ArtWay

Beauty is not pasted over suffering but grows out of it—like the proverbial shoot from parched ground. Bruce Herman

Art and the Church -> Articles Church and Art

Visuals for Worship - C. Stoffel Overvoorde

Not Just for Looks: Practical Suggestions for Choosing Appropriate Visuals for Worship

by Chris Stoffel Overvoorde

In our daily environment we are assaulted by visual images. Most of them are related to our daily "needs" and call attention to what we "could" have or "should" have. When I take a ride, read a newspaper or magazine, or sit down to watch a movie, I am bombarded by such reminders. But when I attend church, I seldom see any kind of visual that reminds me of my spiritual "needs."
In spite of our rich heritage of Christian art, few churches in our tradition alter their worship environments to reflect the different seasons of the church year. Many congregations do not even use church bulletins as a means of visually influencing special services.