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Sometimes we get inspired, or commissioned to create a seasonal worship art project to provide large visual elements for the sanctuary, and digitally projected images. The most recent project is shown below.
Core values banner project
Fall-Winter 2007-08 -- A team of creative types worked together to create a series of banners for the sermon series on the Core values of the BIC. Each robe is approximately 6 x 8 feet.
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Copies of the book New Clothes: exploring our core values are now available
- $35 hardcover
- $25 paperback
E-mail geoff isley to order your copy.
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 This book is now available to help record the project, and put into one concise place, all the artists statements and some expanatory text that tell how these banners came to be made. A useful resource for churches who are seeking ways to incorporate arts into their worship spaces, and involving the whole community! |
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Read the Artist's Statements (below) |
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click to enlarge images
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New Clothes:
(1) Experiencing God's Love and Grace
This first robe was created by Erika Anderson and Geoff Isley. In viewing this artwork, look for reminders of the ways we experience God.
Our lives are transformed by God's working in and through us, by His Holy Spirit's empowerment. We experience Him personally, but also through the lens of the Biblical story. God began a relationship with humanity when He chose to save Noah's family in a wooden floating box. God chose to get Moses' attention through a burning bush, and thus inaugurated His grand plan of salvation for His people — salvation we claim through Christ's sacrifice. God rescued his fleeing prophet Jonah from death by sending a huge fish to swallow him for three days. God's love is pro-active, and purposeful. He is present in times of trial and persecution, and we have confidence in His promises to save us. He is our example of love and grace.
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(2) New Clothes: We Believe in the Bible
This robe was created by Sylvia Emberger and Geoff Isley.
In viewing this artwork, look for reminders of God's revelation through the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is foundational to our faith -- like bedrock -- it is where we read about his work among his people. God chose a particular tribe in a particular part of the ancient world to speak to personally and start an intimate relationship. He introduces himself with his personal name! The scriptures have come to us in our time through a great deal of careful preservation and translation. We understand and study the Bible through historical and cultural lenses. It is through written language we learn of Christ's becoming our perfect sacrifice, our High Priest, the one who saves us.
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(3) New Clothes: We Worship God
This robe was designed and created by Geoff Isley. With the guidance of Renee Durbin, the Youth Group tie-dyed the main fabric panels for this robe.
When reading the chapter on this core value I was struck with our connection to the worship happening around the throne of God in heaven. The cherubim and seraphim singing "Holy Holy Holy ..." Seeing God on His throne, and praising Him is central to our worship. The brilliant, dynamic colors evoke the energy, movement, and rhythm of our worship, and there's also a deliberate balance of ancient tradition and modernity. Music is certainly part of our worship, and we are exploring the elements of dance and visual art. We want our worship to reflect the passion we have for God, as we treasure the beauty of His holiness.
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(4) New Clothes: We Follow Jesus
This robe was designed by Geoff Isley, but was created by Donna Bert and Sara Donoval.
Our starting point in following Jesus is relinquishing our illusion of control, and embracing a life of obedience. This robe has been baptized, and the robe will never be the same. Baptism is our shared experience -- a public declaration of the change Christ has made in our lives. We walk no longer on the safe, dry paths. We join the community of the baptized and walk obediently into sometimes dangerous, treacherous, swirling currents of a broken world. Christ calls us, and we choose to obey, to be His hands and feet, and to go and redeem this world. The bottom edge shows the effects of walking in obedience -- even in the messiness of life. The red sash reminds us of Christ's sacrifice and the life of suffering we see on the path of obedience.
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(5) New Clothes: We Belong to a Community of Faith
This robe was created by the whole community, and sewn together by Caroline Sider.
The community of faith is a beautiful thing when gathered together. Each individual piece adds its own colors and patterns to the larger group of colors. The hands remind us that we all play our part- lending a hand- to the many ministries that make up our own unique dynamic congregation. We're a collection of diverse personalities, some more bright and lively, some more somber and deep. Imperfections abound. We have committed to "being there" for each other for both the laughter and the tears. Additionally, as we put our community's focus on Christ, we take on the added responsibility to reflect His love to the world around us.
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(6) New Clothes: We Witness to the World
This robe was designed by Geoff Isley, incorporating donated international fabrics, and sewn by Liz Barr.
The first missions sermon took place with Peter's sermon to an international congregation in the streets of Jerusalem at Pentecost. Each and every person present that day heard the good news in their own language. The Holy Spirit still empowers us to preach Christ to the world. We embrace being one piece of Christ's global church, while honoring the cultures and languages of other places. We also celebrate our participation in both going into all the world, and supporting the efforts of global missions.
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| (7) New Clothes: We Serve Compassionately
This robe was created Geoff Isley, and lined by Sylvia Emberger. the fabrics are the congregation's donated linen, towels, dishcloths and work jeans.
The fabric of our lives is filled with serving in small humble ways. We are called to meet others' needs, following Jesus' example. We wash dishes, help with the yard work, paint walls, fix things, make meals, and wash each other's feet. That's why this robe is made of towels, table linens, jeans and washcloths. We need that reminder that when we serve others we show them that they are important to us, and to Jesus.
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(8) New Clothes: We Pursue Peace
This robe was created Geoff Isley. All fabrics were the congregation's donated jeans.
The subtitle to this chapter by Harriet Bicksler on the eighth core value is "we value all human life and promote forgiveness, understanding, reconciliation, and nonviolent resolution of conflict." The robe focuses on the human side of peacemaking. We recognize that there are huge gulfs of conflict, ignorance and misunderstanding between us and others, so we must reach across and make contact. When we value others enough to work through our differences, we discover we don't get along with people all the time. We goof up. But it's worth it to reconcile, to apologize, to embrace and forgive, especially when we are so dissimilar — like the figures embracing on the bottom of this robe. |
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(9) New Clothes: We Live Simply
This robe was designed by Susan K. Getty, and created Geoff Isley.
We strive to live simply so that we can love boldly, give generously, and serve joyfully. This robe stresses that three-part goal of living simply, and acknowledges that living simply isn't always simple. Living below our means is very countercultural, and we need to be reminded to "consider the lilies of the field." Having money (or time or energy) left over to squander on random acts of kindness is both a joy and a treasure stored up in Heaven. |
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(10) New Clothes: We Rely on God
This robe was created Geoff Isley.
The final core value is "We rely on God by living prayerfully." And here we are reminded how limited we are, how impossible it would be to attain these core values with our own skill or efforts. It is only by living with a constant sense of God's presence in our finite, often dark existence that we have assurance that there's an open window — direct access to Him at any time. We recall that this "Word was made flesh" and was imprisoned in a womb for 9 months. He experienced everything that makes us human: even the pain, suffering, doubt, and temptation. We can be confident that He knows our need, and His light shines through that window of prayer to guide us, comfort us and empower us to see beyond our limitations, so we can live in total reliance on God.
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Easter 2007
Creation banners >>
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A team of four church artists worked together to create these panels for the sanctuary to be displayed during the Easter season: The theme is Creation. The seventh day of Creation is represented by the gathered body of Christ on Sunday mornings. Together we embody the Sabbath Day of Rest, where God delights in our worship
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Advent 2005-06-07
"Candles" >> |
These “Candle” advent panels hanging at the front of the sanctuary were created in 2005 as a collaborative art project by Polly McCann, Susan Getty, Bonnie Prior, and Geoff Isley.
Each candle is made up of many symbols and images which help us think about the themes of Advent as we wait for the birth of Christ. The 2005 Advent sermon series gave the theme of "the Light of Christ", so the imagery is about what His light reveals to our eyes.
These “candles” hang before a lustrous field of heavenly gold which dominates over the comparative dark of the earth. Gold, of course, is a precious metal, but its beauty also consists of its reflective quality. Light is reflected from various sources, but it always reveals something to our eyes that we could not otherwise see. This mixing of heaven and earth is what Christmas is all about!
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SERMON THEME
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ARTIST'S STATEMENT
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Jesus: the Eternal Word
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His light reveals the created world which reminds us of God's love and power.
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Jesus: The Light of the World
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His light reveals humanity and our need for a Savior. |
Jesus: The Hope of the World
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His light reveals God spoke and acted through the BIble stories to flesh out His character. |
| Jesus: Full of Grace and Truth |
Christmas light reveals the birth of the Messiah. |
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