We love worship at this church and singing is one way we worship God, but we are seeing a wider expression of worship coming through this church. We are creating an outlet for artists to draw, paint and prophesy in some of our Sunday services at Hope Church. Below are some of the pieces our artists have produced during our time of worship. Please be encouraged to go and talk to the artist in the response time and after the service.

Click on any image to zoom in to the actual artwork.

The passage is from Romans 8 about salvation. The border represents the Golden Chain of Redemption. Within each link is an image representing a stage of the process of salvation: Foreknowledge (an eye), Predestination (the book of life), Calling (a horn), Justification (the lamb of God) and finally Glorification (a crown surrounded by  clouds). The images are partly from Scripture, partly from artistic tradition and from the artist’s imagination (by Yanni) Jesus wants to take our pain and create something beautiful out of it for his glory and our good. He takes our tears/ mourning and breathes restoration and healing into our broken circumstances. The process is just that – a process – but it is a beautiful one! He’s not finished yet! (by Olivia) Throughout the week I kept having a picture of a chain. During the sermon I felt God give me the phrase “shackled to Jesus”. Usually we think of chains breaking, but this time I felt God remind me that I am forever shackled to Jesus and because of that I am adopted by God and have entered into sonship and am now an heir! (by Lydia)

 

The waves are crashing and the waters are still. God is with us in the storm. It doesn’t necessarily mean the storm will end but God promises to bring us Joy that is not dependent on our circumstances. HE is the Joy-giver. Receive his Joy in your storm! (by Olivia) Before I started painting, I prayed to God, asking Him to inspire and guide my artistic creation. I was praying in the car and a vision of God’s hand reaching out from light and sky, holding our world came to mind. I felt that God wanted to communicate through my painting that we are safe and secure in God’s hands and that He has a perfect plan for all of our futures. He has made everything beautiful in its time Ecclesiastes 3:11 (by Alicia) The quote was taken from the Athanasian creed, a wonderful confession of faith from the early Church. The knot pattern or triquetra is an ancient trinitarian symbol and the Hebrew word in the centre is YHWH, or Jehovah as it is often Anglicised. (by Yanni)

 

In preparation for Sunday I felt God reminding me that His name is like a strong and mighty tower. A place of shelter, refuge and solitude.

There is no hiding place from God.

In the midst of trouble, stress and busyness God stands with us, giving us peace and hope.

Proverbs 18:10 and Psalm 91: 1-4 (by Matt)

 It is currently Lent therefore I decided that the passage from the Sermon on the Mount about prayer and fasting would be fitting. The prayer part is surrounded by frankincense plant and shows the alter of incense representing prayer. The fasting portion shows a crown of thorns representing sacrifice and the pile of ashes symbolising repentance. (by Yanni) God wants to encounter us in the fire. He promises to meet powerfully with us as we come before him and as we process our pain or suffering. He is with us. He is for us. The fire is refining us to become warriors of the gospel. Come to God and weep because he will lean close and weep with you in your pain. (by Olivia)