One of the students I'm working with, Jessi, hard at work.
So this past week students and staff alike have been beginning to work on some of the pieces for the exhibition, hashing out in art some of the answers to the questions we've been asking doing the image surveys on campus. The one we're exploring in detail this summer is the question, "What image would you use to describe God, and why?" This is not so that we can paint a million crosses or doves, fishes, or images of what we think Jesus looks like. Instead, we're asking ourselves the question, how can we explore, in art, characteristics of God that speak to humans are always seeking for in other things? Its been a great experience so far.
Today the students are finishing up a collaboration between themselves and one other student, exploring how they've responded to the image survey and what their image of God is. They have a critique this afternoon, our first in fact.
Here's some images I took late last night in the studio.
Jessi at work on a perspective.
Another of my students, Courtney, hanging with "Scoops" also known as Paul
Myself with Jessi and Courtney
As I write this, I think abot the past week and how incredibly hard it has been, but how much God has met each one of us. I think for me its been particularly hard because I think for the first time, I'm allowing myself to witness and feel the pain of how far we've come from Eden and not immediately close myself off to it.
That said, I had a rather unexpected encounter Wednesday night. I was heading to meet a student and as I came down the subway stairs, I saw a girl who appeared to be homeless and was shaking. I interpreted the shaking to mean she might be on some sort of high or coming off of one. I smiled at her, but in my stupidly normal fashion of keeping my destination in mind, walked pass. As I passed her, I heard her quietly say under her breath, "Someone, please help me." I was torn, knowing that I greatly desired to meet up with this student, but also knowing that I had no money on me and with all the homeless in New York, I questioned myself, how do you know when to stop?
I continued on through the turnstyle and immediately was convicted by the Spirit that I needed to turn around. I argued with God and said, "I'm going to be late, what can I do". It's not that I haven't had experiences with the homeless. I spent a summer working in inner city Chicago and working at Georgia State means every day being confronted by and working with the homeless. But I was exhausted and plainly not following God in the moment. After arguing for a few seconds, I decided to make a u-turn and see if she was still there through the bars by the turnstyles. (If I were to leave the station, I wouldn't be able to use my metro card for another 20 minutes, which plainly meant I would never make it to my destination). I didn't see her, so I turned to catch my train.
Immediately I heard God practically screaming, "You need to go back!" Rather huffily in my mind I said, "FINE." As I headed up the stairs, I saw her still there. I walked up and asked if she'd like to get something to eat. She heartily said yes. We headed up the stairs and across the street to McDonald's. As we waited in line at McDonald's, I asked her her name. She shared that it was Shamekka. I told her that that was a beautiful name and she turned and looked at me so piercingly and said, "for a minute, I'd forgotten and thought my name was dog." As she said this she explained that people had been throwing change at her, accusing her of being a junkie, and calling her names. I assume that's why she was shaking as I walked past, because she was completely lucid.
God immediately brought to mind the name of one of my students, Laura, and I called her to come down and have dinner with us. Shamekka was so excited to have a coffee. She said that that was one of the things she really missed and I could see such joy over something so small. As we ate, she shared non-stop her story. It took everything I had not to bawl my eyes out right there on the spot. She's 19 and has been on the streets for only 3 months. If you were to make a list of the horrible acts that could be perpetrated on someone save murder, she's experienced them all...violated in so many ways.
Just two years ago, she had an opportunity to attend Florida State University, but left the financial aid paperwork up to her father, with whom she doesn't have the greatest relationship. He also has a problem with addiction. He didn't fill it out and she didn't discover it in time. As I listened, I learned so much about how its so easy for these young kids to end up on the streets. Her arms speak of knife wounds inflicted in a homeless shelter. Her forehead shows the remaining bruises and bumps of an attack not long ago that left her unconscious on the ground until someone called for help. Though I heard sadness and so much anger in her voice, I also heard her saying over and over again for two hours how much God provides for her every day. She shared of the blessings and miracles that she's experienced that have fed her and encouraged her over the last few months.
