In two days, I will be back in the States again after nearly two years.
Well, for an hour and a half, but still.
I fly through JFK in NYC on my way to Argentina. The practical phase of this internship is over, and the team and I are flying to Argentina for six weeks, to use arts in evangelism and do performances in Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata. At the end of the six weeks, instead of returning to London, I will fly to the States to renew my UK visa. I will be in the States from the first week of May until the first week or two of August, so if you want to see me or have me speak at your church, you can facebook me or email susancookstevenson@gmail.com (I won't have consistent internet while in Argentina, so my mom is making my church traveling schedule). I would love to see as many people as possible while I am in the States. I will be staying in Savannah, Georgia, but can travel around Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Please pray for the team while we are in Argentina. Most of us do not speak (good) Spanish, but we are all eager to share about the love of Jesus, both through our arts and through speaking to people. The country is also in a bit of turmoil right now, and we are sure to stand out as non-Argentinian, so please pray for our safety in the midst of it all. For me, personally, I'd appreciate prayers for understanding. I can understand a lot of Spanish, and speak some, but I would love to understand and speak quite a bit while I am there.
I will see some of you in the States!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Loving God, loving art
As Christian artists, we have to learn to love the Creator more than the gifts that He has given.
We have to learn to love God more than the talents that He has given us.
The truth is, it can be hard for those of us who are glorified for what He has given our bodies and minds the ability to do. But God will not share His glory, so sometimes He asks the singer to be silent. He asks the dancer to be still. He asks the painter and the photographer to put down the brushes and cameras in their hands and to use their hands and eyes to seek His face.
You see, when we create, we are acting in the image of the One who first created. We are imitating our Father, who showed us what to do when He first created us. But often, in our creating, we become fixated on the clay being fashioned into a jar in our hands, and we say, "What a beautiful jar I am creating! How amazing that I could make this! How my neighbours will love it!" And they do love it, and we become known as "the one who makes beautiful pottery," and we forget that God is the Potter, and we are the clay.
It is good to be an artist. It is good to use the gifts that God gave us, because when we do, He is happy. We are fulfilling one of the parts of the design that He planned for us.
But when we forget that we are, in reality, made to be a reflection of God, to reflect glory back to God, and not to receive glory ourselves, we thwart God's design and steal His glory. We make ourselves like God and use God's good gift for the Enemy. Whatever is not used for God is used for the Enemy.
It is so easy for us, and for me, specifically, to forget for whom I sing, for whom I photograph, for whom I act, etc. I don't do it for my own glory. I don't do it to make my name more famous, or even to please the people around me. Any glory that I receive for it disappears in an instant. But all of the glory that God receives for it lasts for eternity, because God's glory goes on forever.
Sometimes I still don't know how to respond when people tell me they like my photography. I tend to say, "God gave it to me," and people just smile and nod and think, "What a cliche Christian answer." But it's the truth. I recognise that God gave me the gift of photography, and I don't want to steal that glory from Him. I have no suave way of giving Him glory and not sounding ultra-holy.
I just wish I had that problem in other areas of my life, as well, where it is so easy for me to forget that God receives every ounce of glory.
We have to learn to love God more than the talents that He has given us.
The truth is, it can be hard for those of us who are glorified for what He has given our bodies and minds the ability to do. But God will not share His glory, so sometimes He asks the singer to be silent. He asks the dancer to be still. He asks the painter and the photographer to put down the brushes and cameras in their hands and to use their hands and eyes to seek His face.
You see, when we create, we are acting in the image of the One who first created. We are imitating our Father, who showed us what to do when He first created us. But often, in our creating, we become fixated on the clay being fashioned into a jar in our hands, and we say, "What a beautiful jar I am creating! How amazing that I could make this! How my neighbours will love it!" And they do love it, and we become known as "the one who makes beautiful pottery," and we forget that God is the Potter, and we are the clay.
It is good to be an artist. It is good to use the gifts that God gave us, because when we do, He is happy. We are fulfilling one of the parts of the design that He planned for us.
