The Seed: Mark of the Cross and The Passion

The Seed has hundreds of resources for you to download and use throughout the Church year. Digital Worship resources and inspirational articles are available to download and read online. You can choose free weekly resource downloads from an expanding collection of over 40,000, with the option of purchasing more.

The Seed and seedresources.com is a collaboration between the Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust (LWPT) and Twelvebaskets Ltd.

Among the available resources are two by commission4mission artists, both of which raise funds for c4m. They are:

Mark of the Cross features 20 poetic meditations on Christ’s journey to the cross and reactions to his resurrection and ascension. These meditations focus on the mark of the cross in his life and body and were originally written by Jonathan Evens as part of a community arts project in Hertford. They are complemented by a set of semi-abstract watercolours of the Stations of the Cross and the Resurrection created by noted religious artist, Henry Shelton.

The Passion: Reflections & Prayers: These pictures, poems and prayers by Henry Shelton and Jonathan Evens enable us to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross reflecting both on the significance and the pain of that journey as we do so. Their aim in these reflections has been to pare down the images and words to their emotional and theological core. The mark making and imagery is minimal but they hope in a way that makes maximum impact.

Eyes on Jesus

Christopher Clack and Jonathan Evens feature in a new Dutch book entitled Jezus voor ogen (Eyes on Jesus) with visual meditations and word and image Bible studies for Lent. The visual meditations have all featured previously on the ArtWay website and include the meditation which Jonathan Evens wrote on Christopher Clack's Descent II.

Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker, who edited the book, writes:

"For us this book is a milestone that marks what ArtWay has been given to accomplish in the past two years. The book will hopefully function as a springboard to a new and broader audience, so that the website and its resources will be used by even more people and churches. We hope that an English version will be published next year.

In Jezus voor ogen the focus is on Jesus. While working on the book it struck me that images of Jesus can start to function as ‘models’ to us. In the book I expressed this as follows:

‘Jesus hangs on the cross as the image of the ideal human being. This is how humans are meant to be: full of love, obedient to the Father, willing to serve and suffer, resisting temptations, putting others above oneself. If we are honest, this is not really our idea of an ultimate hero. For this very reason it is of such great importance to keep on feeding ourselves with this and other images of Jesus. For deep inside of us live all kinds of other ideal images that drive us and that we bow to time and again, because they are our idols. Our ideal picture of our successful self: the slim figure, the imposing house, the fat car, the ideal partner, the golden job, the huge happiness. Christian art can replace these with new ideal images that can help us to become people of unified character: people whose inside corresponds with their outside, whose deeds rhyme with their words – people for whom Jesus on the cross is a source of inspiration for who they want to become and be.’"

ArtServe conference: Christ be our light!

Mark Lewis is among the contributors to this year's ArtServe annual weekend conference, which this year is entitled 'Christ be our light!'  The weekend runs from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th November 2012 at High Leigh, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN11 8SG.

This creative, participative event will reveal all sorts of gifts and insights we can use to witness to God’s active presence in our worship through different media and experiment. The emphasis is on the present and real – recognising all that we have around us. We will examine the opportunities and challenges revealed, along with the possibilities and tensions in the relationship between art and faith, between creativity and the church’s worship. Highlights of the weekend include:

• Lantern Theatre Company’s performance of their challenging drama Key Witness, ordinary people who saw extraordinary things
• Pat Livingstone’s insights and experience as a composer and musician for the Iona Community
• Michaela Youngson revealing the mysterious beauty of colours and textures fused in glass.
• Worshipping together and enjoying excellent hospitality and good company!

Passion: pictures, poems and prayers

Jesus dies on the cross

The sun is eclipsed, early nightfall,

darkness covers the surface of the deep,

the Spirit grieves over the waters.

On the formless, empty earth, God is dead.

Through the death of all we hold most dear, may we find life. Amen.

Jonathan Evens and Henry Shelton have published a second set of images and meditations on the Passion narrative. 

Their first set entitled Mark of the Cross (available in booklet, presentation, and individual images formats) has proved a popular download from the 12baskets site for user contributed worship resources.

This second set comes initially as a double-sided A3 sheet with all the images, haiku-like meditations and prayers laid out in sequence for ease of devotional use. 

