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Fifth Sunday of Lent
Time Passage by Michelle L Hofer — sepia toned gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 inches, 1998. March 26, 2023 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Ezekiel 37:1-14 • Psalm 130 • Romans 8:6-11 • John 11:1-45Image description: Seen from the depth of the root cellar, a stone staircase leads up to a gated arch entrance. A shrouded figure stands to the left of the light filled cellar opening. A candle placed in a nook on the stone wall at left provides soft illumination. The glow of two other candles appears near the top of the stairs. The image is not fully in focus.
He told me to prophesy and tell them what He said.
Eternal One: Pay attention, My people! I am going to open your graves and bring you back to life! I will carry you straight back to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Eternal One. I will breathe My Spirit into you, and you will be alive once again. I will place you back in your own land. After that you will know I, the Eternal, have done what I said I would do. So said the Eternal One. — Ezekiel 37:12-14So I wait for the Eternal — my soul awaits rescue — and I put my hope in His transforming word. My soul waits for the Lord to break into the world… even more than night watchmen expect the break of day. — Psalm 130:5-6
If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you. — Romans 8:11
Jesus: I am the resurrection and the source of all life; those who believe in Me will live even in death. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never truly die. Do you believe this? — John 11:25-26
He called out in a thunderous voice.
Jesus: Lazarus, come out!
Then, the man who was dead walked out of his tomb bound from head to toe in a burial shroud.
Jesus: Untie him, and let him go. — John 11:43-44Single-file we are ushered into a dark, deep cavern on a grassy hillside. Inside, the descending stairs are lit by scattered candles. As our eyes adjust, we can make out the stone walls and arching brick-lined ceiling. We are standing inside a spacious underground Hutterite root cellar, constructed over 400 years ago in Slovakia. Our tour group feels as though we have stepped back in time. The present world, a strange glow at the top of the steps, awaits our return.
From the time I first printed this photo, I have been intrigued with its metaphorical spiritual imagery. Today, I am making connects with these lectionary texts and this image.
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
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Fourth Sunday of Lent
The Somnambulist’s Dream by Jerry Uelsmann — gelatin silver print, 30 x 24 inches, 2014. March 19, 2023 Lectionary Texts — Year A
1 Samuel 16:1-13 • Psalm 23 • Ephesians 5:8-14 • John 9:1-41Image description: A black and white photograph blending multiple images together. A large boulder under a sky of scattered clouds sits on a rockface that transitions into gushing water. A crop of evergreen trees can be seen in the distance to the left. A shadowed figure at the center of the composition walks towards the boulder on which appears a large eye.
Eternal One (to Samuel): Take no notice of his looks or his height. He is not the one, for the Eternal One does not pay attention to what humans value. Humans only care about the external appearance, but the Eternal considers the inner character. — 1 Samuel 16:7
Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted. Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me where I go, always, everywhere. I will always be with the Eternal, in Your house forever. — Psalm 23:4,6
When the light shines, it exposes even the dark and shadowy things and turns them into pure reflections of light. This is why they sing,
Awake, you sleeper!
Rise from your grave,
And the Anointed One will shine on you. — Ephesians 5:14Jesus: I have entered this world to announce a verdict that changes everything. Now those without sight may begin to see, and those who see may become blind. — John 9:39
Before the arrival of digital photography and Photoshop editing, photographer Jerry Uelsmann found a way to create surreal scenes such as The Somnambulist’s Dream. Using multiple enlargers (the darkroom device that projects the negative image onto photo paper), Uelsmann exposed and and blended together several images to create a fantasy world.
It is my conviction that the darkroom is capable of being, in the truest sense, a visual research lab; a place for discovery, observation and meditation. — Jerry Uelsmann, 1967
People loved to ask Uelsmann about the meaning or inspiration of his works. Other than explaining that he follows his intuition in selecting what to combine, Uelsmann said it was important to allow the viewer to “complete” the image by arriving at their own conclusion about the meaning of the photograph. Many of his photos are left untitled for this reason. You will note that this piece does have a title — somnambulist being the official term for a sleepwalker.
