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Of Faces and Fathers
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The Newsletter of Artist, Composer, Thinker Steven Homestead  |  June 17, 2022
Of Faces and Fathers
For his graduation, my friend Jason got a watch from his brother Carson. In fact, Carson gave two watches to Jason, instructing him to keep the one he liked most and give the other back so that Carson could keep and wear it. The watches are from a company called STRY, which invites the wearer to think of the watch as a reminder to “tell your story.”
But in the way the watches were given, now when either one of the brothers wears his own watch, it will also remind him of the other person. The faces of the watches then have become deeper, not only serving as time pieces, but multi-layered symbols of connection and story.
As Jason, Carson, and I rode home together from the graduation celebration, the three of us had a rich discussion on time, symbolism, and relationship. And I thought about an essay I wrote a few years back on time and the incarnation. I shared my thought: Just as we gave time a face to help us understand it, God gave himself a face to help us understand him as Jesus.
There's a lot to say on faces and identity. But for now, I’ll briefly share that people and animals “imprint” by looking at the faces of their parents. Babies stare at their fathers and mothers, gazing at their faces to learn who they are and how to be. This is why I find the following blessing from God so beautiful:

The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.

 
God blesses us with the gift of his face. We are to be people who are imprinted by looking to God. We learn who and how to be when we look to Jesus. Last year, I wrote about the need for a "Solstice of Fathering" stating that, "Healing comes when we turn our hearts together." I'd like to continue that idea this year and say now: Identity comes by turning our faces toward each other.
Creative Works of Literature and Music to Enrich Your Father's Day and Juneteenth
There are many resources you can find to enrich your Father’s Day or Juneteenth celebrations, but I’d like to root this weekend’s holidays in personal connections. So in the spirit of relationship, I’ll share the work of two creative friends.

Carson Leith is a deep thinker, a father and husband, and an Anglican priest who recently wrote Wake Up Into My Love. In it, he invites us to know, "How the pain of becoming a father unlocked the grace of being a son." Whether or not you are a parent, Carson's vulnerability and thoughts on grace can resonate.
Learn More and Order Carson's Book Here
My friend Ruth Naomi Floyd is a composer and vocalist who creates beautiful and powerful sacred jazz compositions. She is a gifted performer who weaves her amazing musical skills and deep emotions into melodies and improvisations, moving and inspiring her audiences.
One of her larger opuses is a set of musical works on the words of Fredrick Douglas. In 2020, I nominated her performances of these pieces for a San Francisco Classical Voice Award, and she went on to win! As America celebrates Juneteenth this weekend, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, what she has created in her “Frederick Douglass Jazz Works” can speak powerfully of the history, struggle, pain, and hope of our African American and Black brothers and sisters.
Listen to "Press On" by Ruth Naomi Floyd Here
Creative Opportunity Postponed:
Now June 22-23!
Hosted by Jessie Nilo, "Art Ministry for Service and Income" is a free webinar exploring how to balance 1) volunteering with 2) ways to get paid for art ministry in your city and/or faith community. I'll be part of an interview segment on serving from a place of freedom.

Art is powerful wherever we take it. We can bring the arts to education groups, corporate events, residencies, faith groups, advocacy organizations, and grassroots gatherings. The arts bring life to schools, shelters, prisons, and hospitals. There are agencies near you who have funds to partner with you, to bring wholeness, healing, and impact to your city through art ministry.

June 22 & 23, 11am PT/2pm ET, 2-Part Online Webinar
 
Click Here to Sign Up for the Free Webinar
Copyright © 2022 Steven Homestead-Artist, Composer, Thinker, All rights reserved.


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