ARTIST NOTES |
Week 33 11/13/2016
Title of drawing: "His Crown" (Matthew 18, 19; Mark 10; Luke 18) Artist thoughts: Children are part of our lives, not obstacles to living. We can learn so much about God's love for us through the authenticity of children. Often times I find myself on the receiving end as I attempt to help my children understand who God says they are, how they have a place in God's heart, and inherently have a value far greater than I can explain. God has a plan and purpose for the lives of our children and, by God's grace, we get to participate in their discovery story. God wants what is best for us and that best, is God himself. If we want what is best for our children we must introduce them to God and model his love for them. It's wonderfully mysterious and beautiful to discover that the creator of life itself deeply loves you. Our relationship with God must be a priority. We can not teach what we do not know and we can not give what we do not have. God's provision and grace fills in our imperfections transforming us into who we need to be for our children. Admission and confession of these gaps become God's opportunity to demonstrate His never ending, forever patient, always and forever love for us. Our commitment to our children starts with our commitment to our Heavenly Father. Together we grow and glorify him crowning him the Lord of all. Listen to sermon here: https://youtu.be/TjN25h80N4E |
Week 32 11/6/2016
Title of drawing: "What Are You Digging For?" (Matthew 13) Artist thoughts: I think we all search and dig for something as we experience life. In the book of Matthew the kingdom of heaven is described as a treasure buried in a field. Not a physical location but something hidden, life changing, valuable, and mobile. What captures my attention in this parable is the willingness of the individual to give up all they have to possess the treasure they found. It was clearly worth all the searching and the digging that led to the initial discovery of this treasure. And this treasure drastically changed the one who discovered it. Discovering and experiencing God's love for me through Jesus reorders and reprioritizes everything in my life. And it all started with a longing for love and self worth. I would dig into dating relationships and dig away at accomplishments for something that would sustain me as valuable, worth spending time with, and worth talking to. Then I found the one relationship above all relationships to be one with Jesus. All I am and have and ever hope to be is found in him. The kingdom of heaven is where ever God is king and now I carry that kingdom with me because I'm part of it. Instead of my own strength or popular opinion, God tells me I'm loved and have inherent value as one of his creations. This is just a drawing of bunch of shovels but with it I want to ask a question: "What are you digging for?" Listen to sermon here: https://youtu.be/pqyES3jrz48 |
Week 31 10/2/2016
Title of drawing: "Feeding the 5000" (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9) Artist thoughts: God creates DNA and provides inherent instruction for a strand to duplicate itself. Depending on the type of cell (housing the DNA), somewhere within one and twenty-four hours a cell will multiply by division. On a larger scale, plants and insects, animals and people multiply. There’s a language for multiplication and the author is our Heavenly Father. In John chapter six Jesus fed a multitude of well over five thousand people with just two fish and five barley loaves. Obviously this is miraculous. With the help of C.S. Lewis I’ve been able to appreciate that, in a much slower way, God performs great and wonderful things like turning water into wine or multiplying fish and barley on a regular basis through biological processes. God's glory, love, grace, mercy, and control of time appears to be at the heart of the miraculous. For this drawing I composed slices of bread (hoping a slice would be easier to recognize than a loaf from a distance) and two fish in a way that mimics the anaphase of mitosis (a part of a cell cycle). I don’t pretend to understand the miracle but I do believe that the same one who multiplied fish and bread to feed us also works in us to physically grow us and spiritually mature us. In John 6:35 Jesus calls himself "the bread of life" and he fills more than our stomachs. He bridges the "now" and the "not yet", he defines all other hungers for us, and he fulfills our deepest needs of meaning and belonging. He does this with abundance and it's been his style since the beginning of time. View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Week 30 9/25/2016
