Members of First Lutheran Church in Britton recently experienced a worship service that combined faith, music and art when pastor and artist Paul Oman visited the church and painted a large canvas during the service.
Oman’s visit was part of the church’s Rally Sunday celebration, an annual fall kickoff for many Christian churches as they begin a new Sunday school and programming year. The service centered on Mark 10:13 16, which tells the story of Jesus welcoming children and includes the words, “Let the little children come to me.”
While the congregation worshiped, Oman worked on a large canvas at the front of the church. He painted throughout the service without revealing exactly what the finished image would look like. Oman is known for beginning his paintings upside down before eventually turning the canvas around for the final reveal. At the end of the service, he turned the painting around to reveal a large image of Jesus surrounded by children, tying directly into the day’s Scripture theme.
The painting was particularly fitting for Rally Sunday, which also included the distribution of Bibles to the church’s third grade students. First Lutheran Pastor Lexy Carson said it was meaningful to see the children gathered around the finished painting.
Oman’s visit came about through Carson’s previous connection with the artist. She met Oman while working at NeSoDak Bible Camp, where he had led worship and painted during a service. She has also seen him paint at other events and worked with him through online painting sessions hosted by First Lutheran during the past year.
After several church members who had participated in those online events suggested bringing Oman to Britton in person, the church began making plans for the visit.
“It just started planning and we made it happen,” Carson said.
Oman also led a painting class at the church that afternoon, extending the art theme beyond the worship service. Jenn and Kaylee Carlson were part of the planning committee, and Kaylee created a coloring sheet for younger Sunday school students to use during the day.
“Everybody can paint! It doesn’t matter how good or bad you think you are,” emphasized Kaylee. “I would like it if Paul could come to Britton again.”
“We had so much fun helping plan this event,” noted Jenn. “This was our third time painting with Paul. My favorite part of the service that day was the audible gasp let out by the crowd when Paul flipped his canvas!”
Oman, who lives in Wisconsin with his wife, Jana, has combined his background in art and ministry through his “Drawn to the Word” artistic ministry. He began painting as a child and received art instruction beginning at age 10. He later studied drawing in college and attended seminary before developing a ministry that uses live painting to communicate biblical stories and messages.
His live painting ministry grew from an experience in 1998, when he painted a large backdrop during a Bible camp dinner theater while a choir rehearsed. The experience inspired the idea of combining visual art, music and Scripture.
Oman eventually began painting during worship services, first trying the concept during a Good Friday service in Wisconsin in 2006. The approach grew in popularity, and he eventually began traveling to churches, schools, camps and other organizations to paint and teach.
Carson said the opportunity for First Lutheran to host Oman was made possible through a memorial gift given to the church in memory of Rodney Eikamp.
