also sat in for Hawaii-based artists such as Mailani Makainai, Trey Terada, the Seumanu brothers, Kyle Furusho, Sammy Johnson, Tenelle, I.A., and Pou Jackson (to name a few). Will moved back to California in 2015 to attend Fuller Theological Seminary. He was immediately asked to join the All Seminary Chapel Staff where he’s most frequently served as the drummer for weekly chapels that stream online around the world. Will met his wife at Fuller and they currently reside in the LA area. These days, apart from being a full-time worship leader and the programming director for the non-profit ‘ The Power of Song’ ( http://www.thepowerofsong.org ), Will is the music director and drummer for both Adi (Aditya Rao) and Corey Ferrugia and does fly-dates with George Williamson/ ‘Westfall Gold’ events. Amidst all this, he’s currently working on new solo material! You can check Will out on his Instagram @Honey_Pockets . Website Will Shine About the Artist Will Shine Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

nicora-gangi_2013-air-6_memories_popout.jpg Loading Video . . . Resident Artist Nicora Gangi's final work for 2013 deals with the theme of "Memories" and responds to Ecclesiastes 9:5-7 as part of a collection inspired by each of the year's six themes. Ecclesiastes 9:5-7 Memories By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts, 2013 Artist in Residence 2013 20 x 14 inches Paper Collage on Strathmore Paper & Adobe Photoshop Mixed Media Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The living know that they are going to die it is a thing yet to come and therefore provision may be made for it. The dead know they are dead and it is too late they are on the other side of the great gulf fixed. When life is gone, all this world to us is gone with it. There is an end of all our acquaintances with this world and the things of it . While the dead were still alive they were intimately acquainted with it. It does not appear that they know anything of what is done by those they leave behind. There is an end of all our enjoyment in this world. They don't regard their toil any more but all they acquired must be left to others: they have a reward for their holy actions but not for their worldly ones. The things of this world will not be a portion for the soul . The grave is a land of forgetfulness; the memory of those that are laid there is soon forgotten. Their place knows them not, nor does the lands they called by their own names. The person and their actions die together. In that place we shall never be the better for our friends (their love can do us no kindness) nor ever the worse for our enemies, their hatred and envy can do us no damage. Those things which affect us now and demand so much of our attention will end there. By wisdom make the best use of life and manage wisely what remains. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Nicora Gangi was educated at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA (BFA 1974 and MFA 1976). She was a Professor of Art at Syracuse University for 29 years. Gangi has been awarded many Grand Prize and First Place awards and grants. She has been and continues to be published in numerous artist’s books on pastel paintings. She has lectured regionally and nationally as a visiting artist at universities and artist’s guilds. She is represented by: Edgewood Gallery (Syracuse, NY), and Gangi Studio (Winter Garden, FL ). Website Nicora Gangi About the Artist The Mountain of the House of The Lord I See Him but Not Now So Shall Your Descendants Be This One The Body without the Spirit | 1 The Body without the Spirit | 2 The Body without the Spirit | 3 The Sealed Ones Peace with God The Everlasting Protective Love of God Our Father When the Lord Gives Us The Land I See Him but Not Now The Mountain of the House of The Lord Paneled and Ruins Series The Harvest Spirit of God-The Spirit Hovering Lies Fool Dance Your Truth from the Great Congregation Psalm 18 Sound of Their Wings Psalm 16 Kiss the Son EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE Nicora Gangi Other Works By Nicora Gangi created a collection of mixed media works in response to scripture and the six themes of the year as a 2013 Artist in Residence. Explore her works created throughout the year: Spirit of God – The Spirit Hovering Light and Darkness (February 4, 2013) Fool Fools (April 13, 2013) Dance Dancing (June 13, 2013) Lies Lies (August 22, 2013) The Harvest Harvest (October 17, 2013) Memories (This piece) Memory (December 12, 2013) Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Creative writer Seth Villegas explores the aftermath of the old prophet's lie in his short story, "The Old Prophet Stands," based off of 1 Kings 13. 