Illumination, a mural by Sarah Overdorf

Illumination by Sarah Overdorf

The concept of my mural on the theme of ILLUMINATION is taken largely from various verses in the book of Job chapter 38. Here God is speaking to Job because in Job’s suffering he is struggling to understand God’s ways; his goodness and justice. God silences both Job and his friends with stirring poetic language, reminding them of who they are and who God is. These words serve as the backdrop to illuminate our need of general revelation, special revelation, and the Holy Spirit to bring understanding to our sin darkened minds. The purpose of the mural is to help viewers locate the source of all truth as existing in God. Viewers should also understand that our access to truth comes through the Spirit, which is the mind of Christ.

Throughout this chapter in Job, the themes of knowledge, understanding, discernment, and wisdom are expressed and illustrated. Other verses have been added to help trace these themes throughout the Bible such as Psalm 111:10.

Verses from 1 Corinthians 2:12-1 6 are also woven into the mural to provide a more clear explanation of the illumination of the Holy Spirit in our reading and understanding of God’s word.

This mural was inspired by my study of the theology of illumination as well as my classes and conversations with friends here at Moody.

In the beginning was the WORD, where were you?

Job 38:4

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

Isaiah 2:2-4 The Mountain of the LORD

It shall come to pass in the latter days

that the mountain of the house of the Lord

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be lifted up above the hills;

and all the nations shall flow to it,

and many peoples shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.”

For out of Zion shall go the law,

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,

and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore.

Hovering over the face of the waters and let there be light!

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good...

The Cloud

...

I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores, of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die --
For after the rain, when with never a stain
The pavilion of Heaven is bare,
And the winds and sunbeams, with their convex gleams,
Build up the blue dome of Air --
I silently laugh at my own cenotaph
And out of the caverns of rain,
Like a child from the womb, live a ghost from the tomb,
I arise, and unbuild it again. --

Let there be light...

Be the hands...

He's got the whole world in his hands...

Today's Mural Photo

Mural update!

Sarah Overdorf and her sister, Bethany Smith, started working on the mural today.

Sketching, plastering, projecting the globe on the wall, and setting up paint and myriad other supplies set the stage.

We are excited - are you? Check back regularly to see the progress. Lulu He is gracious to provide photo documentary for us!

Mural to be Painted and Reception Re-cap

MURAL TO BE PAINTED

Back in October, a panel of judges selected a mural sketch submitted by Senior Theology Major, Sarah Overdorf, as the winner of our TLM 2011 ILLUMINATION-themed Mural Contest. Her depiction of Job 38 truly illuminated the theological concept. Also accepted as Sarah's senior internship, the mural will not only fulfill her graduation requirements but will also enrich the library experience of those who study and visit the lower level. Sarah plans to spend Spring Break painting the mural. Be sure to keep visiting our blog for updates as well as our lower level to see this piece of art come to life!

PHOTO EXHIBIT RECEPTION

Last Thursday the library hosted a reception for Dr. Wilkinson's macrophotography exhibit "God in the Details." Staff and students were blessed by Dr. Wilkinson's talk regarding the bigness of God, the beauty and detail of his creation, and just his overwhelming glory. Dr. Wilkinson shared stories about his family and how his father encouraged his sons to look under rocks and to pull star fish out of the ocean to examine the wonders of God's world. Thank you's go to Dr. Wilkinson for devoting his time in putting the exhibit together and for speaking.

Guests enjoyed music played by The Skis and were sugared-up by a plethora of oreo cookie packages :)