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Loading Video . . . Choreographer and dancer Elizabeth Dishman brings us this beautiful new video in response to Joshua 15:63-16:10. Joshua 15:63-16:10 Terra Firma By Elizabeth Dishman Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2015 Dance Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This portion of Joshua is one of a series of long passages in which the tribes of Israel receive their allotments in the promised land, their lines of demarcation being tediously described. The brief verses at the ends of these chapters caught my interest, noting almost in passing that “Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites…They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer.” I’m drawn to these moments in the book of Joshua–and the whole Bible really–when the clear path encounters the unexpected, the unideal, the nooks and crannies of reality. As a response, this film is a study on territory and dancing with the enemy. The work revels in the contested but shared space between two dancers who grapple within a carefully plotted piece of ground. With a supporting cast amplifying the intimate struggle, Terra Firma embodies the effort of ousting an enemy, and figuring out how to live with him in the ambiguous aftermath. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Elizabeth Dishman is the Artistic Director of Dishman + Co. Choreography, a Brooklyn-based experimental dance company founded in 2001. Originally from Colorado, she studied Voice Performance at Emory University, and Choreography at The Ohio State University. In pursuit of ineffable junctures between the abstract and theatrical, the universal and deeply personal, Elizabeth and her collaborators devote themselves to scrupulous exploration and ardent play, probing the elusiveness of live performance in search of lasting things. Over 15 years and 40+ original works, Dishman + Co.’s choreography has been described by critics as “complex skeins and cerebral dreams”, “bodies in rigorous concentration”, and “playful and provocative…raw humanity seeps in”. www.DishmanAndCo.org Website Elizabeth Dishman About the Artist Tide dance in the dances Visitation Stranger Name Elizabeth Dishman Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "A Call to Solitude" is five movements of prose set to music. After writing the prose, I collaborated with John Forsleff to compose musical aspects of the piece, with the idea that the violin and guitar would provide the emotional content of the text. Hosea 2:6-23 A Call to Solitude By Ariele Macadangdang Credits: Composed by Ariele Macadangdang and John Forsleff Performed by Sarah Amos, narrator; Ariele Macadangdang, violin; John Forsleff, guitar Artist Location: Southwestern Michigan Curated by: Benje and Ashley Daneman 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link "A Call to Solitude" is five movements of prose set to music. After writing the prose, I collaborated with John Forsleff to compose musical aspects of the piece, with the idea that the violin and guitar would provide the emotional content of the text. The first movement is about a woman's invitation to a feast and the discovery of a new place. In the second and third movements she struggles to accept that the feast is set for her, and that it is given to her freely. In the fourth movement she shows up weary from a trying season of life, bringing a set of expectations to the rich man. She is a person who cannot put down her pride to accept love from the true source. The fifth movement is my attempt at depicting the unwavering invitation of the rich man and the release of freedom that comes from receiving love. The feast is symbolic of intimacy with the Lord. In a way the woman is Israel, but to me she represents followers of Jesus in different seasons, relating to the King. Every day Jesus invites us to a feast and most days we can't see the feast for what it is. At times when we can see it we shy away from it, thinking it is not ours to have. As a result we often settle for what we think we can provide for ourselves. Performers on this recording are Ariele Macadangdang, violin, John Forsleff, guitar, and Sarah Amos, narrator. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Ariele Macadangdang is a violinist from Southwest Michigan. In June 2012 she was a featured soloist in the Wal-Mart Annual Shareholders Meeting held in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Through her activities at Western Michigan University she has performed in collaborative concerts with jazz pianist Ed Simon, and Israeli jazz pianist/composer Alon Yavnai. She has twice performed at the Orfeo Music Festival held in the Italian Alps, where her current teacher, Renata Knific, is a faculty member. Since 2010 she has been a founding member and planter of a fine arts community outreach, Imago Dei, with InterVarsity Christian Ministry on her campus. Ariele is a freelance violinist for independent studio and recording projects with singer-songwriters in her area. She also enjoys improvisation and collaboration across artistic disciplines. She completed her undergraduate studies at Western Michigan University and is to begin her graduate studies at the University of Miami, Florida, in August 2014. Website Ariele Macadangdang