Expressions of Jesus | December Book Club

I’ve a very special recommendation for my December Book Club:

“Expressions of Jesus: Cultural Representations of the Savior of The World,” deserves a place on your coffee table as you gather with friends and family this holiday season.

This one-of-a-kind curated collection of artwork showcases images of Jesus Christ from more than 100 diverse artists throughout history and from around the world.

No one throughout history has been depicted in art as much as Jesus Christ has. This unique art book features the broadest collection of art from the most diverse collection of Christian artists, bringing together and celebrating the way Jesus Christ has been portrayed throughout history and culture.

As Christianity took hold in Europe, antisemitism was also increasing; so, in time, artists purposefully painted Jesus Christ and Mary, His mother, with whiter skin and more European features. But throughout time, many artists continued to create images of Jesus in ways that reflected their own culture.

Whether Jesus Christ is depicted as Māori, Chinese, Tongan, Swedish, Mexican, Navajo, Cameroonian, or South African, His message is the same. He calls all of us to love one another and come unto Him to find rest and peace.

Expressions of Jesus is a reflection of the unparalleled impact of Jesus’s life and teachings on His followers around the world.

This gorgeous, large, hard-bound volume of curated artwork will have you spellbound as you leaf through page after beautiful page. Order one for yourself as well as for those you want to give an extra-meaningful gift to this year.

ORDER: Expressions of Jesus

July Book Club | Portrait of a Sister

Portrait of a Sister

I love to draw, I love to paint, I love to express myself creatively, and I am a person of deep faith and conviction. I can't imagine if the two of these parts of me, two of the things about myself that I identify with the strongest, were in conflict with one another.

Perhaps that's why I chose Portrait of a Sister, by Laura Bradford, for my July book club. In it, our protagonist is faced with just that, a conflict between her God-given gift of artistry, and her faith's doctrine against it. I'd never before considered how one might affect the other and I was immediately drawn to Katie's struggle.

This would be a doozie of a Delilah's Dilemma!

When their mother dies, Amish sisters, Katie and Hannah Beiler, are brought together again. Once upon an innocent time, they were inseparable, but Hannah chose to leave the fold and live the "Englisch" life in New York City while Katie, never questioning her future, stayed with the community in which she was born and raised.

After a lifetime of keeping her art hidden, Katie becomes caught up in Hannah’s “Englisch” life and discover that people admire her talent for drawing portraits, which are forbidden in Amish culture. Why would God give her such a gift if He did not want her to use It? It's not only this question, but developing romantic feelings for someone that is NOT the young Amish man, Abram Zook, she thought she would marry soon, that confuses Katie further. Add to it all, an influential art collector who wants to buy her sketches and you have the perfect recipe for a very muddled cocktail of emotional angst. 

Props to author, Laura Bradford, who beautifully portrays how the quiet war between the heart and head, faith and desire, can tear at our souls.

This book, from Kensington Publishing, is fiction at its finest, with heart and humanity prompting me to turn the page, turn the page, turn the page, until the very end. Grab a blanket, a glass of iced tea, find your favorite shade tree and indulge yourself. I know you'll enjoy it as I did!

Buy Portrait of a Sister