Coffee Houses and Folk Art

The River would like to invite you to join us for a Community Coffeehouse this Friday (October 29th) from 6-9pm at 317 South West Street (The white house across from Culpeper Baptist Church).

It’s an opportunity for people to relax and enjoy an evening of art, music, and poetry.

There will be free coffee (including espresso and Cuban Coffee!) and pastries served. We'll also have a canvas and paint available for people who wish to express themselves through art. There will also be music and poetry readings for those who wish to participate through the open mic.

We invite the Culpeper community to grab a cup of coffee while they enjoy an evening of live music and new friends.

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Visiones Del Pueblo (Visions of the Community)
The work study portion of my financial aid package had me working at the University Art Museum several hours each week during my freshman year. I learned several skills during my time there including how to plug nail holes, paint walls white, use a computer (starting with a Mac Classic, then graduating to the Museum’s PowerBook) and the secret formula for F.I.U. Art Museum punch used solely for exhibition openings.

This was in the early Nineties, well before the Art Museum moved to its new digs on the perimeter of the University Park Campus. The Art Museum back then was simply located on a corner of the ground floor of Primera Casa, the first building on campus.

Part of my duties included sitting at the front desk and welcoming visitors. I spent so much time in the museum itself that I really got to know the space well. The museum was always filled with amazing pieces of art; modern, abstract, photography, sculpture, metalwork, etc.

However, my favorite exhibit by far was “Visiones del Pueblo: The Folk Art of Latin America”, which ran from January 21 through March 19, 1994.

Latin America Folk Art serves many different purposes, but shares a common trait.

A breathtaking variety of bright and bold colors.

So, instead of repainting the walls the usual off-white, we were instructed to paint large portions of the walls with very bright colors. Many cases (which matched the pigmented walls) were brought in to hold the more than 250 objects. And what a variety of objects. Big pieces, tiny pieces, simple ones as well as unthinkably elaborate. The museum was bursting from top to bottom with creativity and color.

Much love had gone into the creation of all of these objects.

At night when we’d turn off the lights and lock the doors, the museum seemed to let out a deep breath and settle down for the night.

Those moments were always special to me. Time seemed to slow down as I looked at the (by now) very familiar pieces of art partially cloaked in darkness.

It was kind of like experiencing twilight.

The bright colors would fade to shades of gray but I knew they’d be back tomorrow with the sun and a new day.

And such it is with life.

As the seasons change, we sometimes lament missed opportunities or mistakes we’ve made. We sit in the gloom and consider ourselves nothing more than gray vapors.

We forget how colorful we have been made.

Just as folk art is lovingly created and is best enjoyed in the full light of day, we too must remember that the night will end and a new day will dawn.
A day filled with new life and new possibilities.

Jesus told us that He came to give us true life. Life that is richer than we can imagine. A life that is energized through His Spirit. A life that boldly loves those who are difficult. A life filled with joy and a life that overflows with the peace that He promises He’ll give us.

Jesus said “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27 NLTse)

Jesus wants us to remember how special we are to Him. Special enough that He gave up His life to take away the sin that stains us all.

Look at the people God has placed around you and marvel at His amazing creativity.

If you feel faded today, where have your colors gone? What would it take for you to shine once more?

Joe

Related Verses
John 10:1-21
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Lamentations 3:18-26
I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.

NLTse