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Our world today is what many would consider one of the greatest works of art. God
our creator is regarded by his followers to be the greatest artist of all time. Colossians 1:16
states, “For in him all things were created:*things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;*all things have been created through him
and for him” (NIV. Colossians 1:16). The people of the Lord were created beautifully in his
image with the intent of using their lives to bring glory to God. This paper will delve into the
ways that visual art, dance, and theatre are used by the Church to worship the Lord Almighty.
Fig. 1. Ruth Susen Riley, A Visual Presence, Christ Church Hamilton/Wenham
Visual art in the church is becoming an integral element in enhancing worship. “By
the 1950s, visual art forms in Catholic and Protestant churches, whether in the form of
educational materials, sculpture, paintings, altars, or baptismal scenes, were predominately
representational” (Smith, p. 90). This piece featured above is called “A Visual Presence” and
was created by Ruth Susen Riley on June 8, 2003. “A Visual Presence” consists of over
sixty colored silk banners that stretch from the “Resurrection Window” over the altar to the
back wall of the Nave. Ruth incorporated the colors from the church's stained-glass windows
into her silk banners to create a piece that looks like it emanates from the stained glass itself.
This work was installed for the feast day of Pentecost in Christ Church Hamilton & Wenham
in Massachusetts. Feast Day is a celebration of the Gift of God’s spirit to the church, some
people recognize this as the “birthday” of the church. “The historical Pentecost story tells of
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flames like fire over the disciples’ heads as they were filled with power and emboldened to
speak in Jerusalem of the life of Jesus and the meaning of the recent events that they had just
witnessed (crucifixion, resurrection, etc.)” (The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts, n.d.).
When I look at this work of art I see a celebration. Ruth chooses colors that pull from
the stained glass to*create a cohesive look while highlighting celebratory colors. Fincher-
Rathus brings importance to the use of color, “it is fundamental to our perception of the
physical world and can convey our inner thoughts and moods” (Fincher-Rathus, pg. 45) The
material of the banners was silk allowing them to flow freely and fire-like. I imagine that the
congregation in attendance could put themselves in the disciples' place while flames like fire
danced over their heads. Ruth applied her artistic skills to not only create a beautiful piece of
art but also a conceptual piece that moved the hearts and minds of those in attendance.
Fig. 2. Tempestt Spivey, Liturgical Dance, Bread of Life International Worship Center
Dance in the church has been noted back to the Nineteenth-century holiness camp
meetings. “Physical characteristics included falling out in the Spirit, laughter, and “dancing in
the Spirit” which carried over to the Pentecostal movement at the dawn of the twentieth
century” (Smith, pg. 108). While there are many different forms and structures of dance,
Liturgical dance is the one that I want to bring focus to. Liturgical dance is performed not to
entertain, but rather as a form of prayer and worship. This dance does not necessarily have to
be choreographed, and it holds no true style as you would find in other forms of dance such as
ballet. The photo above features Tempestt Spivey. She explains that when she was a child her
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dance teacher spoke with her mother about discontinuing her dance lessons. It was not until
she began performing Liturgical dance at her church that she found her calling. “It was like I
woke up to my gift,” Spivey said. “I began to do liturgical dance at church, and I’d get this
warm sensation, like a blanket was covering me. That’s when I knew that this was my calling,
this is what God wanted me to do. It grew into a passion and now I see it as my purpose” (God
in Motion: The Sacred Art of Liturgical Dance, 2020). Tempestt performed at Bread of Life
International Worship Center in Rhode Island on Nov 14, 2021. She wears a modest and
flowing garment that does not restrict her movement but rather adds to the performance. By
the time she finishes, the audience is in tears and out of their pews giving her a standing
ovation.
Watching the video behind the photo is truly powerful, Tempestt is dancing to the
song “Enough” and you can feel the power of praise in her performance. As a viewer, I feel
almost entranced by her movements. It reminds me of a verse found in 2 Samuel, “Wearing a
linen ephod,*David was dancing*before the*Lord*with all his might” (NIV. 2 Samuel 6:14).
Tempestt is featured upon the stage in beautiful silk garments dancing with all her might.
Liturgical dance is a powerful form of art that the church uses to praise and worship our Lord
and Savior.
