Spiritual | Chris Cook Artist

Nativity

With the first Sunday of Advent behind us, and the supply of leftover turkey and dressing dwindling down, the coming of Christmas is becoming more and more real as the days go by. For those of you who aren’t keeping count, Christmas Eve is 3 weeks from today! This is the perfect time of the year to begin to reflect, recall, and remember all that took place in the months before. The Calendar year is drawing to a close, and the Christian year is just beginning. Whether we like it or not, Christmas is coming; December 25th will come just like it always has. The time is now for us to begin to prepare…

Prepare our minds – try to clear our heads of the stress and chaos of bouncing from one family event to the next. To cope with the increased traffic, larger crowds at stores, psyching ourselves up for “that” family member and their comments and conversations around the table.

Prepare our homes – Cleaning, hanging lights, putting red bows and greenery on anything that will stand still long enough, baking sweets and goodies to be prepared for those drop in guests, finishing up that “honey do” list before everyone comes over for the big dinner.

Prepare our hearts – Advent is literally defined as “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event”. As Christians, it is a time set aside for us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ into the world. We focus on Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love….all of which Christ brought into the world when he was born in that manger.

Nativity scenes are rampant in homes, businesses, and town squares this time of year. Depictions of cattle, sheep, wise men, the manger and barn, Joseph, Mary, and the baby in the manger. It is a familiar scene for most of us, but it serves as a great reminder for us of the humble entrance that our Savior made into this world some 2000 years ago.

Chris’ wife Robyn asked him to paint a nativity scene for their home last year. This painting was the result that came. I like the way that he shows the stable distant and separated from the rest of the town. It reinforces that there was no real room for the family as they came into the busy town of Bethlehem. No real preparation or “getting ready” for them at all. It’s a great reminder of the gift that God gave us, even when the world hadn’t prepared a place for her King.

My hope is that this, and every year, each of us will be able to slow down, reflect on the blessings, and prepare a place in our hearts for the coming of Jesus into our lives, just as he came into that Bethlehem stall years ago. May we seek him out, like the wise men did, worship him, as the shepherds came and did, and hold him close to our hearts, much like I am sure the Virgin Mary did on that first night.

Chris Cook is a premier southern artist and owner of Madison Studios, a web design, maintenance, and e-commerce and marketing company. For his artist biography, contact information, or to view more of his work, click HERE.

Peter Leaves the Boat

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

In the middle of the storm, he himself standing on the waves, Jesus looks to the disciples as they huddled in the middle of the boat in fear. He encourages them not to be afraid because it is him. Peter, probably shivering from fear and soaked to the bone, calls out to his Rabbi, “if it is you, let me walk out on the waves to you”. In the middle of the chaos of the storm, he wanted so badly to be near Jesus, that his first thought was “let me walk out to you on the waves in the middle of this storm”. He takes the steps out onto the water, and for a moment in faith and time, a mortal man is walking on water with Jesus.

This painting captures that first moment out of the boat for Peter. The waves, chaotic and wild, splashing over the side of the boat, are somehow supporting him as he ventures out towards Jesus. The boat, representative of the safety and security of what Peter knew and was comfortable with, lies in the background. Peter still has one hand on the boat, taking advantage of that last moment of reassurance as he tests the waters and takes his first steps; his eyes are fixed on his Lord.

I love the way that Chris has pictured Peter in this painting. He is technically out of the boat, but still clinging for that brief moment to what he knew. So often, in the midst of life’s storms, we can be like Peter. We fix our eyes on Jesus, hear his voice bid us to come to him, take the step out onto the crashing waves, and leave that one hand holding onto the boat, just in case. We cling to what we think we know as safe and secure because we refuse to take a few steps in faith towards the ultimate source of all peace and comfort. We let the chaos and spray of the storm keep us too close to the boat.

The command the Jesus gave was simple, “don’t be afraid” and “come”. That’s all Jesus asks of us. No matter how tough life can be, how hard the wind howls, and how high the waves crash. He simply says for us not to fear because he’s there. Once we’ve relinquished the fear, we can act with boldness and authority. We, like Peter, can step out into life’s storms and walk towards our Lord and Savior, knowing that he is there with us in the middle of all of the wind, rain, and noise.

May we all have the courage to seek God’s presence and hear his voice in the midst of life’s struggles, like Peter did.