These pictures, poems and prayers enable us to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross reflecting both on the significance and the pain of that journey as we do so.

Henry and Jonathan have aimed in these reflections to pare down the images and words to their emotional and theological core. The mark making and imagery is minimal but, they hope, in a way that makes maximum impact.

Each sheet costs £3.50, plus £1.20 p&p per purchase. To purchase copies, send a cheque made out to commission4mission to Rev. J. Evens, St John's Seven Kings, St Johns Road, Ilford, Essex IG2 7BB or email to jonathan.evens@btinternet.com for more information. 

Pentecost Festival interview

Jonathan Evens was interviewed by the Pentecost Festival team prior to the Run with the Fire exhibition. This is what he said:

Can you tell us about yourself and a little bit about the work you do?  

I am a minister, writer and visual artist located in East London.  I’ve been writing poetry and short stories from a young age.  I was ordained in 2003 and from that point onwars have been blending ministry and art.  Before I was ordained, I was doing both separately. One of the great things about being ordained has been to explore art and ministry together.  In the two churches I’ve ministered in so far, there have been many opportunities to initiate arts-related ministry in a parish setting. 

What scriptures or what technique do you use to help people connect the dots with God & art? 

I think it’s helpful to think in terms of the different persons within the Trinity.  The Father (Creator) - we are all made in the image of God and this implies that we will all have creative abilities to express in some way.  The Son (Jesus) - the incarnation of God becoming a human being is important for the visual arts because, while in Judaism and Islam artists don’t depict God, within Christianity we can because God appeared as a human being as Jesus. On the basis of that, we can depict God.  Finally, the Holy Spirit comes on human beings in relation to our arts and crafts abilities.  A good example are the people who created the tabernacle by means of the Spirit’s inspiration.  It is, therefore, a gift of the Spirit to be an artist.

Who is your favourite visual artist and why? 

My favourite visual artist is Mark Chagall; a Russian Jew who lived in France for a large part of his life.  His paintings were based on his imaginative and emotional life.  Some images were taken from the bible and others from his personal experience and childhood.  There is a whole mix that goes on in his canvas that he brings together and reconciles in his paintings.

Tell us about a time that you’ve seen God’s working through your art? 

One particular way is through a serious of mediations that I’ve written on Christ’s passion.  These have been used in a number of arts projects during Holy Week.  People have taken the meditations with them as they have seen the artworks, so that people can stop and reflect on the meaning of the passion.  This helped people understand what Jesus went through during the Holy Week.  Through the combination of these meditations and artworks, each person had their own unique experience of the Passion.

You are connected with international artists.  How important is collaboration to you? 

Collaboration is very important, especially in visual arts.  It’s easy for artists to feel isolated.  There can often be misunderstandings within the Church of what they do and what they are about, leading artists to feel not valued.  I am part of an organization called commission4mission that exists to bring artist of Christian faith together, to promote their work to churches, and to encourage the commissioning new pieces of contemporary art for church buildings.  We also exist for networking and sharing thoughts and ideas.  Such groups are vital for the support and encouragement of artists in the Church. 

http://commissionformission.blogspot.com. 

What are you doing in the Pentecost Festival this year? 

I am organizing an exhibition with commission4mission at the Strand Gallery which has the theme of Run With the Fire.  It is a collaborative project with two other arts organizations (CANA and Veritasse) and is based on Pentecost and 2012 Games themes.  The central image of Run With the Fire comes from the Olympic torch and the exhibition as a whole explores running life’s race with passion and spirit.  The launch night is May 21^st at 6pm and the exhibition is May 22^nd – 27^th from 11am - 6pm.

Are you excited about the 2012 Games? 

Yes!

What impact do you think the 2012 Games will have on the City of London? 

I think it will have a big impact!  It will create a large level of interest and engagement for a lot of people visiting the City of London.  The churches will create outreach events around the Games and ultimately, there will be a tangible legacy in East London from having had the 2012 Games here.  Run with the Fire is a resource for the kind of community and outreach events that churches will organise.  It is a digital art exhibition on DVD including work from twenty five different international artists which can be projected or shown on monitors at Olympics-themed events.  The Run With the Fire DVD is on sale via Veritasse at http://www.veritasse.co.uk/.

