Podcasts about beauty hidden faith born

"Beholding is a countercultural act—it requires us to stop, to receive, and to fully see.” — Makoto Fujimura"Slow art is an invitation to linger, to notice, and to let the world unfold before us." — Makoto FujimuraYou are a beautiful masterpiece. But the practice of living artfully comes slowly, often through brokenness, weakness, or failure. Contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura integrates traditional Japanese styles with abstract expressionism and Christian theology, to explore the beauty that can emerge from the ashes pain and suffering. Both his art and his writing call us to behold the gift of creation, participate in its redemption, accentuating the cracks and fractures in our lives, so that grace might abound.Makoto Fujimura—renowned artist, writer, and theologian—joins Dr. Pam King to explore the deep connections between art, faith, and flourishing. Fujimura shares how his Japanese heritage and study of traditional Nihonga painting have shaped his understanding of creativity as a sacred act. Through themes of brokenness, beauty, and slow art, he challenges us to rethink success, embrace imperfection, and create from a place of love and abundance. Whether you're an artist, a person of faith, or someone seeking meaning in a hurried world, this conversation will invite you to slow down, behold, and embrace the mystery and beauty of life.Mako Fujimura integrates his artmaking, theology, and culture care advocacy into a beautiful expression of thriving and spiritual health. Through his breathtaking expressionist style, distinctively Japanese methods, and his rooted Christian convictions, he's bringing beauty into being, and inviting us to do the same.In this conversation with Mako Fujimura, we discuss:What art is, what creativity means, and the human capacity for making beautyHow we can live artfully through imperfection, brokenness, trauma, and sufferingHow the practice of a gift economy can lead to mutual thrivingThe slow art of pausing, stopping, and beholding that contributes to our mental and spiritual healthAnd the connection between knowledge and love in a life of creativity and artmaking.Helpful Links and ResourcesFollow Makoto Fujimura on X @iamfujimuraView Mako's art at makotofujimura.comMakoto Fujimura's WritingsMakoto Fujimura's BooksNihonga Art and its TraditionsRefractions: A Journey of Art, Faith, & CultureCulture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common LifeSilence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of SufferingArt and Faith: A Theology of MakingEpisode Highlights"Art is fundamentally what human beings create—it is our capacity to make, and in making, we come to know.""Beholding is a countercultural act—it requires us to stop, to receive, and to fully see.”"We worship a wounded, glorified human being—our brokenness is not something to escape but something to offer.""Creativity is not about self-expression alone—it is about giving yourself away in love.""Slow art is an invitation to linger, to notice, and to let the world unfold before us."Show NotesMakoto Fujimura discusses the intersection of art, faith, and flourishingThe importance of beholding in a fast-paced worldHow brokenness and imperfection reveal deeper beautyNihonga painting and the wisdom of traditional Japanese artCreativity as an act of love and gift-givingThe Art of BeholdingWhy slowing down is essential for creativity and spiritual growthThe practice of beholding as a way of seeing the world more deeplyHow art invites us to be present and pay attentionThe connection between contemplation, creativity, and flourishing"Beholding is a countercultural act—it requires us to stop, to receive, and to fully see."Creativity, Faith, and Human FlourishingHow art and faith are intertwined in human thrivingThe spiritual discipline of making and creatingWhy true knowledge is connected to love and experience"Art is fundamentally what human beings create—it is our capacity to make, and in making, we come to know."How community fosters creativity and growthBrokenness, Beauty, and the Theology of MakingThe Japanese tradition of Kintsugi and embracing imperfectionHow Jesus' wounds and resurrection shape our view of brokennessThe gift economy vs. the transactional economy in art"We worship a wounded, glorified human being—our brokenness is not something to escape but something to offer."Learning to see beauty in what is discarded or overlookedThe Practice of Slow ArtWhy slowing down is essential for deep engagement with artHow layers in Nihonga painting reveal new depths over time"Slow art is an invitation to linger, to notice, and to let the world unfold before us."How slowing down fosters healing and deeper connectionThe role of patience and attentiveness in both art and lifeLiving a Creative and Generous LifeHow to cultivate creativity in daily life, even outside traditional artsThe role of community in sustaining creative workWhy generosity and self-giving are essential to true creativity"Creativity is not about self-expression alone—it is about giving yourself