Leading with Light: Lament

For the 2005 Symposium, we planned a simple service based on a lament psalm.

Given the mournful tone of the psalm, the pallette used was largely shades of gray, with hints of lenten colors of red and purple. More colors were added toward the end.

This Gathering image uses the beginning words of the psalm, showing wind/breath/smoke crossing on a pair of lips. It's ambiguous if these lips are breathing words or receiving smoke, or singing a song that rises.

As the service progresses to Confession, we see a hand reaching at some distance from a horizontal line. Again, there is ambiguity if this is a hand underwater or simply beneath the clouds. In either case, the point is the distance.

During the Prayer of Confession, photos of hands denoted the three sections of the prayer. The congregation was encouraged to follow these gestures as they prayed, moving from fists to prayer to openness and service. The photos were angled to show dissonance, to give the hands direction, and to distinguish the gestures from the backgrounds. A drop-shadow helps pop the photo from the background. The photos are all black & white stock images that were also used in the promotional materials for the overall conference. The drawn hands in the backgrounds were also keyed off of an artwork used as the bulletin cover in this service.

Given the lament tone, the bulk of the service was technically part of the Confession, including the sermon. An Assurance of Pardon followed the sermon, accompanied by a background showing God's hand no longer distant, but acknowledging the tentative experience of the now-but-not-yet. The hand is curled and the feet are are confused. Yet the crossed lines lines hint at new colors.

The service concludes with a dawning burst of color. These are the only lines that are not hand-drawn and use saturated colors. In the dawn of a new creation, the feet now have clear direction and movement.

Stance

The “Stance” sequence shows how a single visual element changes as the worship service unfolds. The mannequin, representing our posture before God, changes positions as the congregation’s liturgical task changes. This sequence also intentionally leaves space for text, but can also serve as a plain banner. These images are courtesy of Jubilee Fellowship Christian Reformed Church in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Kids' Mosaics

The “Kids’ Mosaics” sequence is an example of found art. Children in the congregation had earlier created paintings and paper mosaics during Lent. Several of these were selected and organized to follow the liturgical pattern. They were photographed under even light and cropped. This sequence of photographs became a congregational favorite. These images are courtesy of Jubilee Fellowship Christian Reformed Church in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Globe & Cross

The “Globe and Cross” Liturgical Sequence is good example of a composite image that builds as the service progresses. Beginning with a nearly blank screen, elements are added to the image at each stage until reaching a final, full image. The images are either darkened or lightened when used as a background, allowing the overlay of white or black text.

Renewed on the Journey

This Liturgical Sequence was developed for the opening worship of a regional worship conference. The theme was "As people of faith on a journey, we come to be renewed in God's strength." The first four images were the basic backgrounds used. They were designed to follow the major movements of the service. The rest of the images show how the backgrounds were used with text overlaid. Note that the text varies in position and color, depending on whether the words were God's words to the congregation, or the congregation's words in response to God.

Kids' Paintings

The “Kids’ Paintings” sequence is an example of found art. Children in the congregation had earlier created paintings and paper mosaics during Lent. Several of these were selected and organized to follow the liturgical pattern. They were photographed under even light and cropped. These sequences of photographs became a congregational favorite. These images are courtesy of Jubilee Fellowship Christian Reformed Church in St. Catharines, Ontario.