Title of drawing: "Peace" (Mark 4:36-41) Artist thoughts: The world can be scary. Nature is a strong and violent force and mankind is more fragile than we care to admit. A reasonable coexisting expectation of respect from others can be easily crushed by hateful actions or hateful words. With broken hearts we break the hearts of others. When confronted with suffering we struggle and question God's goodness and his care for us. This drawing depicts that struggle. The disciples were scared for their lives aboard a little boat in a big storm but Jesus was fast asleep in the same boat. What's the difference? Mark 4:38 describes the disciples' fear, "And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”". With this drawing I'm hoping to emphasis this difference: Jesus fully knew who he was and the disciples did not, at least not yet. The waves, boat and disciples are blurry and visually unresolved. The only area of detail and clarity is Jesus asleep in the boat. Jesus doesn't promise to spare us from all the troubles of the world but because he loves and cares for us he does promise to never leave or forsake us. Faith in him can manifest the courage to weather tragedy, to persevere with peace because he's with us in the storm. Jesus is that peace. I find comfort in John 16:33, "I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Week 29 9/18/2016
Title of drawing: "Look at the Birds" (Matthew 6:25-34) Artist thoughts: Rainbows, stars, grains of sand, birds, flowers, bread, wine, seeds, vines and branches, fig trees, and ultimately Jesus. Throughout Scripture there are several cases where God has told us to look at something as a reminder of his promises, his character, his kingdom, and his love. God points to his creation because, when we truly learn to see it rather than assume we already know what we are looking at, it points back to him and we can hear his voice. In the sermon on the mount we are presented with salt, light, the eye, birds, wildflowers, trees, fruit, rock, and sand. In Matthew 6:26 Jesus specifically tells us to "look at the birds of the sky". I couldn't help but feel at ease and confirmed with today's drawing when I remembered that verse. God cares for us with the love of a perfect father. We can't truly see and appreciate what God has for us if we are overly concerned with getting what we want, exactly when we want it. Will we be true to our identity in Christ, be who we have been called to be and trust God to supply all our needs according to his riches in Christ? View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Week 28 9/4/2016
Title of drawing: "Our Father" () Artist thoughts: We are cherished as a child in the family of God and he is our father whose name is separate from sin. He is holy and deserves all reverence and honor. His will and kingdom should be our first concern and we are most satisfied when God manifests his power and glory in us and touches the world through us. Moment to moment we need him to meet our needs 100% He's our source and provider. We are dependent on him far more than we have the tendency to realize. Seeking and conforming our will to his we should ask God for everything, not just assume or take based on desire. We are shown how to love because he first loved us. We can forgive because God is willing to forgive us when we ask. Jesus is our example. He forgave even to the point of death. We must forgive to be forgiven. We must let go in order to receive and be where His spirit leads us. We can be free there avoiding temptation and find rescue from the evil one. Forever God is the one with ultimate power, glory, and a kingdom that has no end. View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Week 27 8/28/2016
Title of drawing: "He Cares" (Luke 8, Mark 5) Artist thoughts: By chapter 8 of Luke's gospel Jesus' ministry is in full swing. God incarnate is making physical contact with his creation. He loves us and he is proving it with every word and every action. Two distinctly different individuals bow before Jesus in the story of Jarius' daughter. Jesus shows concern, care, and love for both. He doesn't distinguish between the powerful status of Jarius or the powerless position of the woman with the issue of blood. While both individuals exhibited a form of faith by just seeking Jesus, Jesus also seems to defy any hint of a formula for his healing. I think Jesus' specificity with each individual is another wonderful characteristic of the kingdom of God. When Jesus raised Jarius's daughter from the dead he took her by the hand and spoke to her. I'm thankful Jesus isn't afraid to touch the dead or address those shunned or ignored by others. When speaking to the woman who found healing with the touch of his robe he called her daughter. This may have allowed Jarius to identify with this woman because of his own reasons for seeking Jesus. Jarius may have even found encouragement through her healing. Jesus bid the women to go in peace telling her that her faith had healed her and I think it's reasonable to imagine him helping her up off the ground after bowing before him. This drawing represents both miracles of healing exhibited in the story and the willingness of Jesus to interact with us at a personal level. Jesus immensely cares for each and everyone of us. Even greater than physical healing, we will soon read about his ultimate demonstration of investment and love in our lives. God's love is extravagant. View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Week 26 8/21/2016
