book: breath for the bones

i finally finished this book - luci shaw's breath for the bones: art, imagination, and spirit, reflections on creativity and faith- after slowly working my way through it for the last several months. the problem when it comes to a book like this, where each line is loaded with meaning, is that i want to read it carefully and closely, and conditions have to be 'right' for me to do that. and so i end up putting it off. i too often resist being inspired/moved, because i don't think its the right time (the kids are fighting, the lawn needs mowed, etc.).

but this is precisely what shaw is writing about it. if her book has a thesis (which it might not since it is composed of writings from workshops, journals, lectures, books, etc) it is that each one of us is called to notice beauty, to see God, and to create in response. she makes a great case against a kind of christian pragmatism or utilitarianism, arguing for the importance of beauty in our lives, using several sources along the way (chesterton, buechner, lewis, l'engle, eugene peterson, et.al.). the book is strongest, perhaps, where she uses personal stories/examples to illustrate her points.

so, i would definately recommend this book, particularly if you are an artist (poet, writer, painter, sculptor, designer, musician, etc.) and a Christian, and are looking to explore not only the connection between your faith and your creativity, but also the creative process itself. but if you are just looking for a casual read, this may not be the book for you. still, every christian who has ever said, "i'm just not that creative," should absolutely read at least parts of this book.

ps. if anyone wants to borrow my copy, let me know.

Comments

bad haircuts (for a laugh)

everybody needs to laugh. one good way i have found to make that happen is to do a simple google image search for 'bad haircut.' when you do so, some of the following gems show up. thankfully, my 9th grade school picture does NOT show up. otherwise, it would certianly make this list! please laugh freely and without inhibition. thank you and have a nice day.

keep reading

happiness is dry underwear

we started potty training jack on thursday. we followed a program called POTTY TRAIN IN ONE DAY, which, by the way, i think is kind of crazy. i mean, if someone were to offer you a book called, "ACHIEVE WORLD PEACE IN ONE DAY" i don't think you would take it seriously. and yet here we are, trying to accomplish an equally daunting task in one 24-hour period. it is intense. the day is shrouded in a lie because as soon as your happily diapered child wakes up you tell him that it is a big party. we had balloons and streamers and noisemakers and silly string - all the trappings of a legitimate party. but it is most certainly not a party. it is a hellishly exhausting day. as soon as jack got out of bed, we gave him a present: an anatomically correct doll that wets himself. jack named him quincy. several times quincy successfully peed in the potty and even had an accident or two in his "big boy underwear." he also dropped a deuce that looked and smelled sus

keep reading

the crucifixion of Robert Lewis

"the crucifixion of Robert Lewis" mixed media collage with leaves, acrylic paint, and found objects by gregory a milinovich october 2023 this october i was invited to participate in a three day trip which was called a "pilgrimage of pain and hope." while that may not sound super exciting to many of you, it actually really intrigued me. i am the kind of person that wants to feel big feelings, and i am drawn to the deep places, so i was interested in traveling to the scranton area, where the trip was planned, to see what it might look like to be a pilgrim that was wide-eyed and listening to the pain and the hope in the stories of others. this trip included hearing the stories of immigrants to the northeastern pennsylvania area, and the work in the coal mines that many of them did. it included hearing from folks who are working for housing justice and equity in downtown scranton. it included hearing from those indigenous people who first inhabited that land.

keep reading

the unlikely orange

Search This Blog