Where Faith and Art Meet

In all creation, the most perfect symbol of God is light – Abbot Suger

Welcome to where faith and art meet.  GladdeningLight takes its inspiration from the lighting of candles to begin Vespers in the tradition of the eastern church.  It signifies a meeting point of night and day – an entry of light into darkness – providing us the illumination of a canticle blessing along the way.

“Oh, Joyful Light, of the Holy Glory of God Immortal.  Heavenly, Holy, Blessed, Jesus Christ, since we have come to the setting of the sun and have seen the evening light, we praise God: the overarching One, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  By fitting melody, it is proper for God to be praised at all times.  Oh, Son of God, Giver of Life, wherefore the world glorifies You.”

As God is found at the delicate point of light’s entry into night, so also is God at the convergence of the sacred and the secular.  God cannot be contained within liturgy, within four holy walls – indeed, contained at all.  God is experienced within and without.  The seed arises from the indwelling, where the burning lamp of God engages our creativity to express divine love.  The artist cannot deny it and when it emerges as pure impetus, often breathtaking art is born.

Let us celebrate humanity’s aspirations to render God.  Let us glimpse God at the nexus of great art.  Let us move toward Phos Hilaron – the gracious, O Gladdening Light.

GladdeningLight is a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charity whose mission is to explore the nexus of faith & art through spiritual retreat, hosted conferences and religious pilgrimage.  GladdeningLight is a progressive Christian initiative open to all faith disciplines, representative of thoughtful spiritual seekers both inside and outside traditional religious practice.