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

Loading Video . . . Author Jeff Martin shares his short story, “Winebibber,” crafted with forty passages interwoven from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 1:10 Proverbs 1:15-16 Proverbs 1:22 Proverbs 2:7 Proverbs 3:13 Proverbs 3:25 Proverbs 3:33 Proverbs 5:16 Proverbs 8:7 Proverbs 8:10 Proverbs 9:10-11 Proverbs 10:27-30 Winebibber By Jeff Martin Credits: Curated by: Laura Eve Engel 2016 Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As a fiction writer, the wisdom books of the Bible often frustrate me because of their lack of narrative—that is, there’s no story to be found in Proverbs, just as there isn’t any to be had in Wisdom or Sirach or the Psalms. If you want a plot in this stretch of the Old Testament, your best bet is Job, which has cause and effect, even if the causes are ultimately inexplicable. If you’re willing to scrap a bit more for your plot or like unusual narrative structures, you might be able to do something with Song of Songs or Ecclesiastes. But for the most part, what you’ll be reading is lists, many of which, as in Proverbs, are happy to repeat their ideas ceaselessly and with only the slightest variations. Nor are those repetitions necessarily profound—in some ways, Proverbs could be whittled down to this: “The righteous and the just will be okay. But the wicked and the slothful are up the creek.” This drove me nuts. Why spend 920 verses making the same few generic points? So it interested me to learn that Hebrew has a number of variations for the term “byword”—a word or phrase (like a proverb) that we use frequently. Of course one of those variations can be translated as “proverb.” But another can be translated as “taunt.” And that’s what struck me the most about Proverbs—that the overabundance of generic advice felt like a taunt to the reader. Once I had that focus, the challenge was to herd the 40 verses I chose into a short story, i.e, a narrative, which is not their natural environment. Doing so was a blast. Lastly, I’ll say this: the story’s engine runs almost entirely on taking the verses literally, which is probably the worst way to read any kind of religious text. But I also think there’s something to be gained from exploring how these sayings would fare when dropped into the living world. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jeff Martin co-directs the UVA Young Writers Workshop and has been published in New England Review , Alaska Quarterly Review , and No Tokens Journal , among others. Find more of his work online at readjeffmartin.com . Website Jeff Martin About the Artist Slow Belly Jeff Martin Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art There was a great deal of consternation and much protest at the announcement of the quiz. It can 't be helped, I said. View Full Written Work WINEBIBBER By Jeff Martin There was a great deal of consternation and much protest at the announcement of the quiz. It can’t be helped, I said. Put away everything but a piece of paper and something to write with. C’mon, Winebibber said, they’d just had a quiz yesterday, and I hadn’t even graded that one yet. How could I give another one today? Winebibber always noticed things like this. I’d sat him by the window hoping someday he might fall out of it. Yeah, Buckler said, that’s not fair at all. A couple of the backdwellers started chanting Not fair! Not fair! as they often did. They didn’t look up from their phones. Besides, Winebibber said, it’s not a good day for Quan. Quan is having a bad day. I’m fine, Quan muttered. He sat behind Winebibber and he looked sick. It can’t be helped, I said again. We cannot choose the day we are tested. But you can, Winebibber said. You can choose the day. You chose it yesterday. I shrugged. What’s the quiz even on ? Buckler asked. We didn’t have any reading last night. Seriously, Winebibber said, it’s not a good day for Quan. We have to take it, fine, but leave Quan out of it. I’ll take it, Quan mumbled. Hang on, said the backdwellers. They looked up from their phones. If we have to take it, everyone has to take it. Yeah, Buckler said, that’s true. Let us quiz on Gadiformes, I said. Quan raised his hand and asked to go to the bathroom. He did not look good. After the quiz, I said. The backdwellers were in an uproar. What in hell was a Gadiforme? Come on , Winebibber said, even he didn’t know what a Gadiforme was, and he’d already taken two PSAT prep courses. Is this a punishment? Buckler asked. Are you just mad again? Not fair! the backdwellers were chanting. Not fair! Not fair! No, I said, this is not a punishment. The backdwellers demanded to know what a Gadiforme was. They had their rights, they said. They had the right to know. I silenced them with the air horn. How long? I said. How long will you love simplicity and hate knowledge? Quan got to the trashcan at the front of the room before he threw up. The whole room yelled. Then don’t look, I said. It’s just the inside of a stomach. It’s no different than the inside of a building. No, it’s different, the backdwellers moaned, covering their eyes. It’s way different. Someone yelled to open a window and someone else did so. I helped Quan lie down on the floor behind my desk. He did not look good. His black hair was stuck to his temple with sweat and his chest rose quickly up and down. He stared at me with wide dark eyes. Shouldn’t he go to the nurse? Winebibber asked. He was standing by the open window as if ready for some kind of action. He’ll be fine, I said. I looked down at Quan. You’ll be fine, I said. A little sleep, I said to him, a little slumber. A little folding of the hands to sleep. I told you he was having a bad day, Winebibber said. You were right, I said. Good for you. Happy is the man who findeth wisdom, and the man who getteth understanding. The backdwellers wanted to know if we could getteth that trashcan out of there. I sat the trashcan in the hall and closed the door. It wasn’t even that much, I said to them. To Quan I said, Quan, if it’s going to happen again, you are welcome to use my hat. I reminded him that my hat was hanging on the chair above him. Okay, Quan said. It was hard to hear him and we could see only his legs sticking out from behind the desk. Buckler asked if we were still taking the quiz, and the backdwellers told him to shut up, why would he remind me? And I said, Why would I forget? Yes, I said, we were still taking the quiz. But we don’t know