Creative Worship!

Sewn fabric cross; text from hymn Vexilla Regis.

The last week has been a break between my theology assignments and approaching exams, so I decided to once again connect with my Lord and King through creative worship; being inspired by another creative Christian in my new church family and having not done much art for some time.

Being a creative person I NEED to express myself and this could be through WORDS, POETRY, ART, MUSIC, PHOTOGRAPHY, DIGITAL IMAGING…and expressing myself creatively to WORSHIP Jesus is just wonderful!

You may not know but the art and photos on this blog are mine…not that it matters really; but I hope it inspires you to have a go expressing yourself creatively to worship our awesome creator God!  I took some art classes for a term at the beginning of 2013 and it gave me the confidence to keep experimenting at home…and I love it…so much better than sitting watching TV in my opinion!

Here’s some of my recent pieces I’ve made and some of the meanings behind them…I hope it inspires you to just sit with Him, have a go and connect!

JEWELS FOR MY KING:

When I think of the Cross in my mind, I picture a rough and heavy, wooden structure made for death. I also picture it empty because I know death could not hold my King! Yet pain and suffering is not what I'm depicting in this cross, you see, because it is MINE... 

Jesus said we are to take up our cross, in effect dying to ourselves, (our own passionate fleshly desires) and walking onwards upon the road He sets before us as His disciples...to do the good deeds He prepared for us to do before the foundation of the world. How amazing is that? This is why we are told to take upon us, His yolk which is light and easy. Our cross, though at times may be a challenge, is not one of shame and agony like His, for through His Cross we pass from death to LIFE for eternity. He also gives us His family to help us bear our burdens. In His death upon the cross, He took upon Himself the death we were going to inherit for our sinful nature...He then offers us freely the gift of a new inheritance, one as His family...A New Royal Inheritance! 

This is why this cross...My Cross...is one of beauty. Even if it is just plastic buttons and cheap metal brooches; I offer it all as a sacrifice of praise to my King. I give Him my best...which although could never be good enough, or worthy enough, I know He will transform into something beautiful because of who He is.

EASTER RESURRECTION CROSS:

A RESURRECTED LIFE: Butterfly using beads, jewellery, buttons and brooches! 

BIRDS ON A WIRE:

‘Birds on a wire’
1 Corinthians 12: 12-31 was upon my heart because God had spoken this passage to me in relation to a certain church becoming my new church home more than once over the past few months.

I had been in a long season of isolation and while it was not easy, I was and am still grateful, seeing God’s sovereignty and accept it as a part of His loving refining. To come to a place of NOT just thinking, but truly KNOWING through experience that Jesus + Nothing really equals EVERYTHING, is amazing and liberating…and this is the place I’m at right now.

Through my wilderness I have been able to experience and learn afresh how important Church LIFE is. And by this, I mean of doing life together…walking out my life of faith alongside God’s genuine, sold-out people…not just doing religious activities no matter how ‘good’ they may make us feel. I have been BLESSED to come to a fuller and tangible realisation of the importance of the body as Christ’s bride.

Like ‘Birds On A Wire’ the path for us as Christ’s disciples is narrow and sometimes we are subject to all the elements the enemy will shoot. We Need Each Other. ‘Birds On A Wire’ depicts 3 unique, small birds, who although they resemble one another, for they are family, are still uniquely their own and this is how we as the Church fit together…just like 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 says. I believe 3 represents church family well, as two is a ‘couple’ and our love runs deeper than romantic love and our precious God is a trinity. WE NEED EACH OTHER. We were created for relationship and this is with God and each other…May we perch on the wire together; chatting and laughing; talking and crying; praying and seeking; singing and praising…while we look up with expectant hearts!

BEAUTY OF YOUR PRESENCE: He takes my breath away!

I hope you've enjoyed this post and are inspired to simply spend time with Him and express your love for Him creatively.

Melanie :)