She spoke so much and shared of her need for human conversation and interaction, that it had been so long since anybody had really talked with her, had really listened to her, had really hugged her. As I sat hear, I looked for opportunities to find out where she was in her spiritual journey and to steer the conversation towards the hope found in Christ. As we talked more, I found out that she comes from a Baptist background and that she believes as she put it, in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. She said over and over again that she wants peace of mind, but needed so much to talk that I could barely get a word in edgewise. So instead, I asked her what we could pray for her about. She gladly answered, and you can pray with us that God would provide these things for her.
1. That she would know whether or not her father really cares for her.
2. That she would find out what happened to her mother and meet her at least once.
3. That she would get the $70 dollars she needs for a room.
4. She wants a job, particularly one with computers and designing websites.
5. She would like a laptop as well as she loves working with computers.
6. Pray for SAFETY. Pray that God would protect her.
As I was praying through these things with her and Laura, God brought to mind that I could pray through the Gospel and that would be a way of sharing His good news with her. He totally brought the words to mind. When we were done praying, she had tears in her eyes and so did Laura and I. I found that I had a card for the church we've been attending, Origins Church, in my bag. God led me to invite her to come to church with us and her eyes absolutely LIT UP. She exclaimed quite loudly, "Oh I would love to go to church and to have friends to go with!" Pray that she does show up and that God would protect her. We're going to meet her by the subway stop at 9:30 am on Sunday. Pray that the message would impact her and that the church would be able to help her out.
We had the opportunity to take her shopping for some toiletries and snacks and talked some more. She was like a kid in a candy store. Laura at one point had run up to the apartment and gotten her a Bible, which she absolutely loved and kept exclaiming over it. We headed to the train station because she thought she might be able to stay somewhere up north for the night. She gave us huge hugs and kept encouraging us and exclaiming over how much she loved us. We swiped her through to the subway and she came back to the bars that separated the turnstyles and put her hand through and just wanted to hold our hands and thank us again. At this point Laura and I were practically about to weep. Shamekka didn't want to let go, we didn't want to either, but we knew that it was time to part ways. As she walked away she told us she loved us and would see us soon.
As I sit here and write this, I am about to weep again over the goodness of God for letting me experience that even though I turned away at first. I could have missed out on such an amazing conversation, an amazing woman, a life-defining experience if not for Him. I found out later that night that my roommate Julie had been rushing to get on the train the past week and had seen Shameka and given her a few dollars. As she walked away, she prayed that someone would be able to engage with her and share with her God's truth. Little did any of us know what God would have in store.
But, once again, back to the beginning of my post. I am so torn up inside now when I think about how far we've come from Eden. A place where man was in right relationship with God. He walked with God, there was no death, no murder, no hunger, no pollution, no rape, no abuse, no violence, and no war. Yet, the act of rebellion has completely broken up what it means to be made in the image of God. All of us were created that way, all of us have in some way a reflection of God, but its as if we're looking in a shattered mirror. My heart breaks that I can't bind up every wound, that I can't provide a house for every homeless person I meet. I am shattered that men and women could go for days, weeks, months, even years without having a conversation with another human being. I am angry that the Church isn't doing more. I am angry at myself for walking away sometimes and thinking my time is more valuable than a human life.
If anything, this experience has shown me how to begin to love with God's love, how to have compassion, how to accept that I'm not perfect, but that in my weakness, He is.
My sin, Oh the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD OH MY SOUL.
That said, I had a rather unexpected encounter Wednesday night. I was heading to meet a student and as I came down the subway stairs, I saw a girl who appeared to be homeless and was shaking. I interpreted the shaking to mean she might be on some sort of high or coming off of one. I smiled at her, but in my stupidly normal fashion of keeping my destination in mind, walked pass. As I passed her, I heard her quietly say under her breath, "Someone, please help me." I was torn, knowing that I greatly desired to meet up with this student, but also knowing that I had no money on me and with all the homeless in New York, I questioned myself, how do you know when to stop?
