Young Artists Day Camp

One of the things that Will and I have most enjoyed studying together and learning to apply the truth of Scripture to, is art - more specifically, our love for visual communication, excellent craft, and creativity of all sorts.  We  have each taken design classes on the collage level, which ignited our love for this particular field of study.  Despite the postmodern approach to truth that many of the classes we took promoted, we noticed how undeniable the rule of God over art and beauty becomes when you approach it from a design perspective.  We have since agreed that we would love to produce a design curriculum for students of all ages which teaches the foundations of visual design through the truth of Scripture and lays the foundation for excellence in all areas of art and aesthetics.  

We have a whole lot more to learn and are always excited to get our hand on good rescources, with we have found to be few and far between on this topic. Earlier this year, we had a chance to put some of our ideas into practice.  At our local home school support group, TACHE, we offered a class called Beginning Design.  Our guinea pig group of enthusiastic students was small and mostly comprised of good friends or family.  All of them were in the junior high to high school age range. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and appreciated the opportunity to begin refining some of our ideas.  The experience was certainly a learning one!  We were encouraged by the results and by the continued fruit we are observing in our students.

You can read more about our first go at a Beginning Design class on Will's photo blog here:
http://www.wmiii.co/search/label/Beginning%20Design

Last week we had another opportunity to teach a class, this time a group of young children ranging
pre-kindergarten to 4th grade!  The context, was a three hour day camp hosted by a family from church who invited us to lead their group of 11 children in an afternoon of learning and activities centered around art.

I was particularly excited about this event because it was a chance to practice presenting the same material we had been working with in our Beginning Design class to a younger audience.  Once we got our feet wet, however, Will and I both agreed that working with the younger students was somewhat more intimidating for us than we expected.  Keeping things engaging, active, and exciting was important but an even higher priority for us was presenting solid content in a way that was simple and easy to grasp.  I am a firm believer that children are able to handle much deeper concepts than we usually assume, and that "dumbing down" material  cheats the student and the teacher out of the greatest growing experiences.  Instead, I have always enjoyed trying to simplify concepts to their most basic form, which I believe is helpful for both young and old minds alike.

The kiddos at the day camp were an excellent group of well trained listeners and eager participants.  This was probably key to the success of the day because I felt particularly lacking in sharpness and energy.   (That can happen when you're entering the third trimester of pregnancy you know!)  But I am happy to say that it was a great success, and I would be eager to give the lesson plan another go with another group of kids.  Any takers?

We started by discussing what art is and what it means to be an artist, settling on this conclusion:  

As artists who know God, it is our job to tell the world about what is true and beautiful with our art.  To do this we need to learn to create like the first and greatest artist – God himself!

From there, we looked at the Creation account, with the intent of discovering ways that we could create like God creates.  We split the day into 3 parts, with a few minutes of teaching followed by a hands on activity for each section.  For each teaching segment, we observed one or two principles of design in scripture and creation, defined the principles, and looked for application of the principles in some of Vincent Van Gogh paintings.  The students would then have 20 to 40 minutes to work on a project and apply what we had learned.  

This is a breakdown of the material we covered:  

From the creation account in Genesis 1, we discovered 5 secrets to making things beautiful:
a.      From Day 1 we discoverd CONTRAST
b.      From Day 2, 3 and 4 we discoverd REPETITION  and VARIATION
c.       From Day 5 and 6 we discoverd ORDER and UNITY

We were introduced to the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh as we learned how to use these secrets in beautiful artwork. 

 We applied what we learned by creating 3 projects:
a.      While painting a rainbow, we learned about COLOR, the color wheel, primary and secondary colors.
b.      Using found objects from outside, we practiced using pattern and creating a COLLAGE. 
c.       We worked together as a group to create a side walk chalk MURAL, representing each of our individual families.  

Vocabulary

CONTRAST: the word artists use when two things are so completely different that they both become more beautiful. 

REPETITION: the word we use to describe something that repeats over and over throughout a piece of art.  Repetition helps us understand what we see.   

VARIATION: the word we use to describe the parts of a piece of artwork that are different.  Variation keeps us interested in what we see. 

ORDER: what we call it when every part of a work of art has a purpose and a place

UNITY: what we call it when all of the parts of a work of art are working together well. 

COLOR: light broken up into parts

COLLAGE: a piece of art made from all kinds of materials and objects, organized into a beautiful pattern or picture

MURAL:  a very large piece of art, usually a painting that is made of many parts.  Murals are often created to decorate large walls or the sides of buildings.  