But when we forget that we are, in reality, made to be a reflection of God, to reflect glory back to God, and not to receive glory ourselves, we thwart God's design and steal His glory. We make ourselves like God and use God's good gift for the Enemy. Whatever is not used for God is used for the Enemy.
It is so easy for us, and for me, specifically, to forget for whom I sing, for whom I photograph, for whom I act, etc. I don't do it for my own glory. I don't do it to make my name more famous, or even to please the people around me. Any glory that I receive for it disappears in an instant. But all of the glory that God receives for it lasts for eternity, because God's glory goes on forever.
Sometimes I still don't know how to respond when people tell me they like my photography. I tend to say, "God gave it to me," and people just smile and nod and think, "What a cliche Christian answer." But it's the truth. I recognise that God gave me the gift of photography, and I don't want to steal that glory from Him. I have no suave way of giving Him glory and not sounding ultra-holy.
I just wish I had that problem in other areas of my life, as well, where it is so easy for me to forget that God receives every ounce of glory.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
11 Things I Love About London
In two weeks, I leave London for five months (two months in Argentina
with my team, then three months in the States renewing my visa and
visiting churches - let me know if you want to hang out or see me!), so
for the past few months, I have been conducting a mental list of things
that I have learned to love about London in my two years of living here.
1. It is sunny and 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees fahrenheit), which in London heralds spring.Seriously, it has been sunny for two days in a row, which, after three months of chilling rain, feels positively balmy. I went running in just a t-shirt today - the first time my pasty white arms have seen the light of day since September! The birds are chirping, people are eating outdoors at restaurants, and it might even hit 15 degrees this weekend! Time to break out the bathing suit!
2. Despite there being millions of people in the city, I can still find quiet spaces to be alone.
London has so many parks and green spaces, and it's quite spread out. Whenever I went to New York City, I felt claustrophobic, but London has loads of places to disappear to if I need quiet and space.
3. Rail replacement services = transportation for free.
I live near the Overground, which is like the Underground, but above the ground and cheaper. They do repairs on it basically every weekend, and if I can stand the circuitous routes and traffic, I can get rides for free on the rail replacement buses. It takes two to three times the amount of time for the journey, but on the weekends, sometimes it's worth it.
4. The sky is so big in places.
There are wide streets, parks, and hills where the sky is so large that you can see the stars. Tonight, as my roommate and I walked home from the shop, we stopped to stare in awe at all of the stars and moon. We watched all the airplanes fly through constellations. From Primrose Hill, but also from some of the streets nearby, I can see the skyline, as well, which makes me feel so close to the centre, but with space to breathe and be.
5. The city is basically made up of hundreds of towns.
I live in Kensal Rise, which is right next to Harlesden and Willesden Green and at the top of Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill. Each area has its own high street (main street), post office, butcher, hair dresser, coffee shop, etc, and feels like a small town within the whole of London. I have a local corner shop where they know who I am (and grocery store and coffee shop), and it has the benefits of small town living and the wonder of being in London.
6. Corner shops.
My roommate just reminded me of this one. I love corner shops, where you can get so many useful things for a slightly elevated price, but at a time and place that is convenient. At my local corner shop, they ring up my chocolate milk right when I walk into the shop. They ask how my housemates are. And it's always lovely to take a walk to the corner shop in my slippers and sweatpants.
7. I can get a bus to anywhere.
I can get a bus to the centre from around the corner and ride straight to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and the Embankment. I can also get a bus to the airport, or to Paris. Most of the time I choose the city centre, and not Paris, but hey, a girl can dream!
8. There are loads of different churches.
When my mom came to visit me, we went to my regular church, then to Hillsong London, then to Westminster Abbey for an organ concert and evensong. We heard Matt Redman songs, rap, and classical organ music. London isn't a religious city, but that doesn't stop it from having some fantastic houses of worship. It makes me feel like I have numerous homes around the city.
