Disney-Britton

A note from Bankruptcy attorney (per:  crystal@mszlaw.com : Your bankruptcy has been filed.  The case number is 10-14776-JKC-7.  You will also receive a hard copy of your bankruptcy petition at your meeting with the trustee. I have attached the financial management course information.  The course will need to be completed before your meeting with the trustee, which will be set out about 4 to 6 weeks from now.  You will also received a copy of this in the mail with your court hearing notice. Bankruptcy Law Office of Mark S. Zuckerberg, PC, 333 N Pennsylvania Street – Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46204, 317-687-0000, 317-687-5151 (fax)

By TAHLIB Would you believe it if someone told you that Atheists know more about religion than us Believers? That's the finding of a new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life . Other than Atheists, Jews and Mormons did the best but even together they make up a small minority of the nation. It's no wonder American's are so frightened of Islam, when Protestants and Catholics (black, white and brown) don't even know our own religion. It's additional proof that there needs to be a dialogue about religious education in America, about world religions and also about our own. The Alpha & Omega Project for Contemporary Religious Arts  is needed right now.  (Reference: New York Times )

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest O. Britton Inside religious America, atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperform evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics on questions about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions. On average, Americans correctly answer 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions on the survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life . Atheists and agnostics do best, and Hispanic Catholics do worst, but just slightly worst than Black and White Protestants. These are among the key findings of the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, a nationwide poll conducted from May 19 through June 6, 2010. [ link ]

Based on a NPR program yesterday, I now understand that the current Jewish holiday called "The Festival of Booths" is supposed to be "enjoyable". So, it's not surprising that in NYC's Union Square Park an architectural competition of Sukkah's (booths) is being presented. According to a story in today's New York Times , some of the "624 people from 43 countries who submitted designs were Jewish, but others were Christians, Muslims, Baha’i, devout, irreverent, oblivious. The finalists, selected by a panel of architects and designers were plunked in the middle of a crowded park, and all of New York was invited to judge them. More than 17,000 people cast ballots, and Monday night, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the winner." It looks like everyone is having fun, just as intended.

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS The  Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art  are gathering on February 8, 2011 to discuss, "Why have their been no great modern religious artists?" How could that question even be raised? Have they not heard of Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, or Helen Frankenthaler ? The event is hosted by The Museum of Biblical Art in New York City, and I wish I could be there. The deadline for submission of papers is this coming Friday, October 1, 2010.

Pastor Jeff's lesson today was on the perils of prosperity and the story of Solomon. He ended with three lessons for avoiding the rise & fall of prosperity experienced by Solomon (Exodus 3:1-10): 1. Recognize the peril of prosperity. It can lead to a loss of spiritual focus. 2. Understand the purpose of prosperity. It is the opportunity to bless others. 3. Realize what we need from God transcends prosperity. In the end only serenity and purpose matters. AMEN Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

"I pray that my brothers will dare to see themselves as Priests." - JEFF MINER

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS  By TAHLIB Spectrum Jesus Keith Coventry (b. England, 1958) C. 2009 (oil on canvas, wood and glass 68.6 x 58 cm) Collection:  Walker Art Gallery of Liverpool, England

AOA NEWS By Tahlib MINNESOTA - The Dead Sea Scrolls touring exhibition brings perhaps the most important archaeological treasures in human history to the Science Museum of Minnesota . Through the window of an impressive and dignified installation, the artifacts, video and maps give you a glimpse into life in Israel during the famous Second Temple Period. Visitors explore the most recent scientific interpretations from scholars around the world and are invited to draw our own conclusions about who their authors were and how they fit into the foundation of western thought and tradition. It is a not to be missed part of your visit to Minnesota this Fall.

See you in 60-minutes :-)

My friend/mentor sent me this list of places to visit in the Common Wealth of Kentucky: St. Mary's Cathedral- Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky is home to the world's largest hand blown stained glass window in existence. It measures an astounding 24 feet by 67 feet and contains 117 different figures. The world's largest crucifix , standing at sixty (60) feet tall, is in Bardstown (Nelson Co.); and  Shaker Village ( Pleasant Hill ) is the largest historic community of its kind in the United States.

