Blog — Communion Arts

I've always liked the idea of documenting things around me. When I was in middle school, I almost always had a disposable camera on me that I would carry around. I moved when I was in middle school from Wisconsin to Florida…

Communion ArtsNovember 27, 2020Artist FeatureComment

200 Proof Grace | Lessons from the Last 15

Something is wrong when more people expect to find grace at Cheers Bar in Boston than at First Church on Main Street. Cheers is where everyone knows your name. First Church has a reputation for being where everyone judges your failures…

Ordinary TimeNathan HoffNovember 26, 2020Lessons from the Last 15, ministry, grace, articleComment

Mako Fujimura - Artist

In this episode, Blake sits down with painter, Mako Fujimura. They discuss his process of slow art, culture care, and his new book, Art & Faith: A Theology of Making.

Communion ArtsNovember 25, 2020podcast, vocation, process, painting, art, artistryComment

When He Arrives

Words: Nelson Koscheski

Music: Ryan Flanigan

AdventCommunion ArtsNovember 24, 2020Hymn House, HymnComment

An Advent Prayer

Heavenly Father,
As darkness surrounds us
And light seems far off…

AdventBlake FlattleyNovember 23, 2020liturgy, prayerComment

Artist Feature | Praise & Warships

We’d been in bands together off and on as teenagers and kept in musical contact ever since. Brenton and I have been occasionally collaborating here in there on single songs over the years but never honed in on a specific sound. We felt like was time to commit to a new fun project and call it a real band…

Communion ArtsNovember 20, 2020Artist Feature, process, writing, songwriting, musicComment

Imagination Can Be Sanctified | Lessons from the Last 15

The truth finally came out. Eventually, it always comes out. Like a soundtrack portending something shady is immanent, I had an ominous feeling for a while that something wasn’t right. Then I heard all the damning data from someone…

Ordinary TimeNathan HoffNovember 19, 2020Lessons from the Last 15, ministry, imagination, articleComment

Heather Choate Davis - Writer

In this episode, Blake sits down with writer, Heather Choate Davis. They discuss her writing career as it began in advertising, later books, and now songwriting.

Communion ArtsNovember 18, 2020podcast, writing, vocation, processComment

Beggars

Words & Music by Kip Fox

Ordinary TimeCommunion ArtsNovember 17, 2020Hymn House, HymnComment

A Lament for Hurricane Victims

We cannot rush through sorrow. Walking through pain and loss and grief is like walking through water—slow, hard, and exhausting. It takes time. And it takes a toll on us. We feel trapped in confusion, surrounded by chaos…

Ordinary TimeChad BirdNovember 16, 2020Liturgy, LamentComment

Artist Feature | Elizabeth Bernhardt

I remember going to see a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at Zilker Park here in Austin when I was about twelve. It wasn't the first play I'd seen, but that memory sticks out to me as one where I saw the magic of theatre, and just felt a very visceral yearning to be inside that world of magic, too.

Communion ArtsNovember 13, 2020Artist Feature, process, actor, acting, director, directing, writingComment

Minimize Behind the Scenes | Lessons from the Last 15

“There is something different about this church.” Our friends, semi-retired and fully-vital, had agreed to come and invest in the ministry at Trinity for a few weeks at a time. Then they came again for a few more weeks. They kept saying, “There is something different about this church.”…

Ordinary TimeNathan HoffNovember 12, 2020Lessons from the Last 15, ministry, articleComment

Chad Bird - Writer

In this episode, Blake sits down with writer, Chad Bird. They speak about his process, how it has changed over the years, and the necessity for all writers to be readers.

Communion ArtsNovember 11, 2020podcast, writing, vocation, processComment

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Thomas Helmore & John Mason Neale
Performed by Blake Flattley

AdventCommunion ArtsNovember 10, 2020Hymn House, HymnComment

Lord, forgive our divisiveness

LEADER: Heavenly Father,
we come to you today
as a broken and divided people.

All Saints Day, Ordinary TimeCommunion ArtsNovember 9, 2020liturgy, prayer, confessionComment

Artist Feature | Hope Dunbar

I was a musician first although I never would have used that word to describe being a member of a church choir and school choir and taking piano lessons. I think I would've just described myself as having a love for music…

Communion ArtsNovember 6, 2020Artist Feature, songwriting, writing, processComment

Stewardship Includes Culture Care | Lessons from the Last 15

The Dean of the Community of Saint Anselm (COSA) and I talked on Skype. He was in his quaint study at Lambeth Palace, the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury and working centre of the Anglican Communion. I was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with my sliding glass door open…

Ordinary TimeNathan HoffNovember 5, 2020Lessons from the Last 15, ministry, culture, culture care, articleComment

Luke Wesselschmidt - Architect

In this episode, Blake sits down with architect, Luke Wesselschmidt. They discuss the intersection of old and new and learning from the past.

Communion ArtsNovember 4, 2020podcast, architecture, architect, designComment

Abide With Me

Text: Henry F. Lyte
Tune: William H. Monk Setting
Performance by Blake Flattley

Ordinary TimeCommunion ArtsNovember 3, 2020Hymn House, Hymn, abideComment

One Again | A Confession for Unity

Gracious and Heavenly Father, we come before you with contrite hearts, mindful of the great gap between how you see your Church and how we live out Your love in our lives…

Ordinary TimeHeather Choate DavisNovember 2, 2020grace, Liturgy, unity, electionComment

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