Along the border of this page you will see a series of photographs by our Artist-in-Residence, Gina Fazenbaker. These were selected to accompany the psalms of Lent under the title "Songs for the Journey." and are hung around the church sanctuary.
                                    Today, there is a renewed appreciation of the important role that the arts can play in engaging us in holistic worship, worship that involves all the senses. Visual arts, in particular, can have powerful impact. These scenes, in particular, remind us that the most familiar views of our everyday round are "charged with the grandeur of God" (Gerard Manley Hopkins).
                                    Here is more information about the texts and the artist:

                             Three of the Psalms appointed for the Sundays of Lent in this year are songs of David (16, 19, and 25); two are from later writers (107 and 119). The prayers they express range from appeals for help (16, 25) to contemplation of the mighty works of God in nature (19), among humans (107) and in the Law (119), which comprises not only the commandments but also the history of God's redemptive work from the Exodus to the entry into the Promised Land. These are prayers of ardent desire, both in seeking the LORD as a sure refuge and in committing oneself to His ways.
                                    The first of the texts is not a psalm, but rather a selection from Isaiah 58:5-11, one of the readings for Ash Wednesday. Like the Psalms, it is in poetic form. Although from a later period in history, it summarizes the call of God to which the psalmists' prayers (and ours) give answer. In this selection, the LORD speaks of true worship and true fasting as inseparable from showing love to others. Such compassion is the result of heartfelt commitment to God's way, and in turn, that commitment finds God faithful, a refuge and a source of new life.
                                    These songs, once sung on literal journeys, remain prayers of pilgrimage. For the Christian, the passage through Lent is, year by year, an unfolding encounter with God's grace and holiness, "how wide and long and deep and high is the love of Christ." (Eph. 3:18)

                             Gina Fazenbaker's permanent residence is in Addison, PA, although she is currently attending Clarion University. A 2005 graduate of Turkeyfoot Valley High School, she is working towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, concentrating in Painting. Art has been her passion since childhood. Her interests include creating art, glorifying her Savior, bargain shopping, and spending time with family and friends.
                                    When not at school, she lives with her wonderful parents, two rambunctious younger sisters, and an array of animals. While in Clarion, she is active in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and attends the First Baptist Church.
                                    And to see about how other churches are exploring the potential of visual arts in worship, read a two-part account of one artist's experience in creating commissioned works here and here and visit a new church in Rochester NY that is engaging the congregation in creating new works Click Here