Exploring the nature of Christian Art

Jonathan Evens gave the following talk about commission4mission and the nature of Christian Art at West Mersea Parish Church yesterday, as part of their Learning Supper:

commission4mission was launched in March 2009 by our Patron, the Bishop of Barking, to encourage the commissioning and placing of contemporary Christian Art in churches, as a means of fundraising for charities and as a mission opportunity for churches.

We aim to:

·          provide opportunities for churches to obtain and commission contemporary Christian Art for church buildings;

·          provide information, ideas and examples of contemporary Christian Art and its use/display within church settings; and

·          raise funds for charities through commissions and sales of contemporary Christian Art. 

In the short time that commission4mission has been in existence we have:

·          built up a pool of over 30 artists available for Church commissions;

·          completed 7 commissions;

·          organised 12 exhibitions, two Study Days and several networking events for members;

·          created an Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area;

·          worked in partnership with CANA and Veritasse to create an Olympic-themed art project – Run With The Fire; and

·          developed a blog profiling our artists and giving up-to-date news of our activities.

Why do we do what we do? I would want to say that there is a Trinitarian underpinning to what we do.

Firstly, that we are creative because we are made in the image of our Creator. On this topic Michael Hampel has written that:

"Theologians have chewed over the question about what it means to be made in the image of God for some 3,000 years, and it took a writer – a detective novelist indeed – to come up with the most useful answer. Dorothy L Sayers, never shy of cutting through the brambles of theology to talk realistically about God, took a close look at the verse in the Book of Genesis that claims God created humankind in his image (Genesis 1: 27). She spotted that all we know of God up to that point in the Bible is that he was somehow responsible for creation, and so she concluded that to be made in the image of God means that we are most like God when we are being creative. She set about working out how to apply this theory to the creative impulse in her most significant piece of popular theology The Mind of the Maker (1941), a book that still today has a lot to say to us about how we resist the culture of instant gratification that has been more destructive of humankind and its environment than any world war.”

Secondly, the Spirit gives skill to craftspeople (Exodus 35. 30 – 35). Mark Driscoll has said:

“Perhaps the finest artist to have lived was Bezalel, a godly man who made sacred art (Exodus 31-40). The first Spirit-filled man in the Bible, he was chosen by God to be skilled, knowledgeable and able to teach in all kinds of craftsmanship. Since God did not want to be worshipped outdoors like the pagan/pantheistic gods, God assigned Bezalel to build the tabernacle. Repeatedly we are told of the result of the Spirit's leading in his life, "he made…" To be biblically inspired is to make. Aristotle defined art as the capacity to make. Art is the making of anything, from a meal to a symphony.

Bezalel's art was where man met God since the very presence of God dwelt with his art.”

Similarly, Calvin Seerveld urges young artists to: “Make your paintings, poetry, sculptures, songs, photography, stories, theatre pieces, music, or whatever artistry: craft it as a psalm before the face and ear of the Lord and let your neighbour listen in. Join the progeny of David, Asaph, Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 31:1-11), even the descendents of Korah (Psalms 42-49), and make merry before the LORD God, God's people, and even one's antagonists (Psalm 23:5).”

Thirdly, God the Son was seen/made visible/re-presented in human flesh in Jesus (John 1. 1 – 18). The doctrine of the Incarnation - the belief that, in Jesus, God himself became a human being and lived in a particular culture and time – is a key reason why visual art has featured so strongly in Christianity right from the early stages of its existence. If God had chosen to be seen in human form, so the argument goes, then the representation of God in human form is surely sanctioned by that choice. This can be clearly seen in the iconoclastic controversy of the eighth century which led to the destruction of many images, as successive emperors in Constantinople tried to stamp out their veneration.

Rowan Williams has summarised the arguments of those who were the defenders of images. Their argument was firstly that “God became truly human in Jesus … And [that] if Jesus was indeed truly human, we can represent his human nature as with any other member of the human race.” Secondly, they argued that, “If we paint a picture of Jesus, we’re not trying to show a humanity apart from divine life, but a humanity soaked through with divine life … We don’t depict just a slice of history when we depict Jesus; we show a life radiating the life and force of God.”

