Art as Worship (pg 7)

Art as Worship / September 2009

Thu, Aug 27, 2009

Sara-headshot Sara Ronnevik
A stay-at-home mom and teaches private art lessons for children / Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Painting/Collage

What is the line connecting our creative work in this life to our coming days in God's eternal kingdom? It is reported that in his final days, Michelangelo said that he was only just beginning to learn the ABCs of his trade! When I create I keep this in mind, knowing that I can never accomplish enough to satisfy myself here and now. God made us in his image to continue creating forever. So I think of my work as a sort of practice in preparation for my eternal employment. I imagine that as endless days of glorifying God in creating stained glass windows, mosaics, frescos, paintings and using a million other unknown mediums.

People ask me often what mediums I use. My answer is, "Anything with colors!" I use acrylic, oil and watercolor, as well as collage materials - anything I can glue onto paper. One of my artistic aspirations is to illustrate Biblical scenes that are rarely or never illustrated. One of these is of Jesus telling the parable of the Sower. The Bible tells us that he told this story from a boat. Were there pebbles and reeds in the shallow waters to represent the rocky and weedy soil? Did Jesus throw crumbs onto the water for birds to come and snatch up, as he told about the birds in the story? I do not however believe that art must be of a Biblical story or stamped with a Bible verse in order to be "Christian" art. Anything that is truly beautiful, truthful, creative and well-designed brings glory to God as it reflects the way that He has created the universe.

(above image: "What Goes Up Must Come Down")

"Telling the Parable of the Sower"