the other weekend i participated in art, in the creative works of those who
poured their heart and soul into vessels of meaning and discovery

art galleries are invitations to immersion
to enter into the creativity of others

my city’s local art gallery was hosting a drawing festival
and this unlocked a double immersion experience
it enriched the layers of meaning to be found in the art

as i admired the cultures, the curations, the frames on display
i was simultaneously observing artists in their natural habitat

the gallery walls were filled with other creative spirits, putting pen to paper

around each corner was not only a collection of creative works, but a collective of creatives
small gatherings of artists tucked throughout the gallery to create their own art

there were still life displays, with crowds sprawling in a semi-circle to capture them
there were workshops for learning and advancing their craft
there were students from local universities in attendance with their tutors

there was one woman who had tacked butcher’s paper together and attacked it with charcoal,
sprawling herself across the gallery floor, oblivious to the foot traffic around her

there were students and elders alike, all finding inspiration within those walls
hundreds of members of the general public participated in this festival
they walked around with their blank page clipboards and pencils, grey smudges on their hands

there was a creative freedom at work in those gallery walls, inviting the artist to experiment
to learn from artist’s before them, to discover their own creative calling in the creativity of others

i felt inspired myself, seeing so many creative seekers on a mission to share their craft

i wanted to join them, to participate in this creative act
this collective pursuit of inspiration and expression

i see this blog post reflection as my participation in that drawing festival
my sketching just brings lines together into words, not into images

but words are images, and images words

so let’s explore these interrelated concepts:

of participating in something greater than ourselves
of entering into and immersing ourselves in Beauty
of desiring creativity, creation and Creator alike

in the art gallery there was one particular installation
that compelled me to share this reflection:

Žilvinas Kempinas: Columns

this artist produces contemporary Lithuanian art
he recycles materials such as video tape
giving them a new form, a new vessel of meaning

Columns 2006 is his pop-up display that has toured internationally

this display groups cylinders across a room, achieving breadth and depth
he uses long extensions of video tape to connect floor and ceiling
the vertical lines evoke a marvel of height, while light dances on the tape
the collection of cylinders span a grid formation, which you can walk between

this installation has appeared in New York, Lithuania, Miami, Brisbane

i did not know this work had been exhibited across global galleries
but had been curious as to how on earth the unspooled magnetic videotape had been
fixed from floor to ceiling, both logistically but also with the material’s fragility

Kempinas states that he was attracted to a material that was delicate yet “capable of
transcending their own banality and materiality to become something else, something more”

his colonnade explores this temporality and vulnerability
in tension with monumentality and impregnability

when i stepped into the room with his cylindrical art, there was curiosity and awe
the pillars of tape were compelling, fragile yet powerful in their presence
they were by far the feature of the entire space, dominant despite the simplicity of the design

Kempinas was the only artist who had dared to make use of the space above our heads
who chose to possess and consume scale with his art, demanding floor to ceiling attention

the true marvel was the use of that empty vacuum of air above
in doing so, he gave us permission to let our imaginations roam free

perspective is powerful

the installation plaque noted the deliberate use of pillars as an ode to other historic masterpieces

i can think of many a temple, many a European and Roman building
that makes use of this same structure, this same shape
sending a cylinder, a vessel upwards, as though beckoning us to follow

there is a divine inspiration to the sacredness of this shape
symbolism in this vessel in drawing our gaze heavenward, upward

cylinders call our sights higher, our visions further

i could not help but admire how my eyes delighted and danced with the sky
the ceiling captivating me, when i might have otherwise never looked up

if the cylinders had not created such curvature,
or if the light had not danced off the cassette tape in the way it did
i may not have been compelled to marvel at the structure,
reflecting on the power of perspective and the direction of our gaze

several days later, i am still pondering this use of pillars
throughout history and their architectural symbolism

the art revealed to me that the natural world, the physical realm,
through the art of architecture, has the ability to translate and
teach us things of the supernatural world, the spiritual realm

although the structures and shapes that architecture plays with
may be bound by physicality, materiality, gravity
there is an element to which these structures and shapes
can be used to train our sight, to teach us to see things in a different way

there is even a degree to which structures and shapes can invite us
to reflect on the unseen elements of the world around us

