Force of the Spirit is a photography book that draws people into scripture through black and white imagery. It is 10" x 11" hardbound. ISBN# 0-9678541-4-8, published by Indaba Publishing in November, 2005.

This collection of images is a chronicle, a storybook. It shows what I have seen, where I have been, people I've met along the way. Through these photographs I share feelings, reflections, and growth. In many ways, this collection represents a surrender to the idea of the holy through the medium of photography.

You might say this photographic canon is also a testament to theology, or my relationship to God. It's how I see the world. Reverence, faith, gratitude. Praise, mystery, wilderness wandering. Worship, sacrifice, covenant, brokenness. Darkness. Confession. Grace, hope, love. Unbelievable joy. The movement of these themes in my life is never still.

I'd also like to hope that these images are an inspiration, a call, an invitation to answer the force of the spirit in life, love, work, and art. The way we see things and how we respond to our world are our way to listen and allow the spirit to speak truth.

My life is a world of merged disciplines that support each other. My expressions might seem quite different at first blush, but they are integrated and support and challenge each other. I worship when I take pictures. When I preach, I use images and word pictures. Work is about praise for me.

I take pictures of both ordinary and extraordinary subjects. Some moments are quiet, common, everyday images. Some are once-in-a-lifetime gifts. I like high contrast, detailed texture, appropriate complexity, images pulsing with passion, and sublime expressions. I seek images that reflect me as much as they reflect the subject.

You might say my style is in-your-face details. Superlatives. Tightly cropped faces, whether those of buildings or people. An image that makes you ask questions, or finds a grin stealing across your face. An image that makes you say a great big "yes!" to it all. My images are never staged, and always use natural light and capture spontaneous moments. Like unexposed film, I rarely have a preconceived notion of what the photo should be, though you won't find many sweeping panoramics on my contact sheets.

A photograph is like a prayer, or perhaps photographs are actually portraits of prayer. A picture is a way to connect with the sacred--sometimes ordinarily so--things of life. A photo allows me to discover and establish values and honor important moments and insights. It does not let me pass through life unaware. A photograph helps me uncover layers of my spirit so that I can grow closer to God. The best of my images penetrate with an untiring quest for, or brush with, truth.

Art and the spiritual are inseparable for me. Art to me is about more than sharing in God's sacred act of creation. My imagery speaks to the force of the spirit--the fact that even though you may turn away from it, the spirit's power will nevertheless emerge. This collection is about tenacious spirit, and an unquenchable thirst to learn and know truth. These photographs reveal a rich faithfulness, and an intuitiveness from details and nuances that tell the greater story of which we play a part.

This photographic book project includes 122 images and writings.  It is available in November, 2005 or download the order form to order now.  Please call or write for more information, or visit our Force of The Spirit website.