If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, then a Photo is Worth a Thousand Verses
First Church in Cambridge uses photos to inspire worship and prayer
First Church in Cambridge, Congregational, UCC has a long history of using artistic creativity to enhance their worship, and this past Spring, they called upon another member of their congregation to inspire them with her photographs.
"Our building's architecture, stained glass and seasonal banners, which are common to many churches, are just a few ways that the arts have enhanced our worship for years," said the Reverend Daniel A. Smith.
In fact, some of the sanctuary pieces, the altar table, baptismal font, cross and organ case were designed many decades ago by church member and architect Perry Neubauer. "Our children, through our Children's Worship and Arts program, have led the way in broadening the congregation's imagination all the more when it comes to arts and worship, including patchwork quilts, flags and puppets," he said.
In addition, many compositions for the choir were created by their composer in residence, Patricia Van Ness. Their hymnal has a whole section of hymns written by members and First Church clergy. So when it was suggested to a member, Gaylen Morgan, that some of her photographs might work well in the Sanctuary she felt honored to join a long tradition of artistic offerings and got busy thinking about what she might do.
"My idea was to create an illusion of a window-like opening onto a vast space that would carry the eye out over God's creation. The image would rest just below a set of stained glass windows, and it was my intention that it echo their luminance," she said.
The Board of Deacons and the two church ministers looked over the series and chose two pieces, sized 52 inches high by 48 inches wide. The first piece, entitled 'Waiting' was installed for the Lenten season and could be viewed from late winter until Good Friday. "'Waiting' suggests a window through which you see a quiet sea in the pre-dawn light with a far off and faint horizon. The purples, blues, pinks and blacks of the light seemed to blend into the wall and into the feeling of the season, a time of darkness that moves ever so slowly and magnificently to the new light," said Gaylen.
A second image of the sun bursting through rushing clouds, again through a window, was installed just for Easter Day. Entitled 'Arrival' it worked as an answer to the first image.
Morgan received many positive responses; many people felt moved, quieted and centered by the images. "Just as the congregation was embarking on a Sabbatical time for our Senior Minister and also preparing for the Lenten Season, Gaylen's photo of a pre-dawn horizon was a wonderful match for the mood of the congregation," said Smith.
"For the season of Lent, people could peer into that deep horizon, soak in its fathoms of blues and purples and pinks. The photo was a prayer and an invitation to prayer, wrapped in one. It held the spirit of the season visually, while drawing us all toward a new horizon at Easter. Then, on Easter Sunday, we surprised the congregation with the new and much brighter image of a sun rising over the same horizon. It added a visual complement to the glory and joy of our Easter service."
"Some of the worshippers found the images a form of transformation; some found a sense of comfort or soothing; others did not entirely know what to make of them," explained Deacon Jennifer Wilkes Stuart. "As much as for the first two groups, the project was important for this last group."
"We view our sanctuary space as sacred," she said. "To try new things and to stimulate our senses in different ways is challenging -- but profoundly important. As we open our minds, we find God in different ways, both in community with one another -- as we allow others to share their gifts and celebrate with them their talent and love of God -- and within our own selves; as we engage in different dialogues, learn new words and language and, as a result, we hope, we deepen our faith."
Some of the expense of creating the pieces was covered by money that First Church had set aside for art projects, and some of the expense was absorbed by the photographer.
"For me, these were an offering on several levels," said Morgan. "Financial to be sure, but also I offered this work in a spirit of prayer and discernment in which I asked what would draw people in, rest in harmony with the space and walls, evoke God's presence and the liturgical season. I think of these images as visual hymns."
"The sanctuary is a sacred space in which we are called to use and share our gifts for the glory of God," Smith said. "Aside from the invitation Gaylen received from deacons and staff, there is also an invitation from God, to all of us, to share our gifts, and to let our lights shine."
"We hope to use 'Waiting' and 'Arrival' again, perhaps at other liturgically compelling times," he said. "And we hope their short stay inspired the congregation to continue to imagine the truly endless ways that we can bring our gifts to bear as we deepen our worship, adoration and praise. We are, as the original image suggested, 'waiting', actively, to see what gifts God calls forth next."
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