pillars are structures that are limited, bound,
requiring a ceiling in order to hold their structure

that is, unless we think of ancient ruins
where freestanding pillars can remain

pillars in their form are an invitation to turn our gaze higher,
to look to something beyond what we usually see
to train our eyes upwards in such a way that is not natural

it is in this that we realise that there is more than
our natural ways, our limited visions and tendencies, at work in this world

in creative works, and creation itself, we are invited
to see the deeper meaning of the Artist

as Paul writes in Romans (1:20-1) “for his invisible attributes, namely,
his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever
since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made”

there is more to our reality than what we can see, within physical boundaries
and God invites us to perceive His divine attributes (His power and nature)

i truly love how visible beauty, art, structures, shapes
point us to the invisible, to Beauty himself, our master Artist

C.S. Lewis in The Weight of Glory tries to articulate
this creative awakening that happens within
when we witness beauty, art, majesty in the world around us

“we do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that
is bounty enough. we want something else which can hardly be put
into words – to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it,
to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it”

Lewis speaks of a theology of beauty

the notion that beauty in the world around us draws us to Beauty himself
but more, that we are so drawn to this Beauty that we long to participate in it

(i have written about this Invitation to Beauty on the blog before)

Lewis is pinpointing a desire that is buried within us all: the desire for union with God
the desire to be united to Beauty echoes of our desire for communion with God

this desire to receive, bathe and become a part of Beauty
speaks to our need for grace, and for the indwelling Spirit

through the gift of the Spirit, we receive the seal of our adoption,
bathed in the blood of Christ, becoming a part of God’s family

this points us to a greater invitation, to participate in God’s family,
and more, to partner with Him in kingdom work, His eternal plan

when i think about this divine invitation and what makes the invisible visible
i think of Jesus Christ, who we learn “is the image of the invisible God”

“for by him, all things were created, in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers
or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.
and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

[colossions 1:15-17]

if i thought cylinders were powerful vessels of vision,
turning our gaze upwards, holding up ceilings

then how much more transformational to fix our eyes on Jesus
for He to “be thou our vision”, He who holds all things together

for to turn to Jesus is to set our gaze upwards, heavenwards

“if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that
are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. set
your minds on the things that are above, not on the things of earth”

[colossions 3:1-2]

when we look to Christ, we look to the things of God, the things of heaven
we are reminded of the eternal perspective we are to hold

an eternal perspective orients us, grounds us
it reminds us that the things of this earth will fade away

fundamental to setting our minds on the things above
is the doctrine and power of the resurrection

Paul uses this language of being “raised with Christ”
in Colossions [3:1] and Jesus himself uses this language:

“everyone who looks on the Son and
believes in him should have eternal life,
and i will raise him up on the last day”

[John 6:40]

we will rise, as Christ was raised to life
[beneath the waters (i will rise) – Hillsong]

this is more than a symbolic gesture upwards
this is a promise, for those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour

in Luke 24 we find a perspective-changing insight
into the movement from resurrection to revelation

before Jesus ascended to heaven to the right hand of his Father,
he appeared to some of his followers, in his resurrected body and form

having just witnessed his crucifixion, the two he appeared two on the road
did not recognise him, and did not see him clearly; their sight was clouded

as they had hoped that Jesus was the Messiah, his death had deflated them

“we had hoped that he was the one to redeem” [Luke 24:21]

while their hope had been in Jesus as their redeemer
their hope was contingent on their own understanding of redemption

this reveals the dangers of relying on our own knowledge
our physical and rational limitations may prevent us
from understanding the ways of God, His spiritual workings

this also shows us how powerful it is to put our hope in something, and that
when our hopes are not met, we can so easily be downcast and in despair

we can spiral downwards and inwards,
physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally
if our gaze and vision is not on the things of God

we can fail to see God clearly
if our faith is not in the things unseen

Jesus literally appears to them! yet they do not see him

this is where faith becomes about more than sight

there was a divine invitation right before them, but these two men did
not have a revelation of who He was until Jesus broke bread with them

the breaking of the bread was familiar to them, they recognised the act
it was a signature move of Jesus, to give thanks and break bread

in his resurrected body and form, He was signalling to them that it was Him
and their eyes were opened, he was revealed to them! they saw him!

there was a perspective shift, a change in seeing

this was the invitation Jesus gave his disciples
(to take and eat of his body and blood)
at the passover meal on the night he was betrayed:

“and he took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and
gave it to them, saying “this is my body, which is given for you. do this
in remembrance of me.” and likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying
“this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.””