anything about Gettysburg, the backdwellers said. Gad iformes, Buckler said. He didn’t say Gettysburg . Jesus. We’re going to wreck you after class, the backdwellers said to Buckler. To me they said, We don’t know anything about Gadiformes, either. You can’t quiz us on what we don’t know. It’s unconstitutional. Then receive my instruction instead of silver, I said, and knowledge instead of choice gold. This really is a pretty bad class, Winebibber said. He was still standing by the window. And be not among winebibbers, I said, among riotous eaters of flesh. What is going on ? Winebibber said. He just called you a flesh eater, the backdwellers said. That means you’re gay. Buckler disagreed. He called him a cannibal, he said. But I don’t know why. What is going on? Look at your phones, I said. Look up Gadiforme on your phones. The backdwellers said they didn’t know how to spell it and sat back to complain to each other of their plight. I asked Quan how he was doing. His eyes were closed and he said he was afraid. Oh, I said, don’t be afraid of sudden fear. But I am afraid, he said. Well, I said, just don’t be. Winebibber waved his phone. It’s cod, he said. A Gadiforme is just a cod. Yes, I said, good. There is gold, and a multitude of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. That’s a gay joke, the backdwellers told Winebibber. Lips of knowledge. You can sue him for that after we beat the shit out of you. There, I said to Winebibber. See? The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. You should feel crowned. I don’t get it, Winebibber said. We’re reading Lord of the Flies. Yes, I said. What does cod have to do with Lord of the Flies? I reminded them that the quiz would be like all quizzes. Five questions, two points apiece. The backdwellers and Buckler cried foul. You may use your phones, I said. Finally, Buckler said. To Quan I said, Quan, you don’t need to write down your answers, but I want you to think about the questions. Quan made a sound I couldn’t understand. Some of the backdwellers decided they wouldn’t take the quiz. They were going to fail, so what was the point? You can use your phones, I said. Don’t be slothful. The slothful man says, There is a lion in the way; there is a lion in the streets. Quan made another sound. But, I said, there isn’t a lion in the way. There is only a quiz, and it’s not in the streets. It’s just here in the room. Winebibber said Quan really ought to go to the nurse. Once, I said, I went past the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding. And lo, I said, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down. Do you understand what I’m saying? Quan made a long, strange sound from behind the desk, high enough to get the backdwellers’ attention and odd enough to silence them. Oh, God, he said at the end of it, and then was the sound of him sobbing. Quan, I said, are you afraid? Jesus, the backdwellers said, of course he’s afraid. Let him go to the nurse. I told you, Winebibber said. He had one arm out the window and was scooping handfuls of fresh air in. I asked Quan what he was afraid of. Oh, God, he quavered again, and he rolled over so the sobbing grew muffled. There, I said to the class, Quan has the right idea. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Good for you, I said to Quan’s legs. The wisdom of the holy is understanding. His mom is dying, Winebibber said. I turned around. Is that true, Quan? I said, but Quan didn’t answer. It’s true, Buckler said. Everyone knows it. We didn’t know it, the backdwellers said. Everyone who matters knows it, Buckler told them. That’s twice, they said, and one of them threw a pen cap at Buckler. We’re going to wreck you twice now. Don’t worry, I said to Buckler. The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead. I turned back to Quan. Did you hear that, Quan? That goes for your mother, too. Bow down your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart unto my knowledge. He’s already bowed down, Buckler said. He’s on the floor. He can’t bow down any more than that. Listen, Quan, I said. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Just leave him alone, Winebibber said. He wasn’t scooping air in anymore. He was just sitting on the window ledge. Just leave him alone, he said again. But a wise man is strong, I said. Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. Quan, I said, if you had more knowledge, you’d have more strength. You’d be in a chair right now instead of on the floor. Jesus , the backdwellers said. What’s the matter with you? Question number one, I said. The backdwellers howled. We were still having the quiz? Question number one, I said again. Identify the origin of cod. If we have to do this, the backdwellers said, we’re just going to cheat off each other. Sloths, I said, you say there is a lion without, I shall be slain in the street. A lion without what? the backdwellers asked. What is it with sloths and lions? Buckler, they said, if you give us your answers, we’ll only wreck you once. Not twice. You can use your phone , Buckler said. He flipped through his screen and wrote something down. Seriously, they said. You’re asking for it. My son, I said to Buckler, if sinners entice you, consent you not. Walk not in the ways with them; refrain your foot from their path. For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. He’s right, they said, we’ll make haste to shed blood for sure. They demanded to know the origin of cod. They had their right to know. Nothing? I said. Have you learned nothing from Quan’s example? He lies sobbing on the floor for lack of knowledge. Is this what you want for yourselves as well? He’s on the floor because his mom’s dying, Winebibber said. She’s younger than my mom. Quan, I said, is your mother an upright woman? The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them. She’s a hospice nurse, Winebibber said. He leaned against the window frame and dangled one foot out in the air. There you are, I said. Whoso walketh uprightly will be saved. She can’t walk uprightly, Winebibber said. She can’t get out of her bed. Metaphorically, I said. I don’t think so, Winebibber replied. Wait, said one of the backdwellers, she has to shit in her bed? Yes, Winebibber said with his eyes closed, she has to shit in her bed. Quan let out another long, muffled howl. Gross, the backdwellers said. Pissing the bed was bad enough. Hey Buckler, they said, you still piss your bed? No, Buckler said. He was done writing and waiting for the next question. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, I said, and rivers of waters in the streets. They looked at me. Question two, I said. I really don’t think this is right, Winebibber said. Quan needs to see the nurse. Just give us the next question, Buckler said. There, I said, and pointed at Buckler. A man who seeks knowledge. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous. He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He is a man who seeks a beating, the backdwellers said. He is a kicking bag to those that walk in shoes. A hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, I said, but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. I went to my desk and took a letter opener from a plastic tray. It was shaped like a sword and I handed it to Buckler. But you should also carry this, I said. Then I gave them the second question. Explain cod, I said. That’s the second question. Winebibber wanted to know how knowledge would deliver Quan’s mother. The backdwellers roared. How were they supposed to explain cod? I shrugged. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, I said. But he blesseth the habitation of the just. But she’s dying , Winebibber said. Quan, I said, on a scale of one to ten, how just is your mother? She’s a nine, Winebibber said. If she’s a nine, I said, she has nothing to fear. The integrity of the upright shall guide them. That doesn’t sound very helpful, Winebibber said. It is, I said. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright, but destruction to the workers of iniquity. She’s on morphine, Winebibber said. She doesn’t know where she is half the time. Well, I said, the hope of the righteous shall be gladness. The righteous shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. I think she wants to be removed, Winebibber said. She’s shitting in her bed and eating through a tube. If she’s righteous, I said, all her days shall be multiplied, and all the years of her life increased. Well, said Winebibber, that sounds like a terrible system. And he swung his other leg over the window ledge and dropped out of sight. We heard him strike the lower roof, and the backdwellers cheered. I’m sorry about that, I said to the class. Whoso loves instruction loves knowledge, but he that hates reproof is brutish. Thorns and snares are ever in the way of the froward. The backdwellers talked among themselves. He meant the Frodo , they said. Those thorns around Mordor. Remember, I said, the way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns, but the way of the righteous is made plain. And also, I said, a slothful man hides his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. The backdwellers noted that I had said bosom and that they could report me for that. I shrugged. A man that bears false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. What does that mean? they asked. Buckler wanted to know what the next question was. There isn’t one, I said. The second question is worth eight points. There was great consternation and protest that this wasn’t fair. This commotion increased when I told them the quiz was worth a third of their grade. You have to trust me, I said. Trust that this will all be turned to good. There was an uproar and a multitude of threats. Outraged, one of the backdwellers cast himself out the window in the manner of Winebibber. Well, I said, open rebuke is better than secret love. The backdwellers left in a fury, followed by the rest. A minute later there remained only Buckler in his seat and Quan prone on the floor. Buckler handed me his paper. Thanks for this, he said, and held up the letter opener. I told him he was welcome. He wanted to know what would happen to Quan. He’ll be all right, I said. Happy is the man that feareth always. But he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief. He doesn’t look happy, Buckler said, and Quan let out a great, quaking sob. He doesn’t sound happy, either. Just trust me, I said. For my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. Close Loading Video . . . There was a great deal of consternation and much protest at the announcement of the quiz. It can 't be helped, I said. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Food Network star Aarti Sequiera created her Ezekiel's Wheel Chickpea Salad in response to one of the Bible's wildest stories in Ezekiel 1. In this video episode from her Aarti Paarti Channel, she joyfully navigates the text while preparing the delicious salad. Ezekiel 1 Ezekiel's Wheel Chickpea Salad By Aarti Sequiera Credits: Artist Location: Los Angeles Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2010 Recipe Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Food Network star Aarti Sequiera created her Ezekiel's Wheel Chickpea Salad in response to one of the Bible's wildest stories in Ezekiel 1. In this video episode from her Aarti Paarti Channel, she joyfully navigates the text while preparing the delicious salad. A quick chickpea salad perfect for BBQs and picnics, pleasing to carnivores and vegans alike. Chickpeas, tahini, roasted red peppers and pickled beets... Ingredients: 1 shallot, minced Juice of 1 lemon Salt 3/4 cup tahini 1/2 cup or so hot water 1 clove garlic, minced Splash of extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp pine nuts 2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 3 roasted red peppers, chopped 3-4 pickled beets, chopped (OR handful of pomegranate seeds) Handful chopped parsley Zaatar Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Aarti Sequeira’s appetite began in the womb, and shows no sign of abating! The cookbook author and host of Food Network’s Aarti Party , Sequeira competed on and won Season 6 of Food Network Star with her trademark food signature: American favorites with an Indian soul. Her show grew out of the popular blog and YouTube cooking-variety show, Aarti Paarti , a joint venture with her husband, actor-writer Brendan McNamara, that started in their tiny Los Angeles home kitchen. Food Network then became her broadcast home, where she went on host Taste in Translation, Drop 5lbs with Good Housekeeping and Hidden Eats. She also competed on – and won – Chopped All Stars and Cutthroat Kitchen. She is a frequent judge on Guy’s Grocery Games and From Duff Til Dawn , and has contributed to Guilty Pleasures, Best Thing I Ever Ate, Best Thing I Ever Made, Unique Eats and Unique Sweets. Off-network, she has