9. There are several markets where you can buy cheaply.
My team works out of a church a block off of Portobello Road, and I love getting fruit in the market. It's fresher than in the shops, and it's cheaper, too. We also do evangelism and prayer in Camden Market weekly, and we've begun developing friendships with shop owners there. There are dozens of ethnic food stalls in Camden, as well as clothes and trinkets that you can't find elsewhere in the city. I also love Brick Lane, a market in East London, because the live music on Brick Lane is the best. But beyond that, there are other large markets as well as small street markets throughout the city. Not only are things sold more cheaply at markets, but it's a chance to get to know people. Which brings me to my next point:
10. People are out of their houses and ready to talk.
Whether it's on the bus or Underground, in the queue for coffee, in Trafalgar Square, or at a market, there are people everywhere. Big cities can seem impersonal and lonely, because it's easy to get lost in the crowd, but for the most part, if you start talking to a person, they'll respond. For me, a missionary, this is fantastic news. For example, the people on the bus are prime opportunities for conversation, because they have nothing else to do as they wait to get wherever they are going. I'm not rude or overbearing about it, but I do enjoy speaking to people on public transportation or out on the streets. I know that England gets a bad rap for being a place where people are isolated from one another, but honestly, if you just start the conversation, you can meet so many interesting people.
11. All of the nations exist in one place.
I do a photography project that involves talking to strangers about their beliefs, and through that project alone, I have met people from dozens of nations. Without leaving London, I can experience life in Italy, China, Pakistan, India, Japan, Mali, South Africa, Colombia, Thailand, Argentina, Finland, Italy, etc, etc, etc. I can meet people from those countries in parks, I can go into their shops on Kilburn High Road, I can eat at their restaurants in Shoreditch, I can venture into their stalls in Camden Market or their religious buildings in Willesden. In Matthew, it says to go to all the nations. God sent me to London, and in doing so, He effectively sent me to all of the nations. I serve a big God in a big city, and He is giving me more and more of His heart for the people that He has placed here to live alongside me in this beautiful place.
1. It is sunny and 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees fahrenheit), which in London heralds spring.Seriously, it has been sunny for two days in a row, which, after three months of chilling rain, feels positively balmy. I went running in just a t-shirt today - the first time my pasty white arms have seen the light of day since September! The birds are chirping, people are eating outdoors at restaurants, and it might even hit 15 degrees this weekend! Time to break out the bathing suit!
2. Despite there being millions of people in the city, I can still find quiet spaces to be alone.
London has so many parks and green spaces, and it's quite spread out. Whenever I went to New York City, I felt claustrophobic, but London has loads of places to disappear to if I need quiet and space.
3. Rail replacement services = transportation for free.
I live near the Overground, which is like the Underground, but above the ground and cheaper. They do repairs on it basically every weekend, and if I can stand the circuitous routes and traffic, I can get rides for free on the rail replacement buses. It takes two to three times the amount of time for the journey, but on the weekends, sometimes it's worth it.
4. The sky is so big in places.
There are wide streets, parks, and hills where the sky is so large that you can see the stars. Tonight, as my roommate and I walked home from the shop, we stopped to stare in awe at all of the stars and moon. We watched all the airplanes fly through constellations. From Primrose Hill, but also from some of the streets nearby, I can see the skyline, as well, which makes me feel so close to the centre, but with space to breathe and be.
5. The city is basically made up of hundreds of towns.
I live in Kensal Rise, which is right next to Harlesden and Willesden Green and at the top of Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill. Each area has its own high street (main street), post office, butcher, hair dresser, coffee shop, etc, and feels like a small town within the whole of London. I have a local corner shop where they know who I am (and grocery store and coffee shop), and it has the benefits of small town living and the wonder of being in London.
6. Corner shops.
My roommate just reminded me of this one. I love corner shops, where you can get so many useful things for a slightly elevated price, but at a time and place that is convenient. At my local corner shop, they ring up my chocolate milk right when I walk into the shop. They ask how my housemates are. And it's always lovely to take a walk to the corner shop in my slippers and sweatpants.
7. I can get a bus to anywhere.
I can get a bus to the centre from around the corner and ride straight to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and the Embankment. I can also get a bus to the airport, or to Paris. Most of the time I choose the city centre, and not Paris, but hey, a girl can dream!
