PRAYER BANK

THERE IS ONLY ONE THING THAT CAN TAKE YOU TO THE RESURRECTION POINT: PRAYER


In this short series of articles we have been exploring how we can pray individually with works of art, and develop ways of using images in public worship.
We have highlighted some work in the Methodist Church Art Collection on a story of the ministry of Jesus, the Epiphany scenes ­ recalling a seasonal neglect amidst Christmas clutter - then walking the way of the Cross by building on the tradition of 'Making the Stations'. As well as looking, of course, we have been opening our imagination with story and gospel truth, going back and forth with scripture and our own experience, by allowing the technique, method and interpretation of the artist to nudge us along. I assume, and I hope you do, that this process is the work of the Holy Spirit. It doesn't only happen with religious works, but that's for another day!

There is now a vast amount of visual resources available for worship leaders in books, CDs, high quality postcards and posters or through the internet ­ as well as from the practising artist today. Methodist people of all ages seem to be quite willing to do new things with visual art in worship, better still if there is music, some moments of silence and even smell or touch. We are learning that there is great hunger for spiritual experiences by generations who have little or no contact with traditional church; now is not the time for the church to ignore the evangelistic potential of art!

So, to our last paintings in this series: Roy de Mastre's painting Noli me tangere (Touch me not)
Depicting the passion of Our Lord is challenging, but there are many examples. Conveying the Resurrection and Ascension is more difficult and tackled less often and less successfully over the Christian centuries. Why is this so? Well, the gospel narratives themselves create certain scenes which deal with the Resurrection ­ some are more easy to portray artistically.

Empty tombs, with angel and guards, can be banal and look as if the action has passed. This has led to too many bun-like stones, empty crosses on little green hills (with or without chicks, eggs and daffs!). So how do you convey the meaning of Easter visually?

The gospel writers chose various incidents, one of which we will look at, whilst the preachers of the New Testament say much more about 'living a resurrection life' and the effect of the witness of Christ. Roy de Mastre's painting deals with that compelling garden encounter. The Introduction booklet and the larger Catalogue of the Collection will give us a lot of useful information about the works. De Mastre's is an extremely skilful and technically brilliant use of brush and colour. All the fashions of 20th century art are there to convey great emotional moments between the figures. Christ points to the great rent in His garment, (like the Temple curtain?). His fresh `new' Body made larger than Mary's, welcoming, but also warning of the need to find Him in life rather than in historic episodes. A strong, non-European Jesus assures us that He is alive, though once dead. There is a great energy and liveliness about the Christ figure, created partly by the thickness and vibrancy of the paint surface itself. The actual shape of Mary's kneeling body suggests that this is a real life of devotion and love, with which He is dealing. I think you would agree that this picture conveys something of the real energy of the Gospel story. It shows some of the anxiety of Mary, not wanting to let Christ go and allow for the Spirit to come and the church to share in resurrection life in a different way, which of course Is part of the purpose of those post-resurrection stories.

Within the Collection is also Roy De Mastre's interpretation of the Emmaus road. Preachers may agree that this is probably the most beautiful story in the whole of the Bible and requires a book rather than an article, and we might return to it some day.

Visually dealing with the Ascension has produced even more artistic failures than the Resurrection. You can get feet disappearing, with clouds, disciples standing around, unemployed angels, - they rarely impress in paintings.

Peter Roger's 'Ascension.' This is a very good painting if it is seen in adequate lighting. Here Christ is obviously caught up into heaven like some of the visionary scenes in the accounts of the lives of the prophets. The disciples ­ male and female ­ are entranced by this moment. As in traditional versions, male and female apostles are shown as already becoming a group, gathering round one another, empowered by the Spirit, caught up in the work of heaven. This is really what the church is in the opening of the Acts of the Apostles as well as in Paul's letters. Roger's painting presents this view of the church very strongly. Interestingly here, the angels seem more credible as messengers and agents of God, not least because they introduce the coming of the Holy Spirit; which may seem odd, but Luke, in Acts does exactly that piece of joining-up in what is really `a history of the activity of Holy Spirit'. This is a particularly good example of how an artist can get us to go back and look more carefully at scripture. Looking again at this picture as I write this article, has made me look again both at the work and at the text.

Prayer is only possible because of the presence in the world and in our lives of the Spirit of the Risen Christ; He carries us to the Father perpetually and welcomes us with open arms, His wounds are ours, by our own actions, and our identity with Him is by His making Himself one of us.

Prayer is essential because, in that conversation, God can relate to the works of art that He has made namely you and me