The Artist Within: Shipyard of Hope
“A journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step”. Chinese proverb attributed to Lao Tzu “A journey of self-discovery begins with a single step…but so does…
The Artist Within: God’s Greater Whole
Last spring, I had a unique experience taking part in a “virtual” choir performance as a member of the Alexandria Choral Society. I must admit, the idea of weekly choir rehearsals via Zoom along with a virtual choral performance at the end of it (with 3 young kids running amuck in the background!) sounded daunting to…
The Artist Within: You Can’t Have It All
This third poetic entry to The Artist Within series is by 11 year old Quinn Peacock Brush, a budding and gifted creative writer. Quinn is a sixth-grader at the Denver School of the Arts. Composed as a class assignment, Quinn’s poem is inspired by one of the same name by one of her favorite poets…
Holy Courage
The theme of God’s people struggling to survive in a sophisticated, alien culture appears all throughout the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. This theme is central to the Book of Esther, which supplies today’s first reading. Today is the only Sunday in our three-year cycle of readings when we hear from this book. That’s…
The Artist Within: Focusing Attention
My mother was an artist by profession, proficient in oils, watercolors, pen and ink, pastels, metalwork, sculpture, and flower arrangement. Not excelling in any of these as I grew up, I never considered myself particularly creative. The summer after I graduated from college, I prepared to travel through Europe with friends: my first trip overseas!…
“Something Holier”
NOTE: This post is the first in a new series: “From the Desk of” featuring theological reflection and a Christian response to current events and the state of the world. Like many of you, Joani’s recent homily “Ticked at God” elicited many thoughts and conversations in our family. In advance of an upcoming conversation on this…
Good Housekeeping
The 31st chapter of the Book of Proverbs presents us today with the resume of a “spiritual Martha Stewart.” Telford Work, in Feasting on the Word, characterizes it as “an impossible job description…she makes her own clothes; she gets up in the middle of the night to get everyone else going; she takes care of…
The Artist Within: Painting Patriotism
Introduction This fall’s Emmanuel Voices blog series, The Artist Within, explores the intersections between creativity & art, and our personal & public lives. This first entry, Painting Patriotism, is by watercolorist & parishioner Hayes Willingham. I was recently asked to share a piece of artwork and the story behind it for our church blog. The…
The Power of Words
As you know, it’s unusual for me to focus more on one of the other Sunday readings, when ordinarily I focus on the Gospel. Today’s reading from the Book of James was just too intriguing for me to pass up. James refers to the blessings and curses which come from the use of our tongues…
