Rite 6: Creative Arts
Music, Poetry, Visual Arts
Drawing: Draw or even cartoon to take away the power of the voices in your head, the person who told you____. Exaggerate their features into a grotesque comedic caricature. Cartoon takes away their power and shifts the feeling to ridicule or disgust. Keep the drawing handy so that in times of returning burden, can pull it out and use to dissipate the power of that burden. Or consider drawing the person you are, in your core/essence (or hope to be when at your best!): dress your image in hero/shero clothes, conquering your negative thoughts. That hero is available to protect you from____. Re-imagination can be augmented and crystallized in illustration: consider re-drawing faith images and stories. The Good Shepherd is smiling to hold the lamb and holds it close to chest instead of on shoulders. The Shepherd is female. Or a lamb alongside you. Imagine God waits for your prayers with intrigue and excitement instead of slight or to complain.
Music: Return to a hymn which speaks of forgiveness and laying down burdens; and you might feel even more comfortable updating the lyrics to be more life-giving. Reminder that hymns are not Scripture and, even more so than Scripture, were very contextually composed and can, therefore, be updated. You might also find a contemporary song which champions your core being.Play it anytime you slip back into the guilt, etc. If you are so inclined, write your own song/poem talking back to the voices which condemn you and championing your strength and God-given essence.
How lovely to think that “God waits for our prayers w/ intrigue and excitement”. I feel like that opens my heart to deeper, fuller, and more grateful thoughts about the power of our collective prayers.
The Parable of the Good Shepherd was one of my absolute favorite stories to teach when I was a children’s minister! Listening to the children wonder and play with the story afterward was always so life-giving.