Sydney Walker, Dwelling Between His Shoulders, 2022, twelve panels, acrylic on canvas
ABOUT THIS BLOG
The art/devotionals, posted the first and third Mondays of each month, delve into issues related to kingdom living. Both text and artworks accompany each entry with topics that consider Christian living from the perspective of how Jesus lived His life. The blog title, Between His Shoulders, expresses the intent to develop a more intimate relationship with God.
The paintings and devotionals are meant to complement one another. The devotionals have priority but the inclusion of the paintings contributes another dimension. They are not intended to be illustrations of the text, but to add another layer of meaning. The paintings thus should stand on their own.
Some painting titles are identical to the devotionals, while others have distinct titles, but in both cases, there is a connection made to the devotionals. To help readers make connections between them, each devotional incorporates brief comments about the paintings. Rather than interpreting the paintings for readers, I am always more interested in having them to make connections for themselves.
Many of the devotionals draw upon ideas gained from other authors and teachers. On these occasions, I strive to credit the source and make it available for readers to learn more from them.
Until now, I have given the devotionals to friends and small church groups, but I would like to widen their distribution with this blog. I have greatly benefited from the those who have read the devotionals and hope to hear from readers who choose to offer their insights.
ABOUT ME
As an art educator for twenty-five years at The Ohio State University, I wrote academic texts, but never anything about living as a believer. In 2020, about three years into retirement, I began writing devotionals and combining them with my artmaking. As I wrote, I discovered that they were leading me into a deeper understanding of Jesus. Spending time on particular aspects of His life, I began to realize how little I understood about Him and what it means to live in His kingdom. We will never fully grasp Him in all His complexity, but that is of course one of the things that makes a relationship with Him so appealing,
Why share the devotionals? Why not just write for myself? As with artmaking and any other productive endeavor, there can come a point when you want to bring others into your project. It is gratifying to learn how others are impacted, satisfying to find that someone else grasps a point you are trying to convey, contributes a new thought on the topic or suggests how what they have read will impact their relationship with the Lord. My hope is that the devotionals will speak and bring you closer to the Lord.
POSTS
To view older posts click on “uncategorized” at the end of any of the following posts.
- TRUSTThe two men walked into the city looking for a man carrying a pitcher of water. Soon a man with… Read more: TRUST
- BELIEFThe woman looked at her Son, then said to the servants standing nearby, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”[i]… Read more: BELIEF
- SO MUCH MOREThe Teacher returned home to His own village of Nazareth. As He taught in the familiar synagogue He had attended… Read more: SO MUCH MORE
- UNPREDICTABLEMothers came close, lifting their children up to the Teacher to touch and bless; but the disciples, considering it their… Read more: UNPREDICTABLE
- SEEDSLearning that the Rabbi had come to Capernaum, he desperately reached out to his Jewish friends. Perhaps he could persuade… Read more: SEEDS