Tag Archives: video

What Are You Doing Here, America?

August 31, 2018UncategorizedAmerica, art, Bible, Christian, church, God, icons, Jesus, ministry, photography, prayer, religion, Revival, videoMichael Hales

Dear Friends and Family:

We had a wonderful visit from Brother Joseph, a monk from Holy Cross Monastery, which culminated in a prayer time at our local waterfall. Christine has been teaching iconography at Holy Cross Monastery for sometime and will be leading another class in September, 25^th– 28^th. The time spent at the monastery is always so fulfilling that Michael made a short video about the monastery and what it is like to visit.

Here is the You Tube link

Christine and Brother Joseph at the waterfall

Christine is also working now on several icon commissions coming in from different parts of the country.

Chaplaincy News for Michael

Michael just went through five days of Critical Incident Stress Management [CISM] training for groups and individuals. The course teaches how to assist, as a chaplain, people who have gone through a traumatic event; like a shooting, hurricane, fire, terrorist attack or suicide. It was held in an Emergency Operations Center, in a new purpose built building ready to survive wind speeds of over 253 miles an hour, where the county 911 dispatch center was located and where the whole counties’ emergency operations could be directed from in a critical incident. The room we were taking the course in had no windows and sometimes it felt a bit like we were hiding in a cave, having tragic scenarios of disasters unfolding constantly through the teaching.

It may have been similar to how Elijah felt after fleeing from Jezabel’s threats and hiding in a cave. Then having the Lord ask him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 1st Kings 19:11-13.

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹²And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.^[a] ¹³And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

I can relate to that feeling of being asked, what are you doing hiding here when all those horrible things are going on around you. Was it meant as an accusing wake up call for Elijah or more of an encouragement to get back into the action? Back into the fight.

Elijah had reasoned he was the last prophet left working for the Lord, but God said no, he had another 7000 in reserve.

Sometimes we all need a wake up call to get back in the fight. We live in a country which is under attack from within, that is loosing its’ moral direction by attacking freedom of speech and the press, purposefully disregarding stewardship of the environment, building walls on its borders to control people and trade, and lying whenever it suits the leadership. We can also be sure that we are getting attacked from outside our borders as well in this time of cyber information penetration.

But God. God pulls us back to remember the smaller things he has created, through his sweet small voice, a drop of water on a leaf, a snail finding its way, the amazing gift of blooming flowers. It is through the amalgamation of appreciating the smaller things of God that we comprehend the enormity of his creative hand. There is no other way.

He is not in the wind, earthquake or fire. He is not in the constant military armament, or thousands of miles of border walls, separating children from their parents, or abusing our environment. He is not in the constant quipping, denying, accusing and lying we hear now daily. God is in love, in joy, in creation, in truth and is eternal. He is more powerful in his little things than we can ever be in man’s so called big things.

PRAYER

This morning I got to pray for a man suffering from a bunion on his foot, painful when you are on your feet all day. Just a short prayer of healing in Jesus name. That was one of God’s small things that happened.

But God. God is also capable of huge things, too. He created heaven and earth and all that is in it. He can also take it away. That is why we need to hear the quiet wake up calls, ‘What are we doing here, America?’ before God lets us fall out of his hands.

Please let us know how we can pray for you and keep us in your prayers too.

Love and prayers,

Michael and Christine Mick’s Photo Website Christine’s Icon Website

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Grace

December 31, 2017non denominational ministry, Uncategorized, videoAmerica, art, Bible, Christian, church, God, Healing, homeless, icons, Jesus, ministry, photography, prayer, religion, Revival, videoMichael Hales

Dear Friends and Family:

Happy New Year!

One of our frequent prayers is that we would come into new relationships with people and existing ones would grow deeper.

We have been really blessed to spend the winter in Florida which gives us the chance to explore new places, new churches, new friends and new ways of doing business and ministering.

We have found a liturgical church which is also very active with community ministry.

Christine has started to work with the Altar Guild at Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota which fits well with her understanding of the roots Christianity and the many symbolic aspects of liturgical worship.

Michael has started to volunteer in a homeless shelter the church is involved with, which has people waiting on the streets in the morning to get in for a shower and a bite to eat.

A bus ride can reveal how many people are living on the edge, struggling with health issues, mental and physical, struggling with real poverty, financial, nutritional and spiritual.

Walking through the quieter suburbs also shows the run down houses, with all the shades or curtains drawn to the street with a fancy car or truck parked in front. It must be so dark inside, one wonders what kind of life are people living, is most of their light coming through the television screen? It seems the appearance of the car is more significant than the home.

The reality that in this country of great wealth, America, there is a level of poverty which is easy to drive by and not see or just disregard. It reminds me of the parable of the Good Samaritan which Jesus told to emphasize what loving our neighbors means.

²⁹But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.³³But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵And the next day he took out two denarii^[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”Luke 10:25-37

On a similar tract Michael has just finished making a video concerning the opioid and heroin crisis which is sweeping our country. It is a horrible epidemic killing young and old, rich and poor. The video was created for a grass roots charity, Columbia County Pathways to Recovery, which was formed by five mothers who had grown up with children in the small affluent community of Chatham, NY. They realized their children and many members of their community were becoming addicted to opioids and heroin and they struggled together to find ways to help them. They did not pass by on the other side but have dived in wholeheartedly to find out how to help those addicted.

Bringing an understanding of the opioid crisis to all people in a community through discussion and sharing experiences is what this video is designed to do. It is designed to stimulate open discussion of people’s thoughts, prejudices , and stigmas towards those under addiction within families and our churches. So please use it – watch the video, show it to your friends- and think about the questions it raises. What kind of prejudices do you hold towards those who are caught by addiction? What kind of help do we offer as a faith based community?

