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John
3:1-17
Romans
8:12-17
Isaiah
6:1-8
Psalm
29
Spirit,
Life and Wonder
As I
reflect on my experience as an artist I find three words coming to the fore -
spirit, life and wonder. My aim, in
painting, is not merely to make a picture but to reflect the human experience
of spirit, life and wonder. By spirit I mean the emotional, intuitive,
intangible power of a subject to make an impact on the observer. Can I reflect,
in the work of art, my experience of spirit making some sort of an impact upon
me as I contemplate the scene, person, imaginary image or whatever is the
subject of my painting? Painting should
also, I believe, reflect the artist’s experience of life, both personal life experiences
and the experience of life in general - plant, animal, human life. And the experience of wonder comes into it as
something grabs the artist’s attention bringing an element of surprise, perhaps
awe, excitement, interest and attachment with it. It occurs to me that this is thoroughly
Trinitarian. Our experience of God is
through these three experiences – spirit, life and wonder. We experience the
impact of God emotionally, intuitively, intangibly and call that the Holy Spirit. In our experience of human life one life
stands out above all others so that we say that the Word of God has become
flesh and lived among us – Jesus. Aware of God we respond with wonder –
reverence, fear, obedience, adoration and praise. We sense what the Bible calls
the glory of God – the wonder that is evoked by being in the presence of the
divine mystery.
· How
do you react to that definition of art – the intention to reflect our human
experience of spirit, life and wonder?
· Does
having your attention drawn to our human experience of spirit, life and wonder
help you in your experience of God ?
· The
doctrine of the Trinity was developed in the church after New Testament times
but how does a passage like Romans 8:12-17 lay the ground work for it?
· What
practical use is the Doctrine of the Trinity (God as Father, Son and Holy
Spirit) to Christians seeking to live
out their calling?
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