Art Devotions: Bible Artist - Exodus 35:30-33

Exodus 35:30-33        Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. 

            I rediscovered art about six years ago. It happened late at night because, as usual, I couldn’t sleep. I came across a box of wax crayons, took some white paper from my printer, and started to draw. At first I was only doodling, but after a while shapes and forms, shades and objects began to emerge on the paper. I drew cartoons and abstracts, posters and religious designs. And then I made an amazing discovery: using my computer scanner and reversing the colors, I made wax crayon drawings look like stained glass windows and chalk art. I called the process ‘digital glass’ and have used it ever since.

            Last week I was commissioned to design a 2015 conference logo for the Presbyterian Association of Musicians. Last month, scores of churches throughout the world used my Easter drawings for their worship bulletins and screens. To date, I have sold over 650 prints and over 400 ACEO cards. I design Bible art cards for our church kids and teach them how to draw in a weekly art class. To think that it all began with a sleepless night, a box of crayons, and some ordinary white paper!

            I feel blessed and hope that my religious artwork pleases God. When I read about Bezalel in the Book of Exodus being given creative art skills by the Spirit of God, I am both humbled and delighted. He was empowered to design the sacred artwork in the sanctuary of the Holy Tabernacle. What a commission!  It seems that art is given a special place in the Bible. It appears that God also likes His people to create things artistically for Him.

Questions for personal reflection

What kind of art inspires me? How does religious art bring us closer to God?

Prayer:            Lord God, thank You for the blessings of artistic creativity that You have given to the world through the Holy Spirit. May we be drawn closer to You through the religious works of art that You have inspired throughout the centuries and across the nations. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com. You can also view his latest and past art online at his website www.stushieart.com.

Today’s image is the poster design for the PAM 2015 conference. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8635937266_cafcf4360b_b.jpg

Religious Art: Heaven's Highway by Stushie

This drawing actually represents my journey of faith in Christ.

Daily Devotions: Divine Doodles

Isaiah 40:18 To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare Him to?

If you had seen my math notebook when I was in High School, you would have found penciled images of two things in between algebraic equations and geometrical patterns – illustrated pictures of goldfish and cartoon depictions of Jesus. Don’t ask me why I drew goldfish because I can’t remember, but I drew images of Christ because I was struggling with my faith. (I was also struggling with calculus, but that’s a different story).

As a teenager, I had a very insecure and immature faith which didn’t influence my lifestyle choices. I still carried around in my heart and mind the Sunday School Jesus who was always helping and healing other people. I had an image of Jesus being either surrounded with lots of excited children or of Him touching sick people with His gentle hands. Those were good images for my childlike faith, but as a young person who was wrestling with issues of injustice, tragedy, and calamity that “Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild” image just didn’t fit in the real world.

So I doodled images of Christ on my math book, which makes me now wonder if I did that because I couldn’t factor faith and life, Christ and the world into one easy logical equation. I guess I was struggling with the age old question: if God is so good, then why does suffering exist?

Years later, when I saw paintings of Christ on the Cross, I began to understand how to put the equation together. God is so good, He allows Himself to suffer.

These days, I continue to draw pictures of God and Christ because it’s one of the important ways that I express my faith. Sometimes a simple drawing can convey more meaning than a thousand words. And yet I also understand that those created images can never do justice to the reality of Jesus or God. After all, as Isaiah so boldly stated centuries ago: To whom will we compare God? What image will we compare God to?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are beyond our imagining and all that we know about You is so little compared to who You really are. As we each journey through life, help us to seek more about You and grant us a faith that never stops growing. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

If you would like to see some of John’s religious and other drawings, please visit his art site at www.stushieart.wordpress.com.