Women’s History Month continues as we celebrate the profound contributions of women in hymnody, art, and sacred music.
Spotlight on Cover Art: Under God's Wing
This week’s bulletin cover features Under God's Wing, by Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity, Acrylic on raw canvas with digital drawing, inspired by Psalm 27.
The beauty of the psalms is that they are personal; they are prayers that are honest, desperate, and undeniably human. The psalms remind us that theology is not just something we think about—it’s something that we live. Scholars think the author of this psalm may have been seeking asylum in the temple, fleeing persecution. Learning that contextual detail expanded the psalm for me—it was no longer just my personal prayer, but the prayer of someone fighting for their life. The day I began working on this image, I learned that 40 Afghan families would be seeking refuge in the city I call home. With that in mind, I read the psalm again, imagining the words spoken from the lips of one forced to flee their home. When I finished the psalm, I gritted my teeth and prayed my own desperate plea: “Please, make it so, God. May your protection expand to everyone. Please.” I invite you to read the psalm again from a similar vantage point. When you do this, how does your faith grow fuller? How does this impact your sense of who God is? When I began this image, I drew a young boy peeking out from the open folds of a canvas tent in a refugee camp. I added rugged stones lining the bottom hem of the tent, holding the flimsy fabric in place. But then I felt compelled to turn the tent flap into a wing with feathers lined in gold. At that point, all the details of the boy’s setting no longer mattered. I erased them from the scene. I saw clearly the promise of this psalm: you are under God’s wing. May you dwell there, surely and safely, all your days long. by Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity
A Sanctified Art: Creativity as Worship
Throughout Lent, which began this past week on Ash Wednesday, much of our liturgy and artwork comes from A Sanctified Art, a female-founded, women-led creative team dedicated to making worship an imaginative, justice-driven, and deeply inclusive experience. Their work is grounded in the belief that all people carry the imprint of the Divine Artist, and their resources help congregations engage scripture with curiosity and creativity. Their core values emphasize:
The unique creativity of all people, reflecting the image of God.
The inherent goodness of every person, affirming the dignity of all.
The transformative call of the gospel, leading to justice and wholeness.
Worship that engages our whole being, drawing on mind, body, heart, and soul.
Learn more about their work at sanctifiedart.org.
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