Sacred Spaces

My friend Gerrie has just had two of her wonderful art quilts accepted into the Sacred Spaces exhibit! WooHoo! Go Gerrie!!! Garland Reynolds, the architect of our new nave is giving a lecture series each Wednesday night at our church entitled Sacred Spaces. All of this got me to thinking about the sacred spaces in my life.......and of course, my church, ranks right up there. I am working on an art piece for the church youth group's annual auction and have been snapping pictures around the church lately. I thought I would share just a few with you today.

Here is the new nave, dedicated December 6, 1992:


This is the old nave, which was wonderfully transformed into the chapel. You can see the exterior of the altar area of the new nave to the right:

I was confirmed in the 'old nave' and our daughter was baptised there.....indeed, a sacred space. I remember oh so well the cold day in December when we processed out of the old nave after the last service held there, and into the parish hall, where services were held during construction.

The cornerstone of the old nave:

if you look very carefully, you will read that the first church was destroyed by the tornado of '36, which took many lives in Gainesville, including that of the church sexton, who was trying to save the church silver

This is the altar area in the old nave, new chapel:

We have kept the original altar, which is a comfort to those of us who worshiped there for many years.

And this is the rood screen, carved by parishoner Winston Garth, back in the 40s, I think:

be ye doers of the word, not hearers only

the baptismal font where our daughter and so many others have been baptised


the door knob and old lock on the chapel door.........I can't help but think of all of the people whose hands have turned that knob!

and from the sublime to what you might think is the ridiculous: a part of my sacred space in my studio:
the box is a new addition on one of my two sacred walls. Jeannie told me how her husband had given her a box in which she places her inner art critic. I thought that was such a great idea...and what a nice and supportive gesture on the part of her husband!! That whole concept ran around in my head over the past couple of days, and I finally hung the silk fusion box (that I made in a class taught by Sue Bleiweiss) there by the door. When I enter, I remove the top, toss in my inner critic, replace the top, and get down to playtime! Oh, and above it you will notice several art related quotes.......the last one from Pam Rubert, who is always so encouraging!

Diamonds are only chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs, you see.
Minnie Richard Smith, poet