I try to create things that are authentically who I am. I’m inner-directed. I invent a reality that’s more meaningful to me — and hopefully to others — than the world we see with our eyes. — Jerry Uelsmann
How does this image draw you to “seeing” the world on a spiritual level?
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
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Third Sunday of Lent
Cemetery Statue and Oil Derricks, Long Beach, California by Ansel Adams — black and white photograph, gelatin silver print, 1939. Image by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. March 12, 2023 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Exodus 17:1-7 • Psalm 95 • Romans 5:1-11 • John 4:5-42Image description: A white marble statue of a young woman in full sunlight dominates the image against a clear sky. Wearing a flowing robe and holding a ring of flowers in her hand, the woman sits chin resting on fist propped on a raised knee. Her hair flows in large waves and falls onto her back and shoulder. The woman’s face bears an expression of both peacefulness and sadness. In the background along a low horizon are trees and many oil derrick towers.
Once again the people complained to Moses.
Israelites: Give us water to drink! We’re thirsty.
Moses: Why do you aim your complaints at me? Why are you testing the Eternal One? But the people were so thirsty for water, they complained to Moses and leveled accusations against him.
Israelites: Why did you lead us out of Egypt? Was it to kill all of us—our children and livestock included—with this thirst? Moses had had enough of their complaints, so he cried out to the Eternal One.
Moses: What am I supposed to do with these people and their relentless complaining? They are on the verge of stoning me. — Exodus 17:2-4For the Eternal is a great God, and a great King, supreme over all gods. Within His control are the very depths of the earth; the mountaintops too — they all belong to Him. The sea belongs to Him, for He created it — scooped and filled it — with His hands He made the dry land — every valley and mountain. — Psalm 95:3-5
Since we have been acquitted and made right through faith, we are able to experience true and lasting peace with God through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King. — Romans 5:1
In a small Samaritan town known as Sychar, Jesus and His entourage stopped to rest at the historic well that Jacob gave his son Joseph. It was about noon when Jesus found a spot to sit close to the well while the disciples ventured off to find provisions. From His vantage, He watched as a Samaritan woman approached to draw some water. Unexpectedly He spoke to her.
Jesus: Would you draw water, and give Me a drink?
Woman: I cannot believe that You, a Jew, would associate with me, a Samaritan woman; much less ask me to give You a drink.
Jesus: You don’t know the gift of God or who is asking you for a drink of this water from Jacob’s well. Because if you did, you would have asked Him for something greater; and He would have given you the living water. — John 4:5-10If you are at all familiar with the gorgeous landscape photography of Ansel Adams, you may be surprised to see that I have selected a less known but equally powerful image by this master. Cemetery Statue and Oil Derricks, Long Beach, California embodies Adams concerns and trepidations around progress and industrialization. His landscape photography was instrumental in the development of our national parks system for the preservation of natural beauty.
The difference between this photo and much of Adams work is a lack of water. There is no flowing river, no drops of dew, no lush water sustained environment. Instead, we see a hard stone statue in equally harsh daytime sun and a sea of oil derricks. How does this image then become a metaphor for thirst? What connections can you make between the statue and the texts?
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
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Second Sunday of Lent
Image AS8-14-2383 “Earthrise” by William Sanders taken during the Apollo 8 moon landing — a high quality color photograph of planet earth from space, 1968. Image credit: NASA March 5, 2023 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Genesis 12:1-4a • Psalm 121 • Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 • John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9Image description: Rising above the gray dusty surface of the moon and set against the rich darkness of space is planet Earth — an orb whose sun-illuminated top is washed in vibrant blue hues and swirling white clouds.
One day, the Eternal One called out to Abram.
