ECVA - Jim Baker - Sacrament and Image

Jim Baker

Jesus' Table

Medium: Antique New Mexican Mesquite Wood Cross and Primitive Last Supper Carving
Altered 1800’s English Bible, Ancient Roman Nails, Nepalese Paper, Waxed Linen Thread, Ethiopian Coptic Stitching
20W X 32H X 6D

Artist Statement: Jesus often used meals to engage with people and to teach valuable lessons. In the Gospel of Luke alone, there are 10 stories of Jesus dining with various people.
  1. Dining with the enemy: Levi the Tax Collector - Luke 5:27-32
  2. The uninvited guest: Jesus at Simon the Pharisee's House - Luke 7:36-50
  3. Feeding the hungry: Feeding of the 5,000 - Luke 9:10-17
  4. Stop and smell the roses: Jesus Sitting with Mary and Martha - Luke 10:38-42
  5. Wash what matters: Jesus Criticized for not Washing His Feet - Luke 11:37-53
  6. Consider your conversation: Jesus Dines with Pharisee's - Luke 14:1-24
  7. Invite yourself over: Jesus Dines with Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-10
  8. Put your guests first: Jesus’ Last Supper - Luke 22:14-38
  9. Disciple over dinner: Jesus Appears on the Road to Emmaus - Luke 24:28-32
  10. Serve comfort food: Jesus Appears to the Disciples - Luke 24:36-43
Jesus’ table is a place of connection, brokenness and blessing. Jesus’ table calls all to come and dine, to feast on who he is and learn about him through His Word. Jesus’ example provides us with an opportunity to invite friends, outcasts and enemies to the table to know God’s story of love and salvation.

Bio: Jim Baker is a New Mexican multi-media artist working in the creation of three dimensional altered Bibles and Christian devotional art. His “Sacred Structures” are influenced by spiritual and religious symbols, metaphors, and artifacts. It's not surprising that Jim's 40 years of experience as a Southern Baptist minister in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee informs his sacred art work. "My art conveys the belief that Holy Scripture cannot be fully interpreted and applied without metaphor, symbol, and story. Jesus modeled this when he took what he saw around him.....animals, flowers, trees, vines, bread, wine, yokes and used them as metaphors and parables to communicate truth. My art reflects the deep connection between the Holy Scriptures of my Judeo-Christian faith tradition and the metaphors, stories, and symbols requisite to their understanding." Jim says, "The inspiration to reclaim and re-stich old Bibles (1700’s – 1800’s) of different languages that are no longer in use comes from the word religion, derived from the Latin word Re-ligio, meaning to re-bind, a word used in scripture to reflect God's desire to re-connect us to Him, to our true selves, and to others. Jim’s prayer is that his art will inspire worship of God, provoke spiritual conversations, and help to uncover the often hidden meaning in Scripture. Jim’s sacred art can be found in churches, schools, religious institutions, homes, and businesses.....wherever people want inspirational art to express and experience their faith. Jim’s art is available through his online gallery, SacredStructuresArt.com