Tada!  It was a full day but the kids did seem to really enjoy themselves.  It was also exciting to see some of the great artwork that they produced!

Our little girl, Trinity Belle is almost a year old!  It blows my mind to think that for almost 365 days now I have held her in my arms every morning and night.  She has brought so many blessings into our lives.  By her simple yet extraordinary existence, she unifies our family, requires our diligence, and reminds us continually to seize the day before us.  Her beauty is inspiring and few things make my soul rejoice like seeing her grow in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man.

*Photo credit goes to our dear photographer friend Kristi Witek.

Christian Modesty - Decrying a Sacred Cow

When I was young (younger than I am now, that is) I was taught that your worldview is the single most relevant influence on your thinking. I still believe this is true, because a worldview includes the way you perceive the world around you, the assumptions you make in daily decisions, and what you hold to be true and believe to be false.
As Christians, the Holy Spirit promises to hold our consciences to the truths in Scripture which means that our worldview will be formed by those truths. So, the assumptions, perceptions, and beliefs of Christians aught to be based on what Scripture says, right?

I am surprised how often we can deceive ourselves into thinking that Scripture remains neutral on some of the most pressing issues of our time. One of those issues is modesty. "Wait, are you serious? Modesty, a pressing issue of our time?" Okay... so maybe there are more pressing issues, but I think any issue is a pressing issue if it is believed to be neutral or relative.
Maybe you've been thinking that our standards of modesty are really just based on our cultures likes, dislikes, and taboos; or that modesty is really just a relative issue that changes from one overbearing father to another.

If you do happen to think that way, I understand. I think most of us do... The reason young ladies are taught to be modest is to protect their brothers in Christ and the reason young men are taught to be modest... well, let's face it, most young men are not taught to be modest! For the most part, the issue of modesty has been relegated to women. What a tragedy! And no wonder we are all so confused if we think that the purpose of modesty is to watch out for the sinful natures of men, how will we ever know what makes one stumble more than the other?

The purpose of modesty is not to keep men from lusting after women. Though a modest woman will always be more helpful to a man's mind that an immodest one, maintaining a healthy relationship with one another is only a benefit of modesty, not the point of it.

Modesty (Webster's 1828): "The lowly temper which accompanies a moderate estimate of one's own worth and importance. In females modesty has the like character as in males, but the word is used also as synonymous with chastity, or purity of manners. In this sense, modesty results from purity of mind, or from the fear of disgrace and ignominy fortified by education and principle."

God's Role in Modesty

Odd... I don't see anything about sexuality or skin. I don't think we have only Webster's word for it, but modesty is a much bigger issue than you may have previously thought. Modesty itself is a worldview! It is a frame of mind and it denotes an estimation for your relationship to God. I'm going to continue talking about modesty specifically in regards to clothing, coverage, and nakedness, but please realize that modesty has more to do with a humble heart before God that any special word or way to dress.

Take a walk through Genesis 1:30-3:25 with me. Genesis 1:31 says that God saw everything that He had made and that is was very good! Then, in Genesis 2:25 is says, (speaking of Adam and Eve) "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

A few verses later, the very thing called good in chapter two, nakedness, is called shameful in chapter 3. Why is that? It is because chapter 3 contains the record of the Fall. Genesis tells us that after Adam and Eve had sinned against God, "The eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves loincloths." Then later Adam says to God, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself."

Jeff Pollard puts it well, "The knowledge of their sin transformed their experience of good nakedness into stinging, humiliating shame. Blushing and disgrace entered history, but thankfully, the story doesn't end there. In His great mercy God provided a gracious covering."

What's going on in the garden here is a Gospel application. Adam and Eve sin, they try to make themselves acceptable, but they can't. Then, in verse 21: "The Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins that clothed them." God had to make a sacrifice for the sins of Adam and Eve by killing an animal (or more than one, we don't know) to provide the skins for their covering. While Adam and Eve's "loincloths" obviously only covered their loins, God's coverage or "tunics of skin" denotes coverage from neck to knee. When Adam and Eve's best was still insufficient, God's sacrifice made them acceptable. You see, God is the designer of clothes. He does have a say in the matter.

Most lexicons and scholars agree (as far as I have found) that the word coats or tunics found here and in other Old Testament passages is derived from the Hebrew kuttonet, which was a shirt like garment that was usually sleeveless and extended to the knees or ankles.

