In Churches throughout the country, paintings, murals, statues, and sculptures capture scenes and individuals from scripture and invite us to reflect on their depictions. For many of us, it can be hard to understand the complexities and intricacies of the works and relate them to how we worship God. This is why, for the past three summers, the Diocese has hosted a series of 'Art in Church' evenings, exploring how to enjoy the art we have in churches, understand it better, and connect it to God and our faith.
This year's gatherings explored three creations, each with its own character and story to tell. Around 100 people attended the evenings to explore the role of art in faith.
This summer's events began with an artistic exploration of the Salvadoran Stations of the Cross at St Peter's, Penhill. The work features 16 vibrant crosses, comprising the traditional 14 stations of the cross, which depict Jesus on the day of his crucifixion and are often accompanied by prayers, alongside two additional crosses: one depicting the resurrection and another displayed at the entrance to the building.
The artwork was donated to St Peter’s by Rita Amor and her family in memory of her husband John, who passed away in 2012. During the evening, those gathered learned about and reflected on the creations, considering how they could be used in prayer. This was followed by group discussion and a final reminder from The Revd Canon Dr Simon Taylor, who led the evening, that we walk ourselves alongside our crucified and risen Saviour.
The second evening took place in St Giles, Stanton St Quinton, looking at the stone pulpit carved by the former Rector, the Rev. Bertrand Pleydell-Bouverie in 1876 and placed in the church in 1893. Those gathered to hear about the pulpit reflected on and discussed how the sculpture can enable us to connect with God.
The final gathering took place at Holy Nativity, Knowle and focused on the mural of the Holy Family in the church's apse. The mural was painted in 2004 by artist Michael Long, who attended to give a talk about the work, the process of creating it, and the scene it depicts.
Speaking about the role of art in faith and the summer series, The Revd Canon Dr Simon Taylor, Director of Mission and Ministry Support and organiser of the events, said:
“Art speaks to us in different ways; it is a reflection of the creativity of our creator God, and I have found that it can open me to new ways of encountering God. This series is designed to help us enjoy the art we have in churches, to remove that fear that only specialists can talk about it, and to enable it to connect us to God in new ways. I’m pleased that people have found it interesting and hope to find further opportunities to explore the art in churches in the Diocese”
Through each of the events, individuals with a variety of experiences and understandings of art were able to gather to learn, reflect and explore together.