Creative Spirit: The Methodist Art Collection

One of the Highlights of last year's Greenbelt 2011 was the Exhibition of some of the Methodist Art Collection. I wrote about it in a previous blog: Dreams of Home. The Collection had some stunning images under the theme 'Jesus in the everyday' and I spent a couple of happy hours staring at them. I also bought the CD Rom Collection and Study Notes 'Creative Spirit".   

There was a lot to inspire, but my favourite image was Dalit Madonna by Jyoti Sahi

Dalit Madonna  Oil on canvas 148cm x 119 cm  (c.2002) Jyoti Sahi,  b. India 1944 

Unlike in Europe , where midwinter is a time of darkness and cold, lifeless earth, in Asia the winter season is a time for rejoicing, and bringing into the home, the fruits of the earth.
That is why in this image of the Mother and Child, the relation of Mary to Jesus is symbolic of the transformed earth, which becomes like a full vessel of life. The Birth of our Lord is in this way celebrated every time we come together for the Eucharist.

 From the Creative Spirit notes on the Methodist WebSite

Jyoti Sahi

There are links to the images on the Methodist Website and the CD Rom is worth getting.

You can also watch a brief YouTube video on the Methodist Art Collection which gives you an idea of the variety of images available.



If you want to find out where they are being displayed next have a look at the calendar 

Something beautiful for God

I first discovered Mother Theresa through Malcolm Muggeridge's book: Something Beautiful for God (1972). Since then she has been an inspiration to an ideal of selfless engagement with people on the margins of society. Practical demonstration of love, up to her death shortly after Princess Di, and beyond...... The Time magazine article Mother Theresa's crisis of faith demythologised the spirituality of Mother Theresa and was particularly helpful in that it made her far more human and accessible.

I have been to Calcutta (Kolkotta) on at least 3 occasions, but too late to meet her. But I have met others inspired by her. Her spirit and her legacy live on...

This poem prayer 'do it anyway' has been attributed to Mother Theresa.It has also been printed on many inspirational posters. (There is also another verion called The 10 Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith)

The quotation sort of makes you want to get on with it and 'do stuff' that matters. To make a difference like Mother Theresa - to 'do something beautiful for God'

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

What think ye of Christ?

The painting: 'an imitation of Christ' was an attempt at a more iconic style - similar to Madonna and child - which was actually painted later. Oil pastels in an A6 sketch book.

Jesus in my picture looks a little cross-eyed to me. But at least he is not blue-eyed blonde-haired.

I do think everyone needs an opinion of Jesus. At some point we all need to look into those eyes as it were and work out what he was all about. What he represented. What he stood for.

Those eyes become a mirror of our own soul......

The poem by John Newton asks the same fundamental question: What think ye of Christ ? With his own conclusions at the end.......

What think you of Christ? is the test To try both your state and your scheme; You cannot be right in the rest, Unless you think rightly of him. As Jesus appears in your view, As he is beloved or not; So God is disposed to you, And mercy or wrath are your lot. Some take him a creature to be, A man, or an angel at most; Sure these have not feelings like me, Nor know themselves wretched and lost: So guilty, so helpless, am I, I durst not confide in his blood, Nor on his protection rely, Unless I were sure he is God. Some call him a Saviour, in word, But mix their own works with his plan; And hope he his help will afford, When they have done all that they can: If doings prove rather too light (A little, they own, they may fail) They purpose to make up full weight, By casting his name in the scale. Some style him the pearl of great price, And say he's the fountain of joys; Yet feed upon folly and vice, And cleave to the world and its toys: Like Judas, the Saviour they kiss, And, while they salute him, betray; Ah! what will profession like this Avail in his terrible day? If asked what of Jesus I think? Though still my best thoughts are but poor; I say, he's my meat and my drink, My life, and my strength, and my store, My Shepherd, my Husband, my Friend, My Saviour from sin and from thrall; My hope from beginning to end, My Portion, my Lord, and my All.

John Newton

An Impression of Madonna and Child

I was inspired to draw an 'impressionist Icon' whist at Hillfield Friary in Dorset.

It is based on a print they had on sale in the shop.

It was also inspired by the sacred:space evening in Woking when Anton Ponamarev from faith2share came and spoke on Windows on Eternity: Orthodox spirituality of Icons

Icons are used by Orthodox churches around the world, with c 25o-300 million believers. That makes them probably the most common Christian art form. They are not idols that are worshipped, but are used as a means of 'veneration' - to focus the mind on the subject of the icon. A window on heaven.

Perhaps the most famous icon is the Vladimir Madonna and child

which acts as a sort of prototype for other icons .

interesting how the Christ child always looks like a 'little man'

in our sacred:space, we discussed about what is the difference between an Icon and a painting and looked at various examples. Sometimes it is unclear. But Icons are genearlly two dimentional, flat, no shadow.

There are conventions in painting an icon none of which I followed. My picture is more impressionistic in style so maybe it is neither a painting nor an icon. But it was insprired by faith....

