Recently I joined a Facebook group for art journal folks. The group at this time has over 13,000 members and people post images of their art journaling. It’s a great place to see a wide spectrum of techniques and perspectives. It’s fascinating to see people around the globe bringing pieces of their world to life on the page. I’ve been particularly amazed at watercolor and ink sketches–color washes bringing the feel of a place with ink lines suggesting forms, but not dictating them.
Watercolor is new to me. When I did draw (many years ago), I stayed with pencil sketches. There is forgiveness in erasing! Most often I would attempt to draw realistically–paying close attention to details and shading. While I loved looking at more impressionistic pieces, I couldn’t imagine making them myself.
Now that I’m dusting off my art practices, I find I have less interest in making those realistic sketches I did several decades ago. It is both liberating and a wee bit terrifying to try free form sketches. This week I tried doing rapid sketches of a few favorite places–no straight edge, no eraser, just a cheap sketchpad and my trusted Lamy fountain pen.
Here are two sketches, 24 years apart.
The first is a pencil sketch I did for my husband back when we were dating. It was the first church he pastored as a student in seminary. At the time I was meticulous with the lines and the perspective…I wanted to make sure it was as accurate as possible. I’m not sure how long I took, but it was certainly over several days, probably a week.
The second is a quick sketch I did last night from a photograph of my husband and our son walking down a lane in Oxford. Here I was trying to recapture an experience, a feeling and an atmosphere of a place, not be bound by a need for accuracy in every detail. I spent less than 30 minutes on it.
What does this have to do with Ascension lectionary texts?
Maybe nothing. But I can’t help but wonder that if we get caught up in details of the narrative we lose the wonder of story. From this moment in Luke’s story, Christ is no longer limited in space and time, but is now the Cosmic Christ. How do you describe that shift in understanding of the early followers of Jesus? He disappears into the clouds, of course. But if we get stuck in the literalism of that narrative, we end up with feet dangling below the clouds paintings such as we find in this delightful medieval manuscript image.
The Ascension of Christ, historiated initial ‘C’, Italy, 15C (State Library of Victoria, RARES 096 IL I)
I suppose that’s the challenge of worship and preaching, isn’t it? How to join with the congregation in bringing alive a text for a new day without being tied to an artificial legalism in the details.
Here are a few of my worship bits for Ascension Sunday.
Call to Worship
Come, you people of God, shout to the Lord with loud songs of thanksgiving!
Alleluia! For our Lord is awesome and worthy of praise!
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
With glad hearts we join our voices in grateful song.
Have no fear, our God reigns!
From everlasting to everlasting, God’s kingdom has no end!
Opening Prayer
We rejoice, O Gracious Giver, in this gift of a new day.
Your light shines all around us, a welcome beacon of hope to our fragmented world.
May your holy Word speak to our hearts.
May your Spirit breathe upon us once more,
sinking deep into our bones,
and setting our hearts aflame with your great love. Amen.
Invitation to Communion
Welcome to this table, a table of grace and mercy.
Here we find a taste of the unity the Spirit gives.
Friends and strangers, saints and sinners, young and old,
all will find a place at God’s sacred feast.
So come, bring your hopes and your hesitations with you,
all your longings and joys you hold deep within your heart.
All who hunger, all who thirst, if you are seeking for the fullness of life God promises,
Come.
All are welcome at Christ’s table.
Everyone is welcome at Christ’s table.
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you!
And also with you!
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give both thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
With thankful hearts, we offer you our best praise, our Sustainer and Redeemer. From the depths of your love, you formed creation, pushing aside the chaos and animating the world with life. In the midst of creation’s splendor, you made human beings, male and female, created in your image, with the vocation to love and care for the earth.
When we turned away from your vision of shalom, you would not let us go. In your mercy you opened up a new path of salvation for us, and called forth prophets to show us the way that leads to life. As we continued to wander, you showed us your Kingdom Way through Jesus the Christ, a life of compassion, forgiveness and hope.
And so with all who lift their eyes to see you, and with those who have lost all hope, we offer our voices in praise, saying
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Prayer of Communion
Holding to the promise of Christ, O Loving God, we pray that you would send down to us your Holy Spirit, blessing these gifts of bread and cup with the gracious presence of the living Christ. And may your Spirit rest upon us, your people, filling our hearts and making us one with Christ and with each other.
Having feasted at your table of grace, send us out as messengers of your blessings for all the world. We pray in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.
wonderings, writings & scribbles 