By Corban Addison Klug

On the east end of Île de la Cité in the heart of what is arguably the most beautiful city in the world lies one of the most famous Gothic landmarks of Old Europe—the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris. With its grand and intricately wrought flying buttresses, lofty bell towers, vaulted spires, and petaled rose windows, the cathedral is a monument to premodern architectural ingenuity and to the ascendant faith of its progenitors. Surrounding the cathedral in every direction are the bustling twenty-first century accoutrements of France’s cosmopolitan capital—boulevards, hotels, residential apartment buildings, museums and cafés; yet standing at the cathedral’s midsection along the quiet banks of a divided Seine, it is easy enough to imagine a scene from eight hundred years ago, when the last generation of builders gathered together with the resonant excitement of children to worship the God of their fathers and to celebrate the cathedral’s long-awaited completion.

Three weeks ago, on the first Sunday in August, my wife and I walked from our small hotel in Paris’ Opera District across to the Left Bank of the Seine and down to Île de la Cité to attend an evening chamber choir service at the cathedral. Although by upbringing we are Protestant, by choice we are among those who bless God for the revolution of Spirit-inspired ecumenism that slowly but surely is eroding the walls that men, beset by pride and fear, have erected to divide the Church. We made the Cathedral Notre Dame our destination that evening because, even on vacation, we wished to honor God and keep the Sabbath. That the cathedral is a Catholic house of worship did not give us pause. Nor did the fact that many modern Catholics would, if they discovered our Protestant heritage, exclude us from their fellowship as a result of our “heresy.” In deciding to worship at the Cathedral Notre Dame, we meant both to acknowledge that the Spirit of God is still alive in the Catholic Church and to contribute in our small way to the ultimate harmony of souls swept up in the ageless and cosmic work of redemption being accomplished in history by Jesus Christ.

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To live is Christ, to die is gain
Should any love of flesh remain?

Once dead, now live, my spirit slept
‘Til Christ on high, His blood He wept
For wrathful weight of Father Just
Pressed hard on Him who knew no lust.

Hung as did the desert snake
Did He, the Lamb, both bleed and quake
For wretched heart and sin-stained land
Abandon, abandoned, abandoned Man.

Judgment full and fully spent!
Dead and raised His earthly tent:
The Father Good, the Spirit mine
His death, my life now intertwined.

To live is Christ, to die is gain
Should any love of flesh remain?

Vessel shamed, yet mended true
In my soul, blood runs blue;
Royal priest and Kingdom bound:
“Journey forth to Heaven’s ground."

“Yet on the earth My Kingdom still
Sojourns with thee; obey My will.
In the world a stranger be
And make thine life My homily.”

To live is Christ, to die is gain
Should any love of flesh remain?
From care and fear for Him alone
Mortify, mortify thine fleshly home.

My husband is a worship leader who leads worship on a regular basis at First Baptist Church of Doylestown’s youth ministry, Rooftop Revolution. This has led to interesting conversations on what true worship really is. We believe a successful ministry should be measured in the evidence of worship as a lifestyle seen pouring out in the body of Christ. You ask, “What does ‘worship as a lifestyle’ mean?”

We’ve come to realize that humans are by nature, worshippers. The problem is, we worship relationships, fashion, technology, material things - instead of the true God- without even realizing it. Songs worship the beauty of a woman, award shows are made to praise people for what they do best, and advertisements demand the latest and greatest gadget on the market. Our culture worships the world and man but Christians were made to be countercultural and worship God the creator. Christians have learned to compartmentalize worship and have been fooled into thinking that worship is only what happens when we gather together and sing songs in church. But if we were made for worship, wouldn’t it be a waste to only worship God on a Sunday through song?

A wise person once said, “Unless it is sin, everything we do and say must and should be worship to God.” Therefore, a Christian’s spiritual act of worship can and must include all areas of life; the sports, movies, conversations, hobbies, and acts of service we engage in. The question is not, do we worship? The question is do we worship God? Do we give God credit in all things? Do we point to Him in everything that we do – lifting up His name and giving glory to Him and Him alone? I believe this is the purpose of the Christian life and what it means to live life as a spiritual act of worship to God.

As I looked out upon this still quiet lake, I remembered the sights and sounds of snow days gone by. Those wonderful times when we spent all day sledding, running through the woods and having snowball fights. Unfortunately, on this day I still had to go to work while children much younger than I were able to play all day.

der Apfel makes me smile. Fruit fascinates my color senses. I find the single shapes and designs beautiful. There is such an amazing array of color in a single sample of fruit, as is the case with this apple. The painting is only 6"x6". The style is chiaroscuro...coming out of the light. This painting is located at Howard Gallery in Doylestown, PA.

Beauty surrounds us. I once stood atop a mountain in Switzerland and overlooked a small village nestled in the distant river valley below. Majestic, snow-capped mountains stood as ancient fortresses guarding this heaven-on-earth. Delicate frost balanced atop each wintered tree branch around me. The breath of God in that place filled my spirit with awe.

