Loading Video . . . Filmmaker John Egan created this film in response to passages from Joshua 1:1, 3-6, 9-18; 3:5, 11-12; 4.2. Joshua 1:1 Joshua 1:3-6 Joshua 1:9-18 Joshua 3:5 Joshua 3:11-12 Joshua 4:2 Joshua By John Egan Credits: Curated by: Michael Markham 2015 Short Film Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link In reading Joshua (the book of war) I began to hear three distinct voices arise from the verses: one of a militant, one of a father, and one of a son. Initially I wanted to write three monologues for these characters, adapting the verses that I felt spoke for/to each of these characters. What evolved were three scenes, led by each of these characters. The result was a sort of triptych film, that (I hope) deals with the cycles of war through family generations and unpacking what it truly means to be "strong and courageous." What does it mean to be spoken to by God? Does that give us authority over others? Are so we naive to think that war will save us, even if we have "goodness" on our side? After we've destroyed our enemies, where does that leave our young men who fought? Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection A Minnesota native, John Egan has been a performing artist in NYC for the past 14 years. John is grateful to Spark and Echo for the opportunity to create a new piece for this ambitious campaign. John is a member of BREAD Arts Collective as well as CORE Artists Ensemble. Currently he can be seen in RISE AND FALL at People Lounge, every Sunday night at 8pm. John is a graduate of The Juilliard School. Website John Egan About the Artist John Egan Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Kimberly Grey's poem explores the sweetness and the pain of love, inspired by Genesis 5:2. Genesis 5:2 System with Some Kindness By Kimberly Grey Credits: Curated by: Kent Shaw 2016 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This passage from Genesis immediately got me thinking about the word "kind" that was attached to the idea of humanity as it was created. And I couldn't help but think: but are we kind? Sometimes, yes, sometimes no. And I immediately thought of lovers, how it seems impossible for two people who have chosen to combine their lives together to be solely kind or solely cruel. There's usually some kind of back and forth between the beloveds. This is what makes the engine go. Keep going. Because I'm working on a series of poems called "systems" (where an idea is repeated in broken down parts or ideas to make some kind of larger statement) I saw that this poem could fit into that project. The word kind eventually breaks down, becomes kings, kins, rinds, as the larger idea of kindness is explored. I couldn't help but think of Aristophanes' speech about lovers, that human beings were originally round organisms composed of two people joined together. But Zeus chopped each of them in two and now, as a result, the lovers go through life constantly searching for the other person who can make him whole again. Though it may sound romantic, it's this action of combining two beings that creates difficulty. No person who ever loved another person didn't experience some kind of pain from it. The poem is interested in that pain, in the erasure that occurs when two people attempt to act as one. There will undoubtedly be some kind of suffering and some kindness around the suffering. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Kimberly Grey is the author of The Opposite of Light, winner of the 2015 Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize and published by Persea Books. Her work has appeared in Tin House, A Public Space, Kenyon Review, Boston Review, Southern Review , and many other journals. She is the recipient of a Wallace Stegner Fellowship and Civitella Ranieri Fellowship and currently teaches creative writing at Stanford University. Website: www.kimberlyMgrey.com Website Kimberly Grey About the Artist Kimberly Grey Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Let me state, this will not end kindly. There was a woman and a man, some kind of language between them. View Full Written Work “He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.” Genesis 5:2 System with Some Kindness by Kimberly Grey Let me state, this will not end kindly. There was a woman and a man, some kind of language between them. It’s easier to tell the story of what binds than what wounds them – Said her: Kindly clean your feet, Said him: kindly find your mind, Said both: would you kindly mind your fine fine eyes? Who would hope for this? “I examined you when you were in the most pain,” said neither. Both rinds of leftover fruit, gone and bad. Lovers are not kings, not kinds of kings, not kins, even. If you pay attention, you can hear them win in their losses. They practice, with their contours, a kind of war: coming together shape to shape, resembling a geometric sameness: “love and hate in combination make an irresistible enemy” – I don’t know who said this and if they meant it kindly, but what binds the lovers, what makes them kind, is their bodies together, the spherical shape the Greeks ached for. They lay outside of Olympus, anthropologically unapologetic, mind to mind, cheek to cheek, striving for and writhing in this kind of “ness”: No lover not loved a little remissed (erasing the eyes the thighs the feet the lips) No neck bone broken quickly without it. Close Loading Video . . . Let me state, this will not end kindly. There was a woman and a man, some kind of language between them. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . White Robe is a musical response to beautiful imagery in Revelation 7, composed for a couple to celebrate their anniversary. Revelation 7:9-17 White Robe By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Composer: Jonathon Roberts Musicians: Jonathon Roberts, piano/vocal; Emily Clare Zempel melodica/vocal; Jay Foote, bass; Mason Neely, drums Mixing by Alexander Foote Mastering by Matt Shane at Masterdisk NYC Curated by: Commission 2011 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link White Robe is a love song commissioned by Amanda Bourman for her husband, Timothy Bourman in celebration of their 3rd wedding anniversary on May 31st, 2011. Revelation 7:9-17 was their 'engagement verse' that Tim read to Amanda after he proposed to her in the Conservatory Gardens in Central Park, NYC. Tim Bourman is a pastor at Sure Foundation Lutheran Church in Woodside, Queens. We are very grateful for this commission, their friendship, and their generosity to Spark and Echo Arts. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Yo Sé Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart The Wheels Frogs Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

