In view of Mary's special role as the mother of Jesus, she received a special name in the early church. Theotokos combines two Greek words: Theo which means God, and tokos which means one who bears or who gives birth. So Theotokos means “God bearer,” for Mary quite literally brought God into the world by giving birth … Continue reading Wishing You a “Mary” Christmas
I've written before about Free Books from Logos Bible Software, and how you can get started with a free account. Now there's also a monthly subscription option with your first month free. For the last while I've been dipping into the Logos Bible Software eight-volume series Art for Faith's Sake. Like other Logos resources, this is … Continue reading Enriching Art and Faith with Logos Bible Software
Last January I received an invitation to write for Purpose magazine on the following theme: God created humans with unique abilities and skills that must continue to make God smile through the generations. While some of the abilities are used to put bread on the table, others are gifts that we enjoy for fun and recreation. Hobbies … Continue reading Love What You Do and Love Your Neighbour at the Same Time
One year as part of our Lent and Easter celebrations, my congregation planned an art-focused Stations of the Cross. We distributed the titles and Scripture texts for the final events of Jesus' life from Station 1 Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane all the way to Station 15 Christ's Resurrection. We invited children, youth, and … Continue reading Stations of the Cross for Every Day
The Art of Helping Others: How Artists Can Serve God and Love the World by Douglas C. Mann (IVP Books, 2014) is for artists who write, paint, dance, sing, play an instrument, make jewellry, work with wood, and engage in other expressive arts, and for all of us as artists of the everyday who parent, pastor, cook, … Continue reading Can Art be Missional and Still be Art?
Yesterday I treated myself to an artist date at The Reach in Abbotsford with an artist tour and talk by Canadian painter Takao Tanabe. The paintings on exhibit spanned his artistic interests in abstract impressionism and traditional sumi-e, acrylic and water colour, the landscape of prairie and west coast. Before the tour, I read this quote … Continue reading Fuel Your Creativity with an Artist Date
My favourite quote from a weekend of Easter worship: To me Jesus means being able to see the sky and paint it. - Mackenzie Lee, with photo by Lois Siemens and closing prayer.
A reflection on yesterday's Palm Sunday and this Holy Week, with a painting by Belgian artist James Ensor: Christ's Entry into Brussels, 1889. If Jesus were to come again today--not to Jerusalem long ago, or to Brussels in 1889, but to my street and yours in 2014-- would he again be almost lost in the sea of different political and social opinions and interests?
April Yamasaki 