Tuesday, May 18, 2004
stencilling the spirit in the world
I am leading a worship experience this Wednesday titled Stencilling the Spirit in the world. Inspirational spark via Jonny Baker.
I need prayers and words and images that speak of the Spirit in the world. Any help will be gratefully acknowledged.
Side Door :: Wednesday, 18th, 7:30 pm :: Opawa Baptist
NB: Chalk washes off in water.
Posted by steve at 10:05 AM
Steve – is there a way to stencil the world that leaves the world clean and fallow as on a sabbath? Is there a way that our cleaning grime or graffiti would count as stenciling something new and/or stencilling our own imprint on that space? Is cleanness a kind of stencil brought by the spirit? Random thoughts. I don’t really understand stencilling, after reading Jonny’s blog. Very interesting idea though!
Jeff
Comment by Jeff — May 19, 2004 @ 7:01 am
A couple of ideas:
A school crossing sign – the one with the adult and child with the words “slow down”
“trust” “truest”
a drawbridge
a calendar with all the days numbered the same (same yesterday, today and always)
a game of tick-tack-toe with only ‘x’s
Here are two of my favorite prayers (probably too long to stencil):
“To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life. So is to trust that something will happen to us that is far beyond our own imaginings. So, too, is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life, trusting that God molds us according to God’s love and not according to our fear.” Nouwen
Dear Lord, forgive me for projecting my present condition into the future. If I feel dark, the future looks dark; if I feel bright, the future looks bright. But who am I to know what life will be like for me tomorrow, next week, next year, or ten years from now? Who am I to know who you will be for me in the year ahead? Lord, I will not bind you with my limited ideas and feelings. You can do many things with me, things that might seem impossible to me. I want to remain open to the free movement of your Spirit in my life. Why do I keep saying to myself: “I will never be a saint. I will never be able to overcome my impulses and desires.” If I keep saying that, I might prevent you from healing me. Help me to be free to let you enter my heart however you desire. Amen. (Henri Nouwen)
Comment by Lisa — May 19, 2004 @ 7:15 am
I like Jeff’s idea. Instead of stencilling with paint or ink, stencil with a solvent – or stencil with coloured light.
And if you ask me about the Spirit in the world you’ll probably always get “viriditas” – the greening power of God in the world – thrown in somewhere.
Comment by Stephen — May 19, 2004 @ 9:55 am
stephen and jeff – chalk washes off in water.
Comment by steve — May 19, 2004 @ 10:11 am
I was imagining, for instance, a man standing in a grimy city who puts his hand on a stoop — and when he lifts his hand the stoop underneath has a handprint that is clean and luminous– as though his touch has lifted away grime and sin (this could be simulated with white chalk stencil). It would be “such as no launderer on earth can whiten [it]” Mark 8:3. A cleanness that spills out of the renewed world. Viriditas would be so great too!
Comment by Jeff — May 19, 2004 @ 5:45 pm
Exactly! Like pouring acid over the stencil and the underlying paint, posters, graffiti etc. being eaten away leaving the original surface.
Some images/stencils you’d want to superimpose over the everyday – others you’d want to draw attention to what’s underneath the everyday.
Comment by Stephen — May 19, 2004 @ 11:24 pm
How did it go?
Comment by Lisa — May 20, 2004 @ 5:21 am