A painting inspired by the work of one of the most ingenious art forgers of the 20th century, is the £25,000 first prize winner of the 26th John Moores Painting Prize. Spectrum Jesus by Keith Coventry has been awarded first place in the competition which this year attracted almost 3,000 entrants. The Burnley-born artist has earned first prize with a painting which judge, Norman Rosenthal, described as “full of ambiguity and contradictions”. Depicting the face of Jesus Christ, Spectrum Jesus is based on Han van Meegeren's notorious forgeries of the 17th century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. The painting is a blue monochromatic image, part of a series rendered in the palette and style of the German Expressionist Emil Nolde. ( Source: artdaily )

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Gregory Disney-Britton MINNESOTA---No journey to Minnesota is complete without a visit to The  Cathedral of Saint Paul . Set dramatically on a hill overlooking the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, the Beaux Arts architecture is inspired by the churches and cathedrals of France, but what you notice from miles away is the dome. The dome is a 120-foot-wide made of curved steel beams, covered with a clay tile surface and overlaid with copper. A copper-clad lantern, approximately 30 feet tall, sits on top of the dome. It's one of the most dramatic of God's Art Museums in the USA.

By GREG DISNEY No journey to Minnesota is complete without a visit to The  Cathedral of Saint Paul . Set dramatically on a hill overlooking the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, the Beaux Arts architecture is inspired by the churches and cathedrals of France, but what you notice from miles away is the dome. The dome is a 120-foot-wide made of curved steel beams, covered with a clay tile surface and overlaid with copper. A copper-clad lantern, approximately 30 feet tall, sits on top of the dome. It's one of the most dramatic of God's Art Museums in the USA. While there we also crossed the river to Minneapolis to see Alec Soth's photo, " Preacher Man ." A photography show exploring the dark questions about religion in America that good art should raise like, "What breaks a man?" The Walker Arts Center's 20-year retrospective of Soth's work is titled, "Alec Soth's America." He's getting nice coverage in the Minneapolis Times Star ...

"Preacher Man" (2002) by Alec Soth Alec Soth's photo, "Preacher Man" explores the dark questions about religion in America that good art should raise like, "What breaks a man?" The Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, is currently showing a 20-year retrospective of his work subtitled, "Alec Soth's America." He's getting nice coverage in the Minneapolis Times Star and Huffington Post ; as well as The NYT Blog . Soth made a reputation with color prints taken with huge old-fashioned cameras that produced 8-by-10-inch negatives he generally processed himself. He is a 1999 McKnight Photography fellowship and was included in the 2004 Whitney Biennial . "Jessie's Prayer Room" (2002) by Alec Soth

The Vatican's Library, which holds some 75,000 manuscripts and over 1.1 million printed books, including some 8,500  incunabula  is  reopening to scholars following a three-year renovation to improve its security.The library houses one of the world's best collections of illuminated manuscripts including the oldest known complete Bible, dating from about 325 and believed to have been one of the 50 bible commissioned by Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Roman leader. The library's doors reopen to scholars today, September 20. ( Source : artdaily )

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS  By TAHLIB Preacher Man Alec Soth (b. Minneapolis, 1969) C. 2002, Photography On View : Walker Arts Center through January 2nd.

According to Ohio's Canton Repository, "Lou McClung’s past life as a handyman, and his present career as a photographer, makeup artist and manufacturer, were perfect preparation for his future as a curator of an unusual museum. The owner of Lusso Studio and Lusso Statuary recently purchased a decommissioned church, 104-year-old St. Hedwig at 12903 Madison Ave., which will serve as the Museum of Divine Statues ." McClung plans for the museum to open this December 2010.