Eternal One: Abram, get up and go! Leave your country. Leave your relatives and your father’s home, and travel to the land I will show you. Don’t worry—I will guide you there. I have plans to make a great people from your descendants. And I am going to put a special blessing on you and cause your reputation to grow so that you will become a blessing and example to others. I will also bless those who bless you and further you in your journey, and I’ll trip up those who try to trip you along the way. Through your descendants, all of the families of the earth will find their blessing in you. — Genesis 12:1-3I look up at the vast size of the mountains — from where will my help come in times of trouble? The Eternal Creator of heaven and earth and these mountains will send the help I need. The Eternal keeps you safe, so close to Him that His shadow is a cooling shade to you. Neither bright light of sun nor dim light of moon will harm you. The Eternal will keep you safe from all of life’s evils, from your first breath to the last breath you breathe, from this day and forever. — Psalm 121:1-2,5-8
The promise given to Abraham and his children, that one day they would inherit the world, did not come because he followed the rules of the law. It came as a result of his right standing before God, a standing he obtained through faith. — Romans 4:13
Jesus: If you do not believe when I talk to you about ordinary, earthly realities, then heavenly realities will certainly elude you. — John 3:12
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. — John 3:16-17
It is not surprising that when the crew of the Apollo 8 mission to the moon signed off from their TV broadcast on Christmas Eve 1968, they chose to read the opening passage of Genesis. What was a highly scientific mission had a spiritual impact these men made a point to acknowledge.
The 1960’s marked a significant time in the history of the world — humans traveling into space. For the first time Earth was seen from an outside perspective at a distance and as a whole. Between 1968 and 1972, 24 Americans would view Earth from the moon’s surface. These individuals spoke and wrote about the impact this experience had on them — how it changed their perspective on the world and the realities of life. Many also expressed a hope that images such as Earthrise would help the rest of the world experience something similar.
As I reflected on the passages, I sensed the invitation to “zoom out” to look at things from a greater distance, the distance and perspective from which God sees us and the world. How do the passages become fresh and new in their meaning when read while exploring this photograph?
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
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First Sunday of Lent
Snake, Positive and Negative by Imogen Cunningham — 1929. Image from ImogenCunningham.com February 26, 2023 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 • Psalm 32 • Romans 5:12-19 • Matthew 4:1-11Image description: Side by side are two images. On the left is a black and white photo of a snake gliding on top of a marled and knotted piece of wood in bright daylight. On the left is mirrored the negative of the same snake image – black and white tones appear opposite those of the photograph.
Of all the wild creatures the Eternal God had created, the serpent was the craftiest.
Serpent (to the woman): Is it true that God has forbidden you to eat fruits from the trees of the garden?
Eve: No, serpent. God said we are free to eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. We are granted access to any variety and all amounts of fruit with one exception: the fruit from the tree found in the center of the garden. God instructed us not to eat or touch the fruit of that tree or we would die.
Serpent: Die? No, you’ll not die. God is playing games with you. The truth is that God knows the day you eat the fruit from that tree you will awaken something powerful in you and become like Him: possessing knowledge of both good and evil. — Genesis 3:1-5When I refused to admit my wrongs, I was miserable, moaning and complaining all day long so that even my bones felt brittle. Day and night, Your hand kept pressing on me. My strength dried up like water in the summer heat; You wore me down. [pause]
When I finally saw my own lies, I owned up to my sins before You, and I did not try to hide my evil deeds from You. I said to myself, “I’ll admit all my sins to the Eternal,” and You lifted and carried away the guilt of my sin. [pause] — Psalm 32:3-5So here is the result: as one man’s sin brought about condemnation and punishment for all people, so one man’s act of faithfulness makes all of us right with God and brings us to new life. Just as through one man’s defiant disobedience every one of us were made sinners, so through the willing obedience of the one man many of us will be made right. — Romans 5:18-19
The Spirit then led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil…
Devil: If You bow down and worship me, I will give You all these kingdoms.
Jesus: Get away from Me, Satan. I will not serve you. I will instead follow Scripture, which tells us to “worship the Eternal One, your God, and serve only Him.” — Matthew 4:1,9,10Imogen Cunningham was a member of Group f/64 – a famous band of photographers (greats like Ansel Adams) working in the 1920’s and 1930’s who held common interests and professional values striving to practice a “pure” form of photography — presenting the world to viewers as it really is. The images produced by this group were high quality, full of extreