I love collaboration!
I'm used to painting live during church worship services at various churches (either accompanying the music or the pastor's sermon or the entire service).
I'm used to performing live (along with artist Lukas Evergreen) with our performance art company MARTEN EVERGREEN (creating choreographed pieces that include dance, painting, music, and spoken word) for city art events, fundraiser events, and private events.
But recently I had the honor of being asked to be a part of a creative collaboration unlike anything I've experienced so far.
I joined a small team of creatives from Vineyard Boise Church (a missions pastor and dancer: Terra Montford, an accountant and director: Beth Routhier, a soil expert and refugee pastor: Chris Trump, a film maker: Brandon Freeman, a few musicians: Jeremiah Carlson, Jared Nilo, Jake Nielsen, Brian Hodges, and a senior pastor: Trevor Estes) to create an intimate environment for people to engage personally with a specific text of the Bible that speaks of freedom (Mark 7:31-37).
I was asked to dramatically perform to an audio recording and the performance would be a visual illustration of what the pastor would be speaking about from the text and asking people to connect personally in their own lives. It would be going beyond the literal of the text to express visually through abstraction what most of us have experienced in life...and perhaps are experiencing....but through a literal concept.
And this would be a performance without any paint...it would be just me responding with movement and expression.
the conversation:
the text that sets the story:
the performance:
the stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, elderly.
the voices: speaking negative criticisms to who i am, speaking wounding lies about who i am, speaking what i believe about myself through the negative criticisms and lies.
the actions: choosing to pick up the chains of colored fabrics and carry them (representing the negative criticisms and lies that bind up and weight me with burdens).
the action: choosing to enter the cage (representing complete bondage, surrender, and despair to low self esteem, insecurities, fears, negativity, and a mindset that is self defeating.
the action: crying out to the only One who can truly transform my mind and heart and bring renewal and freedom, God responds with the word "Ephphatha!" which means "Be Opened!" and the cage wall crashes down with a loud bang. I am released from my own bondage of choice to take in and believe lies about myself that has kept me captive.
the action: i choose to be released from my fears, my insecurities, and all the negative messages that have kept me in darkness (i take off the chains of colored fabrics). i let go of my bonds and walk out of the cage into a new beginning of hope and love with gratitude and worship.
What a great way to end 2017 and begin 2018...letting go and entering a new beginning.
the video:
video and stills by J.K.Downer
Thank you to all who were a part of this collaboration.
Thank you to all who took photos and video and prayed and supported those of us who were a part of this collaboration. There has been a great deal of positive feedback from those who attended the services and those who were watching the live video feed on-line, from people who really were able to connect and engage on a deep personal level because of the performance and who found freedom and hope within their own inner battles of the mind and heart.
To that I say:
Let's be intentional with how we speak to ourselves and others and how we choose to live.
May 2018 be a year of new beginnings! a year of freedom and release!
Ephphatha! Be Opened!
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