A Spiritual Gift

"If you are a craftsman…only look at your tools, your needle, your thimble…your scales, your measures, and you will find this saying written on them… 'My dear, use me toward your neighbor, as you would want him to act towards you with that which is his.'"   Martin Luther

When our family first joined Rejoice Lutheran Church, new members were encouraged to assess their "spiritual gifts" and apply them to various church ministries. As a quilt maker, I was naturally drawn to liturgical art and spent many years crafting banners for worship.

Even though my "making" days are over, it doesn't mean I can't make things happen! A persistent calling to contribute one more banner to Rejoice, I commissioned one. 

It's the work of my friend, Wanda Hanson, who's a prodigious quilt maker and genius when it comes to using color and design. She blends hundreds of fabrics from her extensive collection into extraordinary one-of-a-kind works of art. After seeing her latest colorwash quilts, I knew one would look great in the sanctuary at Rejoice!

The first time I approached Wanda about making a banner, she declined. But at some point, my calling became her calling too. Eventually, she embraced the project as a creative challenge and opportunity to inspire others through her God-given skills.

The Creation Story became our theme. "Let there be light" is a sort of Bible/Big Bang mashup which includes both scriptural and scientific rationale for the origin of the universe. 

Wanda sorted, cut, arranged, and sewed hundreds of luminous batiks, each a different color and print, to create “Let there be Light.” Here are just a few samples of the 356 3"x 6” pieces she used.

And here is Wanda with her 69" x 93” creation.

What better backdrop for worship could there be than this glorious riot of color?

double click to enlarge

Visit Wanda's blog, Exuberant Color, to see more of her exquisite work!