away in love."Practical steps for integrating creativity into everyday livingPam King's Key TakeawaysWhether you think of yourself as artist, we're all creative. Mako's message is intentionally not just for artists, but is an invitation for all of us to live artfully—no matter what we do for a living.Because creativity comes in so many different ways, from leadership, to scientific research, to parenting, to cooking, we all have the daily creative capacity to add beauty to the world.And to that end, remember your first love, the playfulness and creativity of giving beauty to the worldA gift economy of beauty offers a radical resistance to consumerism, competition, and comparison.Art and the making of beauty is a part of thriving. And the invitation to live artfully starts with a daily practice of slowing down: pause, stop, and behold. Smell the roses. Consider the lilies.And finally, there's a path to beauty through brokenness. Grace comes to us through failure. And strength is made perfect in weakness.And finally, though the wind may be blowing through our lives, may we all learn to behold the moonlight leaking between the roof planks.About Makoto FujimuraContemporary artist Makoto Fujimura is a painter, an author, a speaker, and an imaginative maker with a gift for theological integration.Mako's message is intentionally not just for artists, because creativity comes in so many different ways, from leadership, to scientific research, to parenting, to cooking, we all have the daily creative capacity to add beauty to the world. Working out of his Princeton, New Jersey studio, his work has been described by David Brooks as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time.” Art critic Robert Kushner placed Mako's art at the forefront of a contemporary movement about “hope, healing, redemption, and refuge, while maintaining visual sophistication and intellectual integrity.”A blend of fine art and abstract expressionism, Mako describes his work as “slow art,” being influenced directly by the distinctively Japanese Nihonga style, which is patient and methodical, using slow drying pigments from ground minerals.Mako's art has been featured in galleries and museums around the world, as well as notable collections in The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, The Huntington Library in California, and the Tikotin Museum in Israel.From 2012 to 2017, he served as vision director of the Brehm Center here at Fuller Theological Seminary.Mako is the author of several books, including Refractions: A Journey of Art, Faith, & Culture, Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life, and Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering. His most recent is entitled Art and Faith: A Theology of Making. And his next book will be available soon—titled, Art Is: A Journey into the Light. And with his wife Haejin, he's producing a new work on Beauty and Justice.Follow him on X @iamfujimura, and view his beautiful work at makotofujimura.com. About the Thrive CenterLearn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on X @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter About Dr. Pam KingDr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. Follow her @drpamking. About With & ForHost: Pam KingSenior Director and Producer: Jill WestbrookOperations Manager: Lauren KimSocial Media Graphic Designer: Wren JuergensenConsulting Producer: Evan RosaSpecial thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Leading contemporary artist and cultural influencer, Makoto Fujimura's art and writing embody themes of healing, hope and redemption. On this episode of Henri Nouwen Now & Then, Mako shares his deep faith and his vision of what artists have to offer the Church. EPISODE PAGE: https://henrinouwen.org/listen/makoto-fujimura/ PURCHASE "Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life" by Makoto Fujimura https://amzn.to/49JoHsN PURCHASE "Silence & Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering" by Makoto Fujimura https://amzn.to/40TIm4X PURCHASE "Art & Faith: A Theology of Making" by Makoto Fujimura https://amzn.to/40Q0xZi PURCHASE "The Four Holy Gospels" by Makoto Fujimura https://amzn.to/3QQS2sn WATCH INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/EFOk_1f6sGA PURCHASE "The Return of the Prodigal Son" by Henri Nouwen https://amzn.to/3z5WDya PURCHASE "The Wounded Healer" by Henri Nouwen https://amzn.to/2AGOrKz ____________ * TO WATCH FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY "Journey of the Heart: The Life of Henri Nouwen": www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U8M1gx5Rk4&t=1808s * LISTEN on iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/henri-nouwen-now-then-podcast-sharon-garlough-brown/id1468489942?i=1000634128698 * LISTEN on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5u9rLLBjRejoXSDmWFDJOM * TO SIGN-UP FOR FREE DAILY E-MEDITATIONS: henrinouwen.org/meditation/ * FOR HENRI NOUWEN SOCIETY CAREGIVING RESOURCES: henrinouwen.org/caregiving/ * MORE FREE RESOURCES: www.henrinouwen.org * READ HENRI NOUWEN BOOKS: henrinouwen.org/read/