This isn't the only place God had a say in modesty or clothing either. In Exodus God tells Moses how he ought to clothe priests coming into His presence. God himself wore clothes when he became a man in human flesh, Jesus Christ. Then, in Revelation, we even see God clothing those in heaven with white robes.

In Leviticus, God terms sinful, sexual acts as, "uncovering ones nakedness". In Nahum 3:5, "I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts; and I will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame."

Isaiah 47 says that even uncovering your thighs was considered nakedness (which explains why coverage to the knee was important).

All this to say, yes, though we all may disagree on minor particulars or preferences, God does have a standard for clothing and does care how we clothe ourselves. There is a right and wrong to modesty. It is clear that the intention of clothing is not just to cover our private parts but our bodies.

Key Considerations for Modesty

Now we know that God designed clothing, it is a type of the gospel, and that it is meant to cover our bodies. That being said, there are a few more points in Scripture that I think are important to point out.

In Deuteronomy 22:5 we see, "A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God."
Then, later in 1 Corinthians 6:9 it says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, or men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
Because of the context of this discussion, it is important to note that the word for "homosexuality" in the Greek comes from malakoi, meaning "soft" or "effeminate". It seems that this verse also gives us insight into the kind of gender distinctiveness that God expects. For men, not to be effeminate, which would also apply to the choice of their attire.

Lastly, that in 1 Timothy 2:8, "I desire that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness-with good works." (emphasis mine)
I'm under the impression based on my limited study of this passage that "not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire" is in reference to the common garb of harlots/prostitutes of the day. In essence then, to paraphrase, dress respectably with modesty and self control, not like prostitutes, but with proper attire for those who profess godliness. I don't know if you've ever seen a prostitute... maybe you have and didn't realize because they really don't look much different from other immodest women in our culture... regardless, I have, on a busy street or outside a hotel and sadly some of the women I see on Sunday mornings are not striking because of their beauty or "good works" but because their dress so much resembles that of prostitutes.

In conclusion, I would also point out that Adam and Eve were clearly not ashamed at their nakedness because of their relationship to each other, but because of their relationship to God. This should show us then, that it is an error to teach our children that we dress modestly (as well as speak and act modestly) for the benefit of other men or women. If we continue in this error, we will perpetuate their confusion and propensity toward relativism and they will learn to think of their bodies and dress based on man's ever changing standard instead of God's unchanging one.We are modest because we obey God from a heart of love.

"What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6:20-21

John Bunyan asked, "Why are they for going with their naked shoulders, and paps hanging out like a cow's bag? Why are they for painting their faces, for stretching out their neck, and for putting themselves unto all the formalities which proud fancy leads them to? Is it because they would honor God? Because they would adorn the gospel? Because they would beautify religion, and make sinners to fall in love with their own salvation? No, no, it is rather to please their lusts."


From my study on modesty I've taken away many things. Chiefly, that in regards to clothing, God designed clothes and their purpose and that clothes are a picture of the Gospel, for us and for others. That we aught to strive to base our standards of modesty in our dress on what is said about those things in Scripture, that God is not silent on the matter, and that He does have a moral will concerning the use of clothes. Clothes were meant to cover our bodies, not just our private parts. God expects us to distinctly communicate through our clothing that we are either men or women and it is an abomination to Him when we cross that line. As men, we should be careful not to err towards effeminacy and as women not towards sexually exploiting your own bodies.
It follows then, that even though women are responsible for dressing immodestly, men are also responsible for their own passions or lust, whether a woman is modest or not.

I realize this post was awfully verbose, unfortunately for you, I have much to learn in how to be more concise. Mainly, if you don't agree with the particulars of my exegesis I won't mind, but I do hope that you've seen enough to realize that God does have a standard regarding modesty and clothing, it's found in His Word, and saying that the issue is neutral or relative is simply not true.

Much of the content of this post is inspired by Jeff Pollard's "Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America". It is astutely written and is greatly recommended if your are interested in further direction on the issue of modesty.

Be a Great Artist < Make Great Art

You are always actively or passively communicating something. Maybe you're communicating through your words that you love someone... through your inaction that you are lazy... or through the way that you walk that you don't have a care in the world.

In Romans 1:19 it says, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” I think its amazing how much this says about how God communicates and actually tells us something about His standards of truth.

On top of this, the creation account in Genesis 1 and 5 says that mankind was made in God's image. The phrase being used, "imago dei", literally means image, shadow, or likeness.

