At the beginning of July, 2026, I looked ahead and saw that I had an eight-week block of time that was cleared for focused work on some writing projects. I wondered: How could I cultivate a space for contemplative art in community?
Personal challenge set: Livestream every Thursday at 4pm with one simple agenda. Choose a scripture and create a piece of contemplative art to experience it.
We did it. Some of you joined me along the way and created some beautiful artwork. You can join in that conversation at The Art Pastor’s Network.
I created a landing page HERE that archives each episode. Here is a quick overview of each session. None of this was pre-planned. It just unfolded, and that is what I think is the coolest thing about the experience. I reflect more at the bottom.
Episode Synopsis
July 10. Exodus 34:6–7 | Character of God
We began at the foundational revelation of God’s nature—gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Laying this ground rule set the theological lens for everything that followed.
July 17. Psalm 139 | Fully Known & Wonderfully Made
Shifting from God’s character to our own identity, we spent an hour in Procreate contemplating the God who searches us, knows us, and weaves us together.
July 24. Matthew 13 | Is Life a Line or a Circle?
We challenged the modern, linear “ladder” of spiritual growth. Looking at Jesus’ parables of seeds, yeast, and soil, we reflected on how God’s Kingdom moves seasonally, mysteriously, and organically rather than on an industrial upward graph.
August 1. Isaiah 55 & Matthew 14 | Twelve Baskets Left Over
Exploring the feeding of the 5,000 against the backdrop of grief, tyranny, and scarcity, we painted the quiet miracle of divine abundance emerging in unexpected places.
August 7. Matthew 14:22–33 | Jesus Walks on Water
Stepping into the storm, we used visual space to explore wind, waves, fear, and the grounding reach of Jesus holding Peter above the deep.
August 14. Matthew 15 | Drawing the Canaanite Woman
We shifted tools—moving to comic layouts in Clip Studio Paint—to explore how sequential art helps us slow down and pay attention. We wrestled with Jesus crossing boundaries and the profound faith of an outsider.
August 21. Colossians 2:7 | Established in Faith
We asked whether faith is a rigid concrete monument or a relational place of safety. Exploring secondary color theology and the Greek concept of pistis (trust), we visualized resting safely in God’s care.
August 28. Colossians 2:6–7 | Rooted, Built Up, Abounding in Thanksgiving
In our finale, we brought together Greek syntax, Roman history, and sequential comic panels (created for Faith Lead Academy) to celebrate a life anchored in Christ and overflowing with gratitude.
My Favorite Thing About This Journey
One of the main reasons I did this was to push back against the mainstrean culture of digital space. I wanted something that was slow, organic, and raw. That’s what livestreaming is in the digital world. You press “Go” on the livestream software and then you are in real time. Mistakes happen. People ask questions in the chat that you didn’t anticipate. And the artwork just emerges.
Final Reflections
Something shifted in the July 24th episode. I had been reading Our Unforming by Cindy Lee and preparing for my courses on discipleship this Fall, so these themes were in my mind. I ended up doing an impromptu mini-lecture on the conflicting views of time in Eastern and Western cultures and how they impact our conception of discipleship. I realized that all the charts I had drawn during the livestream would be lost. So, I did a screen capture from the video and created a storyboard summary of the session.
That became my Friday morning spiritual practice for the remaining weeks. Each Friday I would download the video, create a synopsis of the session, capture screen shots of key moments in the video, and create a blog post. These posts now stand as lessons in discipleship that I (and you) can use in your teaching on discipleship.
Now the summer is over and next week I go back to the weekly rhythms of school.
This 8-week journey was a nice sabbath rest. I hope you find something in it helpful for your continued spiritual well-being.
Join us every Monday afternoon on Zoom for a visual text study of the Revised Common Lectionary and Narrative Lectionary texts for the upcoming Sunday. This is one of the perks of joining the network.