I continued on through the turnstyle and immediately was convicted by the Spirit that I needed to turn around. I argued with God and said, "I'm going to be late, what can I do". It's not that I haven't had experiences with the homeless. I spent a summer working in inner city Chicago and working at Georgia State means every day being confronted by and working with the homeless. But I was exhausted and plainly not following God in the moment. After arguing for a few seconds, I decided to make a u-turn and see if she was still there through the bars by the turnstyles. (If I were to leave the station, I wouldn't be able to use my metro card for another 20 minutes, which plainly meant I would never make it to my destination). I didn't see her, so I turned to catch my train.
Immediately I heard God practically screaming, "You need to go back!" Rather huffily in my mind I said, "FINE." As I headed up the stairs, I saw her still there. I walked up and asked if she'd like to get something to eat. She heartily said yes. We headed up the stairs and across the street to McDonald's. As we waited in line at McDonald's, I asked her her name. She shared that it was Shamekka. I told her that that was a beautiful name and she turned and looked at me so piercingly and said, "for a minute, I'd forgotten and thought my name was dog." As she said this she explained that people had been throwing change at her, accusing her of being a junkie, and calling her names. I assume that's why she was shaking as I walked past, because she was completely lucid.
God immediately brought to mind the name of one of my students, Laura, and I called her to come down and have dinner with us. Shamekka was so excited to have a coffee. She said that that was one of the things she really missed and I could see such joy over something so small. As we ate, she shared non-stop her story. It took everything I had not to bawl my eyes out right there on the spot. She's 19 and has been on the streets for only 3 months. If you were to make a list of the horrible acts that could be perpetrated on someone save murder, she's experienced them all...violated in so many ways.
Just two years ago, she had an opportunity to attend Florida State University, but left the financial aid paperwork up to her father, with whom she doesn't have the greatest relationship. He also has a problem with addiction. He didn't fill it out and she didn't discover it in time. As I listened, I learned so much about how its so easy for these young kids to end up on the streets. Her arms speak of knife wounds inflicted in a homeless shelter. Her forehead shows the remaining bruises and bumps of an attack not long ago that left her unconscious on the ground until someone called for help. Though I heard sadness and so much anger in her voice, I also heard her saying over and over again for two hours how much God provides for her every day. She shared of the blessings and miracles that she's experienced that have fed her and encouraged her over the last few months.
She spoke so much and shared of her need for human conversation and interaction, that it had been so long since anybody had really talked with her, had really listened to her, had really hugged her. As I sat hear, I looked for opportunities to find out where she was in her spiritual journey and to steer the conversation towards the hope found in Christ. As we talked more, I found out that she comes from a Baptist background and that she believes as she put it, in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. She said over and over again that she wants peace of mind, but needed so much to talk that I could barely get a word in edgewise. So instead, I asked her what we could pray for her about. She gladly answered, and you can pray with us that God would provide these things for her.
1. That she would know whether or not her father really cares for her.
2. That she would find out what happened to her mother and meet her at least once.
3. That she would get the $70 dollars she needs for a room.
4. She wants a job, particularly one with computers and designing websites.
5. She would like a laptop as well as she loves working with computers.
6. Pray for SAFETY. Pray that God would protect her.
As I was praying through these things with her and Laura, God brought to mind that I could pray through the Gospel and that would be a way of sharing His good news with her. He totally brought the words to mind. When we were done praying, she had tears in her eyes and so did Laura and I. I found that I had a card for the church we've been attending, Origins Church, in my bag. God led me to invite her to come to church with us and her eyes absolutely LIT UP. She exclaimed quite loudly, "Oh I would love to go to church and to have friends to go with!" Pray that she does show up and that God would protect her. We're going to meet her by the subway stop at 9:30 am on Sunday. Pray that the message would impact her and that the church would be able to help her out.
