Transformed Through Beholding His Glory {Art Exercise #2}

In my first "exploring purpose through beauty post" I shared about the word "transformation" found in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Here is the relevant part, copied for you:

 The Spirit exhorts us to be transformed and that transformation is by beholding His glory, (not by working out our salvation) -  transformation is a work that He does  as we spend time in His Presence (not a work we achieve in our own efforts!)   And that is exactly what this word “transformed” means! It is metamorphóō (3339 - from 3326 /metá, "change after being with" and 3445 /morphóō, "changing form in keeping with inner reality" – properly, transformed after being with; transfigured.  (Metamorphóō is the root of the English terms "metamorphosis" and "metamorphize.")

So, we are "changed after being with" - and we are being changed as we spend time with Him, with no separation - and that seeing His glory is like looking in a mirror...

To truly see the beauty He has bestowed upon us, we look deeply and intently at Him, and see the truth of our own being reflected in His face...

To see our own beauty, we have to see His beauty...

To put it another way, from the opposite point of view, if we perceive God as a "big policeman in the sky", we may become a "policeman" ourselves, punishing the wrong doing we see in ourselves or in others...or we may become avoidant, trying to elude His imagined disapproving gaze.  Or, if we view Him as being unjust or abusive or uncaring or uninvolved with His creation, we may totally reject Him.  

The transformation occurs when we behold Him as He IS,  

not by beholding some wrong image of Him we have created in our own minds... 

My favorite way of "seeing" Jesus....the Lord my Shepherd

 I actually own prints of the bottom left and center left pictures...

Art Exercise:

The next step in our exploration of purpose and beauty will be to explore the beauty of God.  Jesus is described in many different ways in the Scripture.   Today you will pick one of those ways, and find images and words that reflect that image of Him, and collage them onto a piece of poster board, wood, or canvas.  You don't have to have many, but I would say that the very bare minimum would be 5-7.   Remember to "audition" you collage elements before you fasten them to your base.  You can even use items that fit your image choice, giving your piece a 3-D effect.  

Journal and share what this aspect of God's nature means for you.  This will help you gain deeper insight in how you connect to God.

And of course you can also do this exercise MY favorite way - digitally!  Above is my collage for the exercise - just for a sample...I think I might have to do a more in depth piece to really explore the name...

To help you with this exercise, I am including a brief list of Jesus's names and titles as well as links to a more comprehensive lists.  The Old Testament names always bring images to my mind...and here are some New Testament ones - Bright and Morning Star, Author of our faith (I see words with this name), Peace, the Vine, Friend of Sinners, Light, Light of the World, Living Bread...Alpha and Omega.  There are so many to choose from!

Found on Google

{click on the titles to go to the linked page}

Names and Titles of Jesus - Blue Letter Bible Online

 100 Names of Jesus

 900+ Names and Titles of God 

That's A LOT of information, so to make it simpler to find the description that you wish to work with, try this:  look at the first five descriptions.  Does any of them "speak" to you? If yes, use that particular image.  If no, move to the next five, repeating till you find the image you want to work with.

When you are finished with your collage, consider sharing it on the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CindyFort.at.12Tribes.

We will do some comparison between this collage and the first one soon {if you missed the first exercise, you can find it here or copy and paste this in your browser https://cjfort-artandlife.blogspot.com/2015/03/exploring-our-expression-of-beauty.html. 

The comparison exercise is in my newsletter. You can find it at the archived link here: Part 1 - https://bit.ly/3EkvBq4

                               Part 2 -  https://bit.ly/3YK7ZmS

"You are beautiful - perfect for your purpose - a vessel for divine glory..."

“I long so much to make beautiful things.

But beautiful things require effort—

and disappointment and perseverance.”

~ Vincent van Gogh

Image credit

 
I go through this in my art making! I'm glad van Gogh shared his creative thoughts...

Lately I've been thinking about the beauty that God has woven into creation...and the other evening, at a meeting with other moms, the conversation turned to the beauty of this earth, and this is the fallen world, the one groaning for redemption as we all hurtle through time together...

...so much beauty...

...and then the Lord reminds me of the list of "beauty" scriptures I have been thinking about 

and making graphics with...

...and He reminds me that van Gogh's quote is about our work to develop skill, 

the repetition, 

the beginning,

the middle,

the beginning again...

learning to silence the inner critic...

crying out to Him in agony

wondering if we really heard Him 

in pursuing creative endeavors...

the reassurance,

the beginning again and again...

until the habits 

of creativity are formed...

and we see the primitive beginnings 

as an avenue to get to our present skill..

...and God said...

that even though He always blesses

our practice...

He didn't have to practice

when He created 

each one of His daughters...

He created each of us perfectly -

no "do-overs"...

...we are beautiful...

...and what we might consider a "mar"...

...is only because we aren't looking only to Him...

"You ARE beautiful,

perfect for your purpose -

a vessel for divine glory..."

He says...

{...and what can my response be, except to worship in awe...}

 

Hello Monday!

I cannot believe it has been so long!  But I am still here, and you can always find me over on the facebook page {click on the little facebook icon to the left}.

Today I want to just share a photo from last week - I am enjoying the beautiful, even tho' I have been absent here.

Somehow, through all the pressures and messages we hear in the world, women don't see themselves as beautiful.  I pray you are on the journey to changing this reality for your own life.  The Lord sees ALL His daughters as beautiful!  Here are a couple of verses you might consider hiding in your heart, meditating on, until your heart agrees with God...

1 Peter 3:4-6 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.  For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,  as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

Proverbs 31:30  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.