8. There are loads of different churches.
When my mom came to visit me, we went to my regular church, then to Hillsong London, then to Westminster Abbey for an organ concert and evensong. We heard Matt Redman songs, rap, and classical organ music. London isn't a religious city, but that doesn't stop it from having some fantastic houses of worship. It makes me feel like I have numerous homes around the city.
9. There are several markets where you can buy cheaply.
My team works out of a church a block off of Portobello Road, and I love getting fruit in the market. It's fresher than in the shops, and it's cheaper, too. We also do evangelism and prayer in Camden Market weekly, and we've begun developing friendships with shop owners there. There are dozens of ethnic food stalls in Camden, as well as clothes and trinkets that you can't find elsewhere in the city. I also love Brick Lane, a market in East London, because the live music on Brick Lane is the best. But beyond that, there are other large markets as well as small street markets throughout the city. Not only are things sold more cheaply at markets, but it's a chance to get to know people. Which brings me to my next point:
10. People are out of their houses and ready to talk.
Whether it's on the bus or Underground, in the queue for coffee, in Trafalgar Square, or at a market, there are people everywhere. Big cities can seem impersonal and lonely, because it's easy to get lost in the crowd, but for the most part, if you start talking to a person, they'll respond. For me, a missionary, this is fantastic news. For example, the people on the bus are prime opportunities for conversation, because they have nothing else to do as they wait to get wherever they are going. I'm not rude or overbearing about it, but I do enjoy speaking to people on public transportation or out on the streets. I know that England gets a bad rap for being a place where people are isolated from one another, but honestly, if you just start the conversation, you can meet so many interesting people.
11. All of the nations exist in one place.
I do a photography project that involves talking to strangers about their beliefs, and through that project alone, I have met people from dozens of nations. Without leaving London, I can experience life in Italy, China, Pakistan, India, Japan, Mali, South Africa, Colombia, Thailand, Argentina, Finland, Italy, etc, etc, etc. I can meet people from those countries in parks, I can go into their shops on Kilburn High Road, I can eat at their restaurants in Shoreditch, I can venture into their stalls in Camden Market or their religious buildings in Willesden. In Matthew, it says to go to all the nations. God sent me to London, and in doing so, He effectively sent me to all of the nations. I serve a big God in a big city, and He is giving me more and more of His heart for the people that He has placed here to live alongside me in this beautiful place.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Morning Commute
During the internship, we do our arts at the church every day, which means a daily walk into Notting Hill. Last week, I realised that this two mile walk constitutes my "daily commute," and that in a few years, when we live in a new section of London, I will want to look back on the daily sites that I take for granted right now.
Then I realised that, for some people, it's probably a dream to wander through Notting Hill daily, to see the Notting Hill Bookshop (of the film Notting Hill fame) and avoid the tourists who take pictures out front, to potentially run into celebrities and prime ministers, to browse the Portobello Road market on the way to Tesco to pick up more bread.
My morning commute is just one of the intricacies of my life that has the ability to lift my spirits on days when I am tired or anxious, and it's a reminder to me that the life that God has planned for me is much more beautiful than anything I could have designed.
Then I realised that, for some people, it's probably a dream to wander through Notting Hill daily, to see the Notting Hill Bookshop (of the film Notting Hill fame) and avoid the tourists who take pictures out front, to potentially run into celebrities and prime ministers, to browse the Portobello Road market on the way to Tesco to pick up more bread.
My morning commute is just one of the intricacies of my life that has the ability to lift my spirits on days when I am tired or anxious, and it's a reminder to me that the life that God has planned for me is much more beautiful than anything I could have designed.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
with love and light
Earlier this year, I saw an article in a magazine that featured various people in London holding up a chalk board that displayed whatever they wanted to write for all of London to see. I immediately wanted to do a spin on the project by asking people what love meant to them, especially because I knew that a frequent response would be, "I don't know, what does love mean to YOU," which would give me the chance I longed for to tell them about the Saviour who loves them desperately.
Our team combined with the basic leadership school, and we took large pads of paper out to Soho (the red light district), Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, and Leicester Square to ask people what love meant to them. We did it on Valentine's Night, the night when the loneliness so prevalent in London was almost suffocating and people came out in hordes to find something to fill the holes in their chests.
