What a Way to Start the Year
I haven’t painted in a church service in years, many years, and only once. My husband at the time was leading worship at a youth service at a church somewhere in Mississippi and I painted while his band played and later auctioned off the painting to give to missions.
What is so odd to me now is how I didn’t see that when I painted during that worship service I was worshipping God just like everyone was worshipping with their singing. One reason is I had been drawing, coloring, and painting since I was very young and I simply had no concept that me being an artist, creating art was worship to the Lord anytime that I created. I didn’t really discover this until about 5 years ago. Sadly, for years the church really didn’t see it this way either.
In the last decade or so it’s become popular for artists to paint during worship services at churches around the U.S. This kind of art is known as prophetic art, a message from God in visual form.
I was asked to paint during a church service at Word of Life, Highland Colony Campus, in Ridgeland, MS on January 3, 2021. The pastor was beginning a new series called Canvas and Clay. While speaking to the contact person I found out that they wanted me to paint during a song of the same name and it is about 4 – 8 minutes. I had to let them know that this wasn’t possible for me to do. Some artists do speed paintings but even they take longer than 4 – 8 minutes. I am not a speed painter. I suggested that I paint during the worship time and create a painting aligned with the theme of the song. Usually, this is at least 15 – 20 minutes. Still, not a lot of time to paint a painting but enough to make it look good. Certainly not a masterpiece but at least recognizable for the people watching.
It took a few days to reconnect with the contact person so I was sweating a bit. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity but wasn’t sure if what I suggested would be accepted. While I waited, I listened to the song they wanted me to paint to and prayed. I asked the Lord for visual imagery to express what this song was saying. Within minutes I had an idea.
I heard back from Word of Life and they said it was okay to paint during worship time. Fantastic! Now I had to get myself ready. I am not an artist who is used to painting during a worship service and definitely not in 15 – 20 minutes either.
So, yes, I practiced. Fortunately, I do have experience teaching classes to others so I am comfortable painting in front of people so that was a huge plus but I had to make a plan. I had been given a list of the other songs so I turned on the music and pretended to be in the worship service coming up. I remember at one point I began to obsess over a certain part in the painting. Because I was under pressure with the time I decided to move on to the next thing I was planning on doing. Low and behold it was not only moving it covered the part I was obsessing over.
I know that my description of this probably doesn’t sound very supernatural or spiritual but it really is. As I mentioned earlier it never dawned on me that being an artist and actually creating art is worshipping the Lord. He created me and gave me this talent/ability. Why in the world would He not love seeing me move/practice/execute in the ability He gave me to do?
One of my favorite quotes about this is from Eric Liddle the British Olympic Gold Medalist Runner and Christian missionary, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
During the actual worship service, everything flowed perfectly and I wasn’t feeling the pressure of time like I had when I practiced at home. I let myself relax and worshipped the Lord, even sang while I painted.
Now for the rest of the story. Word of Life has two campuses one in Ridgeland, MS where I was and one in Flowood, MS. I had to schedule another artist, Amy Rylander, a prophetic artist to paint during the service at Flowood campus. I never told her what I was planning to paint and I didn’t instruct her in any way about what to paint other than to listen to the song Canvas and Clay. My son Josiah went with me to help me unload my supplies and set up. As we waited for the service to start I mentioned Amy painting at the other campus. He asked, “What if she paints the same thing you paint?” I said, “Well if she does then this definitely shows that God is in this.” I’ve been in so many art classes in my life that when given the same assignment artist do not paint the exact thing.
After the services, I texted Amy to find out how things went with her and asked her about her painting. She sent me a pic and I couldn’t believe it! We painted the same thing except for our style of painting and a couple of other slight differences.
Jeremiah 18:1-6
At the Potter’s House
18 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so, the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me. 6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.
I believe the broken vessel is such a wonderful analogy about us. He is the supreme potter and He is able to flow His love through us even with our broken places so much so that our broken places are where He shines through the most. I know we live under pressure as Christians that we must be perfect but as you see here our brokenness, the weak places are how the Lord connects us to one another. (Acting perfect only intimidates or discourages people who may not be believers.) Not only does this not stop the Lord from using us anyway, did you notice that in the scripture he didn’t throw the pot away? He simply reshaped it again. He doesn’t need to throw us away, only reshape us to be useful again. I hope this has encouraged you to see that God wants to collaborate with you. Your imperfections, weak places, or broken places doesn’t stop the Lord from wanting to commune with you. You may not be an artist but whatever gifts and abilities you do have He wants you to do them along with His help. By moving in your giftings His love flows uniquely through you to others.
To wrap this all up I believe a reminder of the broken vessel is a great way to start off the year. Happy New Year and I pray it will be full of blessings for you.
Let me know if you agree and/or your thoughts on how mine and Amy’s art speaks to you.
Please go check out Amy’s website to see more of her work:
https://www.amyrylander.com/
If you’d like to see a quick video of me painting at Word of Life click on this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p9b9g6ve5fykwak/exported_2021-01-05_22-19-16%20%281%29.m4v?dl=0
Prints and Print on Canvas available at these links:
Prints:
https://society6.com/product/broken-vessel4262310_print
Print on Canvas:
https://society6.com/product/broken-vessel4262310_stretched-canvas?sku=s6-18729483p16a6v29