AOA NEWS By Tahlib "Sacrifice III" (1949-57 by Jacques Lipchitz. Bronze, 55” x 40” x 25” LOUISIANA - Jewish sculptor Jacques Lipchitz is considered by many to be the modern successor to Auguste Rodin because of his handling of symbolic themes in an expressive manner and in his preference for modeling his materials over carving. He created the sculpture "Sacrifice III" (above) between 1949-57 reflecting his interest in mythological and biblical subjects. Today it rests in a park in New Orleans. Sacrifice III depicts the Biblical story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac. Lipchitz uses allegory to portray Isaac as the rooster in Abraham’s hands. The ram that was sent to replace Isaac is shown between Abraham’s legs. He worked on various versions of Sacrifice II between 1949 and 1957. These are years that the artist spent in the United States, having taken refuge here during World War II. It reflects his personal experience of persecution and displacement, as w...

AOA NEWS By Tahlib UTAH - The painting above by Rose Datoc, "Clarion Call" 20"x30" was sold as part of Southern Virginia University's 2010 annual art show . Rose is one of several artists featured in a new promotional campaign launched by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The campaign features a new website , television commercials, billboards and radio spots promoting the positive aspects of being a Mormon. [link] .

"For the joy of the Lord is your strength" - Nehemiah 8:10 "Everlasting Joy" (2007) By Brandon Kidder I've not yet met Brandon but I met one of his biggest fans, my Aunt Marva in Ramsey, Minnesota. When I left her home the other day, she gave me one of Brandon's bookmarks with this image (above) and prayer (below) as a blessing for my travels. I hope you get as much out of it as I have. Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God and that you died on the cross for me. I am sorry for my sins. I invited you into my heart and my life. Help me be the person you want me to be. I love you Lord Jesus. Thank you for Loving me. For more information on Brandon Kidder, contact him at http://www.inhisnamedesign.com/ .

Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris, the artist who declared May 20, 2010, " Everybody Draw Mohammed Day " went into hiding under the advice of the FBI. Seattle media reports say she has changed her name, left her employer and basically gone into a "witness protection" program where her whole identity is wiped away. It's all because of a fatwa (decree to execute) issued against her this summer by Islamic extremist Anwar al-Awlaki , a Yemeni-American cleric. On behalf of the religious arts community, our prayers are with Molly.

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS By Ernest Disney-Britton MINNESOTA---The Cathedral of Saint Paul is set dramatically on a hill overlooking the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Beaux Arts architecture, is inspired by the churches and cathedrals of France, but what you notice from miles away is the dome. The dome is a 120-foot-wide made of curved steel beams, covered with a clay tile surface and overlaid with copper. A copper-clad lantern, approximately 30 feet tall, sits on top of the dome. It's one of the most dramatic of God's Art Museums in the USA.

A story that peaked my interest was a tax case on whether an arts center could also be a church. Recently, the Supreme Court of NY ruled that it certainly could when it determined that an artist studio/spiritual retreat in upstate NY was not liable for property taxes because it was also a church.

Below is a brief description of the most common options you should explore if you are behind on your mortgage. Remember, regardless of what path is taken, Lenders can’t help you unless you communicate with them. Reinstatement. Give the bank all of the back payments you owe and start making your regular monthly payment. With a partial reinstatement you generally pay at least one-half of the back payments first and agree to a repayment plan for the rest of what you owe. Repayment Plan. Make your regular mortgage payment plus an additional amount toward the back payments until you are caught up. The plans usually last no longer than 12 months. If you are able to set up a repayment plan, make certain it is reasonable and do not agree to a plan that you cannot keep. Forebearance. The Lender agrees to accept a lower monthly payment or no monthly payment for a limited time. By the end of the forebearance agreement, you must bring the account current. Modification. The Lender agrees to change ...