Have you ever felt as though your life is racing past at a breath-taking speed, or that every space is filled by electronic, fast-paced noise? Those living with trauma often testify to the healing impact of nature and the stillness that can be experienced in the great outdoors, yet we avoid it and worse - collude in its destruction.Mako is a leading contemporary painter whose "slow art" the New York Times called a "rebellion against the quickening of time." As a Master of the Japanese art form Nihonga, he has steeped himself in the history of 16th century Japan where this style originated, and in the traumatic and widespread persecution of Christians at that time. He leant his expertise to Martin Scorsese for the filmed adaptation of Shūsaku Endō's novel, 'Silence' and his own book, 'Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering" explores how the Christian Faith can survive in a hostile culture and amidst even the most terrible suffering.In this thought-provoking and moving conversation, Mako talks with Bryony and Peter about his calling to create generative art that brings life and invites people to enter the great silence where God may be heard and their suffering held.

Be warned! By definition, every single book discussed in this episode of the Book XChange podcast is going to be utterly spoiled... Jude and John discuss some of their favorite all-time endings in literature, and why we feel they've made such a lasting imprint on our memories. There are many ways to end a story: wicked twists in the plot, notes of ambiguity and mystery, group hugs of happiness, or shocking, tragic losses. But for most readers there are those books that linger in the mind because of the way the author "stuck the landing," bringing all of the elements of his/her tale together in a uniquely satisfying - or sometimes, maddenly unsatisfying, but memorable! - close. We came up with a long list of interesting choices for this discussion, so much so that it could easily spawn a second episode to continue the theme in the future. What book endings linger in your mind? Now you can email the show at bookxchangetwins@gmail.com to share your recommendations, observations, criticisms, or whatever you'd like! Thanks as always for listening. -J & J BOOKS DISCUSSED/MENTIONED/RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE What John is currently reading/plans to read next: 'Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering,' Makoto Fujimura - 'Avoid the Day: A New Nonfiction in Two Movements,' Jay Kirk - What Jude is currently reading/plans to read next: 'The Heart of the Matter,' Graham Greene - 'The New Worlds of Robert A. Heinlein: Expanded Universe,' Robert A. Heinlein - Books/Writers discussed in this episode: John 21: 20-25 - Matthew 28:18-20 - 'The Trial,' Franz Kafka - 'Mariette in Ecstasy,' Ron Hansen - 'Silence,' Shusaku Endo - 'The Grapes of Wrath,' John Steinbeck - 'The Lord of the Rings trilogy ("The Scouring of the Shire,"), J. R. R. Tolkien - 'The Road,' Cormac McCarthy - Planned next episode of the Book XChange podcast: "Animal Kingdom" - books featuring or about animals

THE ART OF SLOWING DOWN - Nihonga artist and founder of IAMCultureCare - on the beauty of cultivating the soil of your own soul, the soil of your creativity and the soil of your community and culture … from the studio, a playground for constant creative flow „CULTURE IS A GARDEN TO BE CULTIVATED“     SHOW NOTES_ Enjoyed this episode?                                                                                      Then please subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and a review. Happy to hear your feedback and questions. If you'd like to connect, follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catwlk_soultlk/                                                  And share this good 'n' beautiful story with someone else in the world. You can listen to the conversations with my wonderful CATWLK SOULTLK guests on Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher. THANK YOU for listening to the show dear friend!   Explore further and be inspired by some beautiful people, projects, books - as mentioned in conversation with MAKOTO FUJIMURA IAM - International Arts Movement (Global Community + Fujimura Institute): https://iamculturecare.com/about BOOK: Silence and Beauty - Hidden Faith Born of Suffering BOOK: Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life BOOK: Art & Faith: a Theology of Making (Yale Press, 1/5/2021 release with N.T. Wright foreword) PODCAST: https://culture-care-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/light-through-the-cracks-episode-1 https://www.instagram.com/culturecarecreative/ https://www.instagram.com/iamfujimura/?hl=de https://www.instagram.com/academykintsugi/?hl=de https://www.makotofujimura.com 

Makoto Fujimura is a leading contemporary artist whose process driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time.” His books Culture Care and Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering are essential reads for our time. Makoto joins me for a conversation on slowing down, beauty from tragedy and culture, and care in the age of COVID. Share the episode and check out his books and work: www.makotofujimura.com/

“Artists are gardeners who are called to till the soil of culture.” - Mako FujimuraOn this edition of Restoring the Soul, Michael spends an hour with Mako Fujimura, visual artist, author, thought leader, and cultural-shaper who was recently appointed Director of The Brehm Center at Fuller Seminary. His paintings have been exhibited around the world and he is one of the first artists to paint live on stage at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall.Mako is an artist whose process driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time”. Mr. Fujimura is also a well-read author. He and Michael will discuss Mako’s books Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life and Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering.Find out even more about Mako here.

