"You are beloved" Lent Term art project
By Ian & Gail Adams, Ridley Chaplains
As chaplains at Ridley Hall we seek to enable our students to nurture resilient and prayerful lives that give authentic, joyful and creative witness to the risen Jesus.
Every term an art project, each linked to a quiet day, provides a point at which these themes can come together. Each project is a creative opportunity to explore deeper into prayer and into the being of God; and into self-awareness, into the nature of the world, and into mission.
In Lent term 2020 our theme was You Are Beloved. Initial resources given to the community for each creative project are the title, a starter art piece by the chaplains, and some scriptures linked to the theme - in this case the Baptism of Jesus as told by Mark, a portion from Song of Songs, and an exhortation of Paul to the beloved in Corinth.
Each project culminates in a show of work with live performances, prayer and worship.
One of the many discoveries we made together was how our sense of being beloved can ebb and flow. Stephen Dove's self-portrait photo piece was one of many that explored this theme.
But our belonging in God as ones who are truly beloved was also encountered at new depths. Ella Harris's Yadid, Rose Upson's Tree of Life and Matt Hodder's Letter were just some that opened up this great truth.
In Easter term 2020 our art project will be online - the theme Glorious Day! Please pray for us as we pray, create and reflect. May we encounter the risen Jesus and be renewed in life and in mission!