Title of drawing: "What No One Else Could Do" (Genesis 3; Matthew 4; Luke 4) Artist thoughts: Jesus does what no one else can do. He takes what we've lost and he wins it back. By our own efforts, we can never get back the life and the relationship with God that Adam and Eve lost in the garden of Eden. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life were too much to resist when Satan successfully cast doubt on God's goodness back in that garden. With this drawing I'm attempting to convey a parallel that I hope you can see in the position of Christ and in the position of Adam from week three of this series. Jesus leaves paradise and goes back to the very beginning to do what Adam and Eve couldn't. He overcomes the lust of the eyes by choosing our Heavenly Father's word over providing food for himself. He overcomes the lust of the flesh by choosing to submit to the Father's plan rather than doing what ever it takes to gain authority over kingdoms. And he overcomes the pride of life by choosing God's will rather than manipulating circumstances to fit his desires. Starting with the fall and ending with the cross and resurrection Jesus truly is our rescuer. View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Week 25 8/14/2016
Title of drawing: "This Is My Son" (Matthew 3, Luke 1; 3, John 1) Artist thoughts: The baptism of Jesus is an often referenced example of the Trinity displayed in Scripture. Multiple Gospel accounts describe the audible voice of the Father, the presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and Jesus Christ the son of God submitting himself to John's baptism to identify with us. In this drawing it was important to me to find a composition that would display the Trinity. I chose a perspective that would assume the viewpoint of the Holy Father above looking down on the baptism and seeing the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove approaching this event. Jesus had no sin to repent of with John's baptism but his presence and his choice to participate identifies with our need in following him, relying on his righteousness for the forgiveness of our sins, and his death and resurrection for the salvation of our lives. Philippians 2:5-8 states: Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death -- even to death on a cross. View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Week 24 8/7/2016
Title of drawing: "Beholding God With Us" (Matthew 2) Artist thoughts: Whoever or whatever we worship takes priority and precedence in our decisions and commitments. We order our lives around them or it and the meaningfulness illuminated in our world view is defined by our worship. Matthew 6:21 states, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The Magi ordered their lives around observations of a coming king. Following through with their belief led them face to face with the King of kings. Such a long journey from seeing a peculiar star to beholding God incarnate would require endurance, steadfastness, and a lot of supplies for the trip. Measurements, calculations, and reason in what the Magi could interpret would manifest confidence in what they hoped for and assurance about what they had yet to see. Jesus was around two years old when the Magi met him. You can't walk away unchanged from such a long journey packed with such a confirming encounter. As a two year old, I wonder if Jesus knew the Magi were coming? Psalm 139 tells us God's eyes saw us when we were formless and all our days were written and planned before a single one of them began. This drawing envisions the view from Joseph and Mary's front door as Jesus witnesses the arrival of the Magi. Time lapse video UNAVAILABLE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Week 23 7/31/2016
Title of drawing: "A Glorious Invitation" (Luke 2) Artist thoughts: God has this incredible upside down balance of grace and justice that's incredibly hard to predict before it happens, however, it's a distinctive feature of the life of Jesus and the kingdom of God. I wonder if the shepherds were young like Mary was young. Unassuming, out there in the dark with nothing to light their vision but the moon, the stars, or a campfire? Then heaven breaks into creation with an angel announcing the savior of the world after 400 years of silence from God. An announcement not to thousands but to just a few at best and they weren't influential people either. They were shepherds totally unexpecting anything like this but personally invited to meet the one who is the "visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation" and humbly offered the first hello visitation to them. Humility exhibits God's glory. I imagine this glorious invitation to be startling and bright at first. Luke uses the word "terrified" to describe the shepherds before everything crescendos into praise. I can only imagine that my first reaction would be to throw up my arms and shield my face. What would you do? View the time lapse video HERE. Listen to the sermon HERE. |
Artist Statement
The Emmaus road series is a year long collaboration between Ken Webb, the pastor of Christ's Fellowship Church (Valdosta, Georgia), me, and the one in whom we place our faith and hope, the God of all creation. Through the act of drawing, one drawing per week for forty-four weeks, I have sought to bring a form of visual communication that would buttress the pastors heart felt intentions as he delivers a sermon every Sunday morning. I am invited to give a quick artist statement for each piece at the conclusion of each Sunday morning service to summarize my thoughts and intentions for each creation. Each drawing is created live in tandem with the delivery of the sermon, approximately 45 minutes.