1 Kings 13 The Old Prophet Stands By Seth Villegas Credits: Curated by: Rebecca Testrake 2016 Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link When reading the Bible, certain stories tend to stick with you. The story of the “Man of God from Judah” in 1 Kings 13 has stuck with me for a long time. As an aspiring Christian leader, this story has always bothered me. I still have trouble seeing why a person in a position of influence would deliberately mislead someone else, especially in a religious context. The story that I have written in response to this story contains many of my own reservations about the old prophet. Perhaps that is how the story ended up being one focused on generational reconciliation. While I am sure that is not all this story is about, it has to end for me with the reunification of father and son in the actual roles that they inhabit. Within the current Christian sphere, there continues to be a tension between the generations of people that makeup the church. 1 Kings 13 seems to show just how much damage one generation can do to another. But I also think it also shows just how much the younger generation yearns for support. In the end, we need one another. As Jesus himself said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Seth Villegas is a creative writer and arts organizer living in the greater Pasadena area. He grew up fascinated by stories, most notably the mundane and fantastical stories told to him by his father. He wrote his first short stories in high school and has continued to write regularly ever since. In college at Stanford University, Seth took every creative writing class available to him, including a seminar taught by Pulitzer Prize winning author Adam Johnson. He feels that he best expresses himself in prose, though he sometimes works in poetry and drama. In his current work, Seth seeks to articulate the tension between pain and possibility. For Christians, these possibilities are rooted in a hope in God. This is not an easy hope, however, because we must still acknowledge our pain and our failures to find it. His stories try to draw out these themes in the lives of his characters. Seth is currently finishing up his master’s degree at Fuller Theological Seminary and hopes to pursue doctoral studies in the area of theology, science, and technology. Website Seth Villegas About the Artist Seth Villegas Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art An old man rides into the city on a donkey. A staff rests across his lap and a young man leads the donkey through the city gates. View Full Written Work The Old Prophet Stands by Seth Villegas An old man rides into the city on a donkey. A staff rests across his lap and a young man leads the donkey through the city gates. Once they get to the city square, the young man helps the old man down off the donkey and onto a stone platform, one perhaps as old as the city itself. Standing halfway between the temple and the city gates, the old man raises the staff over his head to address the crowd. “Test the prophets! Is that not what we are told in the To’rah? Test the prophets!” says the old man. His voice rings out but his raised arm shakes. The bustle of the people appears undisturbed. The old man sees that the young man is watering the donkey from a nearby well. “Does the prophet’s message not stand? Shall you continue on as if he were never here?” The old man notices the people of the Book strolling through the crowd from the direction of the city gates. They wear long gowns and tassels. Their attention is focused forward as they pass between the well and the stone platform. “Do not act as if you do not know of whom I speak,” the old man continues, “the man of God from Judah, the prophet who rebuked the king in his own chambers!” One of the men of the book turns toward the platform and spits on the ground. The donkey screeches. The young man pets the donkey’s neck, looking up at the men of the Book. “He knew the Lord spoke,” says the old man. He raises his voice as the men of the Book near the far side of the city square. “I lied to him just as you continue to lie to your king! “But I am guiltier than you,” he continues, “because I pretended to be what he most wanted in a hostile land: an ally, a colleague, a kindred spirit…a father.” The men of the Book enter the temple. A section of the crowd follows them in. “His prophecy was not just to protect him from you nor even from the king, but to protect him from me,” he says. “Me, the man he should have been able to trust.” The old man looks at the younger man, but the younger man does not return his gaze. The younger man continues to pet the donkey. “When had I changed so much that I could not longer recognize a move of God when it was before me? But as the donkey and the lion sat next to the prophet’s corpse, it was a sign against me just as it is now a sign against you. “Priests! I have no temple; I have no courts. King! I have no armies; I have no crowns! But let me now be a sign against you for this prophecy shall come to pass: should you continue as you are, your kingdom and your house cannot stand.” The old man tries to raise his staff again, but instead it breaks his fall as he drops to one knee, his face wet and hot. The younger man pushes through the crowd of gawkers that has gathered around the old man. Once he gets to the platform, the old man stops him with a raised hand. “I cannot bury anymore prophets,” he says, looking at the young man. He manages to stand. “I cannot bury any more of my sons. The cost…is too high.” The younger man urges the old man down from the platform. The old man stumbles again as he reaches the ground. The younger man holds his arm out and the old man takes it. They walk together through the crowd to the well and the donkey. The young man helps the old man onto the donkey. As they leave, various people come to the younger man to ask if he and the old man would like to stay the night. But in each instance, the younger man looks back to the old man and declines. The old man says nothing. The two travel together through the night, away from the city back to their small village. Along the way, they stop at the tomb of their ancestors to offer a prayer. They finish the final leg of their journey as father and son. Close Loading Video . . . An old man rides into the city on a donkey. A staff rests across his lap and a young man leads the donkey through the city gates. