The Gospels

For centuries, the four Gospels have been depicted as certain winged creatures. I suspect this was done so illiterate followers of the faith could recognize an illustration to be that of a certain Gospel. Sometimes, a famous story or parable would be painted. And if that story was found in the Gospel of Matthew, the iconic image of Matthew would appear somewhere in the painting. Other times, all four Gospels would be carved on a door or cathedral facade. Traditionally, Matthew has been represented as a man, symbolizing Christ’s humanity. Mark, a lion, for Christ’s authority. Luke, an ox, for Christ’s sacrifice. And John, an eagle, for Christ’s spirituality.

This painting is a more contemporary take on the ancient images. These beings are not winged. But there is still a subtle lighting effect behind each one to hint at something spiritual. This composition is made up of four canvases. They are arranged to make a cross. They also take your eye on a circular journey that alludes to the “eternal” in these special writings. I wanted to explore the concepts inherent in each creature. How does it broaden our understanding to see Jesus as a human, a lion, an ox, or an eagle?

Take a look at these images, and recall your favorite stories about Jesus. For the most part, all we know about the life and message of Christ is found in these four books. And these four images can also speak volumes about the mystery of Christ, “The Word Made Flesh.”

Guidance: Day and Night

OK. It’s a new year. For many of us, it’s a time where we reflect on where we’ve been and wonder where we are to go in the year to come. So I thought now would be a good time to post a piece on God’s guidance.

God delivered the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt and led them through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Each and every day, God’s people looked up and knew that God was with them—leading them to a promised home.

These are two vertical gallery canvases painted with only a palette knife. This technique rendered the pillars to appear more abstract, yet still very recognizable. Presented as a pair, they harken to the Old Testament like tablets of the The Law. They also possess a liturgical feeling like a stole draped around the shoulders of a pastor. They are meant to remind us that God has always been and always will be with us.

These very different images juxtapose each other in multiple ways. They reflect the many ways we encounter God. At times, God can seem like the cloud. Comforting. Gentle. Quiet. Refreshing. Other times, God can seem like fire. Refining. Protecting. Passionate. Scathing. But God’s love remains the same. God provides our daily bread, the exact portion we need, to survive another day in the wilderness. God guides us with wonders of grace, we have only to look with eyes of faith.

Wherever our journey takes us, no matter how lost or alone in life’s wilderness we may feel, we can always trust in God’s presence and guidance—every day and every night.

Peace

Merry Christmas to you all.

May you be blessed by God’s peace

in the year to come.

I Wonder As I Wander

“I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.
For poor on'ry people like you and like I...
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.
When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall,
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.
But high from God's heaven a star's light did fall,
And the promise of ages it then did recall.
If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
A star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,
Or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing,
He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King.”

Have you ever looked out at a starry winter sky and let your mind wonder? Wonder about the mysteries of the universe? Wonder about the God who made it all? Wonder about how that same God would love us so much as to come to us, meek and humble, and save us? That’s what memories and emotions this appalachian carol conjures in me.

Advent is a time of waiting, hope and wonder. It’s a preparation time before Christmas, like Lent is to Easter. A couple of years ago our church had an Advent series based on “I Wonder As I Wander.” This painting was the illustration for it. It shows a traveler gazing at the night sky in wonder at the “Christ Star.” The sky is also filled with other wonders. There are also 4 purple satellites orbiting the star. They represent the candles of Advent, making the sky a kind of cosmic Advent wreath.

A thought from Frederick Buechner has stuck with me this season. He talks about the manger, where The Word became flesh, is really the world. To God, coming to this world is just as much a sacrifice as being born in a manger of straw. I wonder if our creator and savior in some way becomes incarnate in our world still. For “God is with us” when we love each other in humility and comfort each other, wrestling and struggling with the dark and ugly parts of our lives. Like the traveler in the song, such mysteries makes my mind wonder.

In these days leading up to Christmas, I hope you take some time to pause from all of your wandering, gaze at the night sky and let your mind and wonder. There is so much to this existence we don't understand. There are still miracles out there be experienced. There are still marvels of God’s grace to bee witnessed. We but need to look and wonder.