The same sense of breathtaking beauty is true of music. Beethoven and Mozart were virtuosos at augmenting potent, spiritual words with resounding, heart-moving chords. The cumulative effect has been described by some listeners as divine.

Certainly pleasant fragrances appeal to us, as well. A warm apple pie cooling on the stove top. Honey flowers along a pathway. Hot coffee on a cold morning. There are many other scents worth naming, but I fear my point may be lost to sensory overload. My argument is this: Beauty takes many forms, all of which stir within us natural longing. Natural longing to gaze upon, listen to, smell and touch beautiful things.

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Job 19 and Job 23 supply the inspiration for this painting. “I know that my Redeemer liveth...and I shall come forth as gold.”

This is a print of a 33 x 22 inch canvass painted with acrylic which was sold for $400. If one could get a close view one would see that there is absolutely no detail on the figures, let alone the faces. Everything was centered on the effect alone of the movement. “All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” This quotation from Colossians 1:16b-17 has occasionally been added to the painting.

Two weeks ago, my wife and I traveled north to vacation for a week on Martha's Vineyard, off the southern coast of Cape Cod. I had been to the Cape before, but never to the Islands. From luminous descriptions I had read over the years in books and magazines, as well as more recently in Fodor's travel guidebook, I expected the wonder of the place to rival, if not exceed, its high-brow prestige. As I have come to learn, however, great expectations are a high-wire act in a fallen world—perilous always, worthy only rarely (and always in concert with faith). As it turned out, mine, birthed as they were in unspoken affection for the world, fell from the clear Vineyard skies with ignominious clumsiness, shattering on the hard earth of quotidian reality beside every other wreck of humanistic aspirations. Yet, grace being grace, in every disappointment there abides at least one redemptive lesson by which the Lord may transform our foolishness into wisdom. On Martha's Vineyard, the lessons were legion. One, however, predominates above the rest. As never before, I realized the wisdom of Ecclesiastes: "Vanity! Vanity," the Teacher wrote of the world. "All is vanity." Save, of course, for fearing God and keeping His commandments, which is the whole duty of man irrespective of his vacation destination.

The path I traveled to rediscover this otherwise obvious truth was neither long and arduous nor very unique. It was the path all illusions tread on their way to oblivion. Yet to comprehend my enlightenment, one must first understand the features of my deception. Martha's Vineyard is a beautiful island. While not as dramatic as the Greek Cyclades nor as lush as French Polynesia, its grassy dunes, verdant marshes, sloping beaches and sparkling sapphire waters are nevertheless an aesthetic feast for any lover of nature. With the solitary exception of Oak Bluffs, its towns, too, are quaint and pristine. Of those, however, Edgartown is unquestionably the crown jewel of the island. Nestled in forested lowlands across the water from Chappaquiddick's famous retreat, Edgartown embodies the quintessence of New England charm. Illumined by the warming rays of the sun, its every quiet neighborhood is a photo opportunity. Uniformly dressed in gray Cape Cod shingle, trim gleaming white, shutters black, window boxes bursting with brilliant floral color, and grassy yards rimmed with hydrangeas in full bloom, its modest Greek Revival homes set the standard for understated elegance. Even its midtown park, dedicated to fallen local heroes from past wars, is practically edenic, a masterpiece of cultivated splendor.

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Note the blue and yellow contrast and the simplicity of the somewhat soft strokes. The expression is everything and hopefully it makes one wonder what she is thinking. The model is Larissa Oleynik. Proverbs 30:5-6 has been the inspiration and added to the painting by powerpoint. “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

This model is Christopher Lloyd. It is far easier to paint a man than a youth because capturing an expression can be done with a few coarse strokes. If that technique is attempted on a youth it produces an older adult. The scripture sometimes added to this painting is Psalm 34:8-9. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Fear the LORD you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.”

We have been hearing that all the hype over embryonic stem cell therapy is overplayed- that it will be years before any effective treatment will have cleared research hurdles. Think again!

The August 10 edition of The London Daily Mail reports that in Moscow today, cosmetic surgeons are offering the latest technology for preserving youth- fetal stem cell injections. It seems the era of Botox and facelifts are over. If you really want to cling to your youth, this is the most efficacious treatment money can buy. The treatment is certainly not cheap, ranging from 4,000 to 30,000$ for the full series of injections (as many as 10 may be needed). Needless to say, the scientific community does not condone this treatment. Western scientists insist that further research is needed to substantiate claims that injecting stem cells can actually reverse aging.

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These two were individually separate and simply side view poses among many poses. They were brought together in this composition to give the intended impression that they were talking to each other. The models are Larissa Oleynik and Melissa Joan Hart. A powerpoint scripture has been superimposed on the painting, when useful, from John 3:21. “But whosoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

loneliness

loneliness,
longing to be known,
longing to know,
someone other than yourself.

loneliness,
longing to share,
longing to give,
something to someone else.

loneliness,
longing to see,
longing to be with,
the heart of another.

loneliness,
longing to hear,
longing to listen to,
the fears of a lover.

loneliness,
emptiness,
brokenness,
sadness,
fallenness.