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . As the third work in a collection curated by Shann Ray, featuring the works of Vanessa Kay, Mary Jane Nealon and Shann Ray; this short story by Alan Heathcock explores theme of "Light and Darkness" from the perspective of Isaiah 61:3. Isaiah 61:3 Cheer By Alan Heathcock Credits: Curated by: Shann Ray 2013 Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I watched a documentary about a man who lived as a prisoner of war for a number of years, each day bound in a little hut, very little daylight, very little human interaction. How did he survive? He survived by the strength of his inner life, and that made me contemplate the fragility of our bodies versus the power of everything that is us that is not our bodies. The garment of praise overcoming the spirit of despair in this case is the recognition that our strength cannot not be diminished by physical means, as that place of truth that resides behind our eyes cannot be touched or slapped or maimed. Instead of a prisoner of war, I decided to use a cheerleader as the vehicle for this story because I felt people often separate themselves from the exceptional despair of the world, as if that POW has nothing to do with them and their lives. But if a cheerleader could be touched by despair then it could touch anyone, which, of course, is as true as anything else I could write. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Alan Heathcock ’s fiction has been published in many of America’s top magazines and journals. VOLT, a collection of stories, was a “Best Book 2011″ selection from numerous newspapers and magazines, including GQ, Publishers Weekly, Salon, the Chicago Tribune, and Cleveland Plain Dealer, was named as a New York Times Editors’ Choice, selected as a Barnes and Noble Best Book of the Month, as well as a finalist for the Barnes and Noble Discover Prize. Heathcock has won a Whiting Award, the GLCA New Writers Award, a National Magazine Award, has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and is currently a Literature Fellow for the state of Idaho. A Native of Chicago, he teaches fiction writing at Boise State University. Website Alan Heathcock About the Artist Alan Heathcock Other Works By As the third work in a collection curated by Shann Ray, featuring the works of Vanessa Kay , Mary Jane Nealon and Shann Ray ; this short story by Alan Heathcock explores theme of “Light and Darkness” from the perspective of Isaiah 61:3: and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. Related Information View More Art Make More Art The other girls shot their fists in the air, kicked high, went seamlessly through the routine. Shell couldn’t remember the cheer. Her mind was a mess. View Full Written Work Cheer by Alan Heathcock The other girls shot their fists in the air, kicked high, went seamlessly through the routine. Shell couldn’t remember the cheer. Her mind was a mess. A buzzer sounded from the scorer’s table. The boys broke their huddles. Shell knew all those in the green uniforms: Lester and Billy James and Harold and John Censia and John Defenthaller. She’d kissed the lips on three of these faces. The other girls clapped and shouted, now off the court and by the double-doors. Shell ran from center court, bumped through the green jerseys and towards the cheer line, and Mrs. Marlene shouted her name, then grabbed her elbow and dragged her from the gymnasium. “What’s going on with you, Shell?” Mrs. Marlene asked. Shell touched her own lips. “I don’t know.” “You on your moon?” “Moon?” Mrs. Marlene glanced downward. “ Your moon ?” Shell shook her head. “You sick?” “No.” “You’re just acting so strange.” “Oh,” Shell said. “Well…” She looked back into the gymnasium. The teams positioned themselves for the jump-ball. She knew she couldn’t say what was on her mind because cheerleaders don’t speak of such things, but she couldn’t shake the woman’s face, darker than her own and scarred from acid. Her husband had thrown acid on her. Shell didn’t know why the husband had done what he had, because she couldn’t bear to read to the end of the article. Why didn’t matter. People always wanted to know why . Shell had seen the woman’s face, the blood and bone where the skin was gone, even her bold eyes shot through with red. It all terrified Shell. She shut tight her eyes and closed her hands into fists. Why, why, why… “Good lord, girlie,” Mrs. Marlene finally said. “Whatever