It may be hard to wrap your mind around, but that means that when you steal, lie, lust, gossip, covet, etc. you are actually lying about God. In other words, when we act in a way contrary to God's character we are denying that we are made in His image.

Our lives are supposed to communicate about God's infinite and beautiful character when so often our lives are communicating the very opposite! It has given me a lot of conviction lately, in particular our example from John the Baptist who said, "I must decrease that he may increase."

What does this have to do with art? Well, speaking of conviction...

Take a look at this small clip from the movie, "F is For Fake" by Orson Welles. This rather odd documentary is supposed to be an essay on deception, forgery, and the unreliability of experts... For the most part, I think the point of the film is to show how the current (current then, anyway) market promotes an artist above the art they are creating. Instead of valuing good art for what it's communicating, they value art based on the opinions of society. I wouldn't recommend watching the whole movie, just this scene, which is a beautiful paragraph in an otherwise disjointed essay.

Even if you don't view yourself as creative or as a designer (I disagree if you don't, but that's beside the point), you do communicate about who God is every day.

Artists in this age take so much time and energy trying to make a name for themselves only to be forgotten 100 years down the road... what if we took that time and energy to communicate things greater than ourselves? What if we made godly virtue the focus of our life's work instead of our own name? What do you think that might communicate and how do you think it would effect the message of the art we produce?

It has all brought me to the conclusion that: Be a Great Artist < Make Great Art.

Methuselah & The Longsuffering Grace of God

     From the beginning of this year, I've been using Ussher's Chronology as a help while working through the Old Testament. I know there are some controversies in the Kings sections, but for the most part it's been really helpful in making the text come alive and giving it all a place in history. Looking at the timeline, it's so cool to see how many people were all alive at the same time... you don't always catch that when just reading through standard "Enosh ben Seth ben Adam" type chronologies .

One of those exciting finds is in the first ten generations of humanity. In Genesis 5, we learn that Adam is Methuselah's 5th great grandfather. Based on their ages, Adam and Methuselah were both alive at the same time! I can hardly imagine my 5th great grandfather, Nathan Hunter, who was born in 1784 being alive at the same time as me. That would have made him 229 years old this year.

That's not to mention that the men in my family live an average of 70 years each. Adam died at 930 years old... his son Seth died at 912 years old... his grandson Enosh died at 905 years old. All the way to Methuselah (with the exception of Enoch) the men of his line lived to an average of about 926 years old. By the time of Methuselah's death, 1600 years of world history had already been completed. That is a lot if you're a young earth creationist: roughly, 1/4 of all of earth history.

I can't imagine what it would be like to sit on my 5th great grandfather Nathan's knee to learn from him. To imagine that Methusaleh could have done the same thing and learned about the world before the fall from his 5th great grandfather, Adam, is astounding.

Last year I learned that the name Methuselah means, "his death shall bring judgement" or "after this comes judgement". That's a rather strange name... out of context! When we learn that Noah was Methuselah's grandson, it isn't so strange anymore. 

Genesis 6 reads, "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.  And God said to Noah, 'I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.'"

Now I'm more in line with R. C. Sproul's thinking regarding the beginning of Genesis 6 than most contemporary theologians, but regardless on your stance of the Nephilim, it's apparent that the earth was entirely corrupt with sin and that God intended to bring His wrath upon them. This is the context for Methuselah's name.

It's widely accepted that the catastrophic worldwide flood occurred a week after Methuselah's death. Did you catch that? God's catastrophic judgement of mankind came a week after the death of the man whose name actually means, "his death shall bring judgement". Methuselah was the oldest man that ever lived. It's no coincidence that God allowed the man whose name meant, "his death shall bring judgement" to live longer than any other in all of history.

I think this is a great illustration that the God of the Old and New Testament are the same God. Asides from another testament to God's amazing sovereignty, this is a beautiful picture of how God's long-suffering grace is so perfectly balanced with his just holiness.

Our Family Tree Is Growing!

We could not be more pleased to begin
our blog with this exciting
announcement: 

God has added a new young life to our
family!   Our family "sapling" now
consists of ourselves, Genesis (our
honeymoon baby, who lived only a short
time in the womb), our nine month old
daughter Trinity, and Trinity's new little
brother or sister.  We invite you to join us
in celebrating the life of our new child,
praying for a safe pregnancy, and
awaiting the arrival of the new baby
sometime in September!