…But Now, I see…

He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

So often, as I contribute to this blog, I get caught up in the subject matter and forget that it’s an artist’s blog. Chris has such a tremendous gift for capturing moments in time on his canvasses that it becomes easy to be absorbed into the subject matter, and nearly forget the skill and beauty of the process that went into the creation of the painting. The beautiful southern landscapes, many of which were either drawn from memory or a quick sketch that Chris made during his travels, evoke thoughts of the simplicity and beauty that surround the pastures, barns, and country roads that he illustrates. The expressions and feeling that are captured in many of his spiritual paintings can nearly transform the viewer back in time to sights, sounds, and emotions of the moment in history.

From a technical standpoint – Chris tells me that this painting was done with acrylic paint, mostly with a palate knife. This allowed him to achieve the texture of this painting that I find fascinating. It is based on a group of 1950’s California artists, including Elmer Bischoff, whose style Chris saw in one of his many art history books. Immediately when he saw this style of painting, he knew the subject matter that he wanted to use for his creation with that style. As an artist, Chris tries to “Re-use, Recycle, and Re-purpose” themes, styles, and techniques of artwork in a way different from the original creation. Much like his painting of Judas Kissing Jesus, where he blended two different Picasso paintings’ styles into a beautiful expression of Jesus’ betrayal. Chris’ love for art and the creative process lend themselves very well to inspire and motivate him to create ever evolving beautiful portfolio of work.

From a content standpoint – This painting, if you know the story from John 9, screams so much! Like they often did, the religious leaders had set out to investigate Jesus’ healing of a blind man near the pool of Siloam. They wanted to know how and why “this man” had restored sight to the blind man on the Sabbath. They questioned the intentions that Jesus had in healing the man, along with the power with which he did it. They called him a sinner for carrying out a healing act on a holy day of rest. I love the man’s response as they’re grilling him.

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

31We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.

32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

The once blind man only knew one thing about Jesus; once he’d had an encounter with him, he was never the same. His eyes were opened, and he began to see. Nothing else mattered in that moment but the healing and enlightenment that came from Jesus’ touch. The Pharisees were too caught up in the why and the how to experience the true gift of the presence of Jesus in that moment.

I think we could all stand to learn a thing or two from the man whose sight had been restored – once you’ve experienced Jesus’ healing, nothing else really matters. All we need to know is that it happened!

May we choose not to be like the religious leaders, not to get caught up in all of the details and specifics of how, when, where, and why Jesus can come and do his healing work, and simply curl up at his feet and let him do the healing that he came into this world to do!

Jesus’ Baptism:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said,

‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

The inspiration for this painting is the event that, according to scriptures, marked the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry on earth. John the Baptist, a wild eyed, Birkenstock wearing, locust eating prophet had been calling out to the Jews for some time to “prepare the way of The Lord”, and “repent for the time is near”. He warned them to get their lives in order so that they would be ready for the Messiah’s appearance.

One day, around 30 years after the word became flesh, Jesus walks out to meet John at the River Jordan to be baptized. Immediately upon seeing Jesus, John proclaims that He is indeed the Messiah, the sacrificial lamb who would take away the sins of the world. Here before him was the one he had been sent to prepare the world to receive. Everything that he’d done up until this point had lead up to this moment. Jesus, God in flesh, had come to be baptized by a man.

John tells us that in that moment, he saw the Spirit fall on Jesus like a dove. There was a very visible change in Jesus’ countenance after this moment. He was fueled up and ready to begin his ministry here on earth. He immediately began recruiting and ministering to those around him that he would use to help change the world.

I find comfort in knowing that my God spent time here on this earth with humanity; the divine put on flesh and bone to be among us, so that we might know him more.

Chris does a great job of capturing this moment in his painting. You can see Jesus, robed in white to reinforce his purity and “lamb like” qualities. I love that the perspective of the shot isn’t from either John’s or Jesus’ perspective, but rather from the point of view of one who would be sitting on the banks of the river, witnessing our Lord and Savior being baptized, perhaps just as they had been moments before. He depicts John out in the water, expectantly waiting for his messiah to come and be baptized; I can almost feel how nervously excited John must have been in that moment.

There is a large original version of this painting on the wall in the Wesley Building at the First UMC here in Madison. It is positioned so that it is one of the focal points upon entering through the main doors of the building.

