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TRINITY TREASURES
REV. LARRY D. LAINE, PASTOR MRS. PATRICIA A. SHOUP, MINISTER OF MUSIC MRS. KAY F. MOOSCH, PARISH SECRETARY MRS. DEBORAH K. HINE, SEXTON Email: telcbangor@frontier.com Website: www. tlcbangor.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/tlcbangor Pastor’s Cell Phone # 757-613-7126 Pastor Laine’s e-mail – laineparallel@gmail.com Church Office – 610-588-2023 Fax. No. – 610-588-8904 Pastor Creates Artistic Altar Background
by Larry Cory
Pastor Larry Laine of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bangor wanted to give the church's air-conditioned fellowship hall a more religious and spiritual look for church services that are held there during the warmer months. The Pastor had arranged the hall with chairs set in semi-circular rows similar to the regular church sanctuary upstairs. Problem was - the altar background wasn't very church-like with ordinary windows and a painted wall. Although Pastor Laine is not a well-known artist, he's more than a rank amateur. From doodling in seventh grade to taking some collegiate-level painting courses and learning from his daughter Britta, who has a degree in painting from Boston University, Laine decided he would design something on his own to solve the problem. "I started to sketch things out," he said. "I showed them to my daughter and sketched again, and again," He eventually settled on a floor-to-ceiling high and 12-foot wide piece of art that he says depicts the crucifix in a contemporary abstract painting. "The negative space represents the cross," he said. "The arm and head (made of wood) is the resurrected Christ." He also wanted the painting to represent more than just a simple, ordinary crucifix. He wanted something special, and something that shed light on the bigger picture. "I wanted the arm stretched way out to represent the breadth of the resurrection." he said. "I (also) wanted to show how Christianity is encompassing and compassionate." Red onyx was his color choice for the body to show the warmth of the resurrection and to provide contrast for the colder background colors. Painting and designing is one issue, but building and assembling this large project was still another. Laine, however, was more than equal to the task to design and construct the painting's frame. His skill in wood working began during seventh-grade shop class where he made a coffee table. He also says that he enjoys re-purposing old wooden objects and has remodeled several homes where he once lived. Putting together the framework for his painting actually became a relatively easy chore. With the help of Trinity congregation member, Tom Marino, the piece of art was anchored to the wall where it will likely remain for the foreseeable future. |