The Rejoicing of Obedience The Ruin of Idolatry Loading Video . . . Visual artist Nicora Gangi explores behavior and outcome in this diptych responding to two juxtaposing passages in 2 Chronicles (vv 7:10; 22:4). 2 Chronicles 22:4 2 Chronicles 7:10 The Body without the Spirit | 2 By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2021 11 x 14 inches Paper and digital collage Mixed Media Collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link About “The Rejoicing of Obedience” (from 2 Chronicles 7:10) Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel. The whole congregation expressed the greatest joy and satisfaction imaginable. They kept the feast of the dedication of the altar, then the day of atonement, and finally, the feast of tabernacles. We must never begrudge the length of hours, days or even weeks we spend in the worship of God and communion with Him. For the joy and happiness of heart will so far outweigh any length of it. About “The Ruin of Idolatry” (from 2 Chronicles 22:4) Ahaziah was 42 years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. [...] He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab… (2 Chronicles 22:2a, 3-4a, NASB 1977) A repetitive statement in II Chronicles is: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord.” These kings debased and destroyed themselves because they kept close to the kinds of idolatry, lewdness and sensuality, which the God of Israel strictly forbade. Forsaking the divine guidance that was theirs through the good and famous priests and Levites who taught the knowledge of God in David’s life time, they listened to the counsels of their relations, becoming a ruin to the nation of Israel. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Nicora Gangi was educated at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA (BFA 1974 and MFA 1976). She was a Professor of Art at Syracuse University for 29 years. Gangi has been awarded many Grand Prize and First Place awards and grants. She has been and continues to be published in numerous artist’s books on pastel paintings. She has lectured regionally and nationally as a visiting artist at universities and artist’s guilds. She is represented by: Edgewood Gallery (Syracuse, NY), and Gangi Studio (Winter Garden, FL ). Website Nicora Gangi About the Artist The Mountain of the House of The Lord I See Him but Not Now So Shall Your Descendants Be This One The Body without the Spirit | 1 The Body without the Spirit | 3 The Sealed Ones Peace with God The Everlasting Protective Love of God Our Father When the Lord Gives Us The Land I See Him but Not Now The Mountain of the House of The Lord Paneled and Ruins Series The Harvest Spirit of God-The Spirit Hovering Memories Lies Fool Dance Your Truth from the Great Congregation Psalm 18 Sound of Their Wings Psalm 16 Kiss the Son EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE Nicora Gangi Other Works By View the other two posts in this collection at: The Body without the Spirit | 1 The Body without the Spirit | 3 Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

baralaye_sea_post-3_main.jpg Loading Video . . . Part 3: Follow the process for creating this piece for Artist in Residence 2016 Romans 9:20-26 Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 3 By Ebitenyefa Baralaye Credits: Curated by: Spark & Echo Arts, Artist in Residence 2016 2016 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link My third post finds me in a new home, San Francisco, after months of transition and life on the road. The line “Why have you made me like this?” from my selected passage has rung repeatedly in my mind over many hours taking stock of and packing all of my belongings (mostly my artwork and studio items) into storage in preparation for shipment. I have traversed the conceptual, physical and practical cost of everything I own, deciding what would be kept and what should be shed. Numerous times artworks intended for the glories of exhibition and acquisition have found their way to a dumpster and the odd relic of my past, uncovered from a tucked away box, was deemed too precious to depart with. The judgment of what is honorable or dishonorable, worthy of keeping or destroying, truly lies in the heart of its beholder and maker. The images included in this post catalog some items I have come across on my cross-country journey over the past two months of traveling and living on the road. Each has given me pause to consider how God uses simple and great things of creation for purposes beyond our expectations and awareness. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Ebitenyefa Baralaye is a ceramicist, sculptor and designer. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, raised in Antigua and lives in the United States. Ebitenyefa received his BFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design. His studio bases have included Long Island City, Queens; the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in New York City; and Bloomfield Hills, MI where he is currently enrolled as a Ceramics MFA candidate at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He has exhibited in various solo and group shows domestically and internationally including the 2011 Gyeonggi International Ceramix Biennale in Icheon, South Korea and the 2016 Toronto Design Festival. He has held residencies at the Peters Valley Crafts Center in Layton, NJ and most recently, Talking Dolls in Detroit, MI. Website Ebitenyefa Baralaye About the Artist Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 2 Artist in Residence 2016, Ebitenyefa Baralaye – Part 1 David Abram Artist in Residence 2016: Ebitenyefa Baralaye – "Bam Bam" Ebitenyefa Baralaye Other Works By Follow the developmental journey of Ebitenyefa’s project by reading his FIRST , SECOND , THIRD and FINAL posts written as a 2016 Artist in Residence. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Responding to Isaiah 5, Lancelot Schaubert's short story causes readers to wrestle with the concept of justice as we identify and distance ourselves from the characters therein. Isaiah 5 Watchtower By Lancelot Schaubert Credits: Background Photo by Jewad Alnabi on Unsplash Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2022 Short Story Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link I wanted this piece to capture the ambiguity of future judgment and even the impermanence of it as all justice through Jesus is restorative and not retributive: a wasteland isn't an abyss, isn't nothing. A wasteland is simply laid fallow. In fact, the Heath is one of the biggest images in England for pre-cultivation, the sort of thing the Spirit might hover over like the primordial chaotic waters of creation. In this respect, even in the judgment of the verse, there's hope: from tilling to tilling to tilling. Sowing to sowing to sowing. Eventually you'll hit harvest, even if it takes a sabbath of sabbaths to fallow and find. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Lancelot has sold work to The New Haven Review (The Institute Library), The Anglican Theological Review, TOR (MacMillan), McSweeney's, The Poet's Market, Writer's Digest, and many, many similar markets. (His favorite, a rather risqué piece, illuminated bankroll management by prison inmates in the World Series Edition of Poker Pro). Publisher's Weekly called his debut novel BELL HAMMERS "a hoot." He has lectured on these at academic conferences, graduate classes, and nerd conventions in Nashville, Portland, Baltimore, Tarrytown, NYC, Joplin, and elsewhere. The Missouri Tourism Bureau, WRKR, Flying Treasure, 9art, The Brooklyn Film Festival, NYC Indie Film Fest, Spiva Center for the Arts, The Institute of the North in Alaska, and the Chicago Museum of Photography have all worked with him as a film producer and director in various capacities. Website Lancelot Schaubert About the Artist Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 3 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 2 Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert - Part 1 Posh Girls As Waters Cover Artist in Residence 2019: Lancelot Schaubert Dragonsmaw Daily | 1 Dragonsmaw Daily | 2 Dragonsmaw Daily | 3 Stripped to the Bonemeal Metaphysical Insurance Claim 0075A: The Delphic Oracle Philadelphia Bloodlines Lancelot Schaubert Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Zeke wanted good grapes. Not the cheap kind we use to make jams or table wine, good grapes. Great wine: the sort you bring out first at a wedding. View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Zeke wanted good grapes. Not the cheap kind we use to make jams or table wine, good grapes. Great wine: the sort you bring out first at a wedding. Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . "Yo Sé" by the Spark+Echo Band is a musical bilingual response to Jeremiah 29. Jeremiah 29:11-14 Yo Sé By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Words and Music by Jonathon Roberts // Musicians: Jonathon Roberts, accordion, voice; Emily Clare Zempel ukulele, voice; Jay Foote Upright bass; Alex Foote, percussion // Mixing: Alexander Foote // Mastering: Christopher Colbert Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2012 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link This is a classic passage, one of those that you want to put on your wall or memorize when you are having a rough day. I use it as such, carry it with me. Sometimes I think about it at the little Lutheran storefront church we go to in Queens. This lovely bilingual church community that has been our home for 10 years is part of what inspired writing our first song in Spanish and English. This song was part of the Spark+Echo Band's second album, Inheritance . Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist White Robe What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart The Wheels Frogs Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By I know the thoughts that I think when I think of you. I know the plans that I have for you. Plans of hope, Plans to prosper, Thoughts of peace, And none of calamity. And you shall call upon me, And you shall come to me, And you shall pray unto me, And I will harken unto you. And you will seek me, And you will find me, When you search for me with all your heart. I will be found of you, I will be found of you. And we will be free. Yo sé los planes que tengo para tí. Yo sé muy bien los planes que tengo para tí. Planes de bienestar, Y no de calamidad. A fin de darle un futuro y una esperanza. Y tú me invocarás y vendrás a suplicarme. Y yo te eschuraré me buscarás y me encontrarás, Me encontrarás cuando me busques de todo corazón. Te dejaré encontrarme, y tú serás libre. And I will seek you, And I will find you, I will search for you with all my heart. I will find you. I will search for you with all my heart. I will be found of you, And we will be free. Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Composer Jonathon Roberts is inspired by Ezekiel 1 and Chef Aarti Sequiera's "Ezekiel's Wheel Chickpea Salad" to create Wheels, a song that now exists in two versions, one for rock band and one for chickpeas. Ezekiel 1:15-21 The Wheels By The Spark & Echo Band Credits: Musicians: Jonathon Roberts (vocals, piano), Emily Clare Zempel (bassoon), Matt Bauer (harmony vocals), Jay Foote (bass), Mason Neely (drums) Mixed by Alex Foote Mastered by Matt Shane (Masterdisk, NYC) Curated by: Spark+Echo Arts 2010 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The above rendition of "Wheels" is from the debut album of the Spark & Echo Band. The song, however, has an interesting history. In the first year of Spark+Echo Arts, when it was called Bible Confrontatie, the project emphasized confronting or responding to another artist's response to Scripture. In that vein, this song was originally created as a response to Chef Aarti Sequiera's Ezekiel's Wheel Chickpea Salad , another work in the Spark+Echo project. To create the song, I recorded the great sounds that came up as I made her salad in my kitchen: firing up the gas burner, roasting a red bell pepper over the burner (it whistled and popped), stirring up tahini, pouring chickpeas, chopping shallots, boiling beets, scraping the skin off the bell pepper with a knife, dropping and toasting walnuts in a pan (we were out of pine nuts). Then I sampled Aarti saying two words from her video: "Tahini" and "Chickpea." I used the tah, iin, and chi sounds. In the spirit of a Food Network style challenge, I limited myself to only the recorded sounds from the salad prep and Aarti's three syllables (tah, iin, chi) when making the composition. I cut the sounds up, pitched them at different octaves, and added delay and reverb. The text is adapted directly from the story of Ezekiel's