been a colorful, memorable guest on Today Show, The Talk, Dr Oz, The Nate Berkus Show and Home and Family on Hallmark Channel. Born in India, brought up in the Middle East (Dubai, UAE) and educated in a British school, Sequeira grew up against a varied tapestry of food cultures, from her mother’s fish curry with green mangoes, to the homemade pastas of her Italian best friend, to the Arabian spit-roasted shawarmas her family would enjoy every Friday. It was during the first Gulf War that Sequeira decided to pursue a career in journalism, eventually earning her bachelors degree at Northwestern’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism. She went on to work for CNN straight out of school, covering everything from economic reports to the plight of firefighters after 9/11. She also produced Sand and Sorrow , the HBO documentary about the genocide in Darfur, narrated by George Clooney and directed by Peabody Award-winner, Paul Freedman. But she began to feel like something was still missing; her husband gave her a gift certificate to a local cooking program, and it was there that her passion for cooking sparked into a great roaring fire. After working in the kitchen at Chef Suzanne Goin’s Lucques (Top 3 Restaurant in LA – LA Weekly AND LA Times ), she took to blogging about the food she was creating in her own kitchen, which led to the YouTube show, which led to Food Network, which led to the publishing of her very first cookbook, Aarti Paarti: An American Kitchen with an Indian Soul by Grand Central in 2014, a top 10 Indian cookbook on Amazon. The writing of that book coincided with her first successful pregnancy. After suffering from post partum depression after the birth of her oldest daughter, Eliyah, Aarti became an ardent advocate for women suffering from post natal mood disorders. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and her two daughters, Eliyah and Moses, who promise to have an equally large appetite for food and life. Website Aarti Sequiera About the Artist Aarti Sequiera 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 soundscape by Jonathon Roberts walks with the Apostle Paul as he discovers God's grace among the struggles of life. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 2 Corinthians 12:7 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Romans 8:15 Romans 8:18-19 Weakness By Jonathon Roberts Credits: Voices: Jonathon Roberts (Paul), Emma Sweet, Aram Monisoff, Charlie Christenson, Anneliese Dediemar, Emily Clare Zempel, Brendan Marshall-Rashid, Fred Gaines, Paris Brown, Jacob Allen, Maryl McNally, Marie Mikels Additional Text by Christy Bagasao Image by Scott Baye Artist Location: Wisconsin Curated by: Jonathon 2005 Soundscape, theater Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This sound and music collage explores God's grace and the concept of "power in weakness." The text is from Paul's letters to the Corinthians and the Romans with original writings by Christy Bagasao in reaction to his letters. The soundtrack is primarily crafted from ambient sounds, voices and performers on a balmy night on a main street in Santa Barbara, California. Listen on headphones to hear the world of sounds that circle the speaking voices. This piece focuses on questions people have asked for ages, not just "Why do bad things happen to good people?" but "Why do bad things happen at all?" Apostle Paul was an extraordinary and ordinary man who struggled with these same thoughts. "Why do I do what I don't want to do? Why am I weak?" This piece contains excerpts of his writings to the Corinthians and the Romans. Seven passages from his writings are used verbatim in this piece. Additionally Christy Bagasao's writing expresses Paul's point that we have sufficient power because God's grace works through our weakness. "No matter how deep the pit, God's grace is deeper" is a quote from Corrie Ten Boom, read by my grandmother Marie Mikels. This piece is part of a larger theater work called Project Paul . The image is a still taken from the video by Scott Baye that supports this scene. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection J onathon Roberts is a composer and sound designer for games, film, theatre, and ensembles. His style grew out of classical and jazz training, and evolved through quality life adventures: touring the country in an RV with a one person theater piece on the Apostle Paul, living in Brooklyn with an improv music ensemble, performing in a downtown NYC absurdist comedy band, and a long stint writing music for the renowned slot machine company, High 5 Games. He has released four albums including the latest, Cities a song cycle personifying biblical cities. He created the popular podcast/web series ComposerDad Vs. Bible , in which ComposerDad accepts intense compositional challenges from a mysterious Bible while out with his kids. He frequently collaborates on music and theater projects with his wife, actor Emily Clare Zempel. They live in Beacon, NY, with their two boys and a tangled box of electrical cords. www.jonathonroberts.com Website Jonathon Roberts About the Artist Loving Arms I Make Tents The Sower Response There Is Room These are My Sons Consider Me a Partner The Day Is Almost Here Surrogate Babbler Remember Me Prayer How Beautiful I Am a Fool The Constant Ecclesiastes Cows Blessing Fools for Christ More Than Rubies Only a Few Years Will Pass Dear Friend Jonathon Roberts Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

3. Face This and Proceed (Haggai 1:12) 1. My Temple in Ruins (Haggai 1:9b) 2. Wood for the House (Haggai 1:8) 3.face-this-and-proceed_Nicora-Gangi-resized.jpg 4. Building His People-Temple (Haggai 1:14) 5. Your Future Temple (Haggai 2:6) Loading Video . . . This impressive series from artist Nicora Gangi stems from her contemplation on the first book of Haggai and her ensuing reflection on the passage's implication for her own life. Haggai 1 Paneled and Ruins Series By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2018 Collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Haggai was a messenger chosen by God after a long period in Israel's history when there had been no clear communication from the Divine. At the end of Israel's exile in Babylon, they were instructed by God to return to Israel and rebuild His temple. No sooner had the people of God had come up out of captivity in Babylon and returned to Israel than they set up an altar for sacrifice. The foundation of the temple