Makoto Fujimura – Lament: Kintsugi and the art of mending.Doug and J.R. talk about the progression of emotions that move from anxiety to annoyance to anger during the pandemic. Even as they look at the difficult emotions they also talk about some simple things that have been giving them hope. Our conversation this week is with the artist, author and theologian Mako Fujimura. Much of his work has been around trauma and lament. Some of his work includes pieces done for Columbine, 9/11, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, and the 400-year anniversary of the King James Bible. There is a depth of wisdom and permission in this interview that is timely for pastors and leaders as we find ourselves leading through a new season of lament, suffering, and trauma. Mako also talks about the Japanese method of repairing pottery called kintsugi as a way to mend and heal broken things. This conversation is deeply honest and hopeful, we know you are going to be moved by it.Resources:Here are some of Mako's books:-Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life-Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering-Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art, and CultureMako's website https://www.makotofujimura.com/Donna Harris and the 6-part flow of lament1. Crying out to God2. Affirming trust in God3. Petitioning God to restore4. Making additional arguments5. Expressing rage against loss and injustice6. Praising God in assurance of his promises to hear usQuestions:-What do you need to lament?-Where does your mind need to shift from fixing to mending?-Where do we need to experience the tears of Jesus?If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts for the show drop us a line, at dougmoister@gmail.com or jrbriggs@kairospartnerships.orgWe are a new podcast so we ask you to make sure to subscribe, write a review, and share this with other pastors and kingdom leaders. We hope to see the MMP community grow and cannot do it without you.Monday morning pastor is a ministry of is brought to you by a partnership between https://www.missioalliance.org/ and https://www.kairospartnerships.org/podcastLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Makoto Fujimura – Lament: Kintsugi and the art of mending.Doug and J.R. talk about the progression of emotions that move from anxiety to annoyance to anger during the pandemic. Even as they look at the difficult emotions they also talk about some simple things that have been giving them hope. Our conversation this week is with the artist, author and theologian Mako Fujimura. Much of his work has been around trauma and lament. Some of his work includes pieces done for Columbine, 9/11, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, and the 400-year anniversary of the King James Bible. There is a depth of wisdom and permission in this interview that is timely for pastors and leaders as we find ourselves leading through a new season of lament, suffering, and trauma. Mako also talks about the Japanese method of repairing pottery called kintsugi as a way to mend and heal broken things. This conversation is deeply honest and hopeful, we know you are going to be moved by it.Resources:Here are some of Mako’s books:-Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life-Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering-Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art, and CultureMako’s website https://www.makotofujimura.com/Donna Harris and the 6-part flow of lament1. Crying out to God2. Affirming trust in God3. Petitioning God to restore4. Making additional arguments5. Expressing rage against loss and injustice6. Praising God in assurance of his promises to hear usQuestions:-What do you need to lament?-Where does your mind need to shift from fixing to mending?-Where do we need to experience the tears of Jesus?If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts for the show drop us a line, at dougmoister@gmail.com or jrbriggs@kairospartnerships.orgWe are a new podcast so we ask you to make sure to subscribe, write a review, and share this with other pastors and kingdom leaders. We hope to see the MMP community grow and cannot do it without you.Monday morning pastor is a ministry of is brought to you by a partnership between https://www.missioalliance.org/ and https://www.kairospartnerships.org/podcast

Makoto Fujimura, world renown artist, talks in depth about his book, Culture Care.  He shares his profound ideas about culture being a resource we are called to steward rather than a territory to be won or lost.  We talk about the vital importance of beauty to the sustainablity of a thriving culture for generations to come. He describes artists as being "border-stalkers", people who don't quite fit in to one group but those who walk the margins and are able to move from different cultures and people groups.  Border-stalkers can become cultural leaders by using beauty and creativity to ultimately connect us to each other.    Makoto is director of Fuller Theological Seminary's Brehm Center of Worship Theology and the Arts.  He has received four honorary doctorate degrees and is an alumni of Bucknell University.  He has work displayed across the globe and has served as a presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from 2003-2009.  He has also written a book of essays called Refractions and the award winning book, Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering.  Find out more by visiting his websites: https://www.makotofujimura.com http://iamculturecare.com