it is, you’d best go shake it off.” *** Shell walked the vacant school halls. At the end of the building farthest from the gymnasium, a cold breeze wafted out from an open classroom. Shell turned into the cold, pushed in through the open door. The room smelled of formaldehyde. She switched on the lights and there were rows of high tables with burners and sinks. A skeleton by the blackboard wore a red and white cap. A far window was tilted open. Wet snow blew in from the darkness outside. Shell crossed to the window. On the ledge by the window sat a terrarium coated in frost. She stuck her face in the frigid draft, lifted off the terrarium lid. One lone frog–no bigger than her fist, yellow spots on its brown body–lay on a bed of glistening cabbage. The frog didn’t struggle in her grasp. It was cold and hard, very much dead, its eyes black pebbles flecked with gold. Its slick skin was beautiful, sparkling almost, the muscle of it hind legs so gracefully curved. What a magnificent creature, Shell thought. “How do you work?” she said to the frog’s tiny face. *** The frog’s miniature organs were the color of burlap. It wasn’t at all as she’d imagined. It had been an impulse, a strange inclination that had overcome her, and Shell stood, scalpel in hand, and thought cutting the skin of a living creature should be more difficult. How does a frog ever live a day with such thin skin? How does anything live a single day? She could hardly imagine it had once hopped and croaked and eaten flies. Maybe it thought, too. Of course it did. It had to know pond water felt nice, flies tasted good. But this thing, this lifeless fragile thing on the table was so different. Shell pictured herself on the table, just her body, her delicate skin and organs. Just a thing . Sometimes people are things to each other. Then Shell remembered the woman’s scarred face, a face of ravaged clay, like something melted, and she sobbed then her body shook and she began to weep because she never wanted to be a thing to anybody, or to treat anybody like a thing , and she left the frog flayed on the table and quickly shut the window and dashed out of the classroom, arms pumping, her sneakers padding on the hall’s checkerboard tiles, faster, faster. *** The fieldhouse steamed with sweat and breath warmed in the guts, the noise of hands clapping, feet stomping bleechers, air forced out of lungs and into screams. Boys running, jumping. John Defenthaller drove to the basket, leapt and dunked the ball. He landed and pumped his fists and howled. The crowd howled. Shell wiped her sweaty brow, set a palm against her thumping heart. There’s such a difference between something alive and dead, Shell mused, and in that moment she understood that difference as mostly being everything that is you that is not your body. That’s what makes you alive. That thing in you that says to howl, to want and love. That thing no one can touch or harm. You’re never a thing if people know that part of you. Shell felt herself stirred, potently aware of that thing brimming behind her eyes, what her mother might call a soul, and an eerie accompanying feeling of her body being nothing beyond bones and blood and skin. Mrs. Marlene came beside her and put her arm around Shell’s shoulder. “You okay, girlie?” Shell smiled, nodded, and ran off clapping to join the others. Close Loading Video . . . The other girls shot their fists in the air, kicked high, went seamlessly through the routine. Shell couldn’t remember the cheer. Her mind was a mess. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Actor and sound designer Matt Bittner presents an intriguing musical exploration of the meal Zacchaeus shared with Jesus, and the change it had upon his life. This work is in response to the theme of "meals" as inspired by Luke 19:1-10. Luke 19:1-10 Fellowship, Food, and Redemption By Matt Bittner Credits: Written and recorded by Matt Bittner Artist Location: Ridgewood, Queens Curated by: Aaron Kruziki 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link When I first began to think about this project, I was attempting to view modern day meal experiences through a biblical lens. For example, a question I asked myself early on: “How can I somehow extract the beauty of the gospel (or the trinity, or Love) through the picture of a shared meal?” Then I thought of a small portion of a sermon I had heard during Lent. The speaker, as part of a larger theme, briefly examined the significance of Jesus sharing meals with people. He spoke of the act not as some spiritual gesture (or as a physical gesture wherein the spiritual world was magically accessed) but as the real life, every day, human event of sitting down to talk and eat. That event is necessary. So, I imagine, because Jesus knew this, much of his time of uplifting, teaching, nurturing, and redeeming was spent sitting down to talk and eat with people. After all, when we eat, we truly rid ourselves of all pretense of being anything other than simple humans with needs. And only then (it seems) can we begin to practice the world-toppling exercise of seeing others as simple humans with needs too. I then reinvested in the project with a different approach: to find a