Sifting

/ Fresh Oil Artists / By

A woman in India sifted rice. For her it was an ordinary day, but for me, it was a lesson about glorifying God.

By Cheryl Barr, based on 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Media: Watercolor on Arches paper

Reflection: Surely the woman seated on sand and dirt doing an ordinary, mundane task didn’t suspect her act as camera worthy. How would an outsider find beauty in her everyday chores? But there we were–she with her sifter and I with a camera.

Yet, in all of our lives, no matter the task, God calls us to do everything for His glory. How do we do glorify God while carrying out our humdrum responsibilities? Examples abound in my own life:

The hours following the birth of our first child, a kind nurse tended to me gently and diligently. I recognized something beyond a woman doing her job. Months later, I met her at a prayer meeting. Yes, the Holy Spirit moved through her. 

On a balmy November Sunday, a neighbor woman rounded up her family to remove leaves for the gentleman next door to us. He was too ill to rake his yard. I went out to help the family, but they already had the job under control. Not only that, they helped me rake our yard. That was evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

How do we see God’s glory in the everyday? Is it in the wife who patiently cares for her husband confused by dementia? Or the husband who carries his wife’s heavy bag as she walks gingerly with a cane? What about the mom dedicated to homeschooling her nine children? Or the mom with a five year old who is unable to walk or crawl? Is the Holy Spirit evident through the woman adding ingredients to stretch her soup to feed five, no ten, unexpected guests? Or the stranger behind you in line at Subway who picks up your tab along with his own? 

Is God’s glory revealed by these actions? Absolutely. Even our everyday, mundane actions potentially touch another’s heart. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for filling me with the Holy Spirit who enables me to live in such a way that my attitudes and actions reflect You in my life. Forgive me for forgetting Whose I am, putting myself first and ignoring the needs of others. Thank You for cancelling my debt of self-absorption. Help me walk in such a way that gives You glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

© Cheryl Barr, 2024

MEDIA: Watercolor on Arches paper

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Communications Advisor

Debbie Gustafson

Debbie Gustafson has been an active member and participating artist since the first Psalms Exhibit in 2012. Consistently, she has supported our events and exhibits with wisdom and excellence. Her wisdom and faithfulness to our vision prompted us to seek her support as a board member, and she graciously accepted although she also serves her church and community in a number of other roles, including arts and education. In addition, she is an original member of our blogging ministry that now comprises our “Fresh Oil” artists group.

Programs Advisor

Roberta Sawyer

Roberta (“Bobbie”) Sawyer describes herself as “a lifetime dabbler with a love of experimentation with learners young and old.” Currently an elder at Prairie Community Church in Eden Prairie, Bobbie has participated in numerous types of ministry. She has taught art seminars for children including her “Art in the Park” outdoor summer series, served as a scenarist for church skits, plays and musicals, led Bible study fellowships for 12 years, and created backdrops and props for Vacation Bible Schools. She has also served as a literacy tutor and office support staff for South Hennepin Adult Programs in Education. Also an original Great Commission Arts core group member, Bobbie co-coordinates the monthly Art Klatch painters fellowship group. As a board advisor, she contributes much prayer, a tenacious faith, and a love for people and artists of all definitions.
Outreach Advisor

Geraldine Antoinette Mehta

Geri Mehta has served in numerous ministry positions, which include teaching Sunday school at Way of the Cross church in Blaine, directing girls programs at Hospitality House in north Minneapolis, serving on the mission field in Guatemala and India, and co-leading a home church. She has also been active in community organizations such as Jaycees and Toastmasters.
Geri brings a clear sense of vision and discernment to the board, especially in the area of outreach. She has a passion for promoting the gospel with compassion, love, and respect. As a painter and original Great Commission Artists core group member, Geri has served GCA faithfully in numerous capacities. Her wisdom, like her art, inspires us to seek God’s heart in all things.
Pastoral Board Advisor

Reverend Roger Kuhn

Roger Kuhn has extensive ministry experience, including numerous pastoral positions in New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio, and Minnesota. Most of his career he has served as lead pastor and has particularly enjoyed discipling new believers. Currently, Roger serves as the National Pastor of Member Care and the Director of Church Relations at International Ministerial Fellowship, the licensing organization for W.I.N.D. of the Spirit Ministries. Additionally, his pastoral responsibilities include all IMF Alliance Churches and 200 Lead Pastors. With deep faith and a thorough understanding of ministry, Roger provides pastoral supervision, support, and prayer for W.I.N.D. Ministries, including Great Commission Artists.
Founder & Director

Marianne McDonough

Licensed for ministry in the creative arts through International Ministerial Fellowship, Marianne McDonough founded Great Commission Artists and serves as its director in addition to directing   W.I.N.D. of the Spirit Ministries, the 501 (c) (3) umbrella ministry. Believing the arts have a unique capacity to exalt God and inspire His people, Marianne loves to encourage and mentor Christian artists toward the full expression of their gifts, especially in the context of worship. Marianne’s experience includes writing in secular and Christian venues, leadership in worship and dance ministries, teaching worship arts seminars for children, and sponsoring visual arts workshops and exhibits.

In 2010, she initiated “Art in the Beauty of Holiness” seminars, specifically designed for visual artists and subsequently produced in DVD format. After the formation of GCA and its core group in 2011, she produced four more DVDs featuring artists’ interviews and three other seminars: Worship in the Potter’s Hands, Waterfalls with Rev. Paul Oman, and Banners with Elsa Hammond. She also created a cable television presentation on art and worship. 

Starting in September of 2012, Marianne inaugurated the first Great Commission Artists Exhibition, “Psalms Exhibit and Creative Arts Celebration,” at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. This event included a juried exhibit, continuous original worship music provided by local composers, and dance presentations. Since then, as of spring of 2023, GCA has presented eleven exhibitions with multi-generational artist participation, including numerous high school students from local high schools. The last six exhibitions have traveled for month-long display at Twin Cities’ churches.

Additionally, Marianne believes the Great Commission applies to all of the body of Christ, including artists of all definitions. Thus, she has guided Great Commission Artists to create a variety of teaching conferences and art-based community service projects including Kids Love, a popular Valentines day outreach to homeless children. Great Commission Artists is fulfilling its namesake mission to minister Christ to their world and glorify God.

With a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota, Marianne is an author and speaker. She has served as a board director for the Minnesota Christian Writers Guild and also leads a Christian writers’ critique group. Her 2016 book, 8 Steps to Getting Real with Cancer, won the Midwest Book Awards in the health category. In 2018 she released Beating Cancer One Truth At A Time, another guide for newly diagnosed patients designed for individual or support group reflection.

Marianne enjoys writing in various genres and desires for writers to explore new ways to release their talents to exalt Christ. Her passion is to see God’s beauty revealed in all of the creative arts.