Out of the ashes... four tiny angels!

The blessing of Christian community.

On November 22, 2008, while New Zealanders Rowan and Margaret Smiley were away in Auckland, the power supply to their house shorted out. Consequently, their kauri (all-wood) villa burned to the ground. Here's their story...

The Monday after the fire, we visited the burn site with our pastor. When we returned to our home all that was left was some charcoal and the shells of the refrigerators. Everything was gone; the heat had been so intense that the brass taps had disappeared, and the glass and pewter had melted. Trees 100 meters away had caught fire. Among the debris we sighted some white objects. As we cleared away the rubble, there in the ashes were four tiny china angels from a set of six that we had collected from the Crystal Cathedral Ministries over the years. Three of the four were intact, the fourth was split perfectly in two and we were able to repair it.

The survival of these angels, in what must have been intense heat, has been told over and over by us and by the Crystal Cathedral Ministries staff in Australia. It has caused many to think about God and what they believe. We are so blessed to have a fantastic community surrounding us and caring friends and family around the country and the world. This experience has affirmed in us a number of valuable lessons:

1. People matter.

2. It is harder to receive than to give.

3. God doesn't send adversity, but he does give us the strength to handle it.

4. You can witness even when you aren't present.

5. God can take our worst nightmares and use them for good. We are so very grateful for the support and prayers from the team at this ministry!

Rowan & Margaret Smiley

Christ Rising

Sculpted by Frederick Hart

This wonderfully flowing and anatomically perfect display of the human form, by one of America's pre-eminent contemporary sculptors, brilliantly combines two of Christianity's most recognized symbols. Here, Frederick Hart takes the shape of the cross and the image of the crucifix and transforms them into a crucified, yet living Savior, rising with his arms and pierced hands outstretched, forever reminding us of the cross and the priceless value of his sacrifice upon it.

This beautiful piece, which was a gift from architect Dale Johnson, can be seen in the Chapel in the Sky at the top of the Richard Neutra designed Tower of Hope on the grounds of the Crystal Cathedral.

About the Sculptor

Frederick Hart (1943 - 1999) was an American sculptor who was best known for his public monuments and works of art in bronze, marble, and clear acrylic (a technique he pioneered and coined as "sculpting with light"). Hart is recognized for creating work that is classically traditional in its adherence to the idealized human figure, radical in its sensuality, and innovative in its materials.

He gained international stature for his The Creation Sculptures on the west façade of Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The Creation Sculptures were completed in 1990 almost twenty years after Hart began work on them. In 2004, Frederick Hart was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States Government - only one of numerous prestigious awards Hart received for his work.

Hart's legacy is diverse and widespread. He was an inventive revolutionary. His works are physical and sensuous, yet spiritual, direct, graceful and subtle. Though his life was cut short (he died in 1999, two days after doctors discovered he had lung cancer), the influence and beauty of Frederick Hart's work lives on through his art, rippling out from the Crystal Cathedral and around the world.