Christine McParland
Fine Art, Illustration, and Graphic Design
Visual Art in Worship
This portfolio features work done as part of a visual arts ministry at my home church, Lombard Bible Church. Visual arts in worship bring glory to God by beautifying His house (hearkening back to the original tabernacle and Solomon’s temple), affirming the value of both God’s visible creation and of His local place of worship. Such affirmation of beauty and of God’s house heightens the value of both in the lives of the congregants as well.
Visual art also brings a vital element to worship, collaborating with the music and teaching to engage both the visual and audible senses of the congregation. Thus, worship services become more accessible to visual learners, enhancing the audible tradition rather than detracting from it. Working in conjunction with scriptural teachings, images offer the power of visual symbols to impress truths in the minds of the congregants.
 Lent Banner detailThis detail shows the Palm Sunday image from the 2012 Lent Banner. |  "Be Light" 2012This installation incorporated an original 22"x30" charcoal drawing, which I placed on an easel draped with white lights and black fabric. I then added Chinese lanterns to complete the sculptural installation, emphasizing the missions week theme of "Be Light" as well as alluding to the cross-cultural focus of missions. |
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 Lent Banner 2012 |  Lent Banner 2012I created this banner for the 2012 Lent season, adding an image each week. I rendered the images as well as the text by hand in charcoal and pastel, and incorporated torn paper into three of the four images. I also wrote a verse of poetry to accompany each image, displayed along with the banner and posted on my church's facebook page weekly with each corresponding image. |
 Missions Week 2011The theme for 2011 was "Be Light," portrayed both literally and metaphorically in two- and three-dimensional design. This view is of the front of the sanctuary, as seen from the right side. |  Mask multi-dimensional pieceAnother collaborative effort, I created the mask-shaped posters with simple materials (poster board, acrylic paint, and tissue paper), which were then suspended. Adding a three-dimensional element were the fabric, lights and baskets, designed by another ministry volunteer. |
 Missions Week 2011A sculptural installation incorporating elements symbolic of missions week themes, this was a collaborative effort constructed with light, fabric, baskets, and masks. |  Banner ProcessThis image offers a glimpse of the process of painting the Good Friday banners. I needed to use greater contrast in the flesh tones for artwork that was to be viewed at such a distance. |
 Good Friday BannersI painted these banners with acrylics on paper, which were displayed at the front of the sanctuary for Good Friday as well as for the following couple of Communion Sundays. |
Community art projects bring an additional element to worship, offering congregants a tangible way to participate in worship and the beautification of God’s house. Participating in community art also provides them a deeper sense of ownership of both their worship and their position in the body of Christ. While not everyone is gifted as a visual artist, everyone has creative gifts that bring the users a strong sense of personal value when that creativity is used to bless others and glorify God. The simple yet powerful act provides worshippers an opportunity to tangibly offer a personal and valuable gift both to their church family and to their God.