Beauty Instead of Ashes

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61:1-3

Many have put forth the question as to what I'll be doing in Scotland, what exactly is an art ministry? There are a few layers to what I intend to do there; this is a vision the Lord has been cultivating in my heart for many years. First, the art that I create is one way in which I worship the Lord. As I put my work in shows and galleries throughout Edinburgh, my aim is to publicly proclaim the Gospel and have it be to the praise of his glory. The art will be accompanied by my artist statement which is something to this effect:

All art is an abstraction to some degree. We take our inspiration from life, nature, experiences, people, and a myriad of different things. There is one and only one artist that is an exception to this rule. The Lord God created everything, He needs no inspiration outside of himself, rather he is the source of all creativity. He is the master artist, we all are His apprentices. We are created in His image and His character is one that is creative, artistic, and beautiful. His body of work is incomparably diverse. We are surrounded by a glimpse of His glory in nature, but also in experiences. Our lives are complex works of art. I have seen Him replace beauty for ashes. He makes glorious lives from hearts that were broken. Passionate worshipers of people that persecuted His church. He creates art from the most unexpected means, displaying His workmanship in us. I was a broken life that He rescued. My art can only faintly echo the mastery of His work. I take metal, a material that is cold, hard, lifeless, and flat, and make a form that is delicate and communicates the life, beauty, and ephemeral qualities found in nature. The process to transform the material takes hammering, fire, and time to complete, not unlike our lives. The change is painful, but it is through this that beauty comes forth. There is purpose to the pain. (Below are a few images of my work to help further illuminate what I was just discussing)

                                     

Secondly, as I create work and dive into the world of galleries, lectures, and exhibits, I will build relationships and share my story of redemption with those whom I meet. Discussing our art is a great way to dive deep in our conversation very quickly and naturally. I plan to mentor and disciple people that I see come to faith or that are placed in my path there. I hope to also dialog with artists on different ways our gifts can glorify the Lord in the midst of a dark world.

All of that to say that these are my ideas and plans, this is what I hope to do, but the Lord could very well tweak and change things as I go. This is where my heart lies and what I intend when I say that I'll conduct an art ministry. I hope you catch the vision and get excited with me!