Next, I would want to say that the Arts are in many ways foundational to all that occurs in Church. Very briefly, we can say that:

•     the Architecture of our churches provides a designed context and stage for the worship that occurs within them;

•     we re-enact Biblical narratives through the poetry of the liturgy;

•     music in church provides composed expressions of emotions and stories in and through song; and

•     images in churches re-tell Biblical narratives and open windows into the divine.

Finally, I would also say that the Arts contribute to the mission of the Church by:

•    speaking eloquently of the faith;

•    providing a reason to visit a church – something we have tapped with our Art Trail for the Barking Episcopal Area;

•    making links between churches and local arts organisations/ initiatives; and

•    providing a focus for people to come together for a shared activity.

These then are key reasons why, in commission4mission, we seek to encourage the commissioning and placing of contemporary Christian Art in churches. This then leads on to an obvious and controversial question, ‘What is contemporary Christian Art?’ or even is there such a thing as ‘Christian Art’?

Some people answer this question by saying that ‘Christian Art’ is art made by Christians but, if that is the answer to the question, then there is much that we are ruling out. Fernand Léger’s mural at Assy, Henri Matisse’s Chapel at Vence, and Le Corbusier’s Church at Ronchamp are some of the most interesting art works and architecture created for churches during the twentieth century and all were by artists who made no claim to be Christians. In fact, all these commissions came about because of an approach to commissioning art for churches which argued that Christian art could be revived by appealing to the independent masters of the time with churches commissioning the very best artists available, and not quibbling over the artists' beliefs. If all ‘Christian Art’ is art made by Christians then we rule all this out.

So, maybe, ‘Christian Art’ is art commissioned by the Church? Again, this seems too limiting a definition. For instance, Mark C. Taylor has noted that "From the beginning of modern art in Europe, its practitioners have relentlessly probed religious issues. Though not always immediately obvious, the questions religion raises lurk on or near the surface of even the most abstract canvases produced during the modern era.” “All of the major abstract expressionists,” he says, “were deeply interested in religion and actively incorporated spiritual concerns in their work.” He concludes that, “One of the most puzzling paradoxes of twentieth-century cultural interpretation is that, while theologians, philosophers of religion, and art critics deny or surpress the religious significance of the visual arts, many of the leading modern artists insist that their work cannot be understood apart from religious questions and spiritual issues."

Re-thinking again, is it art which uses Biblical/Church images, stories or themes? Once again, this is too narrow a definition which would not capture, for example, the images that the deeply Catholic Georges Rouault produced of prostitutes, which William Dryness has described as “painted as penetrating types of the misery of human existence” but with grace also seen as “divine meaning is given to human life by the continuing passion of Jesus Christ.” Nor would we capture the semi-abstractions created by the Evangelical Christian Makoto Fujimura who uses semi-precious minerals in the Nihonga style to create paintings that tend to only hint at recognizable subjects.

As a result of these difficulties in definition, some argue that ‘Christian Art’ is a meaningless category. From this perspective, and following the ideas of the art critic Clement Greenberg, it is argued that the artwork is what it is and everything else (including any element of Christianity) is interpretation. But if this is the case then the ideas and influences of the artist, the relationship that the artwork has with its historical and art historical context, and our own response to the artwork are all ruled out of the frame. The artwork is something entirely separate from these and yet each in different ways has interacted with and affected the artwork itself. Without these the artwork does not exist or is not seen.

To add to the complexity, here’s a poem in translation by the German kinetic sculptor Heinz Mack who has had much experience of trying to work in and with Catholic chapels in Germany:

“Church art is not always art.

Art that happens to be placed in church, is art in the church,

But not Church art.

Church art that is shown in museums, remains church art in museums.

Art for the Church is not always regarded as art by the Church.

The Church does not always want art.

Art is art without the Church.

Great Church art is art in the church and for the church.”

In seeking to encourage the commissioning and placing of contemporary Christian Art in churches, commission4mission is aiming to be about “art in the church and for the church.”

