Doxology

Doxology

You know, traveling is not my favorite thing. I am pretty much a homebody, but last week, I was in Minnesota for five days, then I returned home for two days, and then went to Michigan for five more days. I have to say, it has been so delightful to be home today! 

Of course, part of traveling is trying to sleep in unfamiliar places. I am old enough now that it is not always easy to do that, no matter how tired I am! One of the nights in Minnesota, I was struggling with an overactive brain and an uncomfortable body. As I lay awake during the night, I knew that if I wished to sleep, I should change my focus. My Heavenly Father could calm my mind and remove my fear. But instead of a Bible verse or prayer, I began to consider and pray these words written by Thomas Ken in 1674: 
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
That must have worked, because I don't remember struggling for long.

In Doxology, I wanted to communicate the concept of every blessing - every good gift - flowing from God. I wanted to suggest the vastness of the gifts and the Giver. The concept has shown up many times in my work, and it seems to speak to my brush (so to speak) over and over. It is simple, with essentially two colors. I chose this simplicity because I believe everything boils down to GOD, the Giver of everything (iridescent gold), and my response to HIM (the blue). 

SOLD
11" x 14"
Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper
Ready to frame

Click here to view on my website.

This past week in Michigan, I attended a symposium on worship. I attended sessions, most of which had to do with the role of visual arts in worship. (Who knew there were speakers and sessions on this concept!?) There were lectures taking opposing views on almost everything - interesting things to think about, certainly. And so much beautiful visual art! 

What I found even more moving, though,was the music. THE MUSIC! Wow. I heard so many kinds of music, from pipe organ to worship band, from accordion to trumpets, from soloists to full auditoriums singing a capella. There was southern gospel choir music, Arabic music, songs sung in Korean, Swahili, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, and English, sometimes all at the same time. I think I cried at every service where we sang. And many of the songs were brand, spankin' new ones, written at the symposium, or shortly before. There were a couple of them that were "informed by" (that's seminary speak...) the words written above, the hymn we call the Doxology. 

One of the sessions I attended in the art department was called Rhema Prints, led by artist Steven Prince. In it, we were encouraged to make a print to express a Bible passage, and I chose to work from this one:

James 1:17 (ESV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Do you see how these two ideas - the Doxology and James 1:17 - tie together? I have been marinating these thoughts quite a bit in the last few days.