We had the opportunity to take her shopping for some toiletries and snacks and talked some more. She was like a kid in a candy store. Laura at one point had run up to the apartment and gotten her a Bible, which she absolutely loved and kept exclaiming over it. We headed to the train station because she thought she might be able to stay somewhere up north for the night. She gave us huge hugs and kept encouraging us and exclaiming over how much she loved us. We swiped her through to the subway and she came back to the bars that separated the turnstyles and put her hand through and just wanted to hold our hands and thank us again. At this point Laura and I were practically about to weep. Shamekka didn't want to let go, we didn't want to either, but we knew that it was time to part ways. As she walked away she told us she loved us and would see us soon.
As I sit here and write this, I am about to weep again over the goodness of God for letting me experience that even though I turned away at first. I could have missed out on such an amazing conversation, an amazing woman, a life-defining experience if not for Him. I found out later that night that my roommate Julie had been rushing to get on the train the past week and had seen Shameka and given her a few dollars. As she walked away, she prayed that someone would be able to engage with her and share with her God's truth. Little did any of us know what God would have in store.
But, once again, back to the beginning of my post. I am so torn up inside now when I think about how far we've come from Eden. A place where man was in right relationship with God. He walked with God, there was no death, no murder, no hunger, no pollution, no rape, no abuse, no violence, and no war. Yet, the act of rebellion has completely broken up what it means to be made in the image of God. All of us were created that way, all of us have in some way a reflection of God, but its as if we're looking in a shattered mirror. My heart breaks that I can't bind up every wound, that I can't provide a house for every homeless person I meet. I am shattered that men and women could go for days, weeks, months, even years without having a conversation with another human being. I am angry that the Church isn't doing more. I am angry at myself for walking away sometimes and thinking my time is more valuable than a human life.
If anything, this experience has shown me how to begin to love with God's love, how to have compassion, how to accept that I'm not perfect, but that in my weakness, He is.
My sin, Oh the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. PRAISE THE LORD, PRAISE THE LORD OH MY SOUL.
Today, I took two of the girls I'm working with, Courtney and Laura, and we headed out to Columbia University to do the Soularium Image surveys both to collect information to create a foundation for the art we'll be working on as well as to engage in spiritual conversations and hopefully, to share the Gospel with people who are seeking.
The ironic thing for me is that 4 1/2 years ago, the one thing I desired more than anything was to get my masters degree in Architecture at Columbia University and to live as an architect in NYC. God changed my heart over a very short timespan and I find it so interesting that He has brought me back to the place I longed to go to, but this time, with a different purpose.
I went out with Laura to do the surveys and we met three women. Jessica, Jennifer, and Zipporah. Jessica is a grad student at Columbia and an atheist. Jennifer is a freshman at Barnard who just happened to be hanging out at Columbia. She's studying Economics. Finally, Zipporah is a woman, originally from Belize, who just happened to be taking a break at Columbia. Though we had good conversations with both Jessica and Jennifer, they were cut short. But what started out as an unlikely conversation with Zipporah as she wasn't really into the image surveys and needed to leave, God in all His planning and hilarity started a nice rainshower and thunderstorm with massive lightning bolts that drove us to shelter.
For about two and a half hours, we engaged in a deep conversation with Zipporah and were able to share our own testimonies and the Gospel with her. Zipporah knows alot about the Bible and her worldview is such that it is a mix of Judaism, Greek Orthodox, and Islam. I know...quite the combination. Zipporah's hangup is that she believes that Jesus is the son of God, but not a man. That He is savior, but still a man. She believes that the reason He was put here on earth was to teach us obedience and good works. She knows quite a bit of scripture, but takes passages where Jesus calls Himself the "I Am" and where He forgives the sins of others and claims that man mistook what He was saying and treat Him as an idol. We're hopefully going to meet with her on Saturday. Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal the truth to her.
About to head out again, thanks for your prayers!