biblical example of a shared meal as it ought to be. Suddenly the story of Zaccheus, which I’d known seemingly forever, took on a new meaning. There is an embittered, unloved outcast working selfishly to fortify himself against a world of which he is so wholly terrified and with which he is so wholly angry. He hears tell of a man that selflessly gives himself to a world with which he is so wholly in love and by which he is so highly esteemed. The outcast pushes himself to his physical limits just to catch a glimpse of what it must be like to truly live in communion with others. When Jesus spots the lost soul alone in a tree, he calls him down. Not to offer a sermon, not to lay hands on him, but to ask if Zaccheus would like to experience true community through hosting a group of people and eating with them. (I understand that the text does not clearly state that food was part of the deal, but culturally it would have been implied.) Zaccheus finally experiences the wonderfully simple reality of communion. The result? He does not suddenly have friends thronging to his house. Nor does he begin to preach. He doesn’t even leave his home to follow Jesus as so many did at the time. He instead subverts a lifetime of fear with a brave leap into generosity. He begins a new life of love and community. This is the story I hope to have captured with this song. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Matt Bittner is an actor and sound designer based out of Ridgewood, Queens. He has composed original music and designed sound for collegiate, regional, and NYC theatrical projects. He holds an MFA in acting from Rutgers University and his musical education comes primarily from church and participating in choral groups in school. He is currently performing in Much Ado About Nothing — the first of this year’s Free Shakespeare in the Park productions. www.mattbittner.com Website Matt Bittner About the Artist Matt Bittner Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This video art work by artist and priest Regan O'Callaghan explores the edges of faith and the liminal space between the holy and the mundane in response to 2 Peter 2:18-21. 2 Peter 2:18-21 Fonisoun By Regan O'Callaghan Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2018 Site-specific Video Art Performance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The scripture from 2 Peter is a reminder to be aware of false teachers. Their words are a façade. As a priest in the Church of England I am aware of the power of spoken words. They can build up or break down, enlighten or deceive or simply bore and fall onto stony ground. As an artist I am thankful there is another way to explore the indescribable mysteries of faith, a creative alternative to verbal expressions and proclamations. As an outward sign some priests wear the clerical collar, which is meant to denote their role and their responsibility in sharing the Word of God. But it is also just a strip of cheap plastic which when worn to tightly restricts and suffocates not only the wearer but also the listener. But wonderfully in the midst of religious grandstanding and performance, sometimes the living word can be seen, heard and experienced in the mundane, simple events of every day life. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Regan O’Callaghan is an artist who lives in London, England. Originally from New Zealand he moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 where he studied art and religious studies including the technique of icon painting. In 2001 Regan was ordained into the Church of England. He combines his religious ministry with art leading many art projects and workshops as well as painting a number of commissions including an icon for Saint Paul’s Cathedral London. He believes in a ministry of encouragement where art is the facilitator. Artist Statement "The nature of my practice is based on the application of contemporary and traditional techniques and the morphing of different religious themes and symbols in painting, installations and video. All my work explores ideas of ritual, the sacred and profane with the intention of drawing the viewer into challenging realms of order and chaos, apophatic and cataphatic, light and dark." www.reganocallaghan.com Website Regan O'Callaghan About the Artist Regan O'Callaghan Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Singer Ileana Santamaría wrote a poem that she then brought to musician Raffi Dimoian to produce this intimate spoken word piece imagining Eve's response to Adam from Genesis 2:21-24. Genesis 2:21-24 Eve's Song By Ileana Santamaría + Raffi Dimoian Credits: Written by Ileana Santamaría Composition and Piano by Raffi Dimoian Vocals: Ileana Santamaría Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2017 Spoken Word Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This piece, “Adam! (Eve’s song)”, came about as a response to Genesis 2:21-24 and to the beautiful idea of a helpmeet* – Ezer in the Ancient Hebrew, a helper suitable for man, a companion on this Earth that was given first to him and then to her and their progeny. In a way, it was also a response to the deeply moving response to the same passage