Vision of God in Ezekiel 1. There are so many fascinating parts of this story, but since Aarti focuses on the mysterious wheels that Ezekiel saw, I thought I would also make this the focus of the song. I imagine the narrator emphatically telling the story of what he just saw to the first person he sees. When we see something incredible, barely believable, sometimes we focus on just one component of what we saw, the only part we can wrap our head around. Imagine a couple telling their grandkids about an extreme storm they just witnessed. The storm had tornados, torrential rains, and affected thousands of lives, yet the part of the story they tell over and over is that there was a mailbox in perfect condition yet up in a tree. The rest of the tale was unfathomable so they keep coming back to that mailbox. That reminds me of Ezekiel a little bit when he spends so much time focusing on the wheels‚-how many, how they intersect, that they move but don't turn. Perhaps of all the wild things he saw, the wheels were something that he could wrap his head around and communicate so he really focused on them. So those are the parts of Aarti's Recipe and Ezekiel's story I am confronting with this "Chickpea Edition" of the Wheels. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection The Spark & Echo Band is a family outfit of songwriting-storytellers led by husband and wife duo Jonathon Roberts and Emily Clare Zempel. Their music brings forgotten poetry and wild stories from the Bible to life: visions of sparkling wheels in the sky, hunger and thirst, and legends of love as strong as death weave with memorable melodies and captivating rhythms. Drawing from a classical background, influenced by the pianism of Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds, and emulating Paul Simon’s narratival techniques, Spark & Echo sings epic tales of love and adventure. The duo has collaborated on three full lengths albums (Spark&Echo, Inheritance, Cities Project), one video album (In the Clocktower), in addition to many theatrical collaborations, this very nonprofit, and two children. They live in beautiful Beacon, New York, with all of the above. Website The Spark & Echo Band About the Artist White Robe What a Day Deep Calls to Deep Yo Sé Do You Love Me? Where Can I Go? How to Be Free Flesh Lifeblood Artist in Residence 2015: Spark & Echo Band Take to Heart Frogs Ruined Inheritance The Spark & Echo Band Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . This fascinating video piece was created by theater and film artist Jen Browne. The piece is based on the theme of "strangers" and Deuteronomy 10:19. Deuteronomy 10:19 Stranger to Stranger By Jen Browne Credits: Artist Location: Brooklyn, New York Curated by: Lauren Ferebee 2014 Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The word 'stranger' immediately conjures up all kinds of images for me; what I imagine a stranger to be, mysterious or mischievous or even just innocuous, a face, a body that you coexist with in your day to day life, engaging with or ignoring but never welcoming. I began considering how I embrace strangers or in many instances brush past them. Would I invite a stranger into my home for a meal? Would anybody? Interviewing strangers and non-strangers alike I found myself thinking more about the people around me and the established criteria, either conscious or subconscious, used to determine who is a stranger and who is welcome at the table. Another consistent turn of phrase needling its way into my mind was, "walk a mile in another man's shoes," the phrase was a consistent presence during my dissection of strangers and though not specifically in the Bible is very much reflected in the lessons and stories found within its pages. My hope or aim is not necessarily to go out and turn every stranger into a non-stranger but to consider possibilities, allowing more bridges to be built and conversations to be had, to stop thinking about strangers as mere shadows in the corners of our eyes, allowing us to know the strangers around us better. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Jen Browne is a Brooklyn based writer and actor and has worked with various companies throughout New York. She is an ensemble member of The Deconstructive Theatre Project, appearing in The Orpheus Variations, A Christmas Carol and Searching for Sebald (in development). She is a member of playwright collective Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Her plays have been produced by ESPA/Primary Stages, the New York Fringe Festival, the Houston Fringe Festival, the Unfringed Festival in Limerick, Ireland, 3 Voices Theatre, Purple Threads Ensemble and Learning Stages in New Jersey. Her play A Game of [Sugar] Thrones can be found on Indie Theatre Now!. She is one part of experimental video blog tinydanceconcerts. She currently works as a full time program associate as the Irish Arts Center specializing in film, visual arts and children’s programs. Website Jen Browne About the Artist Jen Browne Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . Curator Emily Ruth Hazel responds to the theme of "Water" from Isaiah 55:1-13 in this poem. Isaiah 55:1-13 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 Hosea 6:1-4 Isaiah 29:13 Isaiah 41:17-20 Jeremiah 29:12-14 Word of Mouth By Emily Ruth Hazel Credits: Curated by: Jonathon + Emily 2012 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link “Word of Mouth” is a spoken word piece that echoes and expands upon the words of the Old Testament poet-prophet Isaiah, remixing with a contemporary spin the language and themes in the book of Isaiah. I focused primarily on Chapter 55, a passage that brims over with an exuberant sense of hope and possibility as well as an intimate sense of reassurance. Countering the scarcity mentality that is so contagious today, this passage reads as an invitation to engage with God and to live full lives that aren’t defined by our pasts or by our human limitations. Responding to this in poetic form, my aim was to reimagine how that invitation might translate in contemporary images and colloquial language, and how it could be filtered through the lens of the American cultural context to be understood in fresh ways. I wanted to capture the experiences of everyday people working in a tough economic climate. And I wanted to convey a sense of God coming alongside us—recognizing the contributions of those who may be undervalued, acknowledging the struggles we face, and affirming that change is possible, that we can live with a sense of trust and abundance regardless of our circumstances. While my work as a poet is often closely tied to my personal experiences as an individual, one of my goals with this piece was to explore a wider range of perspectives—including but also reaching beyond my own—to reflect our shared human experience. At the same time, I tried to envision God’s perspective on relationships with people. The creative risk in writing a piece that would essentially put words in God’s mouth felt weighty at times, as did deciding how to translate the tone, but I enjoyed the challenge of pushing past some of the traditional assumptions about God’s interactions with and attitude toward people. I wrote this piece with the hope that listeners would be able to find at least a part of themselves in it. Yet it is also a reflection of the speaker: as a person’s character is revealed through his or her own words, this is meant to be heard as a series of verbal paintings, a collective portrait of a surprisingly approachable, deeply relational, and radically generous God. Following the themes of Isaiah 55, I have kept the imagery of different forms of water flowing throughout the piece—although I have incorporated many other images as well. Water speaks of refreshment and restoration, which tie into the themes of thirst and hunger (physical, emotional, and spiritual) and transformation of landscapes (both natural and internal). The process of writing this piece was a little bit like reupholstering a chair: trying to preserve the beautiful, old frame (i.e., the essential concepts in Isaiah and the feeling of the language in certain places) but also taking some liberties in updating it with a contemporary color and pattern. I didn’t want the fabric of the new piece to completely clash with the preexisting parts. My hope is that the infusion of the new may encourage more people to sit in these words awhile and to appreciate the continuing relevance of the original text. “Word of Mouth” was inspired primarily by Isaiah 55, but Ms. Hazel also drew from other passages in the Old Testament with similar themes. Primary Passage: *Isaiah 55:1-13 Other Passages Incorporated: 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 Hosea 6:1-4 Isaiah 29:13 *Isaiah 41:17-20 Jeremiah 29:12-14 [Words and phrases were borrowed from a few different versions of the passage: the New International Version, New King James version, and The Message, (contemporary paraphrase, in colloquial language).] Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Emily Ruth Hazel is a poet, writer, and cross-pollinator who is passionate about diversifying the audience for poetry and giving voice to people who have been marginalized. Selected as the Honorary Poet for the 25th Annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading in Providence, Rhode Island, she presented a commissioned tribute to the Poet Laureate of Harlem in February of 2020. She is a two-time recipient of national Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prizes and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for a residency at The Hambidge Center in 2014. Her chapbook, Body & Soul (Finishing Line Press, 2005) , was a New Women’s Voices finalist. Emily’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies, magazines, literary journals, and digital projects, including Kinfolks: A Journal of Black Expression and Magnolia: A Journal of Women’s Socially Engaged Literature. Her poetry has also been featured on music albums, in a hair salon art installation, and in a science museum exhibition. Emily has written more than twenty commissioned works for organizations, arts productions, social justice projects, and private clients. Currently, she is developing several poetry book manuscripts and writing lyrics for an original musical inspired by the life of the extraordinary singer and Civil Rights icon Marian Anderson. A graduate of Oberlin College’s Creative Writing Program and a former New Yorker, she is now based in the Los Angeles area. EmilyRuthHazel.com Instagram: @EmilyRuthHazel Facebook.com/EmilyRuthHazel Website Emily Ruth Hazel About the Artist Artist in Residence 2013, Emily Ruth Hazel In the Wake of the Storm Circling the Waist of Wisdom Give Me a Name Homecoming Runaway Give Us This Day Undressing Prayer Emily Ruth Hazel Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art Then God leans over the cubicle wall and says, Anyone thirsty? All you nine-to-fivers, View Full Written Work Word of Mouth by Emily Ruth Hazel Then God leans over the cubicle wall and says, Anyone thirsty? All you nine-to-fivers, you coffee-carrying assistants holding together corporate empires— come to the water cooler. I’ll give you something to talk about, more to take home than a paycheck. All you hardworking construction crews standing by the roadside in the shimmer of the noonday heat— come out tonight. Drinks on me! All you underpaid nannies pushing strollers in the park, sweet-talking toddlers into napping so you can gather your thoughts like laundry flung about a bedroom; and all you parents at the water fountain hoisting your children to reach that cool stream, stop and take a sip yourself. All you drought-weary farmers, you who have invested everything tending crops that refuse to grow— come outside, the clouds are hanging heavy. When what you’ve prayed for finally falls, you’ll stand in the fields with your mouths open, echoing the earth’s own sigh of relief as the soil absorbs the long-awaited rain. Come, all you teachers tying knots at the ends of your ropes, all of you buried under lesson plans and papers to correct and ruled by the rosy assumption that catching up grade levels is a simple game of hopscotch, the pressure on you like that which makes diamonds out of coal— And all you college students living on Ramen noodles and PBR, surfing the waves of adrenaline as you cram for exams, struggling to stay upright and wondering if it’s worth it— All you truck drivers saying goodbye to your families again, your headlights pushing back the dark, the radio keeping you company as you watch another midnight disappear in your rearview mirror— All of you deserve a rest. So come, put your work aside, and be refreshed: come with your glasses raised, and I will revive your spirits. I will open the spigot in the cask of the sky. Come on, all you marathon runners at the back of the pack, legs rippling as you limp up Heartbreak Hill, panting, spent, wiping the sting