Here's a glimpse into some of the conversations we had that evening:
To see more of the portraits, you can visit the blog that I am keeping of the portraits of strangers I meet throughout London and talk to about God. I record what they say about their own beliefs. The blog is here.
Our team combined with the basic leadership school, and we took large pads of paper out to Soho (the red light district), Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, and Leicester Square to ask people what love meant to them. We did it on Valentine's Night, the night when the loneliness so prevalent in London was almost suffocating and people came out in hordes to find something to fill the holes in their chests.
Here's a glimpse into some of the conversations we had that evening:
To see more of the portraits, you can visit the blog that I am keeping of the portraits of strangers I meet throughout London and talk to about God. I record what they say about their own beliefs. The blog is here.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Outlaws
I have been reading through the Bible chronologically this year, and last week, I read a part in Exodus that struck me so emphatically that I have not been able to stop visualizing it. In Exodus 33, it says that, when Moses and the Israelites were in the desert, all of the Israelites would rise up and worship at the door to their tents whenever they saw Moses enter the Tent of Meeting to talk to God. And while God was there, He talked to Moses face to face, "the way a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11).
When I first read it, I was so jealous of Moses. He got to hang out with God as a friend, to talk face to face with Him. But last night, during worship, I discovered another side to the story. While Moses was talking to God face to face, the Israelites were worshiping at their tent doors.
That's beautiful, right?
The whole camp knew that God was there, so they stood up and worshiped.
But I think that it's also a little bit tragic.
Moses was talking to God face to face. Moses got to enter God's presence and hang out. The people of Israel could see where this awesome gab session was taking place, but they all stayed at the doors of their tents. In fact, the rest of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers talk about the offerings and sacrifices and purifications the Israelites had to observe in order to honor God. They were not ever allowed in the Most Holy Place (or the Holy Place, for that matter), no matter how pure they were.
They lived in a camp where the presence of God Almighty sat in a cloud of a pillar of fire all of the time, in the presence of God, but they never met Him face to face.
That was life under the Law of Moses.
But you and I, we do not live under that law. Jesus died for our sins on the Cross and filled the sacrifice so that we don't have to purify ourselves and offer a peace offering and a sin offering and a guilt offering (etc, etc, etc - I cannot for the life of me keep them all straight). When God looks at me, He already sees me as pure, as clean, as having done all of my sacrifices and offerings. Even better than that, He invites me into His presence. He longs to see me face-to-face. It says in Psalm 11:7 that, "...the upright shall behold his face."
I meet with God intimately, as a friend, every morning. I meet Him over coffee, and we discuss what's going on in my life (and my friends' lives, and my family's lives, and the world, and in His Heavenly realms, as well. He rarely interrupts, so I do a lot of the talking). Sometimes we sit in the comfortable silence of friends who are so sure of each other's love that they don't need to discuss it. I take these times for granted, but my life has not always been this way. For most of it, I did not meet with God in an intimate way.
I can't believe I wasted so much time. I can't believe it took so much time for me to fall in love with the Saviour of my soul.
And it makes me a bit upset to think that those Israelites had the same longing that I do for intimacy with God, but they could not have it the way that I can. And I can have it, but so often I choose not to be intimate with God. I choose not to take my problems to Him. I choose not to trust, not to see His love.
It's just like when somebody already has the camera that I have been saving up for and doesn't want to learn how to use it or to carry it around because it's heavy.
Okay, it's just like that, but times a thousand.
What am I doing? Why am I wasting this amazing gift?
What would the Israelites say to me if they could talk to me about it right now?
When I first read it, I was so jealous of Moses. He got to hang out with God as a friend, to talk face to face with Him. But last night, during worship, I discovered another side to the story. While Moses was talking to God face to face, the Israelites were worshiping at their tent doors.
That's beautiful, right?
The whole camp knew that God was there, so they stood up and worshiped.
But I think that it's also a little bit tragic.