conceived by Spark and Echo in their first album. Titled “Flesh”, that work – in itself Adam’s response to this wondrous creature made from and for him, marked by an exuberant, childlike joy and excitement in showing her around the garden and declaring giddily, ‘I was waiting, I was waiting for you’, made quite an impression on me. Recently I was reminded of that fascination with the idea of Eve after reading a blurb from Christian author Gary Thomas’ book Cherish , in which he espouses the notion of Eve being the only woman on Earth as a guideline for men struggling with temptation, calling on them to cherish their wives (hence the title) as the sole woman on Earth, the precious gem crafted for and given especially to them. The seedling of an idea was thus born and lay dormant in me until recently, namely, that of responding to this Scripture by assuming Eve’s voice as she responds to Adam about her calling from and to his side and their calling together. Raffi has been a perfect collaborator for this piece, helping me flesh it out from its bare-bones poem form and suggesting verbal markings that brought out both the music in the recitation and the deeper meaning in the words themselves. After that initial interaction with and response to the piece, he then took to the piano and, with each new run-through, engaged my delivery, helping along the shift from monologue set to music to an interplay in the fullest sense — both interactive and playful, words responding to and bouncing off of notes and vice versa. It is our hope and prayer that “Adam! (Eve’s song)” will capture something that will speak to and, in keeping with the spirit and the objective of this wonderful Spark and Echo Arts project, illuminate some aspect of the person of Eve — who and what she was made to be before the Fall, beyond the infamous fruit of the tree she is perennially associated with. The piece aims to tie in that destiny “redeemed, restored”, as one line reads, into the redemption of our humanity in Jesus Christ, and in particular, of the aspect of woman as partner — a femininity that goes way beyond one-dimensional stereotypes back to its true roots in gentle yet fiercely loving strength and capacity to love and serve and to follow our Lord together with man through the hardships of this life. *help·mate ˈhelpˌmāt/Submit a helpful companion or partner, especially one’s husband or wife. Origin: late 17th century (as helpmeet ): from an erroneous reading of Gen. 2:18, 20, where Adam’s future wife is described as “an help meet for him” (i.e., a suitable helper for him). The variant helpmate came into use in the early 18th century. (From Google Dictionary ) Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Ileana Santamaría began the performing artist life as an aspiring Latin singer over a decade ago, embarking on the long journey of fulfilling an aspiration rooted in an eclectic, music-filled childhood. After much meandering, following (mostly unwittingly) where the Lord led, she happened upon a voice teacher that opened up her voice and found beauty in it, a surprise to Ileana, who had long struggled with vocal technique and producing healthy, beautiful sound. While waiting for the surprise of getting to sing, her Heavenly Father bestowed upon her many other gracious gifts — a knack for foreign languages, work in an international organization, friends from many countries and walks of life, and a talent for and enjoyment of crafting spoken word poetry, which Ileana first dabbled in producing and performing in her college years. Today she is privileged and honored to collaborate on this piece with her dear friend Raffi Dimoian ( bio below ), French horn player, pianist, budding spoken word artist and fellow appreciator of wordsmithery and language. Raffi Dimoian set out on his journey to multifaceted, inventive music-making in early childhood; classical piano was his first port of call (and a home base he would return to often) before choosing the French horn as primary instrument in his teens. Drawn to jazz and world music, Raffi came to the United States, the first foreign student to attend the California Institute of the Arts on a full scholarship. The palette of sounds Raffi works with in composing and producing edgy, lyrical tracks is enriched by his fertile aural imagination and his eclectic musical influences, which span the sounds of his Armenian heritage and Bulgarian upbringing as well as his affinity for Middle Eastern microtonal melodies and African rhythms, to name but a few. Raffi is a lifelong language buff and has enjoyed the process of helping create music for a spoken word piece, finding himself inspired to write some of his own spoken word poetry as a result. Website Ileana Santamaría + Raffi Dimoian About the Artist Ileana Santamaría + Raffi Dimoian Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Brooklyn-based stop-motion animator and mixed media artist (painter, sculptor) Jessie Brugger chose Isaiah 59 for this fanciful and macabre exploration of Spark+Echo Arts' 2012 theme "Hands." Molding clay, Jessie inquires of the imagery in the passage, vividly animating the poetry of the ancient prophet's grim language. Isaiah 59 Webs By