About the Artist Ariele Macadangdang Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Earth Jesus J Mc Donald Loading Video . . . Artist J McDonald ponders the interaction of Heaven and Earth in response to Revelation 12:15-16 as reflected through his sculpture. Revelation 12:15-16 Earth Jesus By J McDonald Credits: Curated by: Evelyn Lewis 2016 9 x 18 inches earth and steel Sculpture Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Though the earth does nothing but give and asks nothing in return Though the earth in its vastness has the capacity to swallow our sins, Though the earth to all opens its embrace And so we take And so our greed lacerates its skin And so the earth’s open arms hang upon our cross Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection J McDonald is an artist, designer and fabricator based in Brooklyn, NY. His artwork, primarily sculpture and installation, deals primarily with the contemporary human relationship to built space and natural environment. His work has been exhibited throughout NYC, received residencies around the US, and has taken him as as far as West Africa, where he researched local building methods and built numerous structures, both architectural and sculptural. J also owns and manages Shape Studio, a design and fabrication shop where he has honed and utilized his understanding of material, craft, and detail. Website J McDonald About the Artist J McDonald Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

rstander_1.jpg Loading Video . . . Artist Ryan Stander created a thoughtful piece in response to the theme of "Memory" from Psalm 88 and Psalm 106. Psalms 106 Psalms 88 Untitled (Stander) By Ryan Stander Credits: Curated by: Emily Clare Zempel 2013 Lithograph + Objects Photography, Mixed Media Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Since seminary, the Psalms have had a special place in my heart and theology particularly the provocative lament and complaint Psalms as they draw upon memory in such interesting ways. Faith and our utter need for salvation allows Christians to boldly approach God baring the ugly realities of all that is wrong in the world to the only One who can set things aright. The psalmist’s testimonies left nothing out of their purview: praise and bitterness, hope and fear, life and death. In addition to the psalms that convey this emotional gamut, some also contain brute and penetrating questions of Yahweh: Why? Where? How long? These laments (and these questions of complaint) are firmly rooted in Israel’s covenant with God, utilizing memory of the both the individual and community. But more provocatively, many of the Psalms remind God of God’s own past promises and salvific actions. In other words, they remind God to be God. I chose two Psalms to inspire this work, Psalm 88 and 106. Both use memory in curious ways as alluded to above. The psalmist in Psalm 88 recalls his current desperate circumstances and fears that having been forgotten by God. He then challenges God to recall God’s own attributes and past actions of “wonder”, “steadfast love”, and “faithfulness” in efforts to stir God into saving action once again. Psalm 106 recalls both sides of the covenant: God’s salvific actions on Israel’s behalf and Israel’s efforts and failures to live out their part of the covenant relationship. The psalmist says, “For their sake he remembered his covenant, and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Originally from northwest Iowa, Ryan Stander is a fairly recent transplant to the plains of North Dakota. His education has alternated between art and theology with a BA in Art from Northwestern College (IA), an MA in Bible and Theology from Sioux Falls Seminary (SD), and an MFA from the University of North Dakota. His research brings liturgical theology and the arts into dynamic conversations. In particular, Stander explores how the sacramental imagination, as formed through liturgical participation, engages ideas of place/space, and other cultural forms including the visual arts. As an artist, his work moves between printmaking and photography, with a keen interest in lithography and alternative photographic processes. Thematically, Stander’s work often engages concepts of memory and identity. Ryan and his wife Karina recently moved to Minot, ND where he serves as an Assistant Professor of Art at Minot State University. Teaching primarily photography, Stander also recently started and now serves as the director for Flat Tail Press, an educational printmaking studio at Minot State University. Website Ryan Stander About the Artist Ryan Stander Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Poet Lynn Powell explores the theme of "Harvest" from Job 38:25-28. Job 38:25-28 At the Equinox By Lynn Powell Credits: Curated by: Emily Ruth Hazel 2013 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I have always found odd comfort in the Voice from the Whirlwind's answer to Job's anguished questions about human suffering. Instead of answering Job on his own human terms, the Lord flings out fierce, exquisite questions, asserting the vastness, mystery, and unfathomable complexity of creation. Humanity is hardly mentioned in the litany of creation's scope and wonder, ferocity and beauty. It's that cosmic perspective I find, in my most receptive moments, thrilling and calming and liberating, both as a person and as an artist. In this little poem, I try to evoke the orders of magnitude of creation, which continues within and around and through us in countless, inventive ways. As a poet, I "work the dark with rigs of silk," and am grateful for the little galaxies that occasionally condense, for a while, on those thin lines. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lynn Powell is the author of two books of poetry, Old & New Testaments and The Zones of Paradise, and a book of nonfiction, Framing Innocence: A Mother’s Photographs, a Prosecutor’s Zeal, and a Small Town’s Response . Among her awards are fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council, the Studs and Ida Terkel Award from The New Press, and the Brittingham Prize in Poetry. Her poems have been published in many magazines, including Poetry, FIELD, Image, Tiferet , and The Paris Review , and have been anthologized in 180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Everyday and The Norton Introduction to Literature. Poems from her current book-in-progress, A Scherzo for Sadness, are forthcoming this fall in Shenandoah and The Georgia Review . A native of East Tennessee, she has lived with her family in Oberlin, Ohio, since 1990. Website Lynn Powell About the Artist Lynn Powell Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art For a little while after the fog lifts, the autumn field flashes with sudden flowers‚ like filigrees of mirror, like alloys of lace and light. View Full Written Work AT THE EQUINOX by Lynn Powell Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? -Job 38:28 For a little while after the fog lifts, the autumn field flashes with sudden flowers- like filigrees of mirror, like alloys of lace and light. A weird miracle? Some manic, brilliant manna? -until, of course, it's spiders -ten thousand that have worked the dark with rigs of silk to snag a fly and then, surprising themselves, have step-fathered the dew. And so, for an odd hour, their creations glisten like galaxies, sieved from a passing thought of lake and air. Close Loading Video . . . For a little while after the fog lifts, the autumn field flashes with sudden flowers‚ like filigrees of mirror, like alloys of lace and light. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Multidisciplinary artist Meghan E. B. Lin reflects on the story of the bleeding woman in Luke 8:41-47 and the theme of "Harvest" in her one act play "Her Story in Blood." Luke 8:41-47 Her Story in Blood By Meghan E. B. Lin Credits: Curated by: Emily Clare Zempel 2013 One Act Play Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link One of the most interesting questions I find in the New Testament is "Who does Jesus harvest, and how?" Within the frame of that question, the story of the woman who bled for 12 years has always been particularly fascinating for me. Here is a woman who, because of Levitical law, has lived more or less in isolation, suffering physically, socially, and financially, for 12 years. She is so unimportant that she is never named, and her story is told as an interruption to the story of Jairus, a synagogue leader. She does not dare to interrupt Jesus herself, and tries to slip away quietly, but Jesus interrupts his own errand in order to pursue her, engage her, and bless her. Somewhere in there is the gospel for all of us, and especially for women. In writing this play, I wanted to explore this woman's many vulnerabilities, how her female biology both creates and complicates these vulnerabilities, and the realities of women today who suffer similar pains. I also wanted to explore the way that Jesus responds to her, what that might mean for her, and how his response is in contrast to common attitudes towards women. Because the bleeding woman's anonymity makes her both un-knowable and every-knowable (universal), it is possible and desirable to explore her story from multiple angles. None of the women featured in the play is "the" bleeding woman, but modern women in whose suffering the bleeding woman might find deep resonance. Similarly, because we do not experience Jesus in a vacuum or through the influence of a single person, but rather from the multiplicity of the church, I have chosen to have the actresses take turns playing Jesus, so that they can be the hands and feet of Jesus to one another onstage as we, the Church, are to one another in real life. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Meghan E. B. Lin is a multidisciplinary artist and teaching artist residing in New York City. She studied theater and history in undergrad at Youngstown State University and received her Masters of Science in Teaching from Fordham University. She is a teaching artist for the Active Learning Leads to Literacy program with LEAP ( leapnyc.com ). Besides teaching and doing theatrical things, Meghan writes fiction and poetry and practices as a certified Dancing Mindfulness facilitator. She participated in Spark and Echo’s 2012 City of Water Day event on Governor’s Island as a spoken word poet. You can find her poetry at Digital Literary Magazine (Issue 1) and JohnShore.com . She is currently working on a novel and a web series, and making little kids excited about art. Website Meghan E. B. Lin About the Artist Meghan E. B. Lin Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art (ENSEMBLE dispersed about the stage, standing, facing audience. Alternatively, poised for action. Woman 7 has the rabbinical stole. There may be some simple arrangements of props along the US wall, but the rest of the space should be unadorned – the staging of the actors should create the depth, levels, and visual interest.) View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . (ENSEMBLE dispersed about the stage, standing, facing audience. Alternatively, poised for action. Woman 7 has the rabbinical stole. There may be some simple arrangements of props along the US wall, but the rest of the space should be unadorned – the staging of the actors should create the depth, levels, and visual interest.) Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Iranian composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh explores the poles of love and hate and the paradoxical existence of prophecy from Joel 3:17. Joel 3:17 No One is Born Hating Another Person By Niloufar Nourbakhsh Credits: Composed by Niloufar Nourbakhsh Curated by: Aaron Beaumont 2017 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The moment the promise fulfills, the verse stops serving the purpose it has served or was intended to serve for long centuries. The prophecy is therefore intertwined with its counter-promise: If it would actualize, it would become a description of the past. Since a prophecy cannot become a description of the past, it is not to be actualized. The paradox however does not dissuade the promised. Through hate, as the only mean to glory and the Holy, shall the promise be met. And through pursuing hate, the promised reduces the being to US against THEM. And it was only through pursuing hate that its absurdity appeared. That it was recognized that once it is all reduced to the unbounded hate, all shall remain is ruins. This absurdity, provides a rare chance for US to open our eyes to the supposedly obvious: The pursuit of happiness is to be followed through not hate, but love. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Described as “stark” by WNPR, Iranian composer Niloufar Nourbakhsh ‘s music has been commissioned and performed by Symphony Number One, Women Composers Festival of Hartford, Pianist Erika Dohi for Metropolis Ensemble Piano Series, Calidore String Quartet and Cassatt String Quartet at numerous festivals including Atlantic Music Festival, Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music, New Paltz Piano Summer, SPLICE institute, New Music for String and Stony Brook Chamber Music Festival and more. Nilou is a strong advocate of music education. She has worked as the site coordinator of Brooklyn Middle School Jazz Academy sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center. She is currently a Teaching Artist for post grad composition students of NY Philharmonic Young Composers program. Nilou is a Global Citizen Scholarship recipient of Goucher College as well as a Mahoney and Caplan Scholar from University of Oxford. Among her teachers are Lisa Weiss, Laura Kaminsky, Sheila Silver and Daria Semegen. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate degree in music composition at Stony Brook University under the supervision of Daniel Weymouth. Website Niloufar Nourbakhsh About the Artist Niloufar Nourbakhsh Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Vanessa Kay Garments Of Praise Loading Video . . . Curator Shann Ray brought together the works of four incredibly talented artists to form a collective response to the theme of "Light and Darkness" from the perspective of Isaiah 61:3. Isaiah 61:3 Isaiah 61:3 Collection By Shann Ray Credits: Curated by: Shann Ray 2013 Photography. Literature: Poetry, Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Curator Shann Ray brought together the works of four incredibly talented artists to form a collective response to the theme of "Light and Darkness" from the perspective of Isaiah 61:3: Garments of Praise, by Vanessa Kay (Photography) Adoration of the Foot, by Mary Jane Nealon (Poetry) Cheer, by Alan Heathcock (Shorty Story) Fourteen Types of Hunger, by Shann Ray (Short Story) Click on any of the links to explore the Isaiah 61:3 collection. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Shann Ray ’s collection of stories American Masculine (Graywolf Press), named by Esquire as one of Three Books Every Man Should Read and selected by Kirkus Reviews as a Best Book of the Year, won the Bakeless Prize, the High Plains Book Award, and the American Book Award. Sherman Alexie called it “tough, poetic, and beautiful” and Dave Eggers said Ray’s work is “lyrical, prophetic, and brutal, yet ultimately hopeful.” Shann’s creative nonfiction book of leadership and political theory Forgiveness and Power in the Age of Atrocity (Rowman &Littlefield) explores the nature of categorical human transgressions and engages the question of ultimate forgiveness in the context of ultimate violence. His book of poems, Balefire, is forthcoming with Lost Horse Press. Shann lives with his wife and three daughters in Spokane, Washington where he teaches leadership and forgiveness studies at Gonzaga University. Website Shann Ray About the Artist Fourteen Types of Hunger Shann Ray Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