You can listen to a performance of “I Wonder As I Wander” at this link. It is played on a hammer dulcimer. I think it is the best way to hear it. It reminds me of the song’s appalachian roots. It also has a haunting quality that I think best captures the mystique of the song. Again, you may want to close your eyes and let your mind wonder as you listen. That is how the image of this painting came to me.

Magnificat

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.”

– Luke 1:46-55

When the expecting Mary visits her older cousin, Elizabeth, she realizes the validation of God’s promise to bring the Messiah to the world. She sings a song full of praise, prophecy and hope. It is known today as “The Magnificat.” One of my favorite musical interpretations of this song is “Holy is His Name,” by John Michael Talbot. This portrait expresses the emotions I feel when I hear that song. Many Christians sing or recite these words for morning or evening prayers. We would all benefit if we remind ourselves that God keeps His promises. We should live our days and nights in humility, service, adoration and expectation.

If you would like to hear the song that I referenced, click the linked text in this post. You may want to listen with you eyes closed as the images can be a bit distracting. Enjoy.

Songs of Peace

The liturgical season of Advent us again upon us. It is a time of waiting and anticipation for Christmas. During this time, we remember the promises of old and stories about our Messiah, and in so doing, we wait for Christ’s return. Our pastor has a tradition of focusing all of the weeks of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany into a certain theme. For the past four years, I have had the honor of designing art for each theme. This year’s theme is “Songs of Peace.” As our congregation journeys through Advent this year, we will be also be celebrating with psalms. It will be interesting to combine the traditional songs of this season with the ancient cries of hope and longing from the psalms.

This year’s art brings the wonder of Advent in communion with the wisdom of the psalms in the image of a shepherd. The pastoral scene is of a young shepherd with his or her flock. The shepherd sings songs of God and dances to the dawn of a new day. It is a scene full of HOPE, JOY, PEACE and LOVE. The spring colors of this painting contrast what we are used to seeing this time of year. They reflect the contrast of the Advent season. Although our days darken towards winter, the Church grows brighter towards the Advent of the Light of the World. In this painting, you may see mountains echoing joyous strains of “Gloria.” You may see green pastures to restore the soul. The Songs of Peace span the testaments of scripture. They have been sung centuries. They remind us that our hope in God’s promise should not lose its resolve.

This Advent season, may you sing the ancient Songs of Peace, and dance in the dawn of Emmanuel.

Prodigal Grace

And now we come to the climax of Jesus’ parabolic trilogy on grace. After the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, Jesus tells us the parable of a Prodigal Son who runs off and squanders his early inheritance on his own pleasures only to come back home begging for food and shelter. Rather than being angry with the son, the father runs out to meet him and welcomes him home with a great feast. The gem in the story is more about the father than the son. He is just as wasteful, or “prodigal,” with his grace and love as the son is with money. How much more has our Heavenly Father continued to pour grace upon our lives, time and time again?

This painting depicts the father rushing to embrace his returning son. It shows a clash of two realities. The left side of the painting, the side of the son, is dusty and dead. The right side, from where the father comes, is full of light and life. The father’s love overwhelms the brokenness of the son. The pitiful, weeping, son collapses into the embrace of his father who is wrapping him up to protect, comfort, and sustain. The sweeping robe does more than illustrate movement. They are also abstract symbols of fire and water. For it is in the baptism of water and spirit that we know we belong to God. We are loved, forgiven and renewed by God’s Grace. This painting especially depicts the emotions of the father. He is painted older, to accentuate wisdom. While his left hand sweeps strongly, his right hand gently comforts. In his face, you can see the parental mix of emotions. A smile of happiness tempered with a bitter-sweet empathy for what his child has been though.

May this painting serve as a reminder to us all that we belong to a prodigally loving God who continues to allow us to make our own decisions, painfully knows how we squander our blessings, and patiently waits, looking for our return. And when we DO return, our God comes running to us full of joy and forgiveness to overwhelm our broken lives and restore us with a smothering embrace of love and grace.