Advent: Discernment

Oil on Panel for 

"Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph" Journal

by Ascension Press

Click Here to Purchase

For me, discerning a direction from God is difficult. After prayers for guidance, the following days and months are filled with moments where I listen and watch for a sign of guidance. It takes a aggregation of small moments to discern a path. Sometimes the message is loud and clear. But for the most part, I find the longer route of discernment to be the norm.

Joseph had a big decision to make—even bigger that he could ever imagine. He found out that his fiancé was pregnant—and the child was certainly not his. He was deliberating on whether or not to dismiss her and break off the engagement. It was the appropriate thing to do in the eyes of the Law. It was the easier thing to do in the eyes of society. But it was Mary's eyes, when she told him the news, that troubled him. Should he stay committed to Mary, accept the scandalous situation, and be a father-figure to the Messiah? It's all just too crazy. Faith and tradition only go so far. Joseph believed in the coming Messiah, but this was very different from what he expected. Tradition and the Law told him that the right thing to do was to just walk away. 

Then The Angel spoke to Joseph in a dream. That must have been some dream. If it were me, I would always wonder if my mind was just playing around in REM state. However vivid the dream was, it was enough to embolden Joseph's faith and inspire him to stay with Mary. I believe this story is a great testament to Joseph's trust in God, the quality of Joseph's faith, and the strength of his love for Mary.

Like Joseph, may we look with Advent eyes for God's will. 
And may God grant us the courage and humility to follow Him.

The Annunciation

8x10 Oil on Panel

Interior Illustration for Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Mary

The Angel Gabriel Visits Mary.

“Do not be afraid.” The angel said to Mary. This painting meditates on the intimate conversation between the angel and the virgin after those words were spoken. In this painting, the angel, Gabriel, interrupts Mary in her daily chores to announce that she will give birth to Jesus. Gabriel’s glow not only reveals his glory, but also, like a candle’s light, brings a comforting glow of grace to Mary. Although appearing small and modest, Mary stands comfortably in the angel’s presence—listening to his every word. The painting is a balance of miraculous wonder and prayer-like peace.

This painting is also about vessels. The two vases on the floor represent the Law and the Prophets. Mary, a vessel herself for Christ, holds a basket representing our Savior, Jesus—God poured out for the entire world.

Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Mary is a devotional journal and video series published by Ascension Press. To purchase the journal and art prints of this painting, visit: shop.ascensionpress.com/collections/rejoice

Angel

11"x14" Oil on Canvas

with Palette Knife

COMMISSIONED

Today's post is a commissioned portrait of Angel, a horse at the barn where my daughter rides. Fall is here—which is a great time to commission a portrait or conceptual painting from me. To order a commission, simply email me and we'll discuss the details.

Nativity: Gabriel

5"x7" Oil on Canvas

"Do not be afraid."

Those are the words from the angel, Gabriel, every time he appears to people in the Nativity stories. Being visited by one of God's messengers can be a frightening event indeed. When we realize we are in the middle of a God-moment, our shortcomings become abundantly clear. We are faced with the reality that God is God and we are not. This reality stirs us at our core and brings us to our knees in humility.

"God is coming!" That is the essence of Gabriel's message. That message swells up in us both great excitement and great fear. God is coming to interrupt our plans—to stir us from our comfort zones—to call us to a life of faith. We are afraid. Afraid of change. Afraid of what people will think. Afraid of our inadequacies. Afraid of failure. 

But Gabriel says, "Do not be afraid." Those words can embolden our faith today, much like it did for Joseph and Mary. Gabriel's words comfort us by reminding us that this is Good News. The God that calls us is Emmanuel—"God with us." The God who is coming into our lives is GRACE and LOVE.  In his song "Emmanuel," Michael Card blends two very different scriptures into a common truth:

"Emmanuel—our God is with us. And if God is with us, who can stand against us?"

This painting of Gabriel is the most abstract of the pieces in this Nativity project. Gabriel bears the star of bethlehem like a torch of enlightenment. His wings are transparent—for angels (human or not) live among us unseen unless we are looking with eyes of faith. He kneels in the presence of "God with us." In this series, Mary and Joseph are a mix of bewilderment and wonder. Gabriel knows the reality of this God-moment all too well. It is a reality that brings even angels humbly to their knees.

If you look and listen with your heart, 
you might just discover the angel's message speaking to you today:

"Ready or not, God is here—calling you to be a person of faith. Don't be afraid."

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Here is a link to a video featuring "Emmanuel" by Michael Card. The song is performed by the Choirs of school children from Cheshire and the Wirral. It is a wonderful reminder that we are not alone in our calling. Rather, we are a community living out our response to God's calling.

Israel

Let’s admit it. We all struggle with God. Our wants and desires are continually in conflict with God’s will for our lives. We struggle the hardest with questions of faith like the existence of evil and suffering in the face of an all loving, all powerful God. Here’s a little secret — it’s OK to wrestle with God.

Jacob wrestled with God in the 32nd chapter of Genesis. He wrestled with a mysterious stranger all night. When dawn approached the stranger dislocated Jacob’s hip and asked to be let go. Jacob agreed under the condition that he be given a blessing. The stranger declared that Jacob would, from then on, be know as “Israel” — a name that means “God Wrestler.”

This painting explores Jacob’s wrestling match on that life-changing night. The painting shows two opponents locked in conflict. It’s the kind of situation where the exhausted and weary opponents are supporting each other as much as struggling against each other. Their bodies are lit by a starry sky. The stars remind us of the Abraham’s covenant with God — that his descendants will be as many as the stars.

I would argue that God’s grace is big enough to allow us the honesty and freedom to wrestle. Like Jacob’s hip, God could put us in our place at any moment. Instead, God lets us wrestle — giving us support when we need it. The stars bear witness to our relationship with God. As Christians, we share in God’s covenants. We too are children of “Israel,” and therefore, “God Wrestlers.”

So go ahead. Let it out. Be like the Psalmists and cry out to God all that you consider unjust. We need not fear to approach God with our honest feelings, pains and doubts. Our questions do not alienate us from God. Rather, we encounter God when we question. There can be no FAITH without doubt. God’s steadfast love is strong enough to handle anything humankind can hurl at it. And when we DO wrestle with God, our perceptions of truth and the ways we live out our lives are forever changed.

Peace

Merry Christmas to you all.

May you be blessed by God’s peace

in the year to come.