What spiritual rhythms is God drawing you into today? In this Art and Prayer episode, Rev. Rob McPherson explores Hilma af Klint’s Altarpiece No. 1 (Group X), a profound visual journey through spiritual ascent and descent that mirrors the dance of faith.

Ephesians 4:5-10

What spiritual truths emerge when we gaze into an abstract vision of ascent and descent? In this episode of Art and Prayer, Rev. Rob McPherson turns our attention to Hilma af Klint’s Altarpiece No. 1 (Group X)—a striking work meant to occupy the innermost sanctuary, blending color, form, and symbolism into a visual altar.

Af Klint, a pioneering visionary artist, crafted these large paintings as sacred thresholds—spaces where the spiritual and material intersect. Altarpiece No. 1 evokes movement between light and dark, rising and falling, drawing viewers into a dynamic dance of transformation. In its abstraction, we find a reflection of our own spiritual rhythms: moments when faith soars and those when we feel distant.

Rob invites viewers to reflect on how Christ descends into our brokenness and ascends within us, even as life's currents carry us between clarity and confusion. The painting’s layers of color and geometric shapes communicate that spiritual ascent isn't linear—it’s cyclical, mysterious, and full of grace.

Scripture from Ephesians 4 reinforces this theme: “He who descended is the same who ascended above the heavens”—a reminder that Christ bridges all realms to fill the universe. This movement mirrors our own journey of faith: moments of divine union, periods of struggle, and the hope that through it all, God is present and drawing us nearer.

Ultimately, Altarpiece No. 1 becomes a spiritual mirror. As the viewer traces its ascents and descents, they're invited to place their own life within its contours—examining where Christ has met them, how He continues to lead them, and where He might be inviting them next on the path of union.