Comments and Notes

The following are notes left during the 'Way of the Cross' Holy Week devotional experience. Also included is detailed information about the artists and art that has been such a significant part of this experience. We owe such a tremendous debt of gratitude to each of our artists, for their work and their gifts of worship.




Sermon on the Mount

· Lord, forgive me that I am too preoccupied by my own agenda and my own business to listen for you. Thank you for a space and time that I can set aside for you, and simply be still before you.

· I feel ashamed of my own stinginess when I think of the abundant hospitality of Jesus. Thank you Lord for providing.

The Last Supper

· Lord- Thank you that you included Judas in the Last Supper, though that astounds me! There were 12 places set. Your love is so amazing that it encompasses even those who turn against you. You not only taught us, but showed us how to love our enemies, and to forsake the way of violence. Thank you.

Zacchaeus

· Lord, I try to look at your unlovely people and see them with your loving eyes, but I confess that I am unable. I still judge and put people in categories. Forgive me, and Lord, help to transform my heart that I may truly reflect your love, not my own weak and inadequate version. Let me begin by being able to truly accept your love for me. I know myself to be unworthy, and yet you love me, too.

Feeding of the 5000

· The bread that you provided,in the miracle story, brings life. Similarly, the bread you offer us, the giving of your body, gives us life also ---but more than physical life, it gave spiritual life, wholeness of life. Thank you.

Tenants in the Vineyard

· Lord forgive me. I am tempted to keep your gifts all to myself, and use them to glorify myself. Open my heart, Lord, that your gifts might flow to me and out from me freely. Help me not to cling so much to myself and my worldly attachments, but to trust you.

· The hands of God are open to all who will give themselves to him.

Crucifixion

· Lord, thank you for your great love for us, and for your willingness to die. You did not succumb to a path of violence and revolution, but instead taught us, showed us a better way. Thank you for your steadfastness and for your courage. Even my cold, calloused heart breaks when I meditate on your love.

· How you suffered, Oh Jesus.

Lazarus

· I love Gerry’s picture. It speaks to me of modern man. It is multicultural and raucous. It speaks of oppression and discrimination. The figure in the middle is weighed down by life. Yet there is hope present also. In the midst of razorwire fences and bars and crosses, this person is still fully alive, has not given up on life. This painting speaks to me of hope within a diseased body; it speaks of spirit that is struggling to survive, not willing to give up. Lord, thank you for the strength and tenacity you have given Gerry. He has inspired me; he who has so many obstacles sets an example for me, who has had few obstacles in life. Lord, help me to speak to those in pain. Help me to be your presence to them, even when I cannot imagine what they’ve been through. Help me to trust in the power of your healing presence, even as you healed Lazarus –which is beyond my understanding.

Here is the information that should accompany each work on the blog. Probably best in caption form beneath or beside each image. Also, the following statement should be included once at the bottom or the top of the page:
Images are the property of the artists and may not be reproduced or used without permission.

· Kelly Downer
Spanish Church, 2006
11” x 8 ½ “
Photograph

The Rockies, 2006
8 ½” x 11”
Photograph

· David Reed
The Feeding of the Five Thousand, 2007
12” x 12”
Digital print with applied mixed media on watercolor paper

· Virginia Rice Thompson
Returning the Harvest, 2007
22” x 30”
Oil on canvas

· Gerry Mitchell
Lazarus, 2007
48” x 48”
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas

· Barbara Oblinger
"Yo, Zacchaeus!", 2007
24” x 18”
Wet and dry watercolor pencil on paper

· Elizabeth Bartlett
Cloaks on the Road, 2007
22” x 28”
Watercolor on paper and watercolor on canvas

· Brigitte Turquois-Freeman
The Last Supper, 2007
48” x 36”
Oil on canvas

· Brigitte Turquois-Freeman
Crucifixion of Christ, 2004
38” x 28”
Oil on canvas

· Virginia Rice Thompson
Welcome, Happy Morning, 2007
48” x 36”
Oil on canvas

He is not here! He is risen!

Crufixion

So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of the skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'the King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier, also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots" John 19.17-24

The Last Supper

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him. Jesus, knowing the FAther had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disiples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. . . .he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

Jesus enters Jerusalem

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, "The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
"Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

Lazarus arise!

John 11 is the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It is a story much too long to reprint here, so we will just post the parts of the story that were read in worship on Sunday. The other parts of the story are amazing as well and we recommend that you grab a Bible and read the story on your own. Like this painting, it is a complex and wonderful story, full of the full range of human emotion and the human experience.

The artist is Gerry Mitchell. We met him through an article in the Daily Progress on February 1, 2007. Gerry is a kind, generous, gentle person who's art is alive with color, power, and passion. It is been a delight to know Gerry and to call him a friend. And we are exceedingly thankful for his willingness to participate in this project. The article makes it clear why we asked Gerry to paint for us the story of Lazarus.

"When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming in to the world.' . . .

"Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, 'Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.' Jesus said to her, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe you sent me.' When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.' The man who had died came out, his hands and his feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.'

We invite your relfections and comments on this scripture and this art. What do you see in this painting? How does it speak to you?

Zacchaeus

Jesus entered Jerico and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost." -- Luke 19.1-10


Please take time to really see this artwork and find the hidden message in the trunk of the tree as well as those on the leaves. As you meditate, consider how your life is a reflection of the grace God has offered to all of us. Have you accepted it from him? Are you living into it?

Please share your thoughts with others through the comment option. Your thoughts may be the inspiration someone else needs today.

"Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent his servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." Jesus said to them "Have you never read the scriptures:

"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes"?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

Feeding the 5000

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14.13-21)

First Sunday of Lent

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his discples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. " - Matthew 5.1-12


Please take some time to reflect and meditate on the text and the art. By slowing down you give God time to open your mind and heart to insights you might otherwise miss. As you read the text again, open yourself up to what this art may say to you, and to the Mind of the Great Artist and Creator.


What does this say to you? What do you find in the art? Please share your thoughts and perspectives by sharing your comments. Have a blessed Lent.

Welcome!

Chrisitans have used art in worship for hundreds of years. This year during Lent we recover that tradition by not only "using" art in worship, but experiencing art as worship. We celebrate the Creator by celebrating the creativity Gods has given us.

Each Sunday in Lent, an artist is contributing an original work of art to our worship that we may be inspired, challenged, focused . . .basically whatever God wants to do in us through the piece of art.

We will post these artworks here and invite you to meditate on them and maybe even steal away a few minutes at work or home to open yourself up to God's word through them. We'll also post the scripture that inspired the work of art.

Importantly, we invite your comments on the scripture text, the art, both, whatever. Even if you have never commented on a blog before, please share your thoughts with the community of those who will come behind you. You don't have to be profound, just be real. Your comment may be exactly what someone else needs to read.

Enjoy and may God open our eyes to see His glory (even in surprising ways!)