Author: Laura Thomas

We are delighted to have a temporary art exhibit in the auditorium in St Michael’s Centre by artist Malcolm Bourne. The piece has come to us directly from Bristol Cathedral where it was recently exhibited.

Covenant is a depiction of a dream. The image is a symbolic representation of the almighty power, light and love of El Shaddai manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. The painting seeks to show the reality of the new covenant, Jesus metaphorically being divided into two as the ultimate covenant sacrifice-reunifying the people of the world to El Shaddai. 

The piece has been painted on two 8 x 4ft plywood boards that were originally installed on College Green in 2014 as a prayer wall. The prayers of the Bristol public literally provide the base of this painting.    

A symbolic journey from the old covenant to the mediator of the new covenant, Jesus Christ, depicted in Hebrews 12 v 18-24

Malcolm Bourne Biography 

“As a painter, I’ve held exhibitions for my work and have limited edition prints of several of my paintings. I love to paint and draw, and rarely leave the house without a sketchbook. When I first moved to Bristol in 2005, I became a resident artist in the Leeky Gallery on Park Street. It was during this time that I realised how inspiring it is to belong to an active creative community. This became one of the sparks that envisioned the inception of Joseph Studios, the workshop and artist collective that I co-founded in 2015. I have a passion for the wellbeing of individuals and communities and have become an advocate of the great health benefits of engaging in the creative process. As a result, this has become an important focus in the coaching and mentoring work I do with individuals and businesses.”

Covenant Dream

“I remember experiencing a most vivid dream. I was in an intensely light-filled environment: the brightness of the light was physically painful and it seemed to penetrate every part of my being. Simultaneously there was a sound, or many sounds at once, it was overwhelming; a bass that created deep vibration and a piercingly sharp tone all of which emanated from the light. I felt transparent to the light and sound. The power, energy, vibration and brightness were unbearable, and they rendered me paralysed. I was terrified. My only response was to drop to my knees and remain as still as I possibly could. I sensed that if I moved even a centimetre, I would explode into a million pieces under this force that was pulsating through and around me.” 

“From the centre of this light, I started to see a shadow form growing towards me. The shadow took the shape of a man. Once the shadow had fully formed the shadow began to stand, no longer being the projection of another being but somehow the shadow itself becoming a person. As soon as the form of the man was clear to be seen the atmosphere began to change: I sensed a deep love and peace around me although the sense of being transparent remained. I was no longer afraid. I knew immediately that it was Jesus standing in front of me revealed in this moment in the Trinity, confirming that he was my personal mediator, saviour King. Jesus walked towards me, and we began to talk. I woke up, my whole body shaking from the experience and reflected on its significance.”

Malcolm Bourne 2006