I Am A Monk From A Small Church

We are also shown how these different forms of art change over time and how different cultures have adopted them and used them as their own form of art to express emotion, love, creativity, and passion. This book teaches us how art is viewed in different ways by the church and was very informative for me to obtain a better and deeper understanding of art and how the churches valued it.

The minimalistic and modern painting by Caspar David Friedrich called The Monk By The Sea is a luring piece of art from over 200 years ago. ‘Modern’ and ‘200 years ago’ do not generally go together well, but what Friedrich achieved in this painting still invites the lovers of simplicity to see a deeper meaning in the current times. Friedrich’s uses simplicity to show a complex meaning in the painting The Monk By The Sea. Influenced by the relationship with God, nature, and Friedrich’s own personal life, he expresses this complex meaning through the composition of color, lines, and technique.

Let’s define what is an icon and give a brief history of icons. An icon is sacred art, usually a fresco or mosaic of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, martyred Saints or scenes from the bible that are given special veneration. This type of sacred art first appeared in the catacombs were the first Christians would gather to worship during periods of persecution. The scenes depicted were of Christ’s family, gospel stories or stories from the Hebrew scriptures. As Christianity began to grow, and after the Edict of Milan the Emperor Constantine decreed that Christians were no longer to be persecuted. In response to this new decree, by the fourth century icons became a way of teaching the Gospel and a way to

For example images of Saints and the lives they lived give us something to aspire towards almost acting as a manual of how we can live a fulfilled life in participation with God.Saint John also argues that the commandment given to Moses that worship of idols and graven images is forbidden ( Exodus 20:3-4) is not applicable anymore as we are living in a new era ushered in by Christ who supports images and to show this he gives ( Matthew 22:17) as evidence.

Critics argue that such funds, which are often used for the purpose of constructing or decorating extravagant cathedrals, ought to be used solely for the benefit of the poor and needy. In contrast, Fr. Havens expressed that all things which are good and beautiful glorify God and He has given us talents of creativity and craftsmanship that we may glorify Him. In other words, places of worship are constructed and beautified so ornately, not necessarily to be lavish or to abuse donations, but because giving and doing one’s best represents strong devotion to God and willingness to remember Him always. Our best and most beautiful creations can emphasize God’s eternal capacity to create, to organize and create life and meaning where there was only unorganized matter

In his book Share Jesus Without Fear, William Fay lays out an easy and attainable way for one to reach people for Christ. A former mobster, and prostitution house owner, Fay says that if “God can take somebody like me and change him, he can take anybody in your life and change him as well.”1 In an easy to understand, comprehensive way, Fay shows how to overcome your fears and witness to those who are lost. By breaking down the six most common excuses one uses not

The piece ends with a celebration of the virtues, a commemoration of the triumph of the righteous over the influence of the devil.

At the council, 338 members met to rule on the use of images to depict religious figures and ideas. This assembly, including Emperor Constantine and Leo, rules that “the unlawful art of painting living creatures blasphemed the fundamental doctrine of our salvation—namely, the Incarnation of Christ, and contradicted the six holy synods” (Iconoclastic Council, 1). The Iconoclastic Council bans the use of images and pictures to depict religious ideologies and figures because they feared that worshippers honored the image over the actual person, place, or thing represented. To support their argument, the council recalls the Holy Book in which God states, “Thou shall not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath…They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,…and served the creature more than the Creator” (2). Unlike John, this council uses stronger textual evidence from the Holy Book in order to validate their argument against icons. Furthermore, they argued that “folly” painter constructed the icons to undermine the icons. Council members aimed to demonstrate the icons as evil creations because religious affiliates did not construct them. Nevertheless, the council banned all images, relics, and other representations of

In the lives of saints, we find biographical material that helps to shed light on the way of life throughout the past two-thousand years. The lives of saints show a pattern of spirituality that teaches each successive generation how to follow Christ, according to each individual culture. Saints are the archetypes of the Christian experience and the Christian life. They are role models, and they are our intercession with God in Heaven. It is important for us, as Christians, to never lose our sense of discipleship, which the saints help with, as they are our older brothers and sisters in Christ and can help us learn from the past.1 The depiction of saints is very important to art, and its impact is not small.