Jessie Brugger Credits: Curated by: Charis J Carmichael Braun 2012 Film, Stop Motion Animation Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Born into a Catholic family and having a father who was a Catholic priest, I am intrigued with religion and how it takes such a presence in society. There are a lot of unknown's when it comes to Religion; for me, and my work is an exploration into that unknown. The church has been a main influence on my life and work; as it is the first place I understood hierarchy, power struggles and gender injustice, at the same time experiencing beauty, light, and spirituality. I often use the "Carnivalesque" as a vehicle to portray my thoughts and stories. I was interested in the Bible project that Spark and Echo Arts is doing because there were no limits placed on my interpretation of any passage from the Bible. I chose hands as my theme because I believe the Bible is a mixture of Man's hands and spirituality. I chose Isaiah 59 because it was so visually dark and showed how evil man could be, yet somewhere in hands that can do evil, they can also do beauty and goodness too. Hands have always been my favorite thing to draw since I was a child. My hands are my tools. Creating my vision through clay maquettes that I build in order to tell a story, I use the maquettes as a world to draw from, and then animate. The sculptures are raw and imperfect. I am interested in video because of the time element, I am interested in stop-animation because of the freedom of imagination it allows for: each photo that is taken in the process of a stop animation video is a moment in time that is captured, and complete, yet it is part of a bigger picture. My maquettes, paintings, drawings and videos are all part of a bigger world, in which I am creating. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jessie Brugger was born in Puyallup, Washington. She started her artistic studies of painting, drawing, and mixed media at Western Washington University in 1997. In 2000, she transferred to Concordia University, in Montreal Quebec, receiving her Bachelors of Fine arts in 2002. Jessie moved to Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn in 2005, and in 2010 she completed a Masters of Fine Arts at the New York Academy of Art. She started doing stop animation in 2010 with her drawings, clay, and other mixed materials. The videos that Jessie makes are colorful and whimsical, yet disquieting and socially political. In April 2011, she was awarded “Best in Animation” at the New York International Film Festival for her video, “The Stained Glass Window.” Jessie works on her animations, maquettes, paintings and drawings in Brooklyn, New York. Website Jessie Brugger About the Artist Jessie Brugger Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Img 1660 img_1660.jpg isaiah-43_3.jpg isaiah-43_4.jpg Loading Video . . . This visual work by theater artist Emily Clare Zempel explores the concept of "Beginnings" and Isaiah 43:18-19 which invites us to "Remember not the former things." Isaiah 43:18-19 Rivers in the Desert By Emily Clare Zempel Credits: Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Jonathon + Emily 2012 Digital photography collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I felt called to respond to this theme because I have been experiencing a period of beginnings in my life. Most tangibly, my husband Jonathon and I moved to a new apartment in the Bronx. We packed our things, said goodbye to the East Village: to restaurants on every corner, to a shower in our kitchen, and to the three tiny rooms that comprised the first home we shared together. We said hello to an unknown neighborhood in the Bronx, space, empty streets, room to breathe, and new possibilities. With the energy of a fresh start, I made my "New Years Resolutions" in February, a little later than usual. As my body began to unwind from that compact 300 square feet to a spacious 1,000, my mind began to clear, and I began to fill the time and space now given to me by searching for the next step in my professional and creative life. For me, this has involved a lot of theological exploration, discussion, and journalling in my new found subway time. I have also begun to develop new areas of my life, areas that I have always wanted to explore, but that have been put on the back burner due to restraints in time, space, and finances. Physically, I began training for a marathon. I have enjoyed running for several years now, but I am amazed at how the structure of a training program is allowing me to thrive. Combined with my proximity to Central Park, I am ready to be amazed by what the human body can do, and how we can challenge ourselves to use it more fully. Artistically, I am hoping to expand my interests into visual art (mostly drawing and painting) and dance. I know that growing in these areas will feed my artistic spirit and deepen the work I do in both music and theater. Last weekend I was told that there are two deep sources of pain that we as humans habitually cultivate; impatience with other people and everyday worry. Realizing that these two instinctual reactions are a choice that I make has been a powerful factor in this new