Lessons & Carols: The Word

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The Ninth Lesson: John 1: 1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

No Room

Oil on Panel for 

"Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph" Journal
by Ascension Press

Could it be any more overwhelming? Mary and Joseph finally arrive in Bethlehem. The city is overcrowded with no place to stay. Then the contractions begin. Were it not for the grace and charity of a stranger to offer them a stable, they would be delivering the Christ out on the streets.

In this painting for Ascension Press, we see Mary and Joseph navigating the streets of Bethlehem at dusk. They pause as a contraction begins. Joseph remains as supportive as he can amidst the frantic circumstances. Mary is focused, patient, and determined.

Notice the crowd is a sea of people going in one direction while Mary and Joseph travel against the flow. The Holy Family is on a different journey than the others. They are on an Advent journey. 

Notice the obscured source of light that shines on them. We don't know who offered the stable to them. It was the hospitality of a stranger who made room for the expectant family and the child who would soon be born.

In the hardest moments of life, may we learn from Mary and Joseph. May continue to be on the Advent way. May we be lights of hospitality and charity to others. And may we be humble enough to accept grace when it is given to us.

Lessons & Carols: Wise Men

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The Eighth Lesson: Matthew 2: 1-12

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Lessons & Carols: Gloria

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The Seventh Lesson: Luke 2: 8-16

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Th Sixth Lesson: The Birth of Jesus

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The Sixth Lesson: Luke 2: 1; 3–7

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David: To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Lessons & Carols: Gabriel and Mary

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The Fifth Lesson: Luke 1: 26–35; 38

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas

Oil on Panel

Commissioned

On Exhibit in the Basilica of St. Nicola in Bari, Italy

In the spirit of Christmas, this is a commissioned portrait of St. Nicholas of Myra. The painting will be part of an exhibit at his home church, the Basilica of St. Nicola in Bari, Italy. 

According to the society of St. Nicholas website, He lived around 300 CE and is said to have attended the council of Nicea (from where we get the Nicean Creed). His legends revolve around helping young people and the poor. These legends inspired future generations in later centuries in the form of St. Nick (celebrated in much of Europe) and Santa Claus (celebrated in America). 

Read more here:
http://stnicholassociety.co.uk

In this portrait, St. Nicholas, dressed in traditional bishop's attire, engages young children of all ages. He even holds an infant to remind us of the gift of the Christ Child. One of the children plays with a toy ship. St. Nicholas is considered the patron saint of children and sailors among many other groups. The lighting behind St. Nicholas alludes to the giving light of Christ that shines though the stories of the saint's life.

Nativity: Mary

5"x7" Oil on Canvas

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." 
—Luke 2:19


This week's reflection on the Nativity is focused on Mary. Like Joseph, how unfathomable must have been her thoughts, joys and concerns about mothering the Christ child. We know a bit more about Mary from the Gospels. We know of her beautiful song in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke (See my previous posting on the Magnificat). We know that she followed Jesus' ministry to the cross—and the resurrection. Of all of the passages about Mary in the scriptures, Luke 2:19 is my favorite. 

How we parents love to brag about our children. My facebook page is full of proud parent moments. How tempting it must have been for Mary to share the wonders her miraculous child. Even as the shepherds confirm the miracle of Emmanuel, Mary kept it all as treasures in her heart. 

The Iona community has a wonderful poem about the thoughts Mary could have been pondering in her heart:

What is this seed that God has planted,
unasked, uncompromised, unseen?
Unknown to everyone but angels
this gift has been.

And who am I to be the mother,
to give my womb at heaven’s behest,
to let my body be the hospice
and God the guest?

Oh, what a risk in such a nation,
in such a place, at such a time,
to come to people in transition
and yet in prime.

What if the baby I embody
should enter life deformed or strange,
unable to be known as normal,
to thrive or change?

What if the world, for spite, ignores him,
and friends keep back and parents scorn,
and every fear of every woman
in me is born?

Still, I will want to love and hold him,
his cry attend, his smile applaud.
I’ll mother him as any mortal,
and just like God.

Iona Community. Cloth for the Cradle: Worship Resources and Readings for Advent. Christmas and Epiphany. Wild Goose Resources Group. 1997.


May we treasure up the Word of God and ponder the mystery of Emmanuel in our hearts.

Nativity: Joseph

5"x7" Oil on Canvas

I can still vividly remember the night my first child was born. It was a night filled with excitement and anxiety. Most of all, I remember the feeling of helplessness. We began with a plan to deliver naturally. Many hours later, our son was born through surgery. I remember struggling  for those long hours to bring comfort to my wife. After our son was finally born,  I remember being overwhelmed with feelings of complete and utter inadequacy as a new parent. But I got through that time with the love of my wife, the support of my friends and family, and the love I had for my newborn son. As I reflect this Advent on the story of the Nativity, I think I can identify most with Joseph. But I suspect my story doesn't even scratch the surface of what Joseph must have felt.

Michael Card penned it best when he wrote a song from Joseph's perspective. "How can a man be Father to the Son of God?" was one of the most powerful lines in that song. Whatever feelings he had as a first-time parent must have been compounded ten-fold with the feelings of inadequacy of  being a parent to the Messiah. But I think Joseph's love for his new family and trust in God helped to give him confidence.

This is the first of four paintings on the Nativity. In this painting, Joseph is kneeling in the presence of the new born Messiah. He is also resting with a staff. A tool for traveling and protection, this staff serves as a symbol to remind us of his need for support. As future pieces to this Nativity story are revealed, you will soon see that his gaze is different from Mary's. Joseph is posed to appear to be looking at either Jesus or gazing outward. Joseph could be lovingly looking upon Jesus. But he also could be looking at the world around him—wondering what will be coming next in their wild adventure. He could be wondering how he is going to provide food and shelter for this new family. He could be just trying to understand where he fits into this incredible God moment.

Ultimately, like all new parents, I believe Joseph did his best with what he had—one day at a time. With the support of his wife, his family and friends, Joseph took on the challenge of parenthood. He worked hard. He made mistakes. He trusted in God. He loved Jesus. And in doing all of these things, Joseph helped to raise a baby boy to become the Son of God.

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Here is a link to video featuring "Joseph's Song" by Michael Card. The video shows other wonderful Nativity images. May the gifts of music and visual art bring your soul into a deeper relationship with God—our loving father.