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    Picturing the Face of Jesus: Encountering Christ through Art
    Picturing the Face of Jesus: Encountering Christ through Art
    Picturing the Face of Jesus: Encountering Christ through Art
    Ebook115 pages1 hour

    Picturing the Face of Jesus: Encountering Christ through Art

    By Beth Booram

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    About this ebook

    For many who identify themselves as Christians, Jesus has never become experientially personal or real. Countless others who have faithfully followed Christ confess to a spiritual dryness and lack of joy. These individuals are weary and unmoved by the plethora of information about Jesus. What they long for is an experience with Jesus.

    Picturing the Face of Jesus is an invitation to experience Christ more deeply. Through a rich palette of experiential media—art contemplation, gospel story-telling, and imaginative prayer—the reader is invited to picture the face of Jesus, his expressive, one-of-a-kind, human face. As a result, Jesus will become a real person with whom they candidly relate, instead of a hero they merely admire. Through this encounter, their own hearts will be transformed as they begin to reflect the face of Christ to others.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAbingdon Press
    Release dateOct 1, 2010
    ISBN9781426729409
    Picturing the Face of Jesus: Encountering Christ through Art
    Author

    Beth Booram

    Beth Booram spent sixteen years on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ and has served in a number of pastoral roles in the local church, both mainline and nondenominational, including a 6,500-member congregation. She leads contemplative retreats and speaks frequently on topics of spirituality and leadership. Learn more at www.wideopenspacesofgod.org.

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      Book preview

      Picturing the Face of Jesus - Beth Booram

      P I C T U R I N G  t h e

      FA C E  o f  J E S U S

      PICTURING the

      FACE of JESUS

      ENCOUNTERING CHRIST THROUGH ART

      BETH BOORAM

      Abingdon Press

      Nashville

      PICTURING THE FACE OF JESUS

      ENCOUNTERING CHRIST THROUGH ART

      Copyright © 2009 by Abingdon Press

      All rights reserved.

      No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or emailed to permissions@abingdonpress.com.

      This book is printed on acid-free paper.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Booram, Beth.

      Picturing the face of Jesus : encountering Christ through art / Beth Booram.

         p. cm.

      ISBN 978-0-687-65743-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)

      1. Jesus Christ—Face. 2. Jesus Christ—Art. I. Title.

      BT590.P45B66 2009

      232.9—dc22

      2009003069

      Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

      Scripture quotations marked Message are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

      Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

      09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

      To the kind and generous people of Christ the Savior Lutheran Church, Fishers, Indiana, and especially my friend and colleague, Pastor Joseph M. Freeman

      CONTENTS

      Acknowledgments

      Introduction

      Practicing Art Contemplation

      The Face of Welcome: Art Contemplation

      1. The Face of Welcome

      The Face of Compassion: Art Contemplation

      2. The Face of Compassion

      The Face of Longing: Art Contemplation

      3. The Face of Longing

      The Face of Humility: Art Contemplation

      4. The Face of Humility

      The Face of Sorrow: Art Contemplation

      5. The Face of Sorrow

      The Face of Indignation: Art Contemplation

      6. The Face of Indignation

      Epilogue

      A Final Art Contemplation

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      Picturing the Face of Jesus was an Advent series that I developed during my first year as an interim minister at Christ the Savior Lutheran Church (CTS) in Fishers, Indiana. I am indebted to Pastor Joe Freeman, my fellow staff members, and the many wonderful people from CTS who opened their hearts to me.

      Thank you to the staff at Abingdon Press for your caring and professional support that made this project possible, color images and all!

      I am grateful to Judy Keene for her generous gift as a writing coach. (I just rewrote the previous sentence so that it wouldn't end with a prepositional phrase.)

      To my faithful prayer team—bless you for your gracious support and ministry prayers as I travel and speak.

      Profound thanks to my C.O.T. (Circle of Trust): Mary, Pam, Jan, and Sandee—for your trusted and faithful companionship.

      Finally, to my loving and amazing family: my incredible soul mate—David; my extraordinary daughters—Britt, Bri, and Brooke; and my exceptional son, Brandt, and his delightful new bride, Laura.

      INTRODUCTION

      For God, who said, Let there be light in the darkness, has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

      —2 Corinthians 4:6

      THE FACE OF JESUS

      Have you ever wondered what Jesus looked like? Have you ever tried to imagine his face?

      I have. I've tried, in my mind's eye, to picture him. If Jesus were in a crowd of people, would I be able to pick him out? If he walked up and said hello, would I recognize him? I have imagined seeing Jesus for the very first time and wondered if there would be something so familiar, so distinguishable or maybe even haunting, that I would immediately know it was him.

      The truth is Jesus had a one-of-a-kind, unmistakable face. Yet, we don't have a shred of description about what he looked like! None of the Gospel writers included any details of Jesus' physical stature or appearance. Even art historians come up empty-handed regarding any authentic first-century portraits of Christ.

      Though we don't know what Jesus looked like, we do know that those who met him during his life on earth saw his face. They gazed into the very eyes of the Son of God. If we could talk to these people and ask them, they would be able to describe the face of Christ. With their words, they could sketch the features that defined the memorable human face of Jesus.

      THE ALLURE OF THE HUMAN FACE

      Jesus isn't the only one who has a distinctive human face. So does every person alive today. Each individual's face is the single most expressive, unique feature of his or her physical body.

      Sir Thomas Browne, a seventeenth-century English author, wrote, It is the common wonder of all men, how among so many millions of faces, there should be none alike. And centuries later, with more than six billion people inhabiting our world, we feel the same wonder.

      Think about it: your face is the focal point of your connection with other people. You engage others with your facial expressions. When you communicate, you use your features—especially your eyes. They relay unspoken messages, ones that convey your deepest thoughts and feelings.

      Even newborn babies, within the first nine minutes of birth and barely able to focus their eyes on anything, will focus on a human face. They clumsily search to find the eyes belonging to the voice that has become familiar to them while in the womb. Nothing on the planet will hold a baby's gaze like its mother's face!

      A WINDOW INTO OUR HEARTS

      Not only is a person's countenance alluring, it is a window into his or her heart. The writer of Proverbs says that Just as water mirrors your face, / so your face mirrors your heart (Proverbs 27:19, The Message). The expressions we wear on our face divulge what we think and feel deep within us.

      We learn to study people's faces to help us discern their character and disposition. We read their nonverbal expressions to determine what they think of us. We rely on their faces to provide the vital information we need to help us navigate a relationship with them.

      If, indeed, the face is so critical to human connection, communication, and trust, then it seems obvious that connecting with God, face-to-face, is extremely important in order for us to experience meaningful conversation and authentic relationship with him.

      THE FACE OF GOD

      Even God has a face. The Bible describes God's face as the central point of access and connection with him. We are told to seek God's face; that he will make his face shine upon us. We're warned that when we turn away from God, that he will hide his face from us and "set his

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