chapter of my life. Highlighted in this realization is the fact that when I try to control my life, these two monsters are constantly looking over my shoulder. When, in some rare moments, I am able to trust and let go, those monsters lose their hold on me as well. The above pieces are an exploration of my visual sense of newness, creation and beginning. Compiled are photographic elements from a few series of photographs: a perfect witch hazel plant in full bloom, our new apartment stacked full of boxes, and New Years Resolutions scrawled on sticky notes. This series of four photographs explores the struggle between God and myself to create new beginnings. I cloud His purpose with my will, my busyness, and my frantic pace, trying to create my future and force it into submission. Meanwhile, God presents me with this "new thing", which I am only able to see if I let go of my cluttered mind. I found it fitting to explore these themes in a very unfamiliar medium, forcing me to relinquish my control and my ego, and to begin expanding my vision. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Emily Clare Zempel (Spark+Echo Arts Co-Founder) is an actor and musician based in Beacon, NY, who received her MFA from Brooklyn College. Favorite credits include Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost at Milwaukee Shakespeare, Ophelia in Hamlet at Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, and Wittenberg at Rep Stage, which was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. She plays bassoon, ukulele, guitar, clarinet, and other assorted toys in Spark & Echo the Band, has co-created the original play Esther with Jonathon Roberts and Chris Cragin, and has a small obsession with running marathons. Website Emily Clare Zempel About the Artist Bitter Drink Emily Clare Zempel Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Jacob David Pettibone Loading Video . . . We are pleased to present the work of David Pettibone as he explores the theme of "Hands" from the story of Jacob and Esau from Genesis 27:1-17. Genesis 27:1-17 Jacob By David Pettibone Credits: Curated by: Charis J Carmichael Braun 2012 16 x 27 inches Oil on canvas Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I consider myself agnostic and initially had superficial reservations about taking on this project. Yet I have a deep respect for religion and immeasurable appreciation for the good that can come out of faith and tradition. I also have always felt an intense connection and fascination with the iconography of the Catholic Church and would never deny the effects of nearly two thousand years of christianity on an individual, growing up in a western society. My stance on religion, I feel, is important to mention as it hopefully gives the viewer insight into the approach I chose towards making my painting. I was initially drawn to the theme of hands for many reasons. As a painter, I create with my hands. The handcrafted, in the age of speed and overload, is almost a symbol of defiance. To create directly with the hands is to slow the world down and reconnect with all that is physical and sometimes primal. An unmatched level of craftsmanship and much beauty can come directly from the hand. And yet, at the same time, the hand is responsible for so much that is ugly and destructive. The human hand can nourish and save life and it can just as easily, sometimes with more ease, take life away. In Genesis, through his hands, Jacob deceives his own, blind father, Isaac, in order to obtain the birthright that was to be his elder brother's- to rule over his people. And it was those same hands, with which he later wrestled with an angel, thus becoming "Israel", a prince with God and a leader of the Jewish people. I chose the moment of deception as the subject for my painting as it is a moment that expresses the extreme contradictions that the human hand is capable of. Mores specifically, I chose to focus on the hands themselves. As it may look to a dying, elderly man, blinded by age, obscure hands come out from the shadow and are laid down on a blood-red table. Instead of goat skin, I chose lambskin to cover the backs of Jacob's hands. Traditionally, the Bible refers to believers as Lambs of God, and I felt that using lambskin would bridge the identity from Jacob to all people. As all of us are capable of using our hands towards both deception and graciousness. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection David Pettibone is a New York based artist focusing extensively on the medium of oil paint and the portrayal of the contemporary figure. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona and received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from the New York Academy of Art. Upon graduating, he stayed on at the New York Academy of Art for one more year as a Fellow. He has taught painting at Brooklyn College and currently teaches drawing and painting at Marymount Manhattan College, 3rd Ward in Brooklyn and Brooklyn Artist Gym. His work is included in various private collections with continuous growing support. Website David Pettibone About the Artist David Pettibone Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work