Fig. 3.*Dzieci Theatre Company, The Passion, Christ Church
Theatre is an art form that the church did not quickly accept. There was a point in
also meaningful. I appreciate the fact that this theatre company’s focus is not to receive
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time when Methodist members were banned from attending theatrical performances. When “The
Wayfarer” was written in 1919, the press received a letter from the Methodist church of a notable
endorsement. It states, “The church is beginning to learn that there is a tremendous potential force in the
dramatic presentation of religious themes, and its purposes that men shall see as well as hear
them” (Smith, pg. 47). The use of theatre in the church has evolved and changed immensely since that
point in time. The photo above features a traveling theatre group called Dzieci that performs in various
venues in New York City. This particular performance was in Christ Episcopal Church in New Jersey on
April 13, 2017. The Dzieci theatre group has an interesting mission. Their website says, “Dzieci is an
“experimental theatre ensemble dedicated to a search for the “sacred” through the medium of theatre
Mission). Their performances encompass gender-bending, chanting, keeping names*in Aramaic, and)
shifting the role of Jesus. The picture above actually features a woman in the place of Jesus performing
the Last Supper. The bread and wine were passed to the performers and spread to the congregation to pull
them into the play. During the garden scene, there were no props but rather the swords and spears were
made known by the crew’s body movements. The final scene of the play involves the tomb. The scroll
that they read from to narrate the play was carefully wrapped and presented to the audience as God’s
word. The audience was then invited to come up to the “tomb” to kiss the sacred scroll. In terms of the
performance, it was met with a unanimous reaction by the audience. They felt that they were not only
bearing witness to “The Passion” but rather living it. Blogger and activist Christian Paolino said, “It was
extremely powerful to experience the Passion story from the perspective of 1940s Jews, whose fear and
uncertainty about the future was likely similar to that of Jesus’ close disciples” (Theater Troupe Brings
. (the Passion to Christ Church | the Episcopal Diocese of Newark
Personally, I have mixed opinions regarding this performance. I do enjoy the act of
keeping the Aramaic names and historically accurate clothing. The mission of this group is
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earthly praise but to find something truly sacred to share with the Christian community.
Many people would most likely disagree, but I find discomfort in the genderbending of the
role of Christ. I understand that the message of the group is that anyone could have fallen
into this role, but my earthly mind cannot easily accept this message. Overall, I must
recognize that I was not in attendance during this performance. The congregation's feelings
towards the Dzieci theatre company were filled with worship and splendor. They felt moved
by the performance and drawn closer to the Lord. I believe that the purpose of having theatre
in the church was implemented in this performance.
In conclusion, the church has employed many different art forms for the*use of
bringing glory to God. The first focus was regarding visual art that is used in the church.
Ruth Susen Riley created “A Visual Presence” to bring awareness to Feast Day. The second
art form discussed was the use of dance in the church. Tempestt performs Liturgical Dance in
an act of worship that pulls on the hearts of all in attendance. The final art form discussed
was theatre in the church. The Dzieci theatre company performed “The Passion” to bring the
story of resurrection and revival to the congregation. The one thing that all these artists and
performers have in common is their purpose. They are using their skills to bring praise to the
Lord's name. That is the most important element when involving the use of arts in the
Church.
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Works Cited
“God in Motion: The Sacred Art of Liturgical Dance.” Rhode Island College, 9 Mar. 2020,
www.ric.edu/news-events/news/god-motion-sacred-art-liturgical-dance.
Mission. dziecitheatre.org/about/mission-2.
NIV Bible. “NIV Scripture Search - NIV Bible.” NIV Bible, 4 July 2024,
www.thenivbible.com/scripture-search.
Rathus, Lois Fichner. Understanding Art 11th Edition. Cengage Learning, 2016. E-book.
Ruth Susen Riley, Artist, Newburyport, MA: Gallery — Installations and Collaborations.
www.rsrileyfineart.com/Pages/g_inst.html.
Smith, Anthony Todd. A Creative Church. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2015,
books.google.ie/books?id=ARnssgEACAAJ&dq=A+Creative+Church:
+The+Arts+and+A+Century+of+Renewal&hl=&cd=1&source=gbs_api.
The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts.
www.ecva.org/congregations/resources/christ_church_presence/christ_church_presen
ce.htm.
Theater Troupe Brings the Passion to Christ Church | the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.
dioceseofnewark.org/content/theater-troupe-brings-passion-christ-church.
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