[luke 22:14-24]

and three days later, he was breaking bread again:

“when he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke
it and gave it to them. and their eyes were opened, and they recognised
him […] “he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.”“

[luke 24:30-35]

if you read the institution of the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22,
you will notice that Jesus tells his disciples that he will
not eat and drink of the passover “until it is fulfilled in the
kingdom of God” and “until the kingdom of God comes” [16,18]

so when the risen Jesus appears to them three days later,
he is making a statement to them, that God’s kingdom is near
and he is making a prophetic claim of his second coming

when Jesus teaches us to pray, he reminds us that we have a heavenly call
and responsibility to partner with God in His kingdom work here on earth:

“your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”

[matthew 6:10]

Jesus fulfils his kingdom ministry here on earth
through his death and resurrection,
and invites us to join in this kingdom mission

when Jesus returns, we will all see him [revelation 1:7]
his covenantal return gives us direction and hope

for when we set our minds on the things that are above
we are reminded who is on the Throne
the One who has authority and power, rule and reign
the One who has dominion over the darkness of this world

we know that until Jesus returns, we will still see
powers of darkness on this earth
vessels of dishonourable use
seeds of corruption

but those who believe are delivered from the domain of darkness
and transferred into the kingdom of his beloved Son

[colossions 1:13]

there are some beautiful invitations (or ordinances) that Jesus
has given us to participate in God’s kingdom here on earth:

Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the Lord’s Prayer, the Great Commission

Jesus participated in these on earth
and extends these invitations of participation
to all those who believe in Him

different church traditions and denominations have forged
different views about these over history, leading to division

and in all honesty, i haven’t contemplated these
discrepancies among denominations too deeply

in the name of unity, and participation in the body of Christ with my brothers and sisters,
i have attended churches with varying doctrinal views on baptism and communion

but recently i have been wrestling with this question of healing
and in my desperation, my despair, my brokenness
physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually,
i started to reckon with this concept of participation in Christ’s work

through research, and reflection on God’s word, i have had a revelation
on the holy, sanctifying, healing act of Holy Communion, the Eucharist

the Lord’s Supper was the institution of a sacred invitation to union
this act itself is more than a commemorative act, but a transformative one

it is a powerful act of remembrance, redemption and revelation
Jesus partook in the giving thanks and breaking of bread
immediately before and after his death and resurrection

when he teaches us to feed on his body (Bread of Life)
and drink of his blood (Sacrifice on the Cross)
we are provided with a framework for participation

by partaking in his death and life, we are invited to receive eternal life
that which truly satisfies the deepest longings and desires of our soul

Jesus is extending this invitation to us
to truly enter into, to join with
God’s redemptive, creative work

“so Jesus said to them, “truly, truly, i say to you, unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. whoever
feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and i will raise him
up on the last day. for my flesh is true food, and my blood is the true drink.
whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and i in him”

[john 6:53-56]

resurrection life is available to us, in Jesus

by partaking in his body and blood
we are invited into abiding atonement

instead of eternal separation
we can receive eternal life

but God is not only a God of redemption
but of revelation, compelling us to respond

revelation is an act of both the seen and unseen,
it is an invitation to see differently,
to have our eyes opened, our vision changed,
our lives transformed by how we interpret the world around us

Jesus is the pillar, the vessel, the Messiah,
the One and only way to truth and eternal life,
and He invites us to see things differently

by participating in his sacrifice, his death and resurrection,
we too can be delivered from death and darkness into life

by partaking in his power and nature, in his body and blood
we too can be be set apart from the world and sin

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life
and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to
his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his
precious and very great promises, so that through them you may
become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from
the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

[2 peter 1:3-4]

this partaking of the body and blood is such a controversy and topic
of division in the church today denominational differences can lead
to a lack of unity, but also a lack of clarity, and an inability to see clearly

