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… 'Use me toward your neighbor, as you would want him to act towards you with that which is his.'"   Martin Luther

As new members of our church, we were asked to assess our "spiritual gifts and passions" and consider applying then to various church ministries. As a longtime quilt maker, naturally I was drawn to liturgical art and spent several years crafting banners for worship.

Even though my "making" days are over, that didn't stop me from occasionally "making things happen"!  After 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!

Liturgical Art

For some years, I served on the liturgical arts team at church. Our role was to “set the stage” for worship, no small task considering we met in the cafeteria of a local middle school at the time. Transforming the space for worship required Banners and displays went a long way toward creating a sense of "place" in an otherwise  austere setting.

Even so, our focus was more , I longed to add something more elaborate to the liturgical art rotation, something bigger, bolder, and more engaging, something made specifically with young church families in mind -- a baptismal banner!

"a visual sermon, a parable in pictures, a catechism for the eyes!" 

With I chose the theme of baptism, based on the following scripture:

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from Heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”    Matthew 3:16-17 

        

Wow, talk about dramatic imagery, Bargello patchwork, with its gradient colors and flamelike designs was the perfect technique for depicting this scene! Green, yellow, and blue represent the water of baptism, the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the turbulent heavens. Of course, the bright colors and eye-catching design are equally suitable for other church events, such as first communion, confirmation, weddings, funerals, or any other time "the Spirit moves!" Trinity

I approached construction like making a quilt, layering the Bargello top with thin batting and backing, then sewing around it pillowcase style to avoid binding. Machine quilting helped stabilize the seams and encouraged the banner to hang straight. Surprisingly, the dove required the most work in the form of interfacing, hand beading, satin stitch appliqué, and a flourish of silver braid, all finished at the last minute.

Our son William was the first child baptized with the banner. Here he is, a proud six year old, with Pastor Dan Poffenberger (1998). 

I can't fathom the number of children welcomed to faith with this banner. It's gratifying to know that what grounded us in our early years as a congregation continues to inspire all these years later. 

Rejoice Lutheran Church, Geneva, Illinois