Created in the image of God

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Genesis 1 26-27

This summer’s Vacation Bible School offered each participant the opportunity to create his or her own likeness, much like we have often heard in readings from Genesis. The VBS “creations” produced an introspective look at how we view ourselves, with more than a little silliness thrown in for good measure — and entertainment.

The first night of Vacation Bible School was Tuesday, July 16. The second and final night will be Thursday, July 18 from 6-8 p.m. at the church. The public is invited to attend.

Aaron French creates an image of himself.

Janet Magelis of the World of Wonders Nursery School, which holds its classes in our church, led and inspired the VBS creations, showing everyone how to get started and then offering suggestions as the process continued.

Janet Magelis demonstrates how to create the first step of the personal image on the surface of a mirror.

The process began with everyone sitting in front of book-size mirrors and sketching an outline of what they saw with a brush and black paint. Once the sketch was complete, a blank piece of paper was pressed against the glass and the image was transferred. The mirror was then washed, dried and made ready for another image. Most participants created more than one image of themselves.

One of the most exciting parts of the exercise was that it truly was an intergenerational experience. Toddlers to seniors each took  turns in front of the mirrors to create personal images of their choice.

Once the images were transferred from the mirrors to paper, the next step was to add color, either somewhat natural or exaggerated.

After the facial images were complete, the “creations” turned to full-body impressions. Participants took turns having the outlines of their bodies traced on large rolls of paper. As with the facial images, some of the representations were exact (or pretty close) while others were intentionally exaggerated.

After the body images were complete, the large sheets of paper were taken outside on the sidewalk and in the parking lot and participants bombarded them with balloons filled with paint. Additional paint was splattered on the body images with brushes, creating a wide range of color combinations, blends, splotches and streaky designs.

The body murals and facial images will be completed on the second and final night of Vacation Bible School on Thursday, July 18, from 6-8 p.m. The public is invited to attend and participate.

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