Why does it matter one way or the other? James Elkins has accurately described the current relationship between the art world and religion:

"Sooner or later, if you love art, you will come across a strange fact: there is almost no modern religious art in museums or in books of art history. It is a state of affairs that is at once obvious and odd, known to everyone and yet hardly whispered about ... a certain kind of academic art historical writing treats religion as an interloper, something that just has no place in serious scholarship ... Straightforward talk about religion is rare in art departments and art schools, and wholly absent from art journals unless the work in question is transgressive. Sincere, exploratory religious and spiritual work goes unremarked. Students who make works that are infused with spiritual or religious meanings must normally be content with analysis of their works' formal properties, technique, or mode of presentation. Working artists concerned with themes of spirituality (again, excepting work that is critical or ironic about religion) normally will not attract the attention of people who write for art magazines ... An observer of the art world might well come to the conclusion that religious practice and religious ideas are not relevant to the art world unless they are treated with scepticism. And that's odd, because there is a tremendous amount of religious art ..."

Essentially, if you are a Christian and an artist, the mainstream art world provides no points of reference, no role models for you to follow. Yet, as we heard Mark C. Taylor saying earlier, "From the beginning of modern art in Europe, its practitioners have relentlessly probed religious issues.” Timothy Potts has noted that “... the pervasiveness of broadly religious and spiritual themes in twentieth-century Western art may at first seem to stand in contradiction to the secularization of so many aspects of life and culture during our times.” But, when we catch a glimpse of the true extent to which the practitioners of modern art have relentlessly probed religious issues, we will not be surprised at this pervasiveness.

What is needed, as Daniel A. Siedell has suggested, is “an alternative history and theory of the development of modern art, revealing that Christianity has always been present with modern art, nourishing as well as haunting it, and that modern art cannot be understood without understanding its religious and spiritual components and aspirations.” When we have this young and emerging Christian artists will have role models and all of us can be nourished and haunted by the religious issues probed by modern and contemporary art.

The four facets of any artwork that I mentioned earlier can be used to explore the way in which modern and contemporary art probes religious issues. To see how this can work look, for example, at Andres Serrano's Piss Christ and think about your responses to each of the four facets of this artwork.

First, the nature of the artwork is that it is a 60x40 inch Cibachrome photograph of a small plastic crucifix submerged in urine. How do you respond to it? Responses often include comments on its beauty and the traditional nature of the image in addition to questioning whether the work is intended satirically.

Second, the ideas and influences of the artist in creating this piece included it being one in a series of classical statuettes submerged in fluids and a comment on the commercialisation of religion. How do you respond to it now? Responses often include questions about other statuettes in the series and about the artist's motivation in attacking the commercialisation of religion.

Third, in thinking about the artwork’s relationship with its historical and art historical context, we can see that the crucifix has an art historical lineage but is also a contemporary commercial religious product, so the work contributes to a debate regarding traditional and contemporary expressions of Christianity. How do you respond to it now? Responses often include a sense of agreeing that the work raises issues about the nature of images in religion.

Fourth, the response of viewer’s to this artwork has been twofold. There have been death threats to the artist, vandalism of the artwork and attempts to ban it from those who view it as an attack on Christianity. Alternatively, there are Christians who see it as a depiction of incarnation; of Christ coming into the detritus of life. How do you respond to it now? Responses often include the acknowledgement that the work stimulates a depth of debate because it works on several different levels.  

The work comes alive to us through the different layers of response we make to each facet of our consideration of the artwork and the debate this engenders. Each facet that we have considered involved an real engagement with aspects of Christianity, so we could therefore conclude that, however we responded personally, this is actually a deeply Christian work. Sustained reflection on artworks is what will lead us to a recognition of the spirituality and religious engagement inherent in much modern and contemporary art.

'Condemned': Lent/Easter Series - Week 1

commission4mission has created a Lenten and Easter journey for 2012 using images by our artists combined with passages from Isaiah 53. Throughout Lent and for the first two weeks of Easter, we will post images and words from 'Condemned' here on a weekly basis.

Our first image is the work of artist, silversmith, Fine Arts lecturer, and Chair of Faith & Image (a forum for all who have an interest in art as a medium of spiritual expression), Mark Lewis. Mark has undertaken a range of drawing and painting initiatives in a Christian context and has designed and made Church plate. In addition to his lecturing, Mark has delivered workshops for the Big Draw as part of its national launch and run other community drawing events. He has set up a consultancy, Drawing First, to develop drawing skills and creative thinking in a variety of exciting learning contexts.