In First Things , published by the The Institute on Religion and Public Life, Matthew Milliner writes: “The most beautiful painting in the world, ”Raphael’s "Transfiguration", belongs not in a museum but in a liturgical setting, the master of pontifical ceremonies and a scholar of liturgy and sacred art recently declared in the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano , speaking of a painting that now sits is the Vatican’s own Pinacoteca Museum.  “A work of sacred art placed in a museum, even with the best of intentions and perhaps guarded more safely, loses three quarters of its capacity to speak,” wrote Monsignor Marco Agostini. It is a laudable suggestion, but one that raises complicated museological questions. Certainly religious art is at home in a religious setting, but is a call for house arrest consequently appropriate? ( Read: all )

"Pictures about Jesus's childhood, teachings, sufferings and death are--regardless of our beliefs--in a very real sense pictures about us." - NEIL MACGREGOR, Seeing Salvation

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS  By TAHLIB Untitled Peter Howson (b. Scotland) C. 2010, 24ft by 18ft On View :  The Night of the Soul exhibition runs from September 15 to October 9.

THE NEW YORK TIMES By Eric Wilson Ukrainian Fashion Week. ENCOUNTERING the stampedes of skinny people, with their oversize satchels and neon sunglasses, skittering through Bryant Park and on to the meatpacking district and the western reaches of Chelsea, a casual observer might be inclined to ask, “Wasn’t it just Fashion Week, like, yesterday?” It cannot have escaped anyone’s attention that Fashion Week in New York keeps getting bigger (9 days and 264 shows!) and more frequent — five times this year, if you count the pre-fall shows in January, the resort shows in June and a men’s Fashion Week that went mostly unnoticed in July, in addition to the more obvious spring and fall Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks. But in answer to the question, yes, it was just Fashion Week, at least somewhere in the world. (Actually, it was in Tokyo, where Fashion Week ended on Sunday.) [ link ] -- SETEMBER 10, 2008 .

In Clinton, Massachusetts, the history of icon painting is alive and well at the Museum of Russian Icons . Informally affiliated with the Prosopon School of Iconology , based in Whitney Point, NY the museum also occassionally hosts art classes on Icon painting. The small museum was founded in 2006 as a non-profit educational institution by Massachusetts industrialist, Gordon B. Lankton. The collection includes more than 400 Russian icons, the largest collection of its kind in North America, and one of the largest private collections outside Russia. The collection spans six centuries, and includes important historical paintings dating from the earliest periods of icon “writing” to the present.

According to the New York Times , "You can count the number of American public museums devoted entirely to African art on a few fingers." As they searched them out, they uncovered a small museum in an "unorthodox in its setting: a stained-glass-windowed hall attached to a Roman Catholic church." They discovered the African Art Museum of the SMA Fathers which "yes" is rich with African Art but also and perhaps even more important, it is rich with African religious art. SMA is short for the "Society of African Missions", and the museum is located on the order's campus in Tenafly, New Jersey.

A local Roman Catholic deacon has introduced the art of iconography, an ancient practice to aide Catholics in prayer, to a Huntington Beach, California church. Recently, Transitional Deacon Troy Schneider , who is also the artist, presented  St. Vincent De Paul Church  with its first icon – a piece that depicts St. Vincent walking with a child and carrying a baby in his arms.   Icons are religious paintings that depict the gospel, pay homage to the saints and are intended to guide parishioners in their worship practices. Each piece must follow a certain process and strict rules to be labeled a religious icon.

Unaffiliated with any particular denomination, The Buffalo Religious Arts Center of NY collects and preserves religious art from denominations throughout the Buffalo region. Most recently, a group of Friars from a group unconnected to the Catholic church informed them of a set of religious murals stored in a decaying basement. Today, the murals are part of the collection at the Religious Arts Center. The arts center is located in the former St. Francis Xavier Church, in the historic Black Rock section of the city appeals to people, both religious and non-religious who appreciate fine art. Organizers believe the Art Center is one of the first galleries in the United States housed in a former church and dedicated to the preservation of religious art.