I find myself so much more connected and in tune with each Sunday morning gathering because of the amount of study and preparation that goes into each drawing per week. It gives me the honest opportunity to ponder the story and scripture for each sermon, picture what it may have been like, and pray about what I'm to do with the resulting opportunity to edify the body of Christ. We live in an increasingly visual culture full of signs and symbols encouraging quick assumptions that simplify and deliver decontextualized instruction for living. Ravi Zacharias would describe this as giving rational thought to a subject without a predicate. As a culture we may not truly know how to see due to our expectation for immediate gratification. The appreciation of life through the creation of a simple drawing can slow us down giving more time to recognize what we see. The appreciation of art and its process can help us truly live or experience more of what it means to be human. I feel more connected to God after these drawings are finished. Concerning our perceptions and understanding of the world, G. K. Chesterton explains that, "God is like the sun; you cannot look at it, but without it you cannot look at anything else." Because of this series of work I feel like I can see better both physically and spiritually. I definitely see all 66 books of the Bible as intimately connected.
PROCESS
I receive a rough draft of Pastor Ken's sermon on Tuesday or Wednesday of each week. I read the sermon, the children's Bible lesson according to the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, and the scripture passages that both of these are based upon. Next, I begin to ponder, listen, and imagine the authors' thoughts, the commentary, the story, and seek the heart of how this all applies to me, to us who believe, to the human condition/To what it means to be human. Usually a picture or phrase begins to resonate in my heart and mind. I follow that reverberation, share it with my wife and close friends. The idea clarifies itself and solidifies with a short written statement for each drawing. I seek approval of that statement with the pastor before each service. Finally, I get absorbed in the process of drawing during the Sunday gathering at my church. As Ken preaches, I draw. Together we seek to present our hearts and scripture to the glory of God.
Craig Hawkins
The Emmaus road series is a year long collaboration between Ken Webb, the pastor of Christ's Fellowship Church (Valdosta, Georgia), me, and the one in whom we place our faith and hope, the God of all creation. Through the act of drawing, one drawing per week for forty-four weeks, I have sought to bring a form of visual communication that would buttress the pastors heart felt intentions as he delivers a sermon every Sunday morning. I am invited to give a quick artist statement for each piece at the conclusion of each Sunday morning service to summarize my thoughts and intentions for each creation. Each drawing is created live in tandem with the delivery of the sermon, approximately 45 minutes.
I find myself so much more connected and in tune with each Sunday morning gathering because of the amount of study and preparation that goes into each drawing per week. It gives me the honest opportunity to ponder the story and scripture for each sermon, picture what it may have been like, and pray about what I'm to do with the resulting opportunity to edify the body of Christ. We live in an increasingly visual culture full of signs and symbols encouraging quick assumptions that simplify and deliver decontextualized instruction for living. Ravi Zacharias would describe this as giving rational thought to a subject without a predicate. As a culture we may not truly know how to see due to our expectation for immediate gratification. The appreciation of life through the creation of a simple drawing can slow us down giving more time to recognize what we see. The appreciation of art and its process can help us truly live or experience more of what it means to be human. I feel more connected to God after these drawings are finished. Concerning our perceptions and understanding of the world, G. K. Chesterton explains that, "God is like the sun; you cannot look at it, but without it you cannot look at anything else." Because of this series of work I feel like I can see better both physically and spiritually. I definitely see all 66 books of the Bible as intimately connected.
PROCESS
I receive a rough draft of Pastor Ken's sermon on Tuesday or Wednesday of each week. I read the sermon, the children's Bible lesson according to the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, and the scripture passages that both of these are based upon. Next, I begin to ponder, listen, and imagine the authors' thoughts, the commentary, the story, and seek the heart of how this all applies to me, to us who believe, to the human condition/To what it means to be human. Usually a picture or phrase begins to resonate in my heart and mind. I follow that reverberation, share it with my wife and close friends. The idea clarifies itself and solidifies with a short written statement for each drawing. I seek approval of that statement with the pastor before each service. Finally, I get absorbed in the process of drawing during the Sunday gathering at my church. As Ken preaches, I draw. Together we seek to present our hearts and scripture to the glory of God.
Craig Hawkins