Other artists contributing images to the series are Peter Webb, Robert Enoch, Christopher Clack, Rosalind Hore, Nadiya Pavliv Tokarska, and Jim Insole. 'Condemned' has been compiled by Helen Gheorghiu Gould.

In addition to the weekly posts, 'Condemed' is also available as either a powerpoint or pdf file on request from Jonathan Evens at jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Dedication of 'The Baptism of Jesus'

Yesterday, Revd. Jonathan Evens dedicated 'The Baptism of Jesus' by Rosalind Hore which his family have donated to St Edmunds Tyseley, through commission4mission, in memory of his father, Revd. Phil Evens, Vicar of Tyseley from 1989 - 1999.

Jonathan introduced the painting and its donation to the congregation as follows:

"The painting that is to be dedicated today has come to be here through commission4mission, a Christian Arts organization which aims to encourage the commissioning and placing of contemporary Christian Art in churches, as a means of fundraising for charities and as a mission opportunity for the churches involved. commission4mission promotes the purchase of works of art by churches through donations given in memory of loved ones. This painting has been donated by our family in memory of the Revd. Phil Evens, in remembrance of his ministry here as your Vicar.

The artist who created this painting, Rosalind Hore, is a sculptor and painter of Christian subjects – Christ figures, nativity sets, Ecce Homo, Stations of the Cross etc. She works in clay, plaster, concrete (figures can also be bronze cast at the foundry). Her paintings are mostly in acrylic of the events in the life of Christ. She has been an art teacher throughout her working life, has taken part in the Cambridge Open Studios (creating a sculpture garden and art gallery at her home) and has led art groups and projects in the parishes where she has lived. She has a sculpture in the Bible Garden at St Mary's Goring-by-Sea and another currently displayed at St Laurence Upminister, where her husband is Rector.

Rosalind’s painting of ‘The Baptism of Jesus’ sees water, fish, cross, crown, dove, fire and light – all the signs and symbols of Jesus’ future ministry – swept up together to coalesce around the baptised Jesus. Vigorous movement and vibrant colour combine to depict the glory of the Son who is here commissioned by the Father and empowered by the Spirit."

Jonathan then reflected on those two aspects of Jesus’ baptism – the Father’s call and the Spirit’s empowering – using thoughts and prayers from material that his father had in his ministry at Tyseley. Click here to read the full sermon given by Jonathan.

The prayer of dedication used was as follows: Lord Jesus, we thank you for the vision of you which we see in this painting. We pray that, as we see it week in, week out here in St Edmunds, it may inspire us to respond to the call of God on our lives and to pray to be filled with the Spirit in order that we live out that call in our daily lives. We thank you for Rosalind Hore and for her response to you which created this painting. We thank you too for Phil Evens, in whose memory it is given to this church, and for his example of following your call in his life. Lord Jesus, we dedicate this painting of your baptism to you and your glory in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The next dedication of a commission4mission commission will be a thanksgiving for the creation and witness of Caroline Richardson's fused glass windows at St Peter's Harold Wood as part of the Evening Service at the church on Sunday 9th January 2011 at 6.30pm. The preacher at the service will be Rt. Revd. Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford.

Commission dedication: 'The Baptism of Jesus'

The dedication of our third completed commission – the painting ‘The Baptism of Jesus’ by Rosalind Hore will take place on Sunday 2nd January 2010, 10.00am, St Edmund’s Church, Reddings Lane, Tyseley, Birmingham B11 3DD.

Rosalind Hore’s painting sees water, fish, cross, crown, dove, fire and light – all the signs and symbols of his future ministry – swept up together to coalesce around the baptised Jesus. Vigorous movement and vibrant colour combine to depict the glory of the Son who is here commissioned by the Father and empowered by the Spirit.

The painting has been donated in memory of Revd. Phil Evens, a former Vicar of Tyseley and father of Jonathan Evens, and was chosen by the congregation from a selection of works by commission4mission artists.

Revd. Steve Simcox, Vicar of Tyseley, says, “I think this painting will be very special in St Edmund’s Church. We have mounted the painting … so the prominent thing that is seen as you enter the church is the painting.”