was laid within a year, but shortly thereafter building ceased entirely. They put that expensive piece of work off, no longer interested in the needs of their spiritual life—God’s temple and presence among them. They wanted to spend what time and money they had on their own pleasures, to provide for their families and fill their own houses with all kinds of earthly finery. God was displeased with this and therefore rebuked them: "You dwell in your fancy paneled houses but my house lies desolate" (Haggai 1:4). Provoked by their lack of commitment, He scattered the heaping of their wealth with the breath of His mouth. Though they had foolishly neglected the building of the house of God, He promised to not remember their former ways, knowing that He would be honored by them in His temple. "I will be glorified, says the Lord" (Haggai 1:8). When the temple is built, God will be served, worshipped and sanctified by those who come near to Him. This made clear to me how worthwhile it is to invest our care, pain, and resources in those tasks by which God may be glorified. I believe that if the work we have to do for God and our own souls is left undone—if we seek our own desires more than the will of Jesus Christ—God will cross us in our temporal affairs and we will be met with trouble and disappointment. However, if we follow Him and seek His kingdom we will be blessed with all necessary things and more in abundance to complete that to which we are called ( Matthew 6:33 ). 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 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

amina-ahmed_annunciation-meeting.jpg Loading Video . . . Artist Amina Ahmed reacts to Luke 1:26-31 and the theme of "Harvest" in her work The Annunciation -The meeting. Luke 1:26-31 The Annunciation -The meeting By Amina Ahmed Credits: Curated by: Ebitenyefa Baralaye 2013 12 x 12 inches Egg Tempera on Gesso Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link One arrives at a state of beholdenness when one sees deeply into everything that is given. Being beholden binds one to the Giver, leaving one in a state of ecstatic bindingness. The binding can never be whole while one lives and so one is filled with longing. A longingness that leads once again to the joy of beholdenness. One's work becomes a gift to the Giver, made from and of this eternal cycle. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Amina Ahmed was born in Africa and is a Kutchi Turk Indian. She grew up in England and has lived in Iran and the USA. Ahmed is a graduate of Winchester School of Art and Chelsea School of Art. She received her MFA from the Royal College of Art (1991), where she specialized in Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts and was awarded the Barakat Trust prize for excellence. A visual artist, educator and activist, Ahmed is a board member for the Muslim Women’s institute for Research and Development, Her projects are inspired by her interests in human rights and coalition-building. She has worked with several non-profit art institutions in the US and UK. Her work has been exhibited in the USA South Asia and Europe, Ahmed is a former studio member of the EFA NYC and is currently a Studio Resident at Mana Contemporary NJ. She lives in NJ. Website Amina Ahmed About the Artist Amina Ahmed Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Theater artist and poet Edward Bauer explores a unique interaction of family and deity in response John 12:1-11 and the theme of “meals.” John 12:1-11 Family Dinner By Edward Bauer Credits: Artist Location: Brooklyn, New York Curated by: Lauren Ferebee 2014 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I’m not chiefly a writer. I’m a good liberal arts student with at least a passing acquaintance with the skill, and the work of my theater company does often involve writing scenes and monologues, but at the end of the day I am an actor. As such, when I was first approached with the opportunity to create a piece for Spark & Echo, I considered the dramatic possibilities. As it turned out, though, there was no theatrical concept that sparked my interest. At least, not overtly. I grew up in a progressive protestant (United Church of Christ) household in Maine, and when I was in elementary school my mother began a seminary education. The timing was such that during the formative years in which I was interested enough to start paying actual attention to what was going on in our church services, I also had access to a parent who was making it her life’s work not only to study the Bible deeply, but to learn how to communicate its stories most truthfully and effectively as a minister. I’ll admit that I don’t attend church regularly these days — I dislike the word “agnostic,” but occasionally refer to myself as a “spiritual humanist” — but I’ve never lost my interest in the Bible as a fascinating story, or in the act of performing a ministry. As a result, the piece I’ve submitted to Spark & Echo is a kind of hodgepodge of poem, monologue, and homily, in a form not entirely unlike something my mother might have written over the years. My interest in the Gospels is rooted in a decidedly “low Christology”, and the theme of “meals” felt like a natural venue for exploring that. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus have always fascinated me because of their simplicity and humanity, and because their stories tend to bring out shades of the same in Jesus. This is a family that dines, loves, learns, and bickers together, and that is in the fascinating position of seeing Christ as — well, among other things — a friend, in a way that few others do. And yet, especially in the case of Lazarus, this friendship brings them to the very brink of the unknowable vastness of God. How does an average person deal with that, and then sit down to Sunday dinner as if everything is normal? I’m not sure. Here’s an idea, though. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Edward Bauer is an actor and theater artist currently residing in Brooklyn, NY, where he is one of four Co-Artistic Directors of the Assembly Theater Company. The Assembly is dedicated to producing rigorously researched and socially relevant theater created by an ensemble. The company's work has been produced as part of the Ice Factory, Undergroundzero, and CUNY Prelude festivals, as well as having been performed at The Incubator, The Collapsable Hole, HERE Arts Center, the Wesleyan University Center for the Arts, and the historic Living Theater. Edward can next be seen as Pip in The Assembly's “That Poor Dream," a play inspired by Dickens' “Great Expectations," this October at the New Ohio Theater. www.theassemblytheater.com Website Edward Bauer About the Artist Edward Bauer Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art In the beginning there was Okay, no, I'm not‚ I'm still okay. View Full Written Work A Family Dinner in Five Parts by Edward Bauer Inspired by John 12:1-11 I. In the beginning there was Okay, no, I’m not – I’m still okay. I am. But you’ll need to trust me when I say that I can’t say just yet just what is actually the word for what what is the word I am. I suppose I know that much, at this point. II. Ever since it happened, some feeling comes and goes. Fingers, arms, feet, tongue occasionally. Quick and unexpected, a wave of no sensation at all. I’ve been practicing, in the moment when a limb falls away – well, no, but, seems to – an act of grace, or action at least, of gracefully keeping some semblance of some balance. After all, why concern everyone? This is supposed to be a nice night. III. My sister is furiously focused on an uncompromising pan, the second thus far to fail her in her desperate attempt at gravy. Her whisk, erratic, worries the powdery lump of brownish-grey, still-visible flecks of flour match her whitening knuckles, and I can’t tell if I should tell her that we don’t need it. Everything will be fine without it. Plus that I think she needs to take the carrots out of the oven. I do not tell her anything, and of course she knows it’s time for the carrots. They come forth piping, wisps of fragrant steam redolent of I don’t actually know. She knows. She repairs them to their casserole dish and relegates her traitor saucepan to the sink bitterly. She says she just wanted dinner to be special. I know that I’m putting a hand on her shoulder. IV. They’re fighting. I’ve only ever spoken to him a handful of times, but I’ve seen him. I’ve seen the way he watches Him so closely, quietly, fully. It could be tender if it were. My other sister gave Him something. A gift, extravagant. She made it. She is radiant in her pride. And so he’s furious with her, with Him. I’ve always wanted to be the guy with the easy disposition, the effortless charm, the quiet sort of steel. A guy who needs only say, Guys. Come on. Come on, guys. And febrile tension gives way to a relenting sigh, a sigh to sheepish laughter, the laughter to contrition. Slaps on the back. Apologies all around. I look up and the moment has passed. They’ve left the room, and she looks caught somehow somewhere between shame at her own inciting and utter elation at her power. I take a tasteless sip of wine, and nod as a guy I barely know says something or other about politics. V. The fact that neither one of us smokes doesn’t seem to be stopping us. I hate the feeling, honestly, of the tiny blaze, the dry charred heat coating my teeth and filling my nose, wrapping its tendrils around my chest, the sudden rush of blood to my head, when I actually correctly inhale, but it is, at least, a feeling. When He takes his first drag, He coughs. We laugh. We turn up our collars, and it seems to me that I might have heard Him say something. Did you? I ask. No, He says. Just looking at the sunset. I follow His eye to the horizon, and am struck. All of the hues contained therein, if pulled apart, set down, and filed, could reasonably be tucked away in a folder marked: “Colors, Most Wondrous, All Creation.” It is like nothing else. And it seems that it would be lonely to be anything so singular. It’s pretty cold, for April, I say. Close Loading Video . . . In the beginning there was Okay, no, I'm not‚ I'm still okay. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Poet Darryl Ratcliff wrestles with current injustices and dreams of a life-filled future in response to Ecclesiastes 9:4. Ecclesiastes 9:4 Gardening with Lions By Darryl Ratcliff Credits: Curated by: Lauren Ferebee 2017 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I was struck by the truth of the human condition contained in this passage – we are better humbled and living than proud and dead. I thought about how we often lionize the dead, particularly those who die suddenly or unexpectedly. Through the lens of Black Lives Matter, I was thinking about how we lionize the names of those who have died due to police violence. As much as we should and want to remember these people, we would much rather that we did not have to – that they were indeed still alive. So the metaphor of the garden, the transformation of the dead into fuel for new life and growth – is ultimately a hopeful one. It is an instance where one is joined with all the living. Yet, even as the gardener in the poem contemplates and interrogates whether good things can come from these untimely deaths – he finds himself hoping that he too doesn’t become another dead lion during an interaction with the police. So the title gardening with lions – is in a way to be in communion with the dead – while cultivating new possibilities in our current life. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Darryl Ratcliff is an artist and poet based in Dallas, TX and is the founder of the North Texas poetry label Pink Drum . As an artist his work focuses on the topic of cultural equity, and his projects include Ash Studios, Creating Our Future, and Michelada Think Tank. Ratcliff is a recent recipient of artist awards from the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Dallas. His project, Ash Studios, was awarded Best Gallery or Art Space by D Magazine in 2016. Website Darryl Ratcliff About the Artist Darryl Ratcliff Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art When one 's hand becomes a shovel thrust into black soil, seeping grave land grub worms between fingers the dirt lining your nails like a black crescent, View Full Written Work Gardening with Lions By Darryl Ratcliff “But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” - Ecclesiastes 9:4 1. When one’s hand becomes a shovel thrust into black soil, seeping gravel and grub worms between fingers the dirt lining your nails like a black crescent, a partial eclipse, as you replace what is dead with what is living, laying down seeds like wishes into the night earth 2. I have heard that the dead can make heat that if you place dead leaves, fruit rinds, dead flowers, bits of grass, into a bin the pile will heat up, become