The Wooden Pew Project

Why A Wooden Pew

Christianity, religion, and spirituality are often, but mistakenly, grouped together. While all three can be held together, they do in fact exist separately. For example, there are many different religions – but they are not all Christian.

As Lynn Valley United Church moves towards Its future, I wanted to explore what it was that held groups together, and in particular LVUC, and produce a series of images that held that core value.

The project began with explorations. Saturday sessions at Waves, Centring prayer, Working with the TLT, playing in the band, the drum circle.

Externally from the church I went to where people gathered – yoga classes, martial arts schools, camera clubs, fireworks, sporting events.

What I discovered that was that each group had a commonality of spirit. And that the people who where really engage in the groups activities, had spirits soared.

It seemed that there was a level spirituality within the groups that allowed the individual spirit to fly.

My conclusion; it is a common spirituality that brings people to participate in these activities.

So this project became a search for spirituality and creating an image around that spirituality without trying to define it.

I developed a set of parameters around the project;

  • Every image will contain the same symbol of spirituality
  • There will be 10 to 12 images in the series
  • Completion of the project will coincide with the completion of the new Lynn Valley United Church building
  • Spirituality will be explored at different levels
  • External input into the project will be welcomed

The first step was to pick the item that would represent spirituality in every image.

The first thing my mind went to was a cross or a bible. I rejected these because they are truly symbols of Christianity, not necessarily spirituality.

My second thought was a piece of the building but I felt this would be a piece of a building that was a symbol of religion, not necessarily spirituality.

The Wooden Pew was the perfect symbol. Recognizable as being from a church, but once removed from the church it loses its Christian and Religious mystique becoming a familiar and comfortable place to sit as we explore our own spirituality, and maybe discover our own God.

The Wooden Pew Project  – An Visual Exploration of Spirituality

Len Grinke

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