We recently went through sermon series covering "The body of Christ." The idea of this comes from the writings of Paul the Apostle where he stresses that all those who were baptized into Christ are part of the Body of Christ. Just as every part of the body has it's functions, every member of the Body of Christ plays a function and that each function is necessary for a healthy body.
So in this sermon series we focused on how all of us have a part to play, even if we don't know what it is yet. Everyone has something wonderful to give to the body of believers and the world at large.
Christ did an odd thing when he left this world. He demonstrated his divinity by rising from the grave. He showed his love, mercy, and forgiveness by his willingness to go to the cross and forgive those who put him there. Yet after all this, after he demonstrated the He was all we would ever need, He left and said we would be His representatives.
So when everything is going good, all the parts of the body are working right and people see Christ's love in the way we live. But when one part of the body isn't working well, the rest of the body feels the effects. This sermon series was designed to help people give thought to what gifts they bring to the table. So hopefully people can figure out what part of the body they are and how they can do it better, or they can give some thoughts on how they can maybe take a bigger role.
To help drive this point home, Pastor mike asked me to create a picture or silhouette of Jesus. He wanted to somehow connect people's names and functions onto his body in some way. I could have probably gotten away with just making a silhouette, but I thought it would be cooler to have his face and hands. So 23 hours later I ended up smelling like linseed oil and mineral spirits and I had my first painting done in 7 years.
I left Christ's "body," or robe, white and we attached multi-colored tags that had a line for a name and a section that said "I'm doing my part by...." I incorporated the colors of the tags into the lettering and in small amounts into the painting itself. After the sermon, people were asked to bring up their offering and their tag, I and Pastor Mike put the tags on the painting as quickly as possible. It turned out pretty well, it had a Gustav Klimt affect going on with flat clothes on a modeled body. I was pretty happy with the end result.
It was difficult to give up control of where they were placed. It was also a little disappointing that it wasn't filled up any more than it was. Yet it still serves a theological point. The body of Christ will never be complete until the final day. There are many that he still wants in his family, many who still need to discover his love. It's a good reminder to share the message of His love with other people.
This was a great experience for me. Like I said, It's been about seven year since I painted. I felt alive and in a creative fire. I hope I continue to find and make time for this kind of stuff in the future.
