We were wonderfully received at Mayfair Heights UMC yesterday morning for our participation in Sunday worship. Of course sweating bullets for no reason at all seems to be my occupation. I pulled off my part much better through pre-planned praying. Plus the use of thumbnail sketches for each painted panel to keep me targeted, and believe me I put my confidence in those thumbnails. The only concern not resolved until I stood up to begin painting was “what two colors am I going to use?” (I had decided to use only two colors for the added features).

The six seasons of the church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter & Pentecost) were segmented throughout the service with plenty of awesome assistance from the worship planning committee: several scripture/narrative readers, candle lighters, musicians, the Pastor and even the congregation related words and music pertaining to each season while my six correlating panels received additional artistic renderings. Rev. Bob Younts had shared his script with me several weeks in advance, and it was from that script that key words and images brought about the painted panels. Each panel received a sectioned image of the face of Christ, outlined in black and accented with the gold color, however it was not until the conclusion of the worship portion that all panels were placed together in their respective placement that the entire face of Christ could be seen, with enough of the original painted panels showing through to show the “mosaic” presence of Jesus throughout our life seasons. It also showed me how every one who participated in one way or another made what we saw and felt as the working of God’s grace and Spirit bringing all our “pieces” together as one mosaic body of Christ.

I was very impressed by how the “flow” flowed, I never felt rushed for more time, a few mistakes, here and there, went un-noticed by the congregation and before asking how much time in the service remained, we came to the end—and I was about as done as I could have been.

Not only were we there to share during worship but it was an opportunity to

see friendly and familiar faces, that was such a blessing for us. Even our children didn’t put up much of a fuss except maybe Emmanuel, when during the Children’s Time he spotted Daddy over in the painting corner and escaped from the loving embrace of the person watching him and ran to wrap himself around Daddy’s leg. He reluctantly and somewhat noisily went back to the nursery with the rest of the children. Well, eventually Mom had to rescue the nursery worker from Manny’s unhappiness.

Our many thanks to the Pastor Rev. Robert Younts and Congregation at Mayfair Heights United Methodist Church for making our second Art in Worship such a blest event, we’ll be visiting with you from time to time but we’ll hold you up in our thoughts and prayers all the time.