Moses was talking to God face to face. Moses got to enter God's presence and hang out. The people of Israel could see where this awesome gab session was taking place, but they all stayed at the doors of their tents. In fact, the rest of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers talk about the offerings and sacrifices and purifications the Israelites had to observe in order to honor God. They were not ever allowed in the Most Holy Place (or the Holy Place, for that matter), no matter how pure they were.
They lived in a camp where the presence of God Almighty sat in a cloud of a pillar of fire all of the time, in the presence of God, but they never met Him face to face.
That was life under the Law of Moses.
But you and I, we do not live under that law. Jesus died for our sins on the Cross and filled the sacrifice so that we don't have to purify ourselves and offer a peace offering and a sin offering and a guilt offering (etc, etc, etc - I cannot for the life of me keep them all straight). When God looks at me, He already sees me as pure, as clean, as having done all of my sacrifices and offerings. Even better than that, He invites me into His presence. He longs to see me face-to-face. It says in Psalm 11:7 that, "...the upright shall behold his face."
I meet with God intimately, as a friend, every morning. I meet Him over coffee, and we discuss what's going on in my life (and my friends' lives, and my family's lives, and the world, and in His Heavenly realms, as well. He rarely interrupts, so I do a lot of the talking). Sometimes we sit in the comfortable silence of friends who are so sure of each other's love that they don't need to discuss it. I take these times for granted, but my life has not always been this way. For most of it, I did not meet with God in an intimate way.
I can't believe I wasted so much time. I can't believe it took so much time for me to fall in love with the Saviour of my soul.
And it makes me a bit upset to think that those Israelites had the same longing that I do for intimacy with God, but they could not have it the way that I can. And I can have it, but so often I choose not to be intimate with God. I choose not to take my problems to Him. I choose not to trust, not to see His love.
It's just like when somebody already has the camera that I have been saving up for and doesn't want to learn how to use it or to carry it around because it's heavy.
Okay, it's just like that, but times a thousand.
What am I doing? Why am I wasting this amazing gift?
What would the Israelites say to me if they could talk to me about it right now?
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Abandoning London
People always want to know what we do in our lives, how we use our arts for London and God, and the answer is that sometimes, we abandon London.
More specifically, last week, my team and I abandoned London for three days and traveled to the countryside of Hertfordshire to meet with other Christian artists for a networking event. But to be honest, it was really more of a retreat.
I think that the biggest revelation for me as I look at these pictures of the event is the realisation that I have a lot of power and voice as a photographer. The only photos of the event are the ones that I took, so everybody who sees them will only see my perspective. What I chose to look at, they will see. I have a great responsibility to glorify Christ with my photography, but I also have the ability to show people who do not know what it means to live radically for Christ.
For me, it means wandering through the woods as the sun rises and singing praises. It means drinking tea with new friends and hearing their plans for introducing others to God through arts. It means dancing and singing and playing guitar in a morning-long worship time, laughing on walks home in the dark, and making ink prints with artists from three different countries. I look at these pictures, and I see hope. I see people who are abandoning everything to go for it with God, to use what He's given them to reach others.
And I want you to see that, too. I want you to be encouraged. People are fighting for Christ, using what they've been given, and not giving up. God is being glorified. His battles are being won.
More specifically, last week, my team and I abandoned London for three days and traveled to the countryside of Hertfordshire to meet with other Christian artists for a networking event. But to be honest, it was really more of a retreat.
I think that the biggest revelation for me as I look at these pictures of the event is the realisation that I have a lot of power and voice as a photographer. The only photos of the event are the ones that I took, so everybody who sees them will only see my perspective. What I chose to look at, they will see. I have a great responsibility to glorify Christ with my photography, but I also have the ability to show people who do not know what it means to live radically for Christ.
For me, it means wandering through the woods as the sun rises and singing praises. It means drinking tea with new friends and hearing their plans for introducing others to God through arts. It means dancing and singing and playing guitar in a morning-long worship time, laughing on walks home in the dark, and making ink prints with artists from three different countries. I look at these pictures, and I see hope. I see people who are abandoning everything to go for it with God, to use what He's given them to reach others.
And I want you to see that, too. I want you to be encouraged. People are fighting for Christ, using what they've been given, and not giving up. God is being glorified. His battles are being won.
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