Community Connection ~ March 30, 2025: Double-Sided Art

The stories we tell in Sunday School during the Lenten season emphasize the duality of Easter - the way in which the sadness of Jesus’s crucifixion and the joy of his return are impossible to separate. This week, embrace the ambivalence and make some double-sided art!

Whether or not you consider yourself an artist, give yourself permission to make something without worrying about whether it will be “good.” You can choose whatever modality you’d like - painting, drawing, poetry, collage…either one you already enjoy or one you’d like to explore. It’s up to you! Consider working in parallel with others, whether or not you are working in the same artistic discipline, to make your art-making a communal experience. Gather your supplies and set aside two chunks of time of the same length, whether it’s ten-minute sessions or hour-long stretches.

During your first session, create a piece of art around either joy or sadness. Let the emotion color (literally, perhaps) your work in every way. During your second session, do the same around the other emotion word. You can begin with either word, though you might feel more comfortable with one or the other - but keep in mind that you don’t need to be comfortable! Part of exploring the dichotomy of Easter is living in the knowledge that you can’t have one part without the other, and that both emotions are, in the end, only temporary.

When both pieces are finished, consider sharing them with each other (if you worked in parallel with others, of course). A favorite guiding question to use as you encourage your fellow artists to share is simply “Tell me about what you made.” And if you don’t have anyone to share your art with, share it with us. We invite you to share pictures with us on Facebook or Instagram or bring your creations with you to church next Sunday - we’d love to see what you’ve made!