flush with fever will burn to the touch, remind the body that we must all return to soil that coal does indeed transform to diamond that the difference between life and death is often a matter of perspective 3. Gregory Gunn, Samuel Dubose, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Natasha McKenna, Walter Scott, Christian Taylor, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Yvette Smith, Rekia Boyd, Philando Castille there are so many dead, black, bodies that the earth is boiling, the seeds tremble then plunge deep into the soil, taking root. 4. After working in the garden I harvest flowers and vegetables, loading them into my car, I drive towards home, praying that the red and blue lights are just a mirage a trick of sunset in the city that the officer approaching my vehicle won’t confuse a cucumber for a gun that he can tell by my dirt stained hands that I need no further intimacy with the earth. Close Loading Video . . . When one 's hand becomes a shovel thrust into black soil, seeping grave land grub worms between fingers the dirt lining your nails like a black crescent, Download Full Written Work

geo-of-healing-588x285.jpg Loading Video . . . Director and choreographer Patrice Miller developed this theater/dance piece over the past year in response to 2 Kings 2:21-25 and the theme of "healing". 2 Kings 2:21-25 A Little East of Jordan (The Geography of Healing) By Patrice Miller Credits: Director + Choreographer: Patrice Miller Playwright: Patrice Miller in collaboration with the performers + those who submitted their stories to the project Featuring: Laura Hartle, Stephanie Willing, + Morgan Zipf-Meister Artist Location: New York City Curated by: Lauren Ferebee 2014 Theatre, Dance, + Spoken word Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Commissioned by Spark and Echo Arts, A Little East of Jordan (The Geography of Healing) is inspired by the first works of wonder-worker Elisha, and uses theater, dance, crowd-sourced text, and anthropology to explore the dialogue between our bodies, minds, and space as we consciously undergo change. 2 Kings 2:21-25: “And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters, there shall not be from thence any more death or barren (land)” So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria. A Little East of Jordan is the first line of an Emily Dickinson poem. Director’s Note (from the workshop performance) : When Lauren Ferebee approached me about this project, I took the opportunity to challenge myself as a performance maker. Instead of writing alone or seeking a playwright, I opened up the text-creation to a number of people, resulting in a rich diversity of stories and responses. Instead of rehearsing for five days a week for three or four weeks at a time, we performed pieces of this throughout out the year. Instead of giving you a program to rustle through pre-show, I gave you an intention, some salt, and water. I also documented my process in a more precise manner than usual. What I noticed is that it is very hard to create material that feels personal when there are large political happenings constantly streaming across your computer screen, your phone, your eyes in Times Square. And I remembered that the political is personal. That nothing happens in a vacuum. With this in mind, Laura, Stephanie, Morgan and I wove together various pieces to create an honest account of attempting to create when you feel situated in the midst of chaos, of attempting to heal yourself when the world insists on never easing up on you. Read more about Patrice’s process in her blog. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Patrice Miller is a director and choreographer whose work has been called “hilarious, provocative” by the Village Voice. Her work has been presented at La Mama, 3-Legged Dog, The Brooklyn Museum, Prelude at the CUNY Graduate Center, Theater Row, The Brick, FRINGENYC and many of the other festivals in NYC, as well as at non-theater spaces including NYC FashionWeek, the 68th Street subway stop, city parks, and art galleries. She was the performance director for 571 Projects, a Chelsea art gallery, where she collaborated with visual artists, including Julie Trembly, to create art-specific performance pieces. She is a member of Untitled Theater Company #61 , where she frequently works with Edward Einhorn and Henry Akona. Patrice is also one half of Tux and Tom Productions, where she collaborates with Chris Chappell. She is also known to have spent some creative time with the Institute of Psychogeographic Adventure, Piper McKenzie, and Justin Maxwell. Some of her favorite directing and choreography credits include In Pieces (a dance adaptation of illustrator Marion Fayolle’s work), The Pig, or Vaclav Havel’s Hunt for a Pig, Elephant Foot Umbrella Stand (for IPA’s Experiment #23b ), Dead Cat Bounce/Money Lab , ELE↓↑TOR, Maggie Cino’s Decompression , and Bunny Lake is Missing . As a performer, Patrice has appeared with Urban Bush Women in their Place Matters: A Look at Displacement , Martha Bower’s Dance Theatre Etcetera in Angels & Accordions , as well as in her own work throughout the past decade. She has appeared in a number of Gemini Collisionworks productions including the American/English premiere of Richard Foreman’s George Bataille’s Bathrobe . Patrice is developing a process that uses theoretical intersections between performance and social science theories, in the hopes of creating work that has aesthetic and social impacts. Her interests include the representation of gender, class, race, religion, and other identity constructions in theater and dance, feminism in performance across cultures, and political performance. And humor. She’s very serious about humor. Artist Statement:When Lauren Ferebee approached me about this project, I took the opportunity to challenge myself as a performance maker. Instead of writing alone or seeking a playwright, I opened up the text-creation to a number of people, resulting in a rich diversity of stories and responses. Instead of rehearsing for five days a week for three or four weeks at a time, we performed pieces of this throughout out the year. Instead of giving you a program to rustle through pre-show, I gave you an intention, some salt, and water.I also documented my process in a more precise manner than usual. What I noticed is that it is very hard to create material that feels personal when there are large political happenings constantly streaming across your computer screen, your phone, your eyes in Times Square. And I remembered that the political is personal. That nothing happens in a vacuum. With this in mind, Laura, Stephanie, Morgan and I wove together various pieces to create an honest account of attempting to create when you feel situated in the midst of chaos, of attempting to heal yourself when the world insists on never easing up on you. Website Patrice Miller About the Artist Patrice Miller Other Works By The development of this piece has been a fascinating; it's a journey that Patrice beautifully documents on this blog . Read the script: A Little East of Jordan (The Geography of Healing) Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This eerie and yet familiar short story by author Jamey Bradbury responds to the challenging passage of 1 Timothy 2:11-15. 