40 Days.
by Alison Stigora
These artworks were created one a day for forty days during the season of Lent.
Lent is traditionally a contemplative time of spiritual preparation leading up to Easter.
The materials are things I encountered throughout those days and became a means for reflection and prayer.
You’re invited to pause and engage these works however it makes sense to you.
These artworks will be on display in the Sideris Church sanctuary throughout the 40 days of Lent, with all 40 pieces fully installed by Easter Sunday.
Also check out the latest from our city-wide Prayer Initiative called “40 Days of Prayer” here.
Day 1.
Broken in the dirt.
Found glass, soil, sticks on panel.
Walking to my car,
found glass on the sidewalk
mixed with soil at the base of a tree.
Everywhere, brokenness glimmers.
Day 2.
beauty/broken.
Found glass in parking lot on Commodore Way,
gravel.
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart,
O God.
Day 3.
Smashed light.
Found in alley outside the Art building.
John 3:19
The people loved darkness
because their deeds were evil.
Day 4.
Broken window.
Found sheet glass in dumpster.
Genesis 3:7- shattered Eden
At that moment their eyes were opened,
and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness.
So they sewed fig leaves to cover themselves.
They were naked and hid from God in the garden. God came seeking, saying, “Where are you?”
Day 5.
Stubborn root.
Roots and soil on panel.
Found my neighbor in the yard
Ripping out stubborn roots
To make room for new plantings.
Jeremiah 4:3
Break up your fallow ground,
do not sow among thorns.
Day 6.
Taproot.
Burnt roots on panel.
Freshly uprooted,
green and resistant to burning.
“The taproot drives deepest,
anchoring the tree to its purpose.”
-Leonie H. Mattison
Day 7.
TOAST.
Pieces of uprooted stump, scorched.
Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground.
Day 8.
Firewood.
Beach on a cold day
Found firewood
Burned and cut to size
Daniel 3:25
But I see four men unbound,
walking in the midst of the fire,
and they are not hurt;
and the appearance of the fourth
is like a son of the gods.
Day 9.
Beauty for Ashes.
charcoal / sand / glass
Isaiah 61:3
To grant to those who mourn in Zion-
to give them a beautiful headdress
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
Romans 4:17
God who brings the dead back to life
and who creates new things out of nothing.
Day 10.
Dust.
Charcoal on panel.
“Humility is nothing but the disappearance of self in the vision that God is all.”
-Andrew Murray
Philippians 2:1-11
”At the name of Jesus every knee will bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Isaiah 57:15
”He dwells with the lowly.”
Day 11.
Uprooted.
Marigold stalks, dirt and ash on panel.
Found Sue in the garden yesterday,
breaking dry stalks,
brittle in the wind.
New growth is coming.
“Behold, I am making all things new.”
Revelation 21:5
“I arise today
Through the strength of heaven… great
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me.”
-Prayer of St. Patrick
Day 12.
Seed.
Marigold stalks and seeds on panel.
I went to the roof,
seeking seeds.
Found dry stalks
and green, together.
John 12:24
Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
“This is what we are about: we plant the seeds that will one day grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord‘s grace to enter and do the rest.”
-Compline prayer, Shane Claiborne
Day 13.
Consider the Lilies.
Grass and beeswax on panel.
Matthew 6
If God so clothes the grass of the field-
will he not much more clothe you,
O you of little faith?
But seek first the kingdom of God
and his righteousness and all these things
will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Sealed.
Beeswax, grass and wire on panel.
Three bundles
held within wax.
Ephesians 1:13
In him you also were sealed
with the promised Holy Spirit.
Psalm 139:5
You hem me in, behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Day 15.
Offering.
Ponderosa pine needles and wire
Genesis 22 (Abraham and Isaac)
Day 16.
Bound.
Plant stalks and twine on panel.
Hosea 11:4
I led them with cords of kindness,
with the bands of love.
Isaiah 49:16
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.
Day 17.
Pieces.
Broken shells, sea glass and wax.
On Ash Wednesday-
we went to the beach
and found it at
utter lowest tide,
humbling itself.
Found more sea glass
than ever before-
softened by time, waves, sand
and storm.