In the fiery furnace: By Chris Cook

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.29Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Chris captures the essence of what I think of when my mind goes to the “fiery furnace” mentioned in Daniel 3. The colors that he uses, in conjunction with the texture all around the figures reminds me that, in the story, the three men were completely engulfed into the fire. Nebuchadnezzar’s intent was to have them completely destroyed by this super hot fire for their disobedience. They, unlike those around them, chose to take a stand for their one true God; by doing so, they made a clear statement against the “god king” Nebuchadnezzar”

I’ve often relished the truths that come through this passage of scripture. Standing up for God does quite often mean that we stand against the crowd, and most often some figure of authority. It also means that we will most likely be tested and thrown into the fires of society’s furnace. However, the truth that stands out the most for me is that when the onlookers peered into the furnace, they saw not 3, but 4 figures engulfed by the flames. You see, God didn’t promise to keep them out of the fire, but he did promise that he wouldn’t leave or forsake them, and that he’d be there to protect them. The three men left that fire untouched by the flames, only the cords that were used to bind them were burnt by the flames.

God promises never to leave us, to always be by our side. No matter how hot life’s furnace gets, how much wood or oil people try to throw on the flames, God is there…and there is peace and power in that knowledge.

First Moments of the Temptation of Jesus

1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be temptedby the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Chris Cook uses this painting to capture a very unique perspective on a story that I have heard countless times before. Jesus, having just been baptized by John, retreats to the wilderness to fast and pray before beginning the bulk of his ministry on earth. While Jesus is tired, hungry, and weak from his time in the wilderness, Satan sneaks in to try and seize an opportunity to capitalize on His weakened state. For a moment, Satan thinks he might have the upper hand.

God has always had power, authority, and dominion over all things and all people, Satan included. In the battle between good and evil, God has always been the one in control, regardless of how bad things seem to get. Satan, up until this point has always been the weaker dog in the fight. Seeing Jesus as a hungry, sleep-deprived, weakened man, he moves in to try and assert his power over what he sees as an easy target. For the moment, he feels like he stands a chance against this opponent.

What he doesn’t count in, however, is the fact that although Jesus is fully man, he is also fully God. He is equipped with all of the strength, power, and peace that comes from the Father above. It is through that strength that he is able to counter each of Satan’s temptations. Even in what looks like one of man’s weakest moments, God is still sovereign and absolutely in control.

Chris uses the placement of the figures in this painting in a very intentional way. He places the tempter (on the right) in a higher and more illuminated position than his target. This is meant to illustrate the appearance of Satan having the upper hand in that moment. With his arm extended out offering up the kingdoms of the world, Satan feels like he has power in this moment. This false feeling of control and power are expressed well in the almost arrogant posture that Chris gives Satan in this piece.

I love that Chris was able to capture one moment of this event in this painting. So often we focus on the same parts of Bible stories that we have heard time and time again, neglecting minutia and details that can have a tremendous impact on our understanding and perspective of the stories as a whole. He does a great job of capturing the arrogance and pride that is associated with sin, and the quiet strength that lies in Christ.

Judas Kisses Jesus

When Chris first saw Picasso’s “Portrait of Marie-Thérèse Walter”, with the use of the blue face and yellow lips, his mind immediately went to Judas’ kiss to betray Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Note the similarities in both the color scheme, and the orientation of the hand in the paintings.

Following that thought, it seemed only natural to sample another of Picasso’s works for the expression on Jesus’ face. He chose a painting of similar style to sample from for the painting.

Chris, a self proclaimed “art history buff” likes to utilize various styles of art in his works in order to establish a unique style that can not be pegged into one particular genre. A southern artist, and Georgia native son, Chris infuses a wide range of colors, syles, and mediums in his paintings of multiple subject matters. Many of his paintings are spiritual in nature, but he also pants numerous still life and landscape scenes, in addition to a slew of abstract and figurative works.

I find this picture captivating. Judas seems to have a strange sense of peace on his face. Jesus, knowing what’s in store has a quiet countenance of disappointment at his beloved brother Judas’ betrayal. The real chaos and confusion seems to come from Peter on the left, poised and ready to defend his rabbi, and the persecutors carrying the torch and spear, ready to take Jesus away to those who would condemn him.

For more information on Chris Cook, a premier Southern Artist, click here.