In our third episode we deal with the Lectionary texts for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A: Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13 and Matthew 3:1-12. We consider what it means to look to these texts for real words of grace and hope, and what the nature of true joy really is. Show Notes: With the words, “This text shouldn’t be here,” my colleague Barbara Lundblad begins a thoughtful presentation on Isaiah 35. After all, as she points out, it’s not just that this text doesn’t address anyone by name. It’s also that it almost immediately follows a poem that’s full of images of creational disaster: “Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur, her land will become blazing pitch … Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds” (Isaiah 34:9, 13). Into that promise of environmental devastation, Isaiah says, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:1-2a). This text shouldn’t be here...Lundblad notes, “Isaiah dares to speak a word out of place. A word that refuses to wait until things improved.” Walter Brueggemann says something similar when he points out, “Israel’s doxologies are characteristically against the data.” Doug Bratt, See more at: http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/advent-3a/?type=the_lectionary_gospel#sthash.WEF8QYaM.dpuf Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith. —Adel Bestavros Hardly anything points toward God and calls as urgently for God as the experience of his absence... Yes, patience is what I consider to be the main difference between faith and atheism...What atheism, religious fundamentalism, and the enthusiasm of a too-facile faith have in common is how quickly they can ride roughshod over the mystery we call God – and that is why I find all three approaches equally unacceptable... One must never consider mystery “over and done with.” Mystery, unlike a mere dilemma, cannot be overcome; one must wait patiently at its threshold and persevere in it – must carry it in one’s heart … and allow it to mature there and lead one in turn to maturity... If the signs of God’s presence lay within easy reach on the surface of the world as some religious zealots like to think, there would be no need for real faith. But I’m convinced that maturing in one’s faith also entails accepting enduring moments – and sometimes even lengthy periods – when God seems remote or remains concealed. What is obvious and demonstrable doesn’t require faith. We don’t need faith when confronted with unshakable certainties accessible to our powers of reason, imagination, or sensory experience. We need faith precisely at those twilight moments when our lives and the world are full of uncertainty, during the cold night of God’s silence. And its function is not to allay our thirst for certainty and safety, but to teach us to live with mystery. Faith and hope are expressions of our patience at just such moments – and so is love. -Tomas Halick, Patience With God In contrast to the overblown rhetoric of so many Christian apologists – with their drastic naivety about the ambivalence of the natural world and the intractable difficulties of believing – Halík's account strikes me as a sensitive and realistic articulation of the difference faith makes. The best thing about his book – again, in contrast to the usual apologetics – is that it's actually a Christian response to atheism. Surely anything a Christian says to an atheist ought to arise not from an invincible commitment to being right, but from an understanding of the kindness of God, an awareness that there is room in God's family even for those who doubt – those for whom the word "God" cannot easily be deciphered from the dark hieroglyphics of the world. -Ben Meyers, commenting on Halik's "Patience With God" The entire Bible can be seen, in fact, as a story of betrayal, beginning with Adam and proceeding through the history of the Israelites, culminating in the cross. In an astonishing reversal the Romans’ cruelest execution device became the ubiquitous Christian symbol. “And I, when I am lifted up from when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself,” Jesus had predicted. John adds by way of explanation, “He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.” At the cross, hiddenness, ambiguity and strange beauty converge. Every one of Jesus’ followers, from the first disciples down through history to the present day, knows the feeling of betrayal. Sharp-edged gossip, the stab of envy, that colleague we humiliated, the racist comment that drew a laugh, a sudden and inexplicable cruelty, apologies to our children deserved but never made, a furtive fantasy, a stolen kiss, callousness toward another’s misery, an addiction to what demeans or even destroys— in ways small and large we too step on the fumi-e. Our only hope is the forgiving gaze of the betrayed Savior, the still point of Endo’s novel. -Philip Yancey, from the forward to Makoto Fujimura's Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering (Kindle Locations 240-242). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

*Published Originally at MissioAlliance.org Makoto Fujimura is an internationally renowned artist, writer and speaker who serves as the director of Fuller Theological Seminary’s Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts. He is also the founder of the International Arts Movement and served as a presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from […]