Jesus throughout scriptures introduces this act to us as an invitation into
his presence, but also as an invitation into eternal redemption and union

there is power in the name of Jesus, and in
the blood of the lamb, the body broken for mine

his brokenness, his blood, was spent
not for a symbolic cause, a divine inspiration, a creative expression
no. his body and blood represent the unseen being seen,
the physical transforming the spiritual
the natural becoming supernatural

his sacrifice was the fulfilment of all sacrifices
the ultimate sacrifice, for our sins
to remove our separation from God
that we might receive access, relationship

it is a spiritual mystery, our physical minds cannot conceive
how we are to feed and drink on Jesus’ body and blood
how we are to abide in, participate in, God’s presence

.

maybe like me, you haven’t know what you believe about communion
you haven’t formed a doctrinal conclusion, or received a conviction

recently i was blessed with clarity and conviction on this
but only after deconstructing this doctrine, listening to early church fathers,
appreciating the Catholic and Orthodox sacramental views,
and diving into the scriptures for myself, asking the Spirit for wisdom

i’d encourage you to read the scriptures for yourself
[luke 22, john 6, 1 corinthians 10-11, acts 2]
and ask God to speak to you, ask His Spirit to reveal to you
what his purpose and intention is for this act

also look to his church, the bride of Christ
look to what those before you have believed, and wrestle well in community

where i have mostly landed aligns to my upbringing, and
my baptism and confirmation in the Lutheran church

while i love Catholicism’s framing of communion as a sacrament,
a sacrament being a visible sign of invisible grace
i do not agree with the views on transubstantiation,
but more of the perspective of Lutheran sacramental union

“we commune with the saints who have gone before us and with other Christians
around the globe who gather at our Lord’s table. the uncontainable presence,
grace, love, forgiveness and mercy of Christ come to us in simple bread and wine.”

[living lutheran]

.

this is a divine reckoning, working through doctrinal reasoning
humanity loves to grasp for understanding and knowledge
to formulate arguments and opinions about God (and against God)

we may not ever receive full understanding
of the ways and works of God this side of eternity
but his Spirit delights in truth, in revelation, in correction

personally, i have to believe that this act of communion is more than symbolic, but sacred
i have to believe in the divine healing and deliverance available in Jesus’ sacrifice
i have to believe that the same power that rose Jesus from the grave is still at work

i do believe that we are called to remember Jesus’ sacrifice,
but i also believe that we are invited to participate in His sacrifice

just as Jesus entered into our brokenness, received our humanity,
bore in his body the penalty for our sin, satisfied the cup of God’s wrath

so too are we to enter into communion, and receive Jesus’ body and blood,
to drink and eat, participating in the grace of God towards us, the gift of union with God

“communion”

this is not only about remembrance or symbolism
this is an active response to our salvation

we share in Jesus’ sacrifice and offering,
as he shared in our humanity

communion is an act of presence,
of embodied union with the incarnate Christ

as Ignatius of Antioch argues, denying that the Eucharist
is Christ’s flesh endangers belief in the incarnation

do we believe that Word, the Son of God, the Lamb of God,
became flesh and dwelt among us? [john 1]

do we believe that God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life? [john 3:16]

the Passover meal Jesus shared with his disciples was not a new tradition
the Passover was celebrated by God’s people throughout history as a covenant participation

Jesus shares the Passover with his disciples, and fulfils the Passover, declaring a “new covenant” [luke 22:20]
he is the ultimate Lamb, slain as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world [john 1:29, 1 corinthians 5:7]

if you read about this Passover lamb, that was slaughtered [ezra 6:20], you will notice that the people also
ate the lamb, separating themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord [6:21]

so historically, the Passover lamb was not just sacrificed, but eaten
this teaches us about the framework of covenant participation

for some reason, i have mistakingly believed or imagined that the
Passover lamb was sacrificed, offered, given, and surrendered to God
untouchable, because of it’s deemed purity and atoning qualities

but no, this sacrifice was given to the Lord, and then…

… there was a participation in the sacrifice!

i’m sure this is not revolutionary for many Christians

… of course they ate the lamb, why would they waste it?