As we come to the end of 2017 which has been a very divisive year in politics let us not turn our backs on those who are in need but embrace the fact that Jesus came to give us all life and life more abundantly.

Please keep us in your prayers and let us know how we can pray for you.

“Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”

Ephesians 6: 26

And may you be blessed and healthy in this New Year!

Love, Michael and Christine

Mick’s Photography website Christine’s Icon website

Psalm 23

July 31, 2017icons, non denominational ministry, videoBible, Christian, church, God, Healing, icons, Jesus, ministry, New York, photography, prayer, Psalm 23, religion, Revival, video, WorshipMichael Hales

Dear Friends and Family: FullSizeRender 10

We hope this summer is going well for you all? It is a working summer for us- God is blessing us with many opportunities to make our art and share it! So, it’s crazy busy sometimes but also great fun because we love what we’re doing! Couldn’t be better!!

This morning this is the last little baby bird to fly the nest on our front porch!!

“Even the sparrow finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.” Psalm 84:3-4

I’ve just taught an Icon Workshop at Holy Cross Monastery and that is always a blessing for everyone, praise God.

Also just took a week long painting intensive at Bennington College through my alma mater, Massachusetts College of Art. During this workshop, I began exploring the boundaries between Icons and religious painting- something I hope to do a lot more of this coming year. Here is a photo with me and my Saint Joan of Arc painting.

This from Michael: “I have been working on a video on Psalm 23 which has been a wonderful project. It has given me a deeper understanding of how close the relationship of King David was with God. The first line states the Lord is my shepherd and right up front assigns authority to God. David declares that God has authority over him and once that has been established the Psalm then states God’s security, leadership, rest, provision, abundance, redemption, direction, love, family and on and on until finally unity with Him for eternity.

This Holy scripture describes so intimately the relationship between God and David and it is all available when David assigns authority over his life to the good shepherd. David having been a shepherd himself before becoming a king, understood the roles of both of those positions. He likens himself to a sheep under the care of a shepherd, a foreshadow of how Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for mankind under the authority of God the Father. The depth of the love voiced in Psalm 23 is a witness to the love Jesus has for us.
Psalm 23 video

Please watch the video and share it with someone who may not know the Psalm at all. When I started to film people for the video, I approached a group of teenagers on a NY subway platform and asked if they would read the psalm 23, none of them knew what a psalm was, never mind the number 23. One young man was willing to try, but a train came in at that point. That experience just increased my desire to make scripture alive to people who do not get to hear it in their daily lives.”

And, for the first time ever, Michael and I had a pop up exhibition together in my studio in Hudson. It was so much fun, visiting with our friends and being able to talk in depth with them about our work. Thank you God!! FullSizeRender 9

Sending you all love and prayers,

Christine and Michael

Mick’s Photography Site

Christine’s Icon Site

What Do You Think of Christmas?

December 27, 2015UncategorizedChristine Hales, Kingdom Arts Ministry, Mick Hales, videoMichael Hales

Hello Friends and Family:

As we finish up this month with Christmas thoughts, gifts, and remembrances, we wanted to especially express our gratitude for each one of you in our lives. More and more, it becomes obvious that we can’t really accomplish much on our own – but with God’s help, and yours, anything is possible!

I am working on a commission that has the two 8′ by 3′ patron saints and co-founders of the Graymoor monastery as well as two more large, 8′ x 4′ Icons for Albany, NY. I love working large and am grateful now that Michael did all that work in the barn over the summer because now I have a big space to work in. There’s no heat or electricity, but with the warm weather we’ve had all November and December, I have been able to log in a lot of hours working up there – and I’m happy as can be!

Michael has been inspired this month after praying for over a year for what God’s next assignment is going to be. Here is a description of the new project he is starting to work on:

Kingdom Arts Ministry: Youth Video Project [YVP]

Vision: To teach and equip young Christians to make videos which glorify God, to post them online and interact around them.

Purpose:

Create a body of Christians who actively utilize the visual media for innovative dialogue.
Activate youth groups in churches to independently produce media to dialogue with the unreached in their community.
Create a bridge which opens opportunity for personal testimony and ministry.
Create a path for youth to have a voice within their own communities, churches and universally.
Develop a network of active video makers for Christ across America and the world.
Identify potential future film making talent to coach and release into the industry.

THE PROGRAM WOULD CONSIST OF:

A four session course with additional follow up visit can be scheduled in one of two options-
- Three evening sessions and one Sunday morning.
- Friday evening, Saturday two sessions and Sunday morning.

All sessions start with prayer and worship.Session One- View a variety of short videos, discuss different options and approaches videos used, discuss local community needs or personal aspirations for a short video subject. Qualify how it glorifies God. Homework to write outline of the video, where it is to be shot and who it is directed towards.
Session Two- Review outline and undertake shooting.

Session Three- Review film shot and edit to three minute video.

Session Four – Pre Sunday service- show all films to the group and discuss and pray through presented issues. As a group decide and plan presentation for the congregation, deliver during Sunday service and preach around it. Post video online.

Follow up session two weeks later to encourage continuing to create videos and post. Process any development issues. Connect and network youth to other churches who have gone through the course. Annual conference for all participating youth groups to show videos, discuss issues and develop awareness of potential ways to serve.

So, if you have any ideas, thoughts, or support you’d like to give Michael for this project, contact us! So excited about what God is going to do!

Here’s a quick video Michael made about Christmas that I think you will like.

What do you think of Christmas? from Michael Hales on Vimeo.

Some of the interviews were taken during our lasts Art & Friends Community Potluck Dinner in Hudson:

So, once again, we ask for your prayer covering of the months ahead. You are always in our prayers, to and we look forward to hearing in more detail how we can pray for each of you. Together, and with Christ, we can do anything!

Love and prayers,

Michael and Christine