About the Art #1:
Christ and the Centurion
Paolo Veronese
1575
Oil in canvas
140.65 × 206.07 cm
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Kansas City, Missouri
Public Domain

As described in Matthew 8:5–13, a Roman centurion in Capernaum approached Christ to beseech Him to heal his ill servant who was at the soldier’s home. Marveling at the man's faith, “Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.” (Matthew 8:13, NKJV). Christ's gesture of blessing at the piety of the kneeling centurion communicates that the healing has been accomplished. The subject of Christ converting the Roman centurion represents the spread of the Christian faith to non-Jews.
https://art.nelson-atkins.org/objects/21921/christ-and-the-centurion

About the Artist #1:
Paolo Veronese (1528–1588), along with artists Titian and Tintoretto, was part of the “great trio that dominated Venetian painting” during the Italian Renaissance of the late sixteenth century. Veronese was trained in the Mannerist style, but later developed his own style with a brighter and more vibrant color palette, as can be seen in Christ and the Centurion. Veronese painted numerous walls, ceilings, and altarpieces for churches, as well as portraits and scenes from mythology. His large-scale feast works painted for monasteries in Venice and Verona are among his most famous works.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Veronese
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/paolo-veronese

About the Art #2:
Help Thou Mine Unbelief
Niki J. Covington
2016
Oil on canvas

Artist Niki Covington's inspiration for this painting is based on an experience in his own life that was similar to that of the Roman centurion described in Matthew 8:5–13. He recalls, “It began with a small experience while we lived in Italy. One day my son became very ill. We had no medicine, no insurance, no immediate access to a hospital. Despite all that I tried to ease his suffering I was utterly helpless in relieving my suffering boy. To me, this story became about our need for divine help in our stewardships. Like the father in the story, left solely to ourselves we are ultimately helpless in improving our circumstances, let alone providing healing or consolation to loved ones or ourselves. After all we can do we are still mortals, even something so small as comforting a little boy in distress is somehow beyond our reach. I longed to capture a piece of the yearning I felt for some greater power beyond myself to come to my succor.”
https://nikicovington.com/help-thou-mine-unbelief

About the Artist #2:
Niki J. Covington studied painting, sculpture, and classical architecture among leading academies in US and Europe, including at the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy; the Grand Central Academy and the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA) in New York; and the Beaux-Arts Academy. A passionate practitioner of the classical tradition, Niki received numerous scholarships and awards from each institution, culminating in the Prix de Rome fellowship to undertake private research in Rome with further research in Jerusalem, Istanbul, and Japan to discover the critical bridge between Eastern and Western traditions of classicism. Covington currently serves as a board member of the ICAA, and as an assistant director at the Beaux-Arts Academy, a classical art and architecture school dedicated to the education and the rejuvenation of the classical tradition.
https://nikicovington.com/what-i-believe
https://beauxartsacademy.org/niki-covington

About the Art #3:
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (detail from the painting)
Barent Fabritius
1661
93 x 285 cm
Oil on canvas
Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Public Domain

The parable of the Pharisee and the publican appears in the gospel of Luke, where a self-righteous Pharisee, obsessed by his own self-importance and righteousness, is sharply contrasted with a sinful tax collector who humbly asks God for mercy. Jesus tells us that the tax collector was justified before God and concludes that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12 NKJV).

About the Artist #3:
Barent Fabritius (1624–1673 ) was a Dutch painter. He studied with his brothers Johannes and Carel Fabritius, and probably with Rembrandt as well. He was a painter of biblical subjects, and mythical and historical scenes, in addition to expressive portraits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barent_Fabritius

About the Music: “Mercy” from the album The Applause of Heaven

Lyrics:
[Verse 1:]
In peace we have come to pray,
And to seek the LORD today.
For salvation from His hand,
For the healing of our land
Let us pray (let us pray), let us pray (let us pray)

[Chorus:] (x2)
LORD have mercy, LORD have mercy
LORD we have placed all our hope in Thee.

[Verse 2:]
I need Thee, oh I need Thee.
Every hour I need Thee.
Oh, bless me now my Saviour.
I come to Thee.

[Chorus:] (x2)
LORD have mercy, LORD have mercy
LORD we have placed all our hope in Thee.

[Chorus]
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

[Chorus:] Repeat
LORD have mercy, LORD have mercy
LORD we have placed all our hope in Thee.

About the Composers: Nathan DiGesare and Dan Scott

Nathan DiGesare is a musician, songwriter, and audio producer from Nashville, Tennessee. Nathan wrote his first song, titled "As Time Goes By," at sixteen years old. He has had the opportunity to play with artists such as Steve Winwood, Phil Keaggy, and blues prodigy Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, to name a few. Nathan continues to focus on creating and producing his own music, while collaborating with independent artists.
https://www.youtube.com/c/NathanDiGesareII/videos

Dan Scott is a multi-instrumentalist composer with an electro, pop, rock, and jazz background. He is a classically trained musician and an award-winning composer, music score producer, orchestrator, and conductor for film and episodic productions. He started his career in advertising and as arranger, artistic director, and choir conductor for the direction of French adaptations of songs for Warner Brothers, Walt Disney Studios, and Pixar films. He continues to do so as he recently directed the Quebec French versions of the songs for Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Wish, Warner Brother’s Wonka, and Amazon’s Hazbin Hotel and The Legend Of Vox Machina.
https://www.danielscott.net/

About the Performers:
The Singing Churchmen and Churchwomen of Oklahoma are volunteer groups of both professional and lay musicians from Baptist churches across the state of Oklahoma. Every member is involved in the worship and music ministry of their particular local church. The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma was organized in 1960 by the church music department of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and is dedicated to sharing the gospel wherever God leads.
https://www.oklahomabaptists.org/worship-music/scw/

About the Poetry and Poet:
Charles Wesley (1707–1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement and is most widely known for writing the words for over 6,500 hymns. His most famous works include "And Can It Be,” "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending.” He was a younger brother of Methodist founder John Wesley and Anglican cleric Samuel Wesley the Younger. Educated at Oxford University, where his brothers had also studied, Charles followed his father into the church in 1735. Following their evangelical conversions in 1738, the Wesley brothers traveled throughout Britain, converting followers to the Methodist revival through preaching and hymn-singing. It has been said that Charles Wesley usually celebrated each anniversary of his birthday by writing a hymn of praise to God. Wesley’s poetry provides invaluable insight into the important international phenomenon of the Christian revival—its theology and psychology—and the understanding of the efficacy of useful verse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wesley

About the Devotion Writer:
Dr. Arianna Molloy
Associate Professor of Organizational Communication
Division of Communication
School of Fine Arts & Communication
Biola University

Arianna Molloy is an associate professor in the Communication Studies Department at Biola University, where she teaches courses in organizational communication, research methods, nonverbal communication, small group communication, and communication and calling. Arianna’s research focus is in communication about meaningful work and work as a calling (involving factors that impact motivation, sustained loyalty and satisfaction, as well as significant costs such as burnout). She is published in premier journals such as the International Journal of Business Communication and Communication Studies. In addition to being an active speaker in academic settings, Arianna works as a consultant for nonprofit organizations and as a speech coach for business professionals and ministries. Arianna is happily married to Allen Yeh and they have a little boy, Asher, who is the delight of their lives. For more information on Dr. Molloy’s work on calling, burnout, and organizational communication, visit ariannamolloy.com.