Drawing to God: Art As Prayer, Prayer As Art

Rating:
Summary: Unique, inspiring, and completely "user friendly"
Review: In Drawing To God: Art As Prayer, Prayer As Art, adult mental health counselor Jeri Gerding draws upon her more than 15 years of experience and expertise in using art therapy to show the reader how to use their own art as a form of prayer, to enhance their efforts to reach out to God. Fifteen art activities are described in detail with ample instruction on how to accomplish each project as well as how to pray while doing them. Follow-up steps are included to facilitate reflection on what has been prayerfully created. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to enhance their personal spirituality through a framework of Christian prayer or meditation, Drawing To God is unique, inspiring, and completely "user friendly".

Rating:
Summary: Helpful for myself and others
Review: Ms. Gerding's book was a pleasant surprise in many respects. I am not an artist by any means, but yet found her comments about a reader's lack of artistic ability to be reassuring. She clearly outlines the activities in the book so that anyone can benefit from them. Her techniques assist the reader to increase self knowledge and their own spiritualily. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to individuals and churches of all denominations as a basic guide in using art as prayer. Thank you, Ms. Gerding, for writing this wonderful book. Is there a follow-up book coming?

Rating:
Summary: Helpful for myself and others
Review: Ms. Gerding's book was a pleasant surprise in many respects. I am not an artist by any means, but yet found her comments about a reader's lack of artistic ability to be reassuring. She clearly outlines the activities in the book so that anyone can benefit from them. Her techniques assist the reader to increase self knowledge and their own spiritualily. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to individuals and churches of all denominations as a basic guide in using art as prayer. Thank you, Ms. Gerding, for writing this wonderful book. Is there a follow-up book coming?

Rating:
Summary: Great read
Review: This book is a great book to read and study if you want to gain a closer relationship with God through art, one of the many ways to do so. It doesn't matter if you think you don't have an artistic ability or think you can't draw. Any way you draw when you go by this book is pleasing to God, and eventually you too will become pleased with your artwork. Only good, spirit-healthy things can come from these learning opportunities. Very good book!

Rating:
Summary: disappointing as it misses the holy in prayer
Review: This book promises to be an invitation to deeper connections to God, but misses the "holy" half of the equation. With a focus on what a person should do in prayer, it fails to articulate the contemplative journey where one is engaged by God through the art. The all too familiar myth that prayer is what we do comes through all too clearly. I think she tries to believe she understands contemplation but fails to communicate it as part of the praying with art process. While there are some interesting points about dealing with resistance and the emotions that may; arise, even the focus on these are too much on self and not enough on God.

Rating:
Summary: disappointing as it misses the holy in prayer
Review: This book promises to be an invitation to deeper connections to God, but misses the "holy" half of the equation. With a focus on what a person should do in prayer, it fails to articulate the contemplative journey where one is engaged by God through the art. The all too familiar myth that prayer is what we do comes through all too clearly. I think she tries to believe she understands contemplation but fails to communicate it as part of the praying with art process. While there are some interesting points about dealing with resistance and the emotions that may; arise, even the focus on these are too much on self and not enough on God.