Easter Activity: Art Exhibit

Have you ever noticed that the creative people who get the most attention in the church are those who can sing, speak or play a musical instrument? What about those Christians who have been gifted with the ability to move their bodies in expressive ways, who sculpt or use paint to glorify their Redeemer? Are they any less “Christian” than the one who can act or sing?

My friend, LeAnne Martin, has opened my eyes to the need to promote art in the church. She has a wonderful blog, Christians in the Arts, that promotes and highlights Christians who dedicate their lives to art and beauty. The local church, particularly Children’s Ministry, needs to provide outlets for those who are gifted in the visual arts.

Because of my own lack in the visual arts, I've come to truly appreciate those who are gifted in the arts. I still remember how a sculpture in an Austrian monestary of Jesus washing the feet of Peter tugged at my heart and taught me a deeper lesson about service. We need to provice those whom God has gifted an outlet to be able to express their faith through their art. In return, the rest of us will blessed as we are drawn to worship God on a new level.

For this reason, our local congregation is holding an art exhibit for Easter. We’ve challenged our members, both children and adults, to think how they might creatively portray their impressions of the Resurrection. We’ve entitled the exhibit, “Reminders of the Resurrection” and we are using 2 Corinthians 5:17 as our key verse.

We’ve invited people to submit paintings, sculpture, photography, poems and essays. We’ll put the works in the church foyer on Easter morning for the rest of the congregation to see and to worship God through the medium of art.

I plan to work with the children the first two Sundays in April. We’ll talk about reminders of the Resurrection so the children will have a concrete understanding of what we are talking about. We’ll help them sketch their ideas on paper, then provide them with watercolors and “good” paper for them to finalize their creation. I’m excited to see what they come up with. I hope, I hope this project works so that our congregation can rejoice in the Resurrection that morning through the music of the choir and through the art work of the children and others.

What are some ways you’ve encouraged worship through the arts in your congregation? Share your comments below or email me at karenawingate@gmail.com. I’ll share your ideas in a future post.