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Terrarium By Jamey Bradbury Credits: Curated by: Jeff Martin 2018 Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link As meaty and controversial as the verses I chose are, I kept finding myself drawn to the middle sentence: "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." The middle part of this passage takes us all the way back to Genesis and the Garden of Eden, and that crucial moment where Eve winds up having history's most notorious fruit snack. This, of course, gets her tossed right out of the garden, along with Adam. I kept coming back to the concept of deception--who was deceived and who wasn't--and transgression, and the idea of working with a limited amount of knowledge. Then, while on a run one day, it occurred to me: What if the deception wasn't a transgression, but an awakening? In Genesis, Adam and Eve are awakened to many things once they defy God's orders--they see they're naked for the first time, they experience shame. Like a lot of women, I feel like Eve gets a pretty raw deal--blamed for the sinfulness of all mankind. In my version of the Eden story, I thought, I'd try and give her a little redemption. This summer, I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in Southeast Alaska in the Baranof Wilderness on an artist's residency. The Baranof Wilderness is its own kind of Eden--a place so lush and fertile that the minute you leave a footprint, the woods instantly seem to go to work re-wilding themselves and covering up your tracks. This would be the Eden for my Adam and Eve, I decided--a mossy island seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Finally, real life wormed its way into the story as I considered the relationship between Eve and Adam--the first one in Eden, put there before his mate, and therefore at least slightly more knowledgeable than her, or so he can claim. Adam's advantage is that Eve doesn't know anything before him, and that's the perfect setup for a gaslighting situation. I started thinking about the ways we're seeing men try to control women as more news comes out around movements like #MeToo , and pretty soon I had a toxic relationship between history's first couple that only ends when my Eve realizes that to make a better world for her own children, she's going to have to destroy the only world she's ever known. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jamey Bradbury is the author of The Wild Inside (William Morrow, 2018). Her short fiction has appeared in Black Warrior Review, Zone 3, and sou'wester . She lives in Anchorage, Alaska, and works for an Alaska Native social services agency. You can learn more at jameybradbury.com . Website Jamey Bradbury About the Artist Jamey Bradbury Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art There are two of them. He came to the island first. He knows it 's an island, he says, because there are borders, a solid edge met by a liquid blue that laps at their naked feet View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . There are two of them. He came to the island first. He knows it 's an island, he says, because there are borders, a solid edge met by a liquid blue that laps at their naked feet Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Spark+Echo co-founder Emily Clare Zempel created "Bitter Drink" based on Number 5:11-31, also known as "The Test for an Unfaithful Wife". This passage describes in detail the ceremony that must be followed when a husband suspects his wife of being unfaithful to him without proof, whether she is guilty or not. Numbers 5:11-31 Bitter Drink By Emily Clare Zempel Credits: Music and Lyrics by Emily Clare Zempel Musicians: Emily Clare Zempel, ukulele, voice; Jonathon Roberts, harmonica Mixing by J Scott Hinkley Film by Michael Markham (Kite Monkey Productions) Mastering by Christopher Colbert Location: Clocktower Lofts, Bronx, New York Curated by: Jonathon + Emily 2012 Music Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link Emily, on the challenges of this passage: This is such a difficult passage for me, which is why I chose it. At first read it is a strange exercise. It seems degrading to the woman to untie her hair and to force her to drink water mixed with dust from the floor. It also seems cruel and strange that a drink of this dusty water would not harm an innocent wife, but would cause a guilty wife to lose her ability to have children even as it causes her belly to swell as if pregnant. Even after spending time with this passage, it is a hard passage to embrace. I do, however, think I see its purpose now. A jealous husband with no recourse for his wife’s supposed unfaithfulness might harm her as a result of his untamed emotion. This simple exercise will give him the answer he seeks, which could bring some relief to an innocent wife. When writing this song I focused not on the merit of the ritual itself, but on the emotions of the wife that is being brought to it by her husband. I wanted to make this abstract woman into a real, living, breathing creature. As a wife myself, I thought of the trust between married partners, and how an accusation can break that trust as much as infidelity can. I also focused on some of the elements of “hands” and “holding”. She holds the offering and the priest holds the bitter water. The priest loosens her hair, and grabs a handful of grain. The ritual is physical. 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 Rivers in the Desert Emily Clare Zempel Other Works By This work is part of the Spark+Echo Band's video album In the Clocktower . Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work