Pure Unbounded Love Thou Art

Week 2 of Advent is "Love" and I must confess I have had a very difficult time trying to think of any visual representation of love other than a heart. I scoured hymn lyrics looking for any visual picture of love in an Advent sense. But there is no vivid imagery of love. It is described, but there are no vivid pictures. So I succumbed, and painted a heart. I thought I was going to just tolerate this painting, but the way I did the brush strokes catches the light like brushed aluminum. As you turn the painting, the light follows the curves of the heart. All the highlights you see on the heart are just the way the light catches it. I am rather pleased with that, if nothing else.



The hymn lyric for this painting is "Pure unbounded love Thou art," from "Love divine, all loves excelling." The Hebrew is "Taher" meaning Pure.

UNIQUE SURVEY

1. what is your favorite psalm? Tough one. But the one that's made the most difference in my life would be 118.

2. If you had to pick one flavor of gum to chew for the rest of your life, what would it be?(not a gum person) but if I had to choose, Wrigley Spearmint.

3. What color bulbs do you like most in Chistmas window candles? White.

4. Which instrument do you think is the most useful and imperative? Musical? Imperative? Hmm. Well, I've always been partial to the piano, but I don't know how "Useful" it is. I think that's part of the beauty of music, it's not "useful" and yet it is imperative!

5. If you're a girl, would you rather wear TOO MUCH make up, or NO make up? If you are a boy, would you rather wear TOO MUCH aftershave, or smell like gasoline? WOW! What a question. I'd rather neither. But since that's not an option, I'd rather smell like gasoline! At least that means I've probably been working on a car or in the yard, and does not imply that I have no sense of smell when trying to make myself presentable.

6. What's your favorite candle scent? Something light, and not overbearing. We'll say Vanilla, just because I don't know the names very well. It's like crayola on drugs. Periwinkle sunrise or some such.

7. If you could only go to bed on the hour of a certain hour for the rest of your life, what time would you go to bed? 10p

8. If there was either sunlight always or darkness always, which would you choose? Sunlight.

9. How many times do you fill up your gas tank per week, approximately? 0.5

10. If you were to have only daughters or only sons one day, which would you choose? Daughters

11. If all animals were to become extinct (if it was possible), but one, which animal would you want to stay around? and why? Horses. Stately, beautiful and useful.

12. If you could only eat fruit and vegies, or only meat and carbs, which would you choose? Well if it were only those choices, I would suffer, and give up my meat and carbs, because I don't think an exclusive diet of that would be healthy.

13. Approximately how many surveys have you filled out in your lifetime? 3

14. If you had to teach for a living, which subject would you teach? Theology

15. If all your clothes had to be one color, which color would you choose? Hmmm. Blue or Black. All black looks better than All blue. So, Black.

16. What is your favorite meat? Filet Mignon

17. What is your favorite vegetable? Fresh Asparagus

18. What is your favorite kind of cheese? Cheddar

19. If you had to choose between caffein free diet coke and moxie, which would you choose? I've never even heard of moxie, but if it came between dirty water (oh sorry, caffine free diet coke), and moxie, I'd have to choose moxie.

20. Which would you rather lose, a hand or a foot? Cruel and Evil!!! EVIL! but, if I HAD to choose. foot. (sorry, pianst/guitarist wouldn't want to lose a hand.)

21. If you had to shave off your eyebrows or never shave your legs (girls) or face (boys) again, which would you choose? Ok, on a technicality, eyebrows. Because you stipulated that I could never shave my face again, but you didn't stipulate that the eyebrows would be perpetually shaved. So, my eyebrows would grow back.

22. Tootsie pops or bubblegum pops? Tootsie Pops

23. Bubble tape or Big League Chew? Bubble Tape

24. doritos or fritos? Doritos

25. Dunkin D's or Micky D's? Dunkin D's

26. Dark or milk chocolate? DARK DARK DARK DARK!

27. Mittens or gloves? Gloves

28. flannel sheets or satin sheets? Both, at different times.

29. Blonde hair or brown? On me, Brown, on my Lovely spouse, halfway in between.

30. Third Day or Caedmon's call? Derrick Webb. (*he's kindof a choice, since he USED to be with Caedmon's)

Thanks to Missy for the unique survey.

And Heaven And Nature Sing

Last night I finished the second installment of a 5 part work called "Advent." This piece is called "Heaven and Nature Sing," It is for the third week of Advent "Joy." And after finishing this part, it has given clearer direction to the final piece. I'll tell you how, once they are all up. The Hebrew at the bottom left is "ranan" which means "Sing for Joy."

The flash from the camera brought out a little more color than is immediately noticable of the actual painting. It looks almost solid black from a distance. You have to get right on it to notice what this photo displays so readily.

Advent Art Show

When I first had the idea for this Art show, I pictured it being within our own congregation, but as at least one artist has asked about contributing, I will give the details.

Advent is the time in the Church when we both remember and await the coming of Christ. Within that context, each week has a theme; hope, love, joy, peace and on Christmas Eve we celebrate the arrival.

Each week of Advent we would love to display art covering the theme of the week. After the Christmas holidays we will have an art show to sell the works and give the proceeds to hurricane relief.

All forms of art are acceptable. So pull out your paints, your colored pencils, your camera, your chisels, or whatever you use, and use it to the glory of God!

For more information, e-mail timothy@fumcbryant.org or call the church office at 847-0226

Shipping info.

U.S. Postal service:
First United Methodist Church
ATTN: Timothy Putnam
P.O. Box 875
Bryant, AR 72089

UPS/FED-Ex
First United Methodist Church
ATTN: Timothy Putnam
508 N. Reynolds Rd
Bryant AR, 72022

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Yes, yes, I know, I haven't posted in a while.

Sometime last month I got the idea to start exploring the "arts" section of my title "Minister of Worship and Arts." Through several factors and encouragements I came up with the idea of having an Advent Art show. Well the more I advertized said show, and the more I encouraged other people to create paintings/sculptures/drawings/whatever the more interested I became in maybe trying my hand at it too. So yesterday during lunch I hopped over to Hobby Lobby and bought painting supplies. Last night when I got home, I put on a Harp and Flute Christmas CD and listened to "O come, o come, Emmanuel" on repeat. I really wanted to capture the haunting beauty and hope of that song. So here it is. My very first painting. It's a 10"x14" canvas using acrylic paints.



The image is of the Christ in the womb, (The first week of Advent is "hope") over his back is the faint image of the Star of David, both signaling his prophecied coming, and hinting at the poetic line, "O come, o come emmanuel and ransom captive Israel."
Below the infant is the Hebrew for Emmanuel - God With Us.