Psalm 42:6
Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
Broken.
Egg shells and wax on panel.
1 Corinthians
Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Day 19.
Woolly.
Wool on panel.
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD; though
your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
Psalm 51:7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Day 20.
Dry Bones.
Driftwood and nails on panel.
Ezekiel 37:4
Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.”
Day 21.
Shards.
Glass collected
from the parking lot outside SGA.
Broken windows, mirrors,
doors, who knows.
All swept together-
time and loss and gravel,
under dumpsters.
What can one do with shreds of time?
Zechariah 4:10 NLT
Do not despise these small beginnings,
for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.
Day 22.
Dayenu.*
Abalone shells and wax on panel.
Abalone, collected
from the coast of California,
ten years ago.
Kept in a jar
until the right time.
Rainbow shimmer,
gift of the sea.
Reminder that miracles exist;
that waiting and watching
are not in vain.
2 Corinthians
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
*Hebrew for “it would have been enough”. Traditionally sung during Passover, recalling and celebrating God’s presence and miracles in the lives of the Israelite people.
Day 23.
Lunaria.
Dried silver dollar plants and wax on panel.
Matthew
[Mustard seed]- It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.
Day 24.
Smashed door (Sunny Teriyaki).
Found glass on panel.
“O Lord, we beseech thee to deliver us from the fear of the unknown future; from fear of failure; from fear of poverty; from fear of bereavement; from fear of loneliness; from fear of sickness and pain; from fear of age; and from fear of death. Help us, O Father, by thy grace to love and fear thee only, fill our hearts with cheerful courage and loving trust in thee; through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.”
-Akanu Ibaim (Nigeria/ 1905-1995)
Day 25.
Imago Dei.
Broken side view mirror
found at 7mph
on Ballard Bridge.
Day 26.
Rest.
Dried plants, wax, seeds on panel.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
“He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”
Day 27.
Reach.
Roots and dirt on panel.
Isaiah 37:31
And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.
Isaiah 27:6
In days to come Jacob shall take root,
Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.
Day 28.
New wine.
Broken bottle and beeswax on panel.
“I came here with nothing
But all You have given me
Jesus, bring new wine out of me.”
-Hillsong worship
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
Day 29.
Let the stones speak.
Stone, sea glass, shell and wax on panel.
Luke 19:40
If these were silent
the very stones would cry out.
Day 30.
Void.
Broken glass on panel.
Tinted windows found smashed
at West Point parking lot.
Genesis
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Day 31.
Broken glass on panel. (Discovery Beach)
Broken windows,
abandoned buildings -
dark and dirt and lighthouse together.
Luke 4:18-21
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he said to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Day 32.
Green reprieve.
Lichen and moss on panel.
Gifts of green
fallen from trees
gathered while walking
with a student,
in unexpected sun.
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Day 33.
Small things.
Moss on panel.
Treasures
gathered by small hands
offered in hope.
Mark 10:14
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
Day 34.
New eyes.
Broken glass, wax, twigs, sand on panel.
“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”
Day 35.
Shedding skin (Eustace).
Birch bark on panel.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation.
The old has passed away;
behold, the new has come.
Day 36.
Sticks and stones and bones.
Stones from the lot across the street
Sticks from yard, beach, dirt
Bones from unknown creatures
(found buried; bleached).
Simple means-
all we ever have.
2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.
Day 37.
Held.
Mesquite and twine on panel.
Branches gathered
in Texas hill country,
held close.
Barren, broken, bound, beloved.
Isaiah 53:2-4
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He was a man of suffering,
and familiar with pain.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering.
Day 38.
Poured out.
Wine, twine, red beeswax.
Red candle,
melted to the end.
And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”
Day 39.
Black foil and nails on panel.
In the valley, tomb, night.
Gut punch-
bereaved.
Struck down in midday
torn in two.
Luke 23:44-45
There was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
Day 40.
Glory.
Gold foil on panel.
Darkness to light,
Darkness to light
You have brought us
From darkness to light.
Psalm 126:5
All those who sow weeping
will go out with songs of joy.
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, with unveiled face,
beholding the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image
from glory to glory,
by the Spirit of the Lord.