Art for Meditation ~ Bread for Beggars

Art has been used throughout history as a devotional and meditative tool. Think of the creativity and craftsmanship found in old churches, chapels, and cathedrals around the world. Masonry, stained glass, paintings, mosaics, woodcarvings, tapestries, music, and other arts were all used to bring congregants and the community to God’s house, amplifying their spiritual connection to the Lord often before they even set foot inside.

While we’re blessed to have modern, beautiful, and very functional churches today, there isn’t the same contemplative artwork in most of our worship spaces. With this in mind, I’ve compiled a few videos that highlight art as a tool for your own devotional practice, either as an individual or to share among your small groups or full congregation.

My friend Pastor Luke Ulrich from Mt. Olive Lutheran Church and School in Mankato, MN inspired me recently with two episodes of his “Devotion in the Details” videos. A great champion of art and artistic expression, Pastor Ulrich does a magnificent job of connecting the Word with masterpieces from art history.

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The first video looks to the master painter Giotto, a forerunner of the Italian Renaissance. Giotto’s groundbreaking work is scattered throughout Italy and still beckons visitors from near and far to come contemplate the wonders of Christ’s sacrifice 700 years later.

Pastor Ulrich examines the painting, using it as a tool to remind us of what Giotto knew so long ago: that God’s plan can often surprise us, but he never fails to follow through on his promises to us.

Giotto, *Entry into Jerusalem,* c. 1304-1306
One of Giotto’s frescoes from his series on the life and passion of Jesus, in the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy.

The second devotional video Pastor Ulrich recently released examines The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. Listen in the video below as Pastor Ulrich walks us through the painting and how this 400-year-old image is still relevant to our spiritual lives today.

Caravaggio, *The Incredulity of Saint Thomas*, c. 1601-1602

Michael Wiechmann, a former student of mine from Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School, is now the Visual Art Instructor at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. He recently shared some of his own artwork in a devotion he created around Christ as the Good Shepherd.

And finally, I have contributed to a number of art-inspired devotional materials throughout my career. One example from my portfolio is this paint animation “The Good News of Christ” Motion Worship released in 2017 for the Lent and Easter season.

Josiah Smith, owner of Motion Worship, and his camera operator Will came to my studio to film this sequence over two days in August 2016. Josiah says Motion Worship “is a family-owned business dedicated to the high-quality production of worship media for the Church. We are also passionate about providing great content at an affordable value.” They are a world-leader in the Christian worship projection field, right here in Minnesota! They were professional-grade through the process of storyboarding, directing and shooting the video, editing, and distribution. I was honored to work with them and pray that this video continues to stimulate faith.