The ironic thing for me is that 4 1/2 years ago, the one thing I desired more than anything was to get my masters degree in Architecture at Columbia University and to live as an architect in NYC. God changed my heart over a very short timespan and I find it so interesting that He has brought me back to the place I longed to go to, but this time, with a different purpose.
I went out with Laura to do the surveys and we met three women. Jessica, Jennifer, and Zipporah. Jessica is a grad student at Columbia and an atheist. Jennifer is a freshman at Barnard who just happened to be hanging out at Columbia. She's studying Economics. Finally, Zipporah is a woman, originally from Belize, who just happened to be taking a break at Columbia. Though we had good conversations with both Jessica and Jennifer, they were cut short. But what started out as an unlikely conversation with Zipporah as she wasn't really into the image surveys and needed to leave, God in all His planning and hilarity started a nice rainshower and thunderstorm with massive lightning bolts that drove us to shelter.
For about two and a half hours, we engaged in a deep conversation with Zipporah and were able to share our own testimonies and the Gospel with her. Zipporah knows alot about the Bible and her worldview is such that it is a mix of Judaism, Greek Orthodox, and Islam. I know...quite the combination. Zipporah's hangup is that she believes that Jesus is the son of God, but not a man. That He is savior, but still a man. She believes that the reason He was put here on earth was to teach us obedience and good works. She knows quite a bit of scripture, but takes passages where Jesus calls Himself the "I Am" and where He forgives the sins of others and claims that man mistook what He was saying and treat Him as an idol. We're hopefully going to meet with her on Saturday. Pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal the truth to her.
About to head out again, thanks for your prayers!
Students, Students, Students...
1 Comments Published by Bonnie on Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 10:16 PM.
So all of our students arrived yesterday and they are a CRAZY bunch. Many of them are from the South, so I'm picking up a major drawl. I've gotten to meet all three of the girls that I'll be meeting with for discipleship this summer: Jessie, Laura, and Courtney. Jessie is a graphic design major, Courtney is a theater major, and Laura is an English major, so we have quite the spread of creative giftings. I've gotten the chance so far to connect the most with Jessie and she's an awesome awesome girl. Pray that I'm able to really connect with the other two in the next day or so.
Today, the students explored the city and got their bearings with the subway. We spent part of the afternoon at the Top of the Rock, otherwise known as the Top of the Rockefeller Center. It has an even more amazing view than from the Empire State building. Tomorrow we're getting up bright and early to meet together to discuss resolving conflict (don't worry, we don't already have any that I know of, this is more of a preventative measure) and to begin "track orientation". I've mentioned before that there is a track for students to do straight-up campus ministry, some to do international students ministry, and the track I'm on, arts in ministry. So we'll be introducing them to what we're doing this summer as well as starting the dialogue of what it means to integrate art and faith. Pray for us!
Thanks,
Bonnie
Today, the students explored the city and got their bearings with the subway. We spent part of the afternoon at the Top of the Rock, otherwise known as the Top of the Rockefeller Center. It has an even more amazing view than from the Empire State building. Tomorrow we're getting up bright and early to meet together to discuss resolving conflict (don't worry, we don't already have any that I know of, this is more of a preventative measure) and to begin "track orientation". I've mentioned before that there is a track for students to do straight-up campus ministry, some to do international students ministry, and the track I'm on, arts in ministry. So we'll be introducing them to what we're doing this summer as well as starting the dialogue of what it means to integrate art and faith. Pray for us!
Thanks,
Bonnie
A List of things We've Done in New York
1 Comments Published by Bonnie on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 at 11:51 AM.
So some other staff members and I have decided to document all the exciting things we've done and seen while we've been here in NYC. This will be an ongoing and consistently updated list. It may not be what you expect.