of sweat from your eyes— I’m over here, cheering you on, handing you water and oranges. You who depend on coffee to wake you up and cigarettes to calm you down; you who can’t afford to need favors because of your bad credit; you who are tired of standing on buses, who are on your feet eight hours a day ringing up other people’s groceries and have no budget left for food until next Friday—let your children buy milk without lunch money. Then come, pile your shopping carts high at no charge! Bring home enough to make dinner for friends. * Why labor for what doesn’t satisfy, squandering your energy on what cannot nourish or sustain you? Why waste your hard-earned cash on cotton candy—a momentary pleasure, too sweet, that dissolves on your tongue, leaving you hungrier than you were before? Why do you spend precious dough on what is not bread? I’ve seen you staring into your brightly lit refrigerators, surveying their contents as if they hold your future. I know where you stash the chocolate and the bourbon, self-prescribed remedies for stress, insecurity, exhaustion. I know what you reach for when you’re hungry for approval and something resembling intimacy; when you ache to be coupled, and when you are lost in loneliness even in marriage; when the keen edge of disappointment slices you open; when you can’t seem to wash away the residue of shame under all your failures. You kowtow to the god of your stomach, gorge yourselves and still want more. You fill up on empty calories that spoil your appetite for truth while waiting for the real meal to arrive. I’ve come to offer you something better, to serve you a different kind of comfort food. Come with listening spirits and learn from me how to eat well. Come, enjoy authentic flavors; redefine delicious. I will feed you only the finest ingredients, ripe and in season, organically grown. Come to the wedding banquet: let your soul delight in the gifts of abundance. Come hungry, and receive a clean plate every time you ask. Come shameless with your Tupperware ready for leftovers. * Listen closely, you whose ears have been clogged, your inner ears inflamed, a tiny, restless ocean trapped inside— and you who have turned on the white noise of the television, pretending not to hear me, so sure that I would hurl a harsh word at you or misjudge who you are. I understand the pain of being misunderstood: you think you know me, but when was our last conversation? How many times have I tried to reach you and you have not answered? You have felt the pulsing in your pocket and ignored it. Sometimes you listen for a second, then hang up quickly, thinking there isn’t a real person on the other end, just some recorded message that’s irrelevant to you. Or you hear a voice, and you assume it’s someone trying to sell you something you don’t want, or a prank call that you’re not about to fall for —the way you prank call heaven when you say, Oh my God— but it’s me on the line. How can you not recognize the voice of one who loves you? Even now, if you call me while the phone is still warm in my hand, I’ll answer on the first ring. If you seek me out, you will find me; I won’t play hard to get. * Come to me, you who are out of gas, you whose lives are on layaway, whose hearts have gone bankrupt, whose faith has run dry— you who have searched for yourselves as if you were lost coins in between couch cushions; and you who have tossed pennies in a fountain of hope, only to see it be drained for the season, its springs uneternal after the first freeze. You whose lights have been shut off, who have boarded up the windows of your souls as if your bodies were deserted houses— you stumble around unseeing; your glasses are useless. You bark your shins and blame me, but it’s you who have closed your eyes. Come, open the curtains over your calloused hearts, and I will pay off your back bills, restore your power, and give you new lenses to look through. * Let the runaways return to me— the parent who waits by the window, heartsick, who catches a glimpse of the child staggering home, rehearsing apologies, and abandons all dignity, sprints to embrace the one whose wandering heart has wounded— the God who goes beyond forgiveness, the God who knows how to throw a party. Come back to me, the God who leaves the light on for you, even when I know you won’t be home tonight. My offer stands even for the cruel and corrupt, the calculating buzzards—let them come and have their criminal records shredded, throw to the curb their crooked ways of getting by, the stained and broken chairs and itch-infested mattresses with which they once furnished their lives. Let them leave behind the stench of their old garbage baking in the sun and travel light as they take a new road. What can I say? If I look like a fool for spreading such a lavish feast of love before those who are bound to crush me again under their retreating heels, it is simply because I am a God who longs, like you, for something more, weak with desire to lean close, to be known. You who sit in the back and stand on the fringes, thinking no one sees you— when you turn toward me, even the slightest shift, I notice. And when you speak to me, be it a yell or a whisper, I will listen. I linger in the hallway, hoping to be let in. You open the door, then close it again, unlock the deadbolt, but won’t take off the chain. I reach for you, and my hand is caught in the hinge of your indecision. Yet I am committed to you, my faithfulness founded on bedrock— a love that is built to endure disaster, not a flimsy model of affection constructed with Popsicle sticks but a love that is high and wide, fortified, strong enough to shelter you. Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. Still, I wring my heart out for you, drench you in a deluge of grace while you dabble in the shallows. You talk a good line, but your words are made of lace. Your fingers are always in some other pie. But if you will acknowledge me with more than the occasional nod in my direction, if you’re ready for honest conversations, if you will humbly offer yourselves as living prayers, and turn from your unfaithful ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive you. I will take you back, gather you into my arms: you will be my people, and I will be your God. If you let me, I will set your broken bones, clean your wounds, smooth healing ointment over all the places you’ve been burned. * I’m calling from the other side of night. If you choose me, I will bring you out of hiding— out of a life of crouching and ducking your head, enslaved by fear and cycles of destruction— out through trap doors, secret gates, alleys, and back roads. No yanking by the collar or twisting of arms. You will go forth in peace, and I will lead you— not into a beige, uninspired life, but into an adventure, the kind that keeps you guessing with every turn of the page. I will make your minds more spacious. When you cross over into free country, you’ll run with your arms wide open, leaping and shouting like children, unselfconscious. Even the wallflowers will bloom— closet dancers, those who save their singing for the shower—people from all walks of life, everyone who has tasted this freedom, joining together in a parade of praise. Mountains and hills and the birds that nest among them will burst into colorful song, all creation celebrating your return, your going forward new. You’ll hear my Spirit rustling through the trees; my breath will fill you as it fills the spaces in between the leaves. * You whose lives are like seltzer gone flat, reduced to an endless, meaningless to-do list, I will surprise you with joy that comes bubbling up from the bottom— the kind of joy that sneaks up on you like a hug from behind while you’re leaning over the sink washing dishes, or responding to a flood of business emails, water to be bailed out of your basement. And when you welcome me into the everyday mess, the peace I give you will not be the kind that sits smugly at an empty desk with its hands serenely folded, but the kind that sidles up unexpectedly in the midst of jackhammers and traffic and your partner’s latest rant and your boss’s overwhelming expectations and the children bickering in the dark when they’re supposed to be asleep and the unknown results from a blood test, the worry that gnaws on the edge of your mind. I will show you how to stand in the middle of it all, in a circle of calm, like the shade of a live oak planted in a busy intersection. * My work is a mystery to you: you can sow seeds, but only I can make them grow. The way a new life forms in the womb of a woman is to you a wonder beyond words. So how could you fully grasp all that I am preparing to birth within the hidden places of your hearts? My thoughts see farther than your thoughts, and my ways diverge from yours. My slowest thoughts drive faster than light, less than a breadth apart on cloverleaf interchanges, and never collide. My ideas fly seamless figure-eights miles above you, the infinity sign my signature in the sky. My dreams for you are far beyond what you have dared to imagine. * For the moment, your mouths are parched; you beg for water, finding none. But I won’t leave you thirsty. I am the one who knows your need before the word is on your tongue. As surely as the sun rises, I will appear; as surely as the spring rains come, after winter, I will come to you. I will open up rivers on the barren hills, the heights of desolation; I will change nature’s course and break the laws of gravity for you. I will make springs flow in the valleys, turn the desert into pools of water. Instead of stumbling into poison ivy, you will find the cooling balm of aloe. Instead of toiling like Adam after exile from Eden, only to force thorns and thistles from the ground— instead of a briar patch of curses to claw your way out of, torn and bleeding— instead, you’ll discover a field of blessing, orchards and vineyards, gardens overflowing with flowers. Where only scraggly desert scrub would grow, myrtle will flourish—each fragrant, white blossom exploding with beauty, pollen-dusted stamens shooting from the center like a spray of light. Myrtle will cure your infections, clear the airways so you can breathe again, protect the lining of your health so easily eaten away by anxiety. In the wilderness through which you’ve walked I will cultivate promise. With my bare hands I will uproot the thorn bushes, and in their place plant strong and stately trees: cypress, to stand as thousand-year testimonies, green through all the seasons; olive and acacia; sweet-smelling juniper and pine; redwoods towering in majesty, drawing your eyes to me. Cedars and sequoias will thrive, evidence of transformation in what was once a wasteland. I will write my name across this new creation just as I have inscribed your hearts, so that everyone may know whose work it is—that I, God, am the one who has accomplished this, who has bent impossibility backwards like a wire coat hanger, reviving the landscapes of your lives. Those who know you will recognize the change. Even strangers will come to you with questions, seeing in you the spark of the Spirit. * As the snow that slowly descends the escalator of the sky and does not ascend again until there is a thaw; and as the rain that showers the earth does not evaporate before it soaks in, trickles down below the surface, and waters the deepest roots; so the words of my mouth go out to the people in every part of the world—winged words sent out like homing pigeons, tiny scrolls tied around their ankles. They cannot land without leaving an impression in the sand, and they will not return to me without delivering the message of hope. My promises are never void; backed by the treasury of heaven, the checks I write will never bounce. And wherever you are, my words will run ahead of you to open the door when you arrive. From my lips to your ears, this is news to quench your soul, an invitation to be passed on. This is grace— not something you can buy bottled, but something to be shared, a cupful at a time. And as a paper cup that holds cold water is passed from hand to hand, these words are for you, the thirsty ones sitting in the back. Close Loading Video . . . Then God leans over the cubicle wall and says, Anyone thirsty? All you nine-to-fivers, Download Full Written Work

