Arts Collective

I was on a run when it happened. The COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing and we couldn’t gather in person anymore. It was a disorienting time for so many of us, and certainly for him as a pastor, but then an idea seemed to drop out of the sky: “Sam, commission and install works of art that tell the whole story of God!”

The idea for this project was in part inspired by the ancient tradition of stained glass windows in cathedrals that visually tell the story of Jesus. So too, in a renewed, creative, contemporary way, I wanted to create little “stained glass windows” in our sanctuary that tell the whole story of God from Genesis to Revelation, using seven words to anchor the movement of that story: Creation, Fall, Promise, Christ, Presence, Flourish, Consummation.

So a team started putting flesh and bones to this dream, discerning the size, scope, and medium of the works to commission. With the hope of drawing people physically closer to the artwork, we decided on smaller rather than larger images. We wanted a diversity of artists to reflect the diversity of our congregation, yet we also wanted a sense of unity in the diversity, so we chose a uniform frame and matte design that connected the artworks at a glance. Coupled with that, we asked three of the visual artists to create two works on juxtaposing themes so that there would be stylistic unity in the collection as well.

At the center of our sanctuary, reflecting the centre of God’s story, we wanted ceramics to serve as vessels for our sacraments, the signs and symbols pointing us to the magnetic centre of our community, Christ himself, a reminder that we are the living embodiment of God’s story in this little corner of God’s world. And as the project evolved, we also included a double-sided icon of Jesus to float in the window at the back of our sanctuary, visible upon entry and exit as a reminder that Christ not only welcomes us as we are but also sends us out to be his presence in the world.

Our desire was for the artists to personally reflect on the themes and design a piece emerging from their unique style and artistic vision, so to that end, we drafted a theological statement for each anchor word and presented it to the artists, alongside the parameters of the work itself. We’re grateful for Joy Banks, Anselmo Swan, Troy Terpstra, Lianna Klassen, and Bear Barnetson who all engaged so thoughtfully and personally with their word-inspired work.

Through the timely award of the Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship we were able to launch many other congregational art projects, events and initiatives. Among them were two projects spearheaded by Adam Back, who repurposed heirloom Bibles written in many languages, as well as personal family recipes into works that represent the One who is revealed in Word and invites us to Table. Our community also enjoyed a night of creative floral arrangement and photography hosted by Rachel Kiers, an ekphrastic poetry workshop led by poet, Charlene Kwiatkowski, and a series of songwriting workshops facilitated by singer/songwriter, Michael Hart.

After four long years, this project has come to a beautiful completion. We’re thankful for everyone who participated in this project and all the other initiatives and events. It was also a joy to teach and preach through The Story for our Fall 2024 Sermon Series. Our hope and prayer is that God’s Story continues to stir our imaginations and generate creative missional expressions for many years to come.

Rev. Samuel Lee

Coquitlam, BC

December 2024