Christ, the True Vine, 16th century Greek icon Jesus said to his disciples, ”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing ..read more

This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken-- that is, created things-- so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire. Editors note: This passage above from the penultimate chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews struck me as the right introduction to what follows, which, as a piece of writing and art needs no introduction. But I offer one because I waited two years to publish i ..read more

At Cathedral in Bloom Open Studio Saturday artists arrived before opening to bring in their supplies and begin making art from the flowers. Below is an exhibit of some of the art made in 2024. As I prepare this post, I wonder about what lies dormant in sketch books and of the budding projects promising future bloom, not ready for our eyes just yet. It seems to me that this work is, on an individual level, like the art of the Cathedral which aspires to make a picture of heaven that, because it needs completion, ever inspires. Thank you to all of the floral artists who inspired and to the artist ..read more

“St. Augustine says, ‘What does it avail me that this birth is always happening, if it does not happen in me? That it should happen in me is what matters.’ We shall therefore speak of this birth, of how it may take place in us.” —Meister Eckhart (1260–1327) "In the context of the Cathedral and the liturgical calendar, we speak of the Nativity, the birth of the Divine Child in the manger, the Incarnation, and yet in the highest and deepest sense of a calling, the Nativity is not confined to Christmas Eve, nor to Bethlehem.  Whether or not we listen or hear, aren’t all of us called to c ..read more

Dear Cathedral Arts Blog Reader: It has been a while since I have written, while our vocation of faith and art is my mind and heart as I undergo formation as a hospital chaplain resident, a role I began at the end of August. This work is many things for me–one is an affirmation of what I learned through beginning the Cathedral Arts program five years ago—that my study of the human form as an artist and our work of beauty in worship has everything to do with my ability to offer healing through spiritual conversation. Below is a study of a model I made many years ago which I call, “Mariner,” as ..read more

above: Anastasis, c. 14th century, Hagia Sophia This is the second of two posts—you can read the first one HERE. I hope you will come and seek with me on Zoom on August 1 through another workshop on art and faith. Click HERE to register, if you haven’t already. In the first workshop, we focused on Christian art up to the Renaissance. I used an article on Russian Orthodox theologian, Sergius Bulgakov for an outline and an opportunity to consider icons of the Eastern Orthodox tradition along with the western religious art with which I am more familiar. The word icon is from Ancient Greek ..read more

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of leading a group through art as a means of exploring theology. Fides quaerens intellectum, “faith seeking understanding” is the definition of theology offered by the first Bishop of Canterbury, St. Anselm (c. 1033 – 1109). Often quoted still, in the most positive light, it is reflective of our creeds as being the art of the early church handed down to us. Their priority of faith leading to the action of seeking led to the parsing of doctrine and heresy and definition of the essentials of Christian belief. It in no way diminishes inspiration’s r ..read more

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of leading a group through art as a means of exploring theology. Fides quaerens intellectum, “faith seeking understanding” is the definition of theology offered by the first Bishop of Canterbury, St. Anselm (c. 1033 – 1109). Often quoted still, in the most positive light, it is reflective of our creeds as being the art of the early church handed down to us. Their priority of faith leading to the action of seeking led to the parsing of doctrine and heresy and definition of the essentials of Christian belief. It in no way diminishes inspiration’s r ..read more

Firmament #2., Wendy Ide Williams, Acrylic on Canvas, 2022 Editors note: Wendy Williams serves as an acolyte at The Cathedral of All Saints and offers much encouragement to me in my role as missioner and director of Cathedral Arts. She and Allen Grindle have a show opening this Saturday at the Laffer Gallery in Schuylerville. Wendy has given me permission to share her recent art and artist’s statement below. (I cannot help but comment on how very difficult I find writing an artist’s statement to be—I love how Wendy tackles the task here.) You can read my post with Wendy’s work from 2021 at: h ..read more

Bruce speaks about his ninth book of poetry, Prayershreds, (Orison Books 2023) with Cathedral Arts poetry consultant Evan Craig Reardon. Watch the video conversation Read a pdf of Bruce's poems Suppose the shreds of our prayers and of our faiths could themselves become a radical, new form of devotion. In Prayershreds, Bruce Beasley confronts the apocalyptic zeitgeist of our time (pandemic, isolation, political turmoil, environmental catastrophe) and the crisis of faiths in the human future. These poems make a sermon of the vocabulary of doubt as they summon a chorus of voices, ancient and spi ..read more