In the opening chapter of For the Beauty of the Church (W. David O. Taylor), Andy Crouch highlights the distinction between creation and culture. The story of creation is about creatio ex nihilo – the creation of something from nothing. In extension, culture is about creation out of what has already been created (creatio ex creatis). Culture – God’s idea In the … [Read more...] about Beauty, art and the Kingdom part 2 Beauty, art and culture
Faith
Inspiring a deeper walk of faith in God, expressed as Father, Son, and Spirit. Living out our shared experiences of life in Christ.
Beauty, Art and the Kingdom Part 1 Perceptions of beauty
Although the word ‘beauty’ evokes such varied impressions for each of us, we all desire it in one form or another. Even if we don’t think about it much, there are certain encounters that take our breath away. The subject of beauty is expansive, wrapped in endless forms – nature, music, speech, colour, form, ideas and ethics, all originating in God’s creation of the … [Read more...] about Beauty, Art and the Kingdom Part 1 Perceptions of beauty
Christmas: the richness of presence
It’s now the second Christmas of COVID. Last year, celebrations were curtailed. We saw our daughter and son-in-law only briefly, distanced around a fire-pot in our wide-open garage, eating a Christmas breakfast we’d each cooked separately in our own kitchens. Memorable, but not ideal. From those depths of isolation orders and social distancing, we learned (in an inverted way) … [Read more...] about Christmas: the richness of presence
Gift Giving: the gifts of grace, mercy and understanding
As an Indigenous person who feels caught in the middle of all the tension on social media over the mass unmarked graves, and a plethora of other issues, I’ve been having some deep thoughts. I’ve also been measuring what I’ve been hearing, seeing, and experiencing through the lens of scripture, and specifically the New Testament and the writings of the Apostle Paul. … [Read more...] about Gift Giving: the gifts of grace, mercy and understanding
A chance for dialogue about true reconciliation
When the news came to the world about the cemetery in Kamloops Residential School this was no surprise to me as an Indigenous person. This reaction was not because I’m cynical and think the worst of people, but because it’s common knowledge amongst our people and residential school survivor stories and testimonies that this was the case. In general, the overall 500-year history … [Read more...] about A chance for dialogue about true reconciliation