nicora-gangi_east-west-north-south-at-his-table.jpg Loading Video . . . The central light depicted in my work represents a Table laid out in the Universe, alluding to the presence of God in all of His creation and an invitation to all. Extending from and returning to this central light are four differently colored ribbons which represent the Holy Spirit. Luke 13:29 EAST, WEST, NORTH & SOUTH AT HIS TABLE By Nicora Gangi Credits: Curated by: Jonathon Roberts 2017 11 x 14 inches Collage Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link We are all foreigners until we are adopted into God’s kingdom as His children, gathering from the four corners of the earth. The central light depicted in my work represents a Table laid out in the Universe, alluding to the presence of God in all of His creation and an invitation to all. Extending from and returning to this central light are four differently colored ribbons which represent the Holy Spirit. I chose this coloration after drawing upon the colors of a diamond as described in Revelation 4 . In my work, the colors of blue and purple symbolize God the Father (informed by His instructions given to the priesthood in Exodus 28:15 ) while the orange-to-red color refers to the Son of God. This reddish color connects to the pigment of the Sardis** stone, also depicted in Revelation 21:20 by the apostle John. (My piece is further inspired by a similar allusion of all nations coming to God as seen in Isaiah 2:2 .) The visual reference to an urban landscape is banked by strips that sample various foreign languages, again pointing to the expansive and diverse nature of God’s children whom He gathers at this feast in His kingdom. Encircling the ‘table’ is an orb that refers to eternity — a reflection on the nature and being of God, the permanence of our adoption, and the extension of celebration at God’s table. ** In various translations, sardis is alternatively referred to as a carnelian or a ruby. In the Old Testament, Carnelian is the stone in the breastplate of the high priest, as described in Ex. 28:15-20. The New Testament translation of Carnelian is Sardis (or Sardius), as described in Revelation 21:20. “Ruby” is often translated from either of these two gemstones. While the sardis stone has a bit of a different coloration from a ruby — yellow to orange as opposed to red — their hardness is the same and are considered the same stone according to gem experts . Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Nicora Gangi was educated at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA (BFA 1974 and MFA 1976). She was a Professor of Art at Syracuse University for 29 years. Gangi has been awarded many Grand Prize and First Place awards and grants. She has been and continues to be published in numerous artist’s books on pastel paintings. She has lectured regionally and nationally as a visiting artist at universities and artist’s guilds. She is represented by: Edgewood Gallery (Syracuse, NY), and Gangi Studio (Winter Garden, FL ). Website Nicora Gangi About the Artist The Mountain of the House of The Lord I See Him but Not Now So Shall Your Descendants Be This One The Body without the Spirit | 1 The Body without the Spirit | 2 The Body without the Spirit | 3 The Sealed Ones Peace with God The Everlasting Protective Love of God Our Father When the Lord Gives Us The Land I See Him but Not Now The Mountain of the House of The Lord Paneled and Ruins Series The Harvest Spirit of God-The Spirit Hovering Memories Lies Fool Dance Your Truth from the Great Congregation Psalm 18 Sound of Their Wings Psalm 16 Kiss the Son Nicora Gangi Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art View Full Written Work Close Loading Video . . . Download Full Written Work

Loading Video . . . In this arresting piece, the voice of Marlanda Dekine's poem challenges our patterns of oppression in echo of Proverbs 31:3. Today, without ongoing self-examination, we all—both white and of color—easily perpetuate the ongoing oppression of others. We have to understand that our current racial chasm is not an accident. Proverbs 3:31 Know Thyself By Marlanda Dekine Credits: Curated by: Lauren Ferebee 2016 Poetry Primary Scripture Loading primary passage... Loading Passage Reference... Share This Art: Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy Link The Book of Proverbs has spoken to me throughout my life in many different ways. However, while sifting through its wisdom and being mindful of my personal gifts and my work, it was clear to me that illuminating Proverbs 3:31 was what I ought to do. For centuries, our nation has hidden from the oppression it has inflicted upon people who were not the founding norm—white, heterosexual, Christian, cisgender, and property-owning. Today, without ongoing self-examination, we all—both white and of color—easily perpetuate the ongoing oppression of others. We have to understand that our current racial chasm is not an accident. The many black and brown bodies that have bled onto this soil are speaking to us. It is my hope that this poem will encourage us to listen, even when it is difficult. It is also my hope that through the work of knowing ourselves, we find ourselves engaged in an ongoing, courageous commitment of working towards true reconciliation and reparation. Spark Notes The Artist's Reflection Marlanda Dekine-Sapient Soul (she/her/they) is a poet and social worker from Plantersville, South Carolina. She is pursuing her MFA in Poetry with New York University's Low-Residency program in Paris. Learn more about their work at sapientsoul.com . Website Marlanda Dekine About the Artist Artist in Residence 2020, Sapient Soul (Marlanda Dekine) 2020 Artist in Residence: Marlanda Dekine Getting Lighter Marlanda Dekine Other Works By Related Information View More Art Make More Art I am free of the supremacy that drives you, binding your life. We have always been your mirror and the form of your shadow. You need us. View Full Written Work Know thyself A Poem by Marlanda Dekine-Sapient Soul Proverbs 3:31 "Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways." __ I am free of the supremacy that drives you, binding your life. We have always been your mirror and the form of your shadow. You need us. Those who hide their guilt in giving empty gifts are afraid of proximity to themselves in the other. This other who has always known Ma’at.* The oppressor hovers under privilege, praying to the idol of themselves, “Oh, how terrible! Help us.” You build walls and shoot into mirrors of the unarmed, afraid to face yourself. When tragedy comes to awaken you, we know that some will still choose sleep. For you and those of us who become you— I pray, but I will not struggle. * Ma'at was the rule of law and moral justice among the ancient Kemet people, and the divine cosmological order within their mythology, astronomy, and astrophysical studies. Kemet is the name the native African people of the country now known as Egypt called themselves in their surviving writings. Close Loading Video . . . I am free of the supremacy that drives you, binding your life. We have always been your mirror and the form of your shadow. You need us. Download Full Written Work