My faith and how I lived in my faith made serves as a lasting example to believers in Christ (Lindslay, 3). In life, I believed that all work that I did was spiritual work for the betterment of the Lord’s kingdom. Whether I was writing, ministering, eating out, or simply talking with friends, all work, all things, all I did was for the advancement of the Lord’s kingdom. For the work of “a Beethoven” or the work of a “charwoman” were all the same in my eyes; for both the workers, their work should be “offered to God” and done “humbly” “as to the Lord” (Eshlemen, 2). Although I struggled with cynicism, this way of living life challenged and brought new meaning to my life (Lindslay, 3). This idea on the life I lived and how I lived the life I was given serves as an example of Colossians 3:17 for Christians who wish to live and long to live in similar fashions (The Holy, 237). This way of living my faith truly required me to be quite public and open with my thoughts and beliefs. My faith was not always outright and public. When I was young, my family was my first spiritual influence (Eshlemen, 5). My faith started when I was young, but was shattered with the death of my mother when I was ten years of age (Lindslay, 1). This tragedy shook who I thought God is. The death of my mother affected me deeply. In fact, in college, I denounced the protestant

The exterior of the church is very different from the ones we are used to in the sense that the church itself is vividly painted with all types of icons dating back to the mid 1960s. The tradition for this types of paintings is however rather old and in the orthodox creed these paintings are particularly important because they show the saints for whom the church was erected and whose name they usually take.

Just as it’s human nature to believe in something larger or more powerful than oneself, it is also human nature to express that divinity through art, this is proven time and time again in human history. Picturing the divine is a type of testimony to show a cultures greatness. The painting Arhats Giving Alms to Beggars comes from the Chinese culture of the Southern Song period. Whereas, the mosaic Christ as Pantocrator comes from the Byzantine culture of the Greek Orthodox tradition. Although these paintings come from very different backgrounds both cultures show the divine and their pressure on mankind to follow the rules, such as giving away worldly desires. By doing so and letting go of material possessions, mankind can be hopeful of

This course has had a great impact on my walk with Christ as well as my witness for Christ. I pastor a church and teach two classes and for me I thought that I was doing plenty. However this course has helped rekindle my passion for sharing Jesus Christ with people through personal evangelism. This paper will demonstrate what I have learned throughout this course.

Since the day I was born my parents took my sister and me to church ever Sunday. I grew up in a loving Christian home and was encouraged at an age where I could fully understand, to purse a relationship with Jesus. I accepted Christ into my heart when I was in the second grade and was baptized in the fourth grade at age 10. Growing up I have always been super involved in Church. I have a heart for people and love serving. Since 3rd grade until now, my senior year of high school I have been on the leadership team with my youth group. I can not imagine my life without Jesus as the center. I have been pushed to step out of my comfort zone and because of that I have grown in several different ways. For example, I am an extrovert and enjoy getting new people, but never liked public speaking as I felt nervous and intimidated. By the many adult leaders, and pastors coming along side of me and encouraging me to step of on my comfort zone I now highly enjoy speaking and spreading the truth about The Lord in big groups of people. I am so thankful for the many God loving people that have come in my life and helped stretch me. Jesus is my entire life and I am nothing without him.

This elevation highly represents the overall theme that materialism plays an almost biblical role in society. The other way to analyze the list is that the “Bibles” are brought down to the very materialistic level of the other listed cosmetics. Another aspect to note is that “Bibles” is plainly listed, not the first or last mentioned item, but somewhere in the middle. Both ways conclude that the cosmetic, material items compare at the same level as the “Bible's” paired along with them. Another list comes with a comparison of paired items that contradict each other's importance; “... Or stain her honor, or her new brocade,/ forget her prayers, or miss a masquerade,/ Or lose her heart, or necklace, at a ball;...” (Pope II 106-107). The first description used in each line is something of importance, as staining honor, forgetting prayers or losing her heart all have serious implications and consequences. But then those more serious actions are paired with trivial material ones; staining a new brocade, missing a masquerade or losing a necklace at a ball. The material actions paired with important ones really unify them as being on the same level of importance. The contradiction is removed and materialism is elevated.