satsuki-ichikawa-sky1.jpg Loading Video . . . Photographer Satsuki Ichikawa responds to Romans 8:24-28 and the events of March 11th, 2011 as the final artist in a three-part series featuring artists from Japan. Romans 8:24-28 Hope By Satsuki Ichikawa Credits: Curated by: Rachel Carvosso 2015 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I chose to make work responding to the theme of hope. As long as we are alive we will experience some suffering and pain, we have been given the written promises of God that the pain and the suffering does not end in despair. In Japan, after the earthquake of March 11th, there are many people who are sad and even now are still suffering in some ways. The first photo represents the feelings of these people – feelings of sorrow, anger and tension. I think it is important to express such struggle and emotions. In the second image the storm has subsided and hope is beginning to be found. In the third image I wanted to express the promise of God that there is no hope that the ends in disappointment. The Sky is a canvas – when we view the sky it seems to comfort us, and it can speak into our minds. People who have lost everything can receive a light of hope. 私は希望をテーマにこの箇所を選びました。私たちは生きている限り時として苦しみや痛みを経験します。けれども聖書はここで、それは失望で終わるのではないという、素晴らしい神の約束が記されています。日本は3.11の地震により、今もなお悲しみ苦しみの中にいる人々が多くいます。 1枚目の写真はそんな苦しみの中にいる人々の心情、悲しみや憤り、葛藤などを表現しています。 2枚目は嵐が静まり、希望を見い出し始めた心。 3枚目はその希望が失望に終わる事がないという神の約束を現しました。 空は私たち人間の心にそっと寄添うように、語りかけます。 希望を失った人々に希望の光が届きますように。 Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Satsuki Ichikawa is a freelance photographer based in Japan/Korea. She specialises in portraiture and landscapes and has exhibited widely in Japan receiving a Mitsubishi Kodak award in 2004. http://ichikawasatsuki.com FB: satsukiichikawa.photography Twitter: @ichikawasatsuki Website Satsuki Ichikawa About the Artist Satsuki Ichikawa Other Works By Satsuki Ichikawa, Hope Ms. Ichikawa is the third of the artists in our three-part series who come from Japan, selected by curator Rachel Carvosso. VIEW THE FIRST AND SECOND WORKS IN THIS SERIES: [THE EARTH IS ROUND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS] BY AYAKO YOSHIDA AND PARADISE BY SHINO YANAI. Curious about Ms. Carvosso's process as a curator? Read some of her shared thoughts here . Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Toralf Summchen 4 Plates Loading Video . . . Featuring surprisingly natural materials, Toralf Sümmchen's photography piece is almost otherworldly as it responds to Psalm 133. Psalms 133 Untitled (Summchen) By Toralf Sümmchen Credits: Curated by: Evelyn Lewis 2016 Four 8"x10″ wet plate tintypes on black anodized aluminum, old workhorse formula, vinegar developer, sandarac varnish Photography Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The series of four, eight by ten inch wet plate tintypes can be seen as a translation of the imagery of Psalm 133 into abstract photography. The pleasantness of unity is described as “precious oil […] running down the beard” and “the dew of Hermon […] falling on Mount Zion”. Hair, wool and small pieces of cloth were frozen into a block of ice, then photographed while slowly melting from warm oil poured on the ice. Manipulating the plates during coating and developing in the darkroom resulted in streaks and random drip patterns that are flowing, permeating and condensing. The results are abstract, metaphysical, photographic objects with a foggy, atmospheric quality. There are layers of chemical marks, lines, reflections and bits of hair. Unity, as the absence of discord is warm, pleasant and soft. It pervades everything it is getting in contact with. The warm oil is melting the ice. It is penetrating the embedded hair and fabric. The hard, cold object that captured the softness, disappears. This process of warming up, melting and penetrating is an interpretation of the language of the psalm and is re-translated with the photographic process and it’s inherent traces into a reference to the words of the psalm. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Toralf Sümmchen is a German born, Brooklyn based architect and artist. Besides, working for a world renowned architect, he is a visual artist working in drawing, painting and photography. For his photography Toralf mainly, but not exclusively, uses analogue photographic processes. He works with traditional film and instant film and has come to focus on alternative photographic processes such as wet plate collodion tintypes. Inspired by artists like Sally Mann, John Coffer and France Scully Ostermann, he became interested in wet plate photography and attended workshops with Robyn Hasty and Ellen Susan. The wet plate collodion process is one of the oldest photographic processes, which utilizes large format cameras and a freshly prepared and sensitized metal or glass plate to create an original positive or negative photographic image. Toralf prepares the chemicals himself following recipes from the 19th century and experiments with different techniques and parameters of the development to gain different effects. Idiosyncrasies of the process create artifacts on the plates which often become an integral part of the composition. He purposefully uses these accidents and flaws to repeat or counterpoint the photographed objects with visible traces of the chemicals and development. Website Toralf Sümmchen About the Artist Toralf Sümmchen 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 collage by visual artist Nicora Gangi explores God's promise of deliverance in 2 Chronicles 20:15-17. 