Some people feel that the church should accommodate itself to the fleeting, instantly readable, illustrational imagery rampant in our culture. Our challenge, at a time when our congregations are thinking visually, is to reject the easily accessible, facile images that too often appear as saccharine and sentimental illustration. Visual art that invites people into the presence of God communicates abstractly, through the power of suggestion. Often, visual art confronts. This kind of visual imagery in our worship settings ushers in the Holy.
Numerous issues arise related to providing quality visuals in worship.
Explication of these issues is framed by an understanding of art as both product and process. From the inception of the idea to the finished product, this companioning process enhances the possibility of congregational support for visual elements in worship. Worship planners and designers also need to take into account that many congregations experience multicultural worship and that children communicate naturally through the non-verbal vocabulary of the visual. Under these circumstances, creating temporary, evolving, or changing visuals for worship builds bridges of understanding. This dynamic process keeps meaning-making alive.