We have:
1. Been to the BOTTOM of the Empire State Building
2. Seen King Kong ducking to get in the elevator of the Empire State Building.
3. Sang karaoke with Broadway hopefuls at a singing diner (we weren't supposed to be singing along).
4. Went to the coffeeshop that inspired the coffeeshop on friends...We didn't get coffee.
We have:
1. Been to the BOTTOM of the Empire State Building
2. Seen King Kong ducking to get in the elevator of the Empire State Building.
3. Sang karaoke with Broadway hopefuls at a singing diner (we weren't supposed to be singing along).
4. Went to the coffeeshop that inspired the coffeeshop on friends...We didn't get coffee.
Its amazing how exhausting this city can be, just finding a way to travel from point a to point b seems to sap your energy. Thankfully we have a day off today and can explore the city as tourists. The students will arrive tomorrow. Many of them even a few days ago still had aLOT of support to raise for NY. Pray that the remainder would come in quickly and that they would step out in faith to make phone calls.
As we've sat through planning for the summer, we've got a basic schedule. For the track I'm staffing (the arts track), we'll spend two days on campus meeting students from all over NYC and doing the Soularium with them (more on that later). We'll be in our art studio Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday each week designing pieces based on students responses to what they think describes God.
Also, this year to make sure that students are spending time with their Creator so that everything they do will flow out of that, a guy down at Campus Crusade headquarters has actually designed a devotional for our arts track that will be integrated into each day and particularly into studio time before they even start working on a piece each day.
Really, the main goal of this summer is to learn or become better at integrating art into our faith. God made us with the ability to create and an ability to connect to others through our creativity and it would be a shame to waste that.
I'll be meeting with three of the arts track girls each week for discipleship. Pray that we would connect and that they would be open to discipleship.
Ok, now back to Soularium. Soularium basically begins as a survey. 5 questions, you might normally see them on a typical spiritual interest survey, but there's something different about the way students answer. They have to give their responses through 50 photographic images. And they love it! We used it at Georgia State University and students thought it was great. I was really struck in particular that several students when asked to describe God chose the image of church doors chained shut.
This tool enables you to go really deep really quickly. Students share alot from their own lives that they wouldn't normally in a typical meeting on campus. It allows for deep connection and hopefully, a connection to the Gospel. This is the tool we'll be using on campus to get results for our art as well as with the intention of learning how to step out in faith to share what we believe, but also, to become better listeners as we meet with people.
So pray for us as we go out on campuses over the next few weeks, that God would lead us to people who are truly searching.
You can check more about Soularium out at http://www.mysoularium.com.
As we've sat through planning for the summer, we've got a basic schedule. For the track I'm staffing (the arts track), we'll spend two days on campus meeting students from all over NYC and doing the Soularium with them (more on that later). We'll be in our art studio Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday each week designing pieces based on students responses to what they think describes God.
Also, this year to make sure that students are spending time with their Creator so that everything they do will flow out of that, a guy down at Campus Crusade headquarters has actually designed a devotional for our arts track that will be integrated into each day and particularly into studio time before they even start working on a piece each day.
Really, the main goal of this summer is to learn or become better at integrating art into our faith. God made us with the ability to create and an ability to connect to others through our creativity and it would be a shame to waste that.
I'll be meeting with three of the arts track girls each week for discipleship. Pray that we would connect and that they would be open to discipleship.
Ok, now back to Soularium. Soularium basically begins as a survey. 5 questions, you might normally see them on a typical spiritual interest survey, but there's something different about the way students answer. They have to give their responses through 50 photographic images. And they love it! We used it at Georgia State University and students thought it was great. I was really struck in particular that several students when asked to describe God chose the image of church doors chained shut.
This tool enables you to go really deep really quickly. Students share alot from their own lives that they wouldn't normally in a typical meeting on campus. It allows for deep connection and hopefully, a connection to the Gospel. This is the tool we'll be using on campus to get results for our art as well as with the intention of learning how to step out in faith to share what we believe, but also, to become better listeners as we meet with people.
So pray for us as we go out on campuses over the next few weeks, that God would lead us to people who are truly searching.
You can check more about Soularium out at http://www.mysoularium.com.
