Rev. Aaron Bueltmann- Lego Master

 Some recent time spent with  

 Rev. Aaron Bueltmann 
allowed us to learn 
about his Cathedral Creation.

This was built for a competitive level event-
Brickfair in Northern Virginia in 2019.

In a  recent interview with Aaron,
he shares some of his Lego story:

1.  How long have you been a builder of Legos?

I  have been fascinated with LEGO since I was very young. One of my uncles gave me a little airplane set and I remember being amazed with how a handful of pieces could be reconfigured in nearly endless ways. 

2. Do you use your own designs and how do you come up with your plan?

 I start with some visual inspiration. With the cathedral project, I envisioned many of the church buildings I had explored as a kid as well as European cathedrals I had seen later in life. Once I have an idea of the visual space I want to create, I imagine which LEGO pieces I would use to create that effect. Then there is a process of trial and error as I figure out a way to achieve the look I have in mind, as well as making sure that it is structurally sound and won’t fall apart! 

3. Do you have helpers or is this a single person hobby when you build?

Until about a year and a half ago, I didn’t really know any others who viewed LEGO as a serious medium for artistic expression. Then, I discovered a group of AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) in the Baltimore area and started to work on collaborative building projects with them. I built the cathedral by myself, but displayed it as part of a city display the group had built to exhibit at a big LEGO fan event in northern Virginia called Brickfair. 

4. How does this hobby lead you to new places for ministry opportunities?  

I found it amazing to show up to Brickfair with this cathedral and see the amazement on faces as people viewed it. This opened the door for many great conversations—but there were hundreds, if not thousands of people who would stop and examine the details of the cathedral. I simply could not talk to them all. At first, I felt like I had missed many opportunities to share what this cross-topped building means to me, but in retrospect, I don’t think that was entirely problematic. The way we use our words (even well-intentioned words, and yes—even well-intentioned words about Jesus) often build upon dividing walls we might not even know existed. Art can connect people in a shared experience without any words or walls. Some of the amazing stories of evangelism from the history of Christianity are rooted in an experience of amazement in art or aesthetics. I think it is very interesting that the first people in the biblical narrative to be described as “filled with the Spirit of God” are not prophets, but artists (Exodus 31:1-5). God used Bezalel’s artistic skill in making the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant as divinely-inspired artworks to point people towards the promise of Jesus, who is God dwelling with us. 

5.  Are you preparing for another competition? What are you dreaming of building next?

I’ve started working on my next projects for Brickfair, as well as developing new ideas to reach wider audiences. Follow @anticipationbuilds on Instagram to see some behind-the-scenes photos as well as to see what is next in the upcoming year! 

Aaron in Petra on a recent trip

 to Israel and Jordan.

He serves as Pastor at 
Advent Lutheran Church

 in Forest Hill, Maryland.
Aaron made it to the second round 
of interviews for the new 
FOX Reality show of LEGO MASTERS.
Check it out on Wednesday evenings
 to learn more about this 
master level creative art.

Want to know a bit more?

Here is a YouTube interview-

Aaron Bueltmann- Lego interview

Thanks to Aaron for sharing some insights
 into the land of  Lego- Competitive level .