An exhibition of 3,500 years of  art and belief  in Norfolk is  being hosted this autumn at  Norwich Castle Museum  and a series of religious art events are taking place at various venues around the county.  The  Art of Faith   exhibition runs from  Saturday 2nd October 2010 - Sunday 23 January 2011.  Religious faith has been the creative force behind works of art throughout history. Without it there would be no pyramids, no Sistine Chapel, and no Tian Tan Buddha. All of us, whatever our beliefs, owe much of our culture, art and history to the faiths of the past and present.  The Art of Faith is an exploration of religious art and history from Norfolk’s many and diverse faiths; including the Viking and Roman settlers, through Judaism and Christianity, to the current population, which includes Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus and Pagans. ( Read: All )

"Bring what you have to the Table" - PASTOR JEFF MINER

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS  By TAHLIB The Friends Marsden Hartley (b. Maine) C. 1941, Oil on Canvas On View : Indiana University Art Museum

Thanks for making the bed. Thanks for printing the manuscript. Thanks for escorting my mom to your grandma's without me today, and thanks for loving me. ERN

By ERNEST BRITTON If you enjoy exploring new God's Art Museums as much as I do, you should also make " Church Rater " one of your online destinations. I visited Cincinnati Ohio's  Come As You Are  sanctuary this weekend and I  posted my first rating on Church Rater. You can do it too, and if more people will add their comments about the visual arts inside it'll prove to be a powerful complement to this blogsite. While in Ohio, I also learned that later this fall, the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) will premiere a groundbreaking exhibition examining the role of relics and reliquaries in the development of Christianity and the visual arts. Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe is the first major exhibition in the United States to consider the history of relics and reliquaries and will feature more than 150 works of art from Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages and early modern Europe. The exhibition runs at CMA from Oct. 17, 2010, to Jan. 1...

By ERNEST BRITTON If you enjoy exploring new God's Art Museums as much as I do, you should also make " Church Rater " one of your online destinations. I visited Cincinnati Ohio's  Come As You Are  sanctuary this weekend and I  posted my first rating on Church Rater. You can do it too, and if more people will add their comments about the visual arts inside it'll prove to be a powerful complement to this blogsite. While in Ohio, I also learned that later this fall, the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) will premiere a groundbreaking exhibition examining the role of relics and reliquaries in the development of Christianity and the visual arts. Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe is the first major exhibition in the United States to consider the history of relics and reliquaries and will feature more than 150 works of art from Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages and early modern Europe. The exhibition runs at CMA from Oct. 17, 2010, to Jan. 1...

This fall, the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) will premiere a groundbreaking exhibition examining the role of relics and reliquaries in the development of Christianity and the visual arts. Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe is the first major exhibition in the United States to consider the history of relics and reliquaries and will feature more than 150 works of art from Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages and early modern Europe. The exhibition runs at CMA from Oct. 17, 2010, to Jan. 17, 2011, before traveling to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore and the British Museum in London .

ART DAILY When first shown at the Venice Biennale in 1990, the paintings, sculptures and installations of Jeff Koons’ “Made in Heaven” series captured the public's imagination to such an extent that a solo show of the works at Sonnabend Gallery in New York the following year generated lines around the block. To this day, “Made in Heaven” remains the most debated work in the career of this celebrated artist. On October 6th, and in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the original Venice presentation of this landmark series, Luxembourg & Dayan will unveil “ Jeff Koons: Made in Heaven Paintings ,” an exhibition of nine major canvases and one glass sculpture from the artist’s most renowned body of work. The exhibition will remain on view at the gallery through January 21, 2011. [ link ]

Dear Heavenly Father, Oh, that YOU would bless us indeed,  and enlarge our means, that Your HAND would be with us, and that You would keep us from Fear & Doubt. - Amen 

AOA BLOG By Ernest Britton The painting is definitely provocative, but is it sacred or blasphemous? Some how the people leading Australia's 59th annual Blake prize manage to stir things up without crossing the line. Veteran painter, sculptor and photographer Rodney Pople's painting is an example from this years selection of provocative works. An Australian newspaper describes his work as, "A headless Roman Catholic cardinal towers over the interior of one of Venice's baroque churches, surrounded by images of the Virgin Mary's innocence. But in the cardinal's lap - echoing the classic pieta pose of the crucified Messiah - is an altar boy, his genitals partly exposed as he offers his own innocence to the figure of religious authority." I love the audacity of these Australians, and the prize comes with $20,000!