Deacons

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland

Called to strive for justice and peace
Called to seek and serve Christ in all persons

Who we are

October 2009 Reflection

Art and Preaching, a Holy Intersection

Art and preaching can intersect at two places. The preacher can use art to center herself and focus on the passage. The use of art not traditionally associated with religion or particular passages, Dali's Woman at the Window for meditation before preaching on the Annunciation or Grime-Vance's Memory Traces Series 2when preaching the Baptism of our Lord, can widen the view of the preacher, bringing her to insights not readily available in traditional exegesis.

However powerful art can be in preparing and focusing the preacher, it is even more valuable as a preaching component. I showed Rublev's Icon of the Trinity as part of the sermon to bring expression to the inexpressible. This comes from a preaching experience earlier in the year.

When preaching on Last Epiphany (Transfiguration), I brought into the church Theophanes Transfiguration.I began that Sunday morning at the 7:45 service only referring to the icon in the sermon but felt something was missing. Talking about how art makes comprehensible that which our still enlightenment thinking rejects without have the art before me and the congregation was an entirely different sermon from the one preached at the 9 and 11 o'clock services when the icon was brought into the church and placed on the altar.

It was more effective, both for me as preacher and for the congregation as hearers, for me to both say and show, "There is the mountain, the three disciples - John and James with their backs turned to Jesus and their faces hidden, Peter looking back toward Jesus - there is Moses on Jesus' left and Elijah on his right. The background is bright gold, Jesus' clothing is radiant white, and he is surrounded by an additional brighter gold area. The icon is the moment when the bright cloud overshadows the mountain and the voice from heaven speaks, repeating the words Jesus heard at his baptism and adding an instruction for the disciples to "listen to him". The entire icon is radiant, it glows, and the radiance reflects on us. We are invited into the icon, into the space where the disciples cower."

Art enables us to move into the space," to become intimate participants in both Gospel and theology. There are times words alone will not do and to see with "the eyes of the heart" we need art.

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/feature-2005-03-Dali-Figure.html
http://www.egrimmvance.com/swimminginexistenceframes.html
http://www.wellsprings.org.uk/rublevs_icon/rublev.htm
http://www.auburn.edu/forlang/russian/icons/transfiguration1.html
Madeleine Beard, Sermon, The Light of Life, preached 2008, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Highland MD

The Rev. Madeleine Beard is the deacon at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Highland MD.

Every month we will feature a reflection on the ministry of deacons.

Click here to read previous reflections.

Deacon Deployment Information,
Contract and Annual Report Form

Deacon Handbook

Deacon Assignments

Calendar

Life Long Learning :
Programs and Possibilities