Cross-blogged at Worldview Warrior

The model is Clarissa Darling. She was originally not looking at the camera. The face and the figure were from different photographs. Notice that because she is a young girl the bold technique that is used for the figure could not be used on the face. A scripture has been added to the painting with powerpoint, whenever appropriate, from Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth; Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

The intense lavender color in the shirt reflected in the face is the essence of this painting. Hopefully it is reproduced by the red, green, and blue phosphors of the monitor and screen. The model is Melissa Joan Hart and detail is purposely sacrificed for the effect. At what is she looking? The scripture added from Psalm 103 gives some hint. “As high as the heavens are above the earth; so great is the Father’s love. As far as the east is from the west; so far has He taken our sins from us.”

This was painted with a wireless computer stylus on a 12 x 12 inch tablet. The model is Terry Ruggles. He was standing in an automobile sales parking lot gesturing on the news. Attention was drawn to his candid expression and his hand body language and that was all that was painted. With apologies to Terry an inscription was added from Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”

My grandfather is a poet. He writes poems on all sorts of occasions. I found this particular poem to be very beautiful and thought I would include it here for your enjoyment.

Onward to the Sunrise

How dim the light along our path,

When sudden darkness falls.

It seems we cannot find our way,

We're bound by canyon walls.

Then stars break through the veil,

The moon begins to rise.

Its whiteness shows the pinnacles,

And soon we realize

That through the rocky field we see

The trail in shadow drawn.

Sure, if we wait the light will grow,

And soon will come the dawn.

- George Pillmore

Cross-blogged at Worldview Warrior.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD my Rock and my Redeemer.” This inscription added to the painting is from Psalm 19. The model is Melissa Joan Hart. Her countless and varied expressions while staring at the camera make her a unique resource of faces. Notice the simplicity of the background and the boldness of the brush strokes on the model.

The model is Anna Paquin from the film: Fly Away Home. The arm and hand are not hers. The lighting is added to transform the figure into activity. The viewer is always to guess at what that activity is. This is a painting done with a wireless stylus acting as a paint brush on a 12 x 12 computer tablet. The inscription added to the painting has been from Psalm 119, “Your Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

This is a 27 x 20 inch photographic enlargement of a computer painting. It was painted with a mouse. The effect was achieved with very few, coarse, broad strokes of the mouse. The inscription added to the painting has been from the book of Revelation, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb....Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever, Amen!” Chapter 7. The model is Elizabeth Earl.

The models here are John, Jenny, Jerusha, Joanna, Joy, and Julia Karraker. They were assembled from individual photographs into this composition. Nothing more can be said other than thanks be to them for allowing the painting. It may be somewhat noticeable that there are several Js in their names.

This month we will be featuring art by Kemp Kolb. Kolb is a unique artist in that he uses a tablet and a computer to create paintings. This is no simple task. We will see his work in portraits this month. Let us know what you think of each piece of art work. Discuss the art work and the brief comments made but Kemp about each piece.

Kemp likes to use bold strokes full of rich color and light contrasts with a full range of light intensity, whether the medium be acrylic, chalk, or oil.

This particular painting was done with a wireless stylus on a 12" inch wacom tablet with a program called paint shop pro. The stylus can instantly transform into a paint brush of any width, color, opaqueness, sharpness,or bristle number.

Kemp likes candid movement and the interaction of figures.

What is it about music that moves the soul? Is it the beat? The melodies? How can emotion be conveyed through a series of pulses and rhythms? Why do people connect certain events in their lives to the songs they were hearing at that particular moment? Why do couples pick special songs to be a meaningful and memorable part of their relationship - such that they will call it "their song?"

In the Bible, the book of Revelation talks about God punishing the city of Babylon in the worst way. He curses them harshly with a demise entrenched in violence and despair; oddly enough, music is mentioned in the midst of this passage :

Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
"With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again...." (Rev. 18:21-22, NIV)

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Kemp likes the interaction of unusual subjects to raise many questions of what is going on here. What are the individuals thinking? The face, the figure, the lion, and the background were all separate models and juxtaposed in this composition.

Though a 2 x 3 foot canvas has been painted in acrylic, this version was done with a wireless stylus on a 12" inch wacom tablet.

"The May" not even quite yet completed...was this landscape artist's first attempt at portraiture. Little did she know that within the month, Mary would be moving away in the pursuit of her career as an airline pilot (and at 21). Mary was standing very contemplative, prayerful in front of a window early one morning and Kathy was so moved by her contemplative, prayerful pose that she knew it had to be recorded. An older daughter, Emily has been caught passing by and talking momentarily to the painting not immediately aware that it is not her sister - but rather the image. This was a difficult and yet very moving experience. I am looking forward to further work in portraiture.

Kathy's landscapes and still lifes can be seen at Howard Fine Art Gallery in Doylestown, PA.