kelsey -architecture and cash registers

A couple posts ago I talked about the cool architecture of the Japanese gates and the French church, and I wanted o revsit the idea of architecture again as a whole. I had mentioned that I normally dont see architecture as a means of seeing or Experiencing God, but i realized that this definitely changed when I went to Europe. When I was in Europe, the architecture seemed so intricate and beautiful I could get a better glimpse of how it was an art form that portrayed God. When I was in Italy, I actually started to enjoy looking at buildings and seeing how beautiful they were. Architecture has gone down hill I think because I feel that it, at least where I live, has just become something that serves a functional purpose and lacks any inspiration. I was just talking to my friend the other day about a similar instance, but about a cash register. It might sound insignificance, but in a commercial for a movie based in a Victorian time period, there was a cash register pictured that was very ornate and beautiful. A lot of artifacts from that time or previous times in general very ornate and beautiful even just brushes or letter openers. But today, like with buildings we just make things for a use and don't want to spend the time or money on or even care on making them look good too. Why cant everything be a piece of art that conveys the beauty and presence of God? Instead its all cheap ad convenient with a complete lack of concern for its aesthetic quality.

kelsey - my favorite class ever

The drum circle we participated in a couple weeks ago was my favorite class of almost all of school. I really like how there was a direct intent to lose your own thoughts and concerns and to feel the music and the beats and participate with it as well as the other people who were interacting in the event. Much like dance, music has a very surreal power that just seems to go past your head and thoughts and interact with your soul. I think that van der Leeuw was right to put music as the interaction with the spirit of God because it less of a depiction and lesson and more of a feeling and bond. Although I thought it was interesting that dance was considered more of a drama in his book. While that makes sense in that much like drama dance acts out patters and events and ideas from life and conveys them in an abstract manner, I still feel that unlike drama, and more like music...maybe because it involves music, dance also had the property of being able to lack structure and be a free flowing movement.

kelsey - dance

One of my favorite forms of art in dance. I really wish I could dance, because when you watch someone dance it really conveys emotion and meanings in ways that it hard to describe but you can feel non the less. And I can only imagine that if it feels that way to watch a really good dance, it must be a really powerful feeling to actually be able to dance it. Something about the movement of you body in the rhythm of something outside of it...releasing your control to interact with it...has an almost humbling yet overpowering effect. One of my favorite things about art is alot of times it serve no other purpose than to draw out or convey emotion or meaning or simple praise. Especially art used in the worship of god, it is so moving to see something with no other purpose than pure worship. I think that is one of the things that makes art such a powerful display of God and life.

kelsey - Japanese doorways

I cant remember now who presentation it was, but the one about the Japanese doorways was really interesting to me. At first it seemed strange, but then I really started to think it was a cool creative idea. Its funny how something so simple and seemingly so un-complex can have so much meanings and history behind it. I really like the idea of interactive art that engages you in its meaning. I especially loved the one that looks as if its just floating out on the water. Not only is it simply a visually interesting piece, but it makes you stop for a second and make you think about about it and it intrigues your mind. I also never thought of architecture as having religious meanings before, which is something that iv learned from this class. While the piece has obvious meanings, in general i normally don't look at buildings and think about how they might be communicating something about life and God.

Kelsey- Lindsay's presentation

I really enjoyed Lindsay's presentation on the church in France. I cant remember the name of it now but when i was in paris last week and went to the eiffel tower i kept thinking about her comparison between the two. Its really cool to see an accidental (i think it was an accident) metaphor between the juxtaposition between the two buildings. Both close in height and two of the tallest things but one made by man, almost saluting his power and progress, while the other the house of God. Not tall on its own but made tall by the God made hill sitting underneath it. Kind of like how we think we can do things on our own and tend to try to make ourselves tall if you will. But christians aren't concerned with being prominent or successful but are made so by God and on the end their success is glorifying to Him. Just like the Church might not be tall or very prominent, but through God it is made to have a great view and be something that stands out. And just life christians they do so in a way that points the Lord- giving glory back to god.

The Loreto

The Loreto
Lauren Brooks
The other day Brooklyn and I ventured out on our own to examine this church and famous pilgrimage site. It was by far one of the weirdest and most interesting places I have been to so far in Prague. Looking at it afterwards it still feels like a very mysterious place. I don’t know where to begin. The Loreto is an Italian term and means the house where the annunciation of Jesus took place, it originated in Italy and when Christianity spread throughout Eastern Europe many replicas of these houses were built to help sway people to the Christian faith. All throughout Eastern Bohemia these churches sprang up and were very important in pilgrimages of the faith. It is connected with the Capuchin Order of Monks who still care for the chapel. It is widely by tourists for 2 main reasons, the immense collection of expensive jewels and the carillon bells.
Brooklyn and I had the chance to experience this amazing place and by far the most interesting exhibit were the immense and expensive jewels they had. The most expensive piece they had is called the Diamond Monstrance which features over 6,000 diamonds. This piece is only used on very very special occasions; the last time it was used was 1999 for a pilgrim celebration, over 300 years after it had been made. This room was literally blinding with the amount of jewels that these cups, altar pieces and crucifixes contained.
While I appreciate the splendor and the praise that these pieces of art were made for I also wonder where the line between worship and over-indulgence concerned in art is. The “gaudiness” of some of these pieces I really question? Couldn’t we hawk a bunch of these goblets, chalices, and altarpieces and feed like a third world country or half of Africa. I mean why do we need all this ornamentation, I don’t picture God as the kind of person who would want that gaudy chalice or altar piece, I think his focus would be on feeding the hungry, I mean isn’t that what our focus should be in being “like Christ”? Just something to think about the next time your church wants a new stain glassed window…

St. Cyril and St Methodius

St. Cyril and St Methodius
Lauren Brooks
On Saturday I visited an amazing church in Prague. This church has witnessed the occupation of 2 different countries and still stands today. The paratroopers who assassinated Rienhart Heidrich hid out in this church crypt until they finally committed suicide rather than be taken by the Germans. These five men faced over 800 German troops and multiple attempts to be captured and were national heroes in the face of the Germans. Unfortunately, with the death of such an important man in Hitler’s regime retaliation was necessary and the town of Lidice was flattened to the ground. I find it so hard to believe of all the sacred places in Europe that were destroyed in the name of War. I think it’s so poignant that the troops sought refugee in a church. I mean that is what the actual building of a church is supposed to be; a place where people come when they need help, guidance, and support. It’s hard to see so many of these historically rich buildings, pieces of art, and so much more that was destroyed because of hate and violence.
I am so amazed everyday at the amount of history that the Czech Republic is involved with and America has no idea! It doesn’t seem fair that many times America was so close to being able to help and unfortunately the Russians came and ruined everything. Learning all of this new information has made me want to continue being informed with European issues and even begin to look into different political, social, and economic news.