but to me this only echoes to my heart, stirs in my spirit,
the sacred meaning of this act and invitation into communion

Jesus invites us to participate in a new Passover

by partaking in the giving thanks, breaking of the bread, and drinking of the cup
we remember his sacrifice, but we also celebrate in the salvation it brings

God’s people, historically during the Passover feast,
participated with God in this union, this sacrifice

the time of passover was a time of remembrance of God’s promise
to pass over those who were marked by blood of the lamb

so too does the act of Holy Communion hold this tension
of both remembrance and an invitation to participation

in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ invites us to feast
on Him, with Him, and through Him
for He is the Bread of Life, He is the Lamb that was slain

we are invited to participate in his body and blood, joining with Him,
and fellowshipping with those who also know and love Him

if you think i’m overdoing this concept of participation
… remember the language of C.S. Lewis, on desiring to be:
united with, passing into, receiving, becoming a part of
something greater than ourselves, someone?

God designed us, created us with this very desire
and He also provided the fulfilment of this desire

Paul makes a much more compelling argument than me in 1 Corinthians 10,
where he directly speaks to this, to the relationship between the Passover feast
and the Passover meal, and the institution of communion as we know it today:

“the cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake in one bread.
consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?”

[1 corinthians 10:16-17]

the language of participation is important, this Greek word is “koinoia”
this word cannot be directly translated to English, but is commonly associated
to words like communion, fellowship, joint participation, or sharing

koinoia is what we are called to, to participate in Jesus’ body and blood

to not just be His witnesses, but to be a part of His body (participation) [1 corinthians 12:27]
to not just feed on Him, the bread of Life, but to feed His sheep [john 21:15-17]

there is redemption and revelation, and then a responsibility to respond

salvation is an invitation to take part in God’s plan and purpose for all humanity
God’s kingdom sets us apart, and joins us to God’s kingdom rule
we share in this new eternal identity and reality for our lives, which transforms how we live in the temporal

however, this concept of participation in the divine can be a tightrope

Eastern mysticism would love us to believe we can aspire to divinity
but koinoia gives us the framework, the invitation to share in God’s divinity

through the trinity, we understand there is a deeper mystery at work
we do not have the language in our physical reality to describe this spiritual reality

but we are invited to share in Jesus’ work on the Cross
and we receive by faith the Spirit of the Living God

believing that communion is an invitation to not only remember,
but to participate in Jesus’ body and blood, aligns to Paul’s teaching
for how else is he able to so boldly proclaim: “i am crucified with Christ”
and “i am raised with Christ”, if he has not participated in the work of Jesus?

this is about an active union and participation in God’s redeeming work
we receive this gift of salvation, and we also are invite to partake in this gift

in the act of communion, Jesus’ body and blood become a metaphysical reality;
the unseen reflected in the seen, the seen revealing the unseen

this is a holy act of union, the architecture of the trinity on full display:
where God’s creative and redeeming nature is at work,
the Spirit’s power and revelatory nature is at work,
the Son’s atoning sacrifice and deliverance proclaimed

in the act of the Eucharist, we are invited into the presence of the living God

we are temples of the living God, and we receive in communion Jesus’ sacrifice,
the atoning blood of the lamb that was slain for us, that purifies us

only with pure hearts and minds can we see God
and we can only see God, know God, and be in relationship
with the Creator of the entire universe, through Jesus’ blood

what can wash away my sin?
what can make me whole again?
nothing but the blood of Jesus

His body and blood, given for us, is what enables us to have access, the veil torn, to God

we can have relationship with our Father! we can receive revelation from His spirit!

Jesus is the vessel, the pillar, the way. He purifies our vision, our sight
that we may belong not to this world, but to His kingdom
that we may see His father’s hand and power at work in this world

.

so although this post was a tangential reflection
from cylinders to communion
the last and final word goes to Christ

He is the cornerstone, the centre all creation
He is the divine inspiration
He is the vessel, the way to partaking in Beauty himself
He is the Bread of Life, inviting us to feed on Him
He is fulfilment of our longings for true fellowship, belonging, and union

xx

helpful resources:

“what we believe about communion” – influence magazine

“the Lord’s supper” – the gospel coalition