SERVICES
Another
often neglected gift, CRAFTSMANSHIP, served the church well for
centuries. It is the extraordinary ability to use physical materials
and artistic skills to create, mold carve, sculpt, draw, design, paint,
repair or photograph items necessary for spiritual nurture, faith
development, and caring ministries.
Charles Bryant, Author
REDISCOVERING OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
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I
started crafting bookmarks from ethnic fabrics and in the shape of
stained-glass windows in 1993. The window shape pattern, I have recently
figured-out comes from the stained-glass windows in the church of my
childhood, Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Louisville, Kentucky. As an impressionable child, I spent many Sundays during the worship services staring at those beautiful stained-glass windows and trying to figure out the symbols and stories being depicted. I realized from my church school lessons that the figures, birds, and lettering were important even though I don't recall anyone ever explaining the images in the sanctuary stained-glass windows. My preoccupation with those windows helped me to be a well-behaved child in many of the "too adult for me" worship services.
In
retrospect, I think my memories from those worship services influenced my
creative energies and they have resulted in my cutting the same pattern
repeatedly from many different fabrics for all the bookmarks that I have
made. What
has resulted? Hundreds of bookmarks from beautiful
fabrics that have become gifts to my friends, relatives, and
students both at Howard University Divinity School and at
numerous workshops, seminars and classes that I have taught to
my Christian brothers and sisters in several denominations. Usually
the fabric is selected by themes, liturgical seasonal colors, book cover colors, or just because I like the
fabrics. So far, I have always been able to match the bookmark
to the gift giving occasion. One
semester, at the suggestion of one of my students, Velma Fleming, M.Div.,98',
I started affixing fabric name labels onto the bottom back portion of my
bookmarks. So, as a visual reminder of our faith and love for Jesus
Christ, I offer samples of my craftsmanship-my spiritual gift. Jacqulyn
Brown Thorpe, Lecturer
Howard University School of Divinity |
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New fabrics are available! Contact Jackie Brown Thorpe by email for price and availability. Actual Size: 2 1/2 " by 8 1/2 "
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