2 Chronicles 20:15-17 This One By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2020 11 x 14 inches Collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's......You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you , Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid ; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. " Written is God's speedy and gracious answer to Jehoshaphat's prayer — reassuring him and all of Judah to 'Be Not Afraid.' They admitted fear enough to bring their petitions to God! The Lord God then gives them the motions of the enemy and orders the people of Judah to march towards them with particular directions where they should find the enemy. He assures them that they should be the joyful spectators of the total defeat of the enemy: "You shall not need to strike a stroke; only stand still and see it." ( 2 Chronicles 20:17 ) This is not dissimilar from other passages in Scripture in which the Lord through Moses said: "God is with you, who is able to do his work himself, and will do it. If the battle be his, the victory shall be his too." ( Exodus 14:13 ) This passage is perfect Christ encouragement: all of our battles, are HIS. His grace is all sufficient. Trust. God ALWAYS leads. 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 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 Memories 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 Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Elise Bergsten Grandmothers Shrine Front Closed Grandmother's Shrine, Detail (Interior) Grandmother's Shrine, Detail (Exterior Back) Grandmother's Shrine, Detail (Exterior Right Side) Grandmother's Shrine, Detail (Exterior Left Side) Grandmother's Shrine, Detail (Interior Top Shelf) Grandmother's Shrine, Detail (Interior Middle Shelf) Grandmother's Shrine, Detail (Interior Bottom Shelf) Loading Video . . . Artist Elise Bergsten wrestled with the passage of 1 Timothy 5:3-16 and produced this gorgeous piece that stands as a personal tribute to overcoming adversity and as a memento to the universal journey through life that we all take. 1 Timothy 5:3-16 Grandmother's Shrine By Elise Bergsten Credits: Curated by: Laurel Justice 2018 18 x 14 x 5 inches Mixed Media Collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This passage is referred to as "The Widows List". Paul was giving guidance to others for the new church, and most of the passage is in regards to defining requirements that a true widow ought to meet in order to merit help from the church. Widows seemed pretty unfortunate, whether they fit into the narrow rules or whether they were left outside of them. Widows that brought property to their marriage or widows that had sons that could inherit their father's property and take care of their mothers were the most fortunate. I found that there were three different words for widow in the original Hebrew that differentiated between three types of widows. The widows list only pertained to widows with no means and no family to take care of them. As the passage makes clear, these widows still had a very small eye of a needle to fit through to receive help from the church. I researched the passage and the historical context, and found myself processing my own feelings regarding marriage, various ways humans become trapped by their circumstances, and the concept of "widow" as helpless victim versus the opportunity of any human to make choices about how they act within their life circumstances. We humans have the ability to be free within very difficult conditions. I was reminded of the Hero's Path, written by Joseph Campbell : We have not even to risk the adventure alone for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known…we have only to follow the hero path. And where we had thought to find an abomination we shall find a God. And where we had thought to slay another we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outwards we shall come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone we shall be with all the world. The widow story that is most personal to me and is also a hero's journey is that of my maternal grandmother, so I reflected about her life, the ways in which she was trapped within very difficult circumstances, and how she lived her life in response to those conditions. She lived for more than two decades as a widow, and was fortunate to have property and means to live independently during that time. This three-dimensional piece is a shrine honoring my grandmother. It has three levels, which represent many different trinities: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Maiden, Mother, Crone. Death, Life, Transcendence. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Elise Bergsten was educated at the University of Wisconsin where she in majored in Fiber Arts. Her recent work is in paper and mixed media collage, and explores archetypal symbols and humanity’s search for meaning. Website Elise Bergsten About the Artist Elise Bergsten Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work