Veritas hosts artistic worship night

Pieces were devoted to the theme 'Righteousness from Shame.'

By Catherine Newhouse

Published Nov. 10, 2009

Students from the Christian organization Veritas created art to share during a special worship session at 9 p.m. Sunday in Stotler Lounge.

"We view art as a gift from God," Veritas Co-director Kermit Summerall said. "That's part of what it means to be fully human, to create art."

Twelve students shared photography, poetry, pottery, paintings, drawings and videos related to the night's theme, "Righteousness from Shame." A live band of six students also played worship music. The theme was an extension of the semester theme, "His Death, Our Life," Veritas staff member Noelle Morris said.

"I think we're all creative and have means to communicate our thoughts about what we believe," Morris said. "Since we were created to create, it comes naturally to us and it also reflects God's truth in a way that maybe words can't."

On the projection screen in the middle of the room, hands plunged into mud and then slipped out, miraculously clean.

In a voiceover, senior Patrick Miller said, "I am free!" The video, filmed by senior Addison Hawkins, set images and music to Miller's three-part poem "O The Blood."

The first two parts of the poem focused on shame, dealing with issues, such as violence against others, violence against oneself and substance abuse. The third part described redemption and God's glory, Miller said.

"This is just an inch of what God's goodness looks like," Miller said. "It's an inch from this side of heaven because I think here we only catch glimpses of his glory."

For Miller, the third part of the poem was the most difficult and took three weeks to pen. Writing about shame was comparatively easy because shame is static and God's glory is dynamic, Miller said.

"Moving into trying to describe God's glory, I found it remarkably difficult," Miller said. "God's glory is a remarkable thing and the minute you try to pin it down, it slips away."

Miller said this concept of static evil and dynamic goodness was reflected in many stories. The villains' evil actions are always predictable, but it's the heroes who surprise you, Miller said.

"Beauty and righteousness are always changing, always deeper and truer and more unfathomable than darkness and evil," Miller said. "And this poem is a reflection of that."

In the middle of the worship session, students spent about 10 minutes meditating on the artwork displayed throughout the room.

Student work ranged from photographs of children in Jamaica to a painted sunset.

Veritas Co-director Ryan Wampler said Christians have a Biblical model of using art in worship because the Tabernacle, a dwelling place for God in the Old Testament, contained art.

"We're not just intellectual beings, but we're also emotional beings and relational beings," Wampler said. "And art builds on those elements and pulls us to get to those levels of understanding."