Update: December 12, 2022
Our "King & Kingdom" event on October 22nd was really fun, with 12 pieces of artwork/photography, a handful of crafts, tons of culinary entries, and a 2 hour concert! My church family is such a joy to create with, and these events just keep getting better and better!
I got to share two songs, one original and one cover. The cover was another song from The Gray Havens called "Far Kingdom", and my daughter and friend Tom joined me in sharing that one. My original song was shared from my new tenor uke with my son...a scripture memorization song from Matthew 25's parable of the talents. I've entitled it "Well Done", and hope to share and record it some day soon.
Our upcoming event is on February 18, 2023, and the theme is "Psalms". I'm working on the finishing touches of a setting of Psalm 56, which is a co-write with my friend Dennis. Hoping to have it polished and ready to share. I'm also planning a painting project...head over to my blog about "Things I'm Reading and Loving" to learn more about that idea!!
Update: September 9, 2022
On May 7th, our church held another beautiful event...this one with the theme of "New Creation". It was so fun to experience all of the art and performances. I got to be involved in 4 different performances, 2 containing original arrangements. One was an a cappella arrangement of The Gray Havens song Paradise, that I sang with a group of ladies (and my daughter...so fun). The other was an instrumental arrangement of Joy to the World to accompany my friend Wendy Golter, who recited the famous lyrics from Psalm 98 for us. It was such a beautiful event, and I hope you enjoy some peeks into the event through these pics.
Our first ever Arts for the Kingdom event (theme of "Advent") was held on December 1, 2018. By God's grace, our 10th event is scheduled for this coming October 22. Our theme this round will be "King & Kingdom", reflecting on the character of Jesus and His Kingdom, intentionally paralleling our church's current sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. I look forward to encouraging our congregation's artists forward!
I'm personally aiming to gather another group of ladies to share my a cappella medley of How Great is Your Love (Phil Wickham) and The Love of the Father (City Alight). It would be fun to share...as it was originally written for the "Hesed" event last Fall, which Covid prevented us from sharing. I am also planning on sharing the painting that Anna Pianalto created for my cover art (see Sept 2022 music update), AND I might get my uke out and share a scripture memorization song I wrote of the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. We'll see if I can get my uke skills up to performance level...ha!
Update: January 28, 2022
Two events have passed since my last update, and they were both just as special as the others. The unique themes make for special evenings, and I am always so blessed by the artistry of our congregation.
Unfortunately, my family and I came down with Covid in late September, during moose hunting season. I ended up having to miss out on the Hesed event, and I quickly realized how dear these events are to me, personally. I really struggled...like major FOMO...and I've spent time since reflecting on that.
Our latest event was held on New Year's Day, with the theme of Incarnation. It was a beautiful evening, celebrating our Lord's incarnation, and I appreciated being well enough to participate. However, my ministry co-leader, Naomi, came down with Covid just prior...we tease that it was "her turn".
Here are a few pictures from the event! (Stay tuned for info on our next event, and plan to attend if you are a local friend!)
Update: August 26, 2021
We are in the last month of planning our 7th Arts for the Kingdom event at my church. These are events where our congregation gets to use their creative gifts to glorify God and encourage his people. We choose a theme for each event, and members are encouraged to meditate on that theme and respond to it in a creative medium.
Past submissions have included a wide range of genres including painting, photographs, glassblowing, woodworking, jewelry, florals, and crafts. Our concert portion has included instrumental performances, vocal groups, poetry, dance and dramatic readings. There are also artistic culinary submissions!
Our next Arts for the Kingdom event is on September 25th, and the theme we have chosen is the Hebrew word "hesed". It is a word that occurs more than 200 times in the Hebrew texts of the OT, many of which are found in the Psalms, and is most often translated "steadfast love".
One of my favorite examples of hesed is found in Exodus, when the LORD shares His name with Moses. He says, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in "hesed" and faithfulness."
I have enjoyed encouraging our artists forward in the creation of their creative expressions, and look forward to what is sure to be a rich event! I'll be sure to share some pictures afterward.