Jesus Heals the man possessed by Legion

When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

When I read this passage, and look at this piece of art, I stop to think about the things in life that torment and bind each and every one of us. Whether it’s visible or not, many of us struggle with things that keep us retreated back away from others, much like the man in this passage. He could not be held by manmade chains or bonds anymore. The pain of what tormented him was so great that he’d retreated to a life of solitude and agony within the burial caves outside of the village. People knew him not as himself, but rather as a reflection of the daemons that tormented his life.

As I continue reading, however, there is a part of this story that pops out at me. Jesus, still some distance away, evokes a response from both the tormented man, and the hoard of spirits within him. The spirits immediately recognize and know who Jesus is, and furthermore, they know that he will interfere with the work of evil that they are conducting inside their host. They resort to begging Jesus not to send them away. They know he has the power to rebuke them and send them away. They’d rather be able to continue tormenting something, even a herd of pigs than to be sent away all together.

What sticks to my mind and heart the most is that the things that torment us, no matter how terrible or painful they are, are subject to the authority and power of Jesus. The spirits and the man knew that he had the power to get rid of the pain and torment. The man knew Jesus had the answer to his problem, and Legion knew that Jesus was the source of their demise. What we need to do is just be willing to let Jesus get close enough to us, in the midst of our pain, and to allow him to call out the pain and draw it out of us like we know he can.

The passage tells us that the man was left “sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane”, and that people were afraid when they saw this. The man wasn’t just better he was completely sane, restored, and made new. May we all rely on Jesus’ power to heal the things that hold us in bondage and cause us pain. May we rest on the truth that he makes all things new, and not just better.

Jed Hanes

For more information Chris Cook, a premier southern artist, click HERE.

A man’s soul:

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Mark 8:36-37 NIV

I find it funny that in all of science and technology, the entirety of modern medicine, there is one thing that we can not put our fingers on. The one thing about human beings is that we are created with a Soul. The soul, our breath of life, our will, our self, our individuality…what truly makes each and every one of us unique.

Science could, as far as I know, engineer a life form from a group of cells and genetic material. But one thing that they can not replicate is the soul of a human being. I believe that this, among a host of other indications, is great testament to the creator God that breathed breath into each of our lungs. He made each of us in his image with a specific purpose for our lives. Our soul, “psuché” in the Greek is, in my opinion, the mark of what makes us God’s glorious creation. It set’s us apart from all other created things. It is a quality that makes us…us.

Jesus warned that if we gained everything in the world, yet forfeited our souls, then we would gain nothing. There is nothing in this world that could possibly replace the peace and comfort of a relationship with the Father, through the Son, and being able to say “it is well with my soul”.

I think that another way of saying this might be felt in these words.

“You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.”

May we never lose sight of our soul, and the glorious gift from above that it is from our Father in heaven.

Jed Hanes

For more information on Chris Cook, a premier southern artist, check out http://www.chriscookartist.com/bio.html.

Men of Galilee:

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,

will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Imagine this – you are one of the disciples…one of the few who have spent the last few years of your life devoted to following THE ONE, the Messiah. Your rabbi, who you have seen raise men from the dead, walk on water, heal the sick, drive out daemons, and feed thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish has just ascended into the heavens (bear in mind that this is taking place about 40 days after he died & was resurrected).

So you and your fellow disciples are left standing there staring up at the heavens…perplexed about what should come next. Where do you go? What do you do? How do you begin to move on? Lucky for us, the two men dressed in white give us a promise of His return, and hope for the mean time.

The good news, the Gospel if you will, for each of us is that Christ is risen from the dead. The key for us, just as it was for the disciples is what we do in the mean time. We don’t need to be the ones left standing there, staring at the heavens. We do however, need to follow the examples of the apostles in the days following the ascension. They prayed for God’s guidance, received the Spirit at Pentecost, and began their work as the hands and feet of Jesus’ ministry.

Rather than being complacent, staring at the heavens, and waiting in fear of what could happen, we need to embrace the power He gives us through the spirit and be the ones who share the good news of the resurrection and all of the joy and peace that comes with it. We should be like the apostles and continue to share Jesus’ love and power with all those around us until the day of his return.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Let us look for Jesus, through the power of the Spirt, by the grace of the Father, through service and fellowship with one another.

-Jed Hanes

For more information on Chris Cook, a premier southern artist, visit http://www.chriscookartist.com/bio.html.