75th Anniversary Banners-Southeastern District- LCMS

          Anniversary Banners
      Created by Diane J. Guelzow

ARTIST STATEMENT-

Art making is a daily exercise for me, a daily diet of mixing everyday life with sensory-rich visuals. It is the way I process life, a necessary staple, and a reflection pool for living. I mix materials, blurring paint, and paper, fabric, pen and whatever my spirit reaches for in the creative process. I am primarily a mixed-medium artist, but painting is my breath.

I love to hear life stories from individuals.  Although I work primarily as a Licensed Professional Counselor and an artist, stories fuel my work and life with passion.  Two scripture readings serve as the focus for this conference, offering three beautiful and sacred life stories: the loving relationship between the Father and his Son, the relationship between God and all people, and the relationship between people. 

In the background of each banner, the ascending Christ with arms raised toward his Father is positioned behind individuals serving God and receiving God’s love.  Within this sacred relationship, St. Paul encourages us to act as one in love and forgiveness, in lowliness and meekness, with patience and forbearance, and with an eagerness to maintain unity of the spirit within a bond of peace. 

The banners reveal a variety of ways we serve Christ.  Many more ‘callings’ could have been illustrated on these banners.  However, the diversity of ‘callings’ are secondary to the calling to live in unity of spirit.  Whether a pastor or teacher, young or old, light skinned or dark skinned, God reminds us to lead a life worthy of the calling: one body, one spirit. Gold leaf is distributed around the banner to illustrate unity of spirit with heart and mind, unity of spirit between the triune God, and unity of spirit towards all people. Believers are to be witnesses of this great love, this great relationship, this great God.

Diane J. Guelzow

Ed.D., NCC. LPC, REACE

We give thanks for the creative design and execution of these two banners to bring visual praise to the President's Conference of the Southeastern District- LCMS. These have been created as commissioned art to celebrate the gift of 75 years walking together for the sake of God's Kingdom here on earth. We rejoice in the blessing of Diane's creative gift sharing.