Art and the Church -> Articles Church and Art
Visuals for Worship - C. Stoffel Overvoorde
Not Just for Looks: Practical Suggestions for Choosing Appropriate Visuals for Worship
by Chris Stoffel Overvoorde
In our daily environment we are assaulted by visual images. Most of them are related to our daily "needs" and call attention to what we "could" have or "should" have. When I take a ride, read a newspaper or magazine, or sit down to watch a movie, I am bombarded by such reminders. But when I attend church, I seldom see any kind of visual that reminds me of my spiritual "needs."
In our daily environment we are assaulted by visual images. Most of them are related to our daily "needs" and call attention to what we "could" have or "should" have. When I take a ride, read a newspaper or magazine, or sit down to watch a movie, I am bombarded by such reminders. But when I attend church, I seldom see any kind of visual that reminds me of my spiritual "needs."
In spite of our rich heritage of Christian art, few churches in our tradition alter their worship environments to reflect the different seasons of the church year. Many congregations do not even use church bulletins as a means of visually influencing special services.