It seems appropriate to end with an orthodox version of the Magnificat, the Song of Mary (in English) as it anticipates the 'upside-down Kingdom'

The Song of Mary English (Eastern Orthodox Divine Service):

My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;

For he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from this day all generations will call me blessed;

For the mighty one has done great things to me, and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts;

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has exalted the holy;

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent empty away.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his seed forever.

For Our Sake

In our Good Friday sacred:space we took the 4 phrases of the apostle's creed as our focus - 'suffered, crucified, died and buried' based entirely on the narrative of Luke 23

Images were from the 'Christ we share' pack (CMS/USPG 3rd ed, 2007) and prayers and meditations from John Carden's excellent classic 'A procession of Prayers: meditations and prayers from around the world' (WCC 1998)

A mixture of Hymns and songs, music and meditation, with 'The Passion of the Christ' playing silently in the background and images of the cross from around the world.

In this blog, I simply share one quotation from each section and the responsive activity

1. SUFFERED LUKE 23:1-25

‘A god who cannot suffer is poorer than any human. For a God who is incapable of suffering is a being who cannot be involved. Suffering and injustice do not affect him. And because he is so completely insensitive, he cannot be affected or shaken by anything. He cannot weep, for he has no tears. But the one who cannot suffer cannot love either. So he is a loveless being’ Jurgen Moltmann (1974) the Crucified God

Activity: Prayers for a suffering world - light a candle or write a post-it prayer and place on World Map Globetrotting c/o Early Learning Centre

2. CRUCIFIED LUKE 23: 26-43

The meaning of the story is found in every detail, as well as in the broad narrative….. The death of Jesus…. is either the most stupid, senseless waste and misunder-standing the world has ever seen, or it is the fulcrum around which world history turns’ Tom Wright: Simply Christian (p95)

Activity: Hammer large nails into simple, large wooden cross

3. DIED Luke 23: 44-49

‘God’s act of universal forgiveness is the whole train of action he sets working through Christ, through the Spirit, through the Church, through all-embracing providence, towards the reconciliation of the unreconciled, whether in this world or in a world to come. And of this great process Christ’s blood was, once more, the cost.’ Austin Farrar Saving Belief (p 107)

Activity: contemplate an image of a cross or hold a crucifix in silence - write a prayer of thanksgiving

4. BURIED Luke 23:50-56

‘God in Christ has united our human nature to himself…. And demonstrated to us that supreme love of which Christ himself speaks: ‘Greater love has no-one than this (John 15 13), We are thus joined through his grace to him and our neighbour by an unbreakable bond of love….’ Peter Abelard

Activity: bury a bulb in soil and take it home as a sign of hope - we planted GLADioli (not SADioli) It was after all GOOD Friday !

Stations of the Cross: Good Friday meditation

As part of sacred:space we had a 3 hour mediatation on the stations of the cross using images by Linda Roberts (c) 2007.  Here are a few of them - on that long Journey from Gethsemane to Golgotha. Theseare besed on the Scriptural  Stations of the Cross which John Paul  II used on Good Friday 1991. There is a book available on Amazon - although I have not used it. But we did use the Scriptural references.   

Second Station:  

Jesus, betrayed by Judas is arrested 

Mark 14: 43-46

Fourth Station: 

Jesus is denied by Peter

Matthew 26: 69-75 

Seventh Station: 

Jesus bears the cross

John 19:6, 15-17 

Ninth Station

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem   

Luke 23:27-31

Tenth Station:

Jesus is Crucified

Luke 23:33-34

Eleventh Station

Jesus promises His Kingdom to the good thief

Luke 23:39-43

Twelfth Station:

Jesus speaks to his mother and the disciple

John 19:25-27

I also noted an excellent series of images on the BBC website of Good Friday around the world 

The Sorrow of Christ - K.C.S. Paniker

The Sorrow of Christ

Masao Takenaka writes 

‘One of the most appealing artistic pieces I saw in India was by K.C.S. Paniker . It is called the Sorrow of Christ Pakiker was a noted Indian artist and art teacher. In 1957 he became principal of the Government College of Ats and Crafts in Madras. After his retirement he helped organise a village of young artists, outside Madras city at a place called Cholamondal. I remember visiting him there. I took a jeep from Madras. It was a hot day and the road was dusty. It took almost two hours to reach the place. Paniker, white-bearded welcomed me. He was at that time 62 years old. 

He took me to his studio and showed me his sculpture called ‘The Sorrow of Christ’ I asked him: ‘Tell me, what led you to do this work?. He said “ I am a Hindu. We contemplate and pray and fast. We meditate on the way of compassion. I read the Bible at Madras Christian College, where I studied. I was impressed to find that this man, Jesus of Nazareth, not only prayed for, but actually related himself to the misery of marginalised people, such as those who suffered from leprosy.”

The sculpture vividly shows the compassion of Christ, identifying with the misery of suffering people. His nose is distorted. His mouth is misshapen and his eyes pop out. I thought the Christ, of the mis-shapen nose and his eyes pop out. I thought this Christ, of the misshapen nose if one of the most penetrating images of Christ in Asia where the physical condition of leprosy and the social status of the outcast are still a part of our existential reality.’  

Masao Takenaka 'God is Rice: Asian culture and Christian Faith'  WCC 1986 p 35-36