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Tithing is often a way people give back to their church, but over a decade ago Lynden Johnson thought of a different way to benefit his church and its congregation—by utilizing his passion for art.
Shortly after he became a member of the Stone Church of Willow Glen 12 years ago, he noticed that the bulletin covers had cliché pictures of things such as a church in New England.
"I thought, 'What does this have to do with our church?' " Johnson says.
So, taking matters into his own hands, he asked the pastor, Art Mills, for permission to make artwork that would reflect the sermon or music conducted by the church choir each Sunday.
Using his education in art from San José State University, he volunteers his time to make 11-by-17-inch paintings or drawings. The original artwork is then copied using a laser color copier and reproduced onto the bulletin covers.
Johnson either speaks to Mills about his idea for a future sermon or gets inspired to paint from a particular piece of music he sings in the choir. For instance, he paid homage to the Russian composer Pavel Tchesnokov by painting with dark colors because a particular song was in a minor key, he says. He also drew inspiration from pieces by Mozart and Bach. One colorful bulletin cover welcomed the choir back from summer break, one honored a flute player who accompanied the choir, and one was made as a 75th birthday present for the French horn player in the choir.
After singing a requiem written in 1887 by the French musician Gabriel Fauré, he painted the Latin words for the titles of the eight movements on the original artwork that he turned in to create the bulletin cover.
After the artwork was used, he took the bulletin cover and created a three-dimensional shadow box by adding a barbed-wire crown of thorns.
He also makes collages for the bulletin covers by adding stamps, coins from different parts of the world, parts of napkins, bus tickets and bank notes from places he has visited.
He did this for artwork about a series of sermons during Lent last year called Listening in the Desert. Using acrylic, watercolor, drawings and collage, he turned the pastor's concept into a visual image of a desert. The sermon was about "what one gains by being in a secluded place like the desert, contemplating and getting inspiration from God," Johnson says.
And his work doesn't go unnoticed.
"The ultimate compliment was the first time someone asked if they could buy the original artwork," Johnson says. "I never intended to sell them. Everyone tells me what meaning it has to them. Sometimes, if it is abstract, they ask me what meaning it had to me."
Church member and youth group leader Mary Alice Collins brought two originals from the desert series home to decide which she wanted to buy.
"I think there's something very wonderful about having original artwork for our bulletin," says Collins, a church member for 38 years. "You can tell he's really thought about it and is trying to express a concept. I like the way I feel when I look at my piece."
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Photograph by Sean Penello
Magical Moments: Lyn Johnson created greeting cards from his artwork that was used on the Stone Church of Willow Glen's bulletin covers. He distributed them to church members, who send the cards to family and friends.
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Johnson created a series for the four Sundays before Christmas called Bringing Christmas Home. He painted different locations throughout the United States because many people in California come from someplace else or friends and relatives live in other places, he says. This year he painted Bear Island in Maine and a farm in Wisconsin, representing place that he and other church members are from. He also painted scenes from Savannah, Ga., and Medocino County.
"At Christmastime people think more about who they are close to, though not necessarily geographically," says Johnson, who makes a living from creating ceramics, landscape art and various other types of crafts and artwork.
The Christmas series ties in with the general theme of the church, which is to "welcome everyone," says Mills.
To convey the church's friendly atmosphere, Johnson painted the word "welcome" in several different languages on one bulletin. This artwork was made into a banner at the church and is used as a bulletin cover when a new pastor visits.
Working with an artist is a unique opportunity, Mills says. Mills brought the bulletin covers to a theological class and the other pastors were "thrilled about the possibility of having an artist paint for the bulletin cover."
Sometimes an artwork for the bulletin is straightforward, like a Bible verse, and other times it is not biblical. One sermon was about the word "abundance" and Johnson drew inspiration from an autumn harvest. He painted pumpkins and squashes, which are not mentioned in the Bible, he says.
On Easter Sunday the congregation members bring flowers from their garden, which they make into a cross. "It is full of life," Mills says. So every Easter Johnson paints a cross with flowers. Some are colorful French crosses and others include slivers of sheet music and newspapers in different languages. Many original pieces hang in the church entrance.
"His bulletin covers reflect that Easter ritual and are really significant, powerful and symbolic," Mills says.
For more information about Johnson's artwork, call Stone Church of Willow Glen at 408.269.1593.
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Photograph by Sean Penello