Painted Textiles and Acts of Worship







    Art is important. It shouldn't be at the periphery of our lives. It should be closer to the center. Creating either fine or folk art is akin to worship. The scriptures show us that God utilized textile art to dwell with his people. Beautiful textiles housed God's presence in Israel's first center of worship, the tabernacle. Exodus 36:8-19 describes the excellent fabrics created by skilled workers for the tabernacle. Curtains were made of fine linens with colorful yarns. Textile artists carefully sewed golden cherubim into some of the curtains, while the outer tent which covered the tabernacle was made of fine goat's hair. God gives people artistic talents to use for his glory.

    When you make something out of textile, take a deep breath. Imagine your prayers going up to God, giving him adoration and glory. The prophet Samuel tells us that worship is obedience to God (1 Samuel 15:22). Making textiles can be a central part of your obedience to God. Perhaps, you are called to sew, knit, crochet, or paint on fabrics to do some good for others. 

    Pause for a moment. Why are you making a blanket for a new baby? Why is your women's group at church making prayer shawls? Isn't it to serve others? Jesus gave us a new commandment to love others as he loved us (John 13:34). Likewise, St. James calls "true religion" helping the most vulnerable (James 1:27). Obedience to the Holy Spirit says "encourage that widow by giving her a prayer shawl." Obedience says, "give the single mom a handmade blanket for her new baby." Just remember, a woman ministered to Jesus when she sewed him a perfect, seamless robe (John 19:23-24). Making textiles might be the ministry God entrusted you with. By obeying him, you bring him true worship.

    

    

Click on the Video Below for Instructions on Painting and Repurposing Upholstery Panels






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Word Searches and Visions: The Creative Process

Image
      Today, I am working on a word search called "Create Your Visions." It's from a Bob Ross coloring and activity book for adults.  Some words in it are "inspire, creation, creativity, imagine, dream, vision." The term, "desire," is not, however, one of those words. Nevertheless, desire is at the heart of the creative process. We desire to inspire others. We want to create. Our dreams flow from our hearts.  So desire is the foundation for the creative process. The words, "inspire, dream, imagine, etc" follow from our internal desires.       As I thought about what it means to be a creative person, Psalm 37 came to mind. Psalm 37:4 is a call to dream and vision alongside God. The psalmist proclaims, "T ake delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."       In our culture, we often think that God does not want us to desire. Perhaps this misconception of God stems from the prevalence of Eastern phil...
Read more

From Stray to Emotional Support Animal: The Repurposing of Alani Shoemaker

Image
     The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15, NIV      On August 31, 2022, our lives forever changed. We adopted our first puppy dog as a family. Our new pet was a scrawny, black-and-white Belgian Malinois mix from the local animal shelter. We prayed for God to send us the right one. Out of all of the dogs there, she was the one who came wagging her tail and licking our hands. Thus our adoption of Alani Shoemaker was complete. Now she has the privilege of being dressed up occasionally in costumes and winter coats. She's taken to festivals and even vacationed in the Great Smoky Mountains to receive her Bark Ranger badge. So is the life of a Shoemaker pet.           While I recognize that a blog on animals is a stretch for a repurposing blog dealing with crafts, there is ...
Read more

The Legend of the Dogwood: Reminders of Jesus's Precious Blood

Image
      This week my family and I had the privilege to celebrate my birthday with a one-day trip to the Great Smoky Mountains national park. The Smoky Mountains belong in my heart as the most sacred of places. The Cherokee knew they were unique and called them the Land of Blue Smoke.     This week the dogwood trees were in bloom. There is a well-known tale in the American South of the dogwood tree. The story goes that Jesus's cross was made from dogwood. The dogwood was the greatest of trees, but because it was used as Jesus's cross, it was cursed and blessed at the same time. It became spindly, yet the flower would become a cross symbol. There are four petals in a cross shape on the tree, and they are tinged with red, the character of blood. They are symbols of Jesus's cross and the shedding of his blood.     Now dogwood trees are not native to Israel, so it is doubtful that the actual cross of  Jesus was made from dogwood.   Yet the lege...
Read more