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The Geometry of the Sacred
By Nelson Kane
When I first received a call from John Mogabgab in 1985, my son had just been born. John described a new magazine the Upper Room was hoping to launch and asked me to come to Nashville to discuss and consider designing it. My objective then remains the same today--to incorporate what one could call the "geometry of the sacred"--those proportions and relationships of space and form that, somehow, set a place for the Divine to be experienced through design.
Today, my son is a grown man and Weavings is almost twenty-four years old. In recent months, as we reflected on the magazine's history and changes in contemporary publishing, we asked what design qualities would best "speak" to our readers today. Our choices will soon be revealed in the recreated Weavings. But even with these changes, my purpose remains constant: To create a dwelling that best supports the words of our authors and offers a setting for contemplation, inspiration, and connection.
I hope the new design of Weavings--the full-color art, the new format, the new type styles--all serve to provide a renewed sense of the beauty of our spiritual journeys. This is a journey of discovery for me as well as for our readers, authors, and artists. As we move forward together, I look forward to receiving your thoughts about how we can best remain a place for quiet reflection and engaged spirituality. We want the design to speak ever more directly to your heart.
In what ways has the design of Weavings spoken to you in your spiritual journey? In what other spaces has the geometry and design pointed to the sacred?
Join the discussion on our Facebook Fan page.
Also On Facebook
We recently posted Mary Fraser's poem "Speaking and Listening: The Way of Spiritual Direction". Take a moment to reflect on this poem. We are very fortunate to have Mary Fraser joining us on our Facebook discussion, so we encourage you to share your thoughts and questions with her and other readers there.
Discovering Weavings
By Pamela C. Hawkins
I still keep my first copy of Weavings on a bookshelf in my home office. Its cover is a bit coffee-stained and dog-eared, having been well-read and -loved for over twenty years. You see, my mother introduced me to Weavings. I think she may have been a charter subscriber. I know she was a woman of deep prayer for whom reading was a cherished spiritual practice. In those early Weavings years, as Mom read the newest issue, she made notes in the margins of her prayers, questions, and insights. And then, when she was finished, she would leave the marked-up copy in my mailbox: a gift revealing her love for God and for me. Eventually, she gave me a gift subscription of my own, a gift that literally influenced the course of my life. But I still love the old issues best: the ones we shared, the ones with her notes to me and to God.
Two Writers for Disciplines
The 2010 edition of one of the most celebrated devotional guides, The Upper Room Disciplines, is now available, with contributions this year from two members of the Weavings staff. Pamela C. Hawkins, Managing Editor, and Anna Lee, the Weavings Summer Intern, each provided a week of reflection on the lectionary. They are joined by 51 other writers from around the world, including Max Lucado and Marian Wright Edelman.
Disciplines is a book of daily meditations on selected scripture. Each day includes a suggested scripture reading, a one-page reflection, and a closing prayer or suggestion for meditation. Each contributor develops a particular theme for the week's readings, which are based on the Revised Common Lectionary. We encourage you to consider using this resource as your devotional guide.
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