I had the wonderful opportunity to help create the curriculum for the Fall Retreat for the Baptist Women in Ministry (BWIM) with Rev. Dr. Sharyn Dowd. Sharyn is not just my mentor and friend, but the woman who baptized me and discipled me into the Christian faith. The fact that one of the first seminars of Art in the Image took place with Sharyn Dowd was very meaningful for me.
Together Sharyn and I led a devotional creative study and mural creation with BWIM on September 9-10, 2017.
The creative structure of the seminar allowed and encouraged all participants to find images that resonate with their current state of mind, and we used these images to create a mural together. In this process we experienced both growth and worship through art-making and actively naming our emotions, which allowed us to transcend to attain more stillness and peace. This is how we practiced to “Be Still” together in this retreat time.
We used creative methods and the practice of “visio divina” to study art and scripture.
In the 3 sessions we followed the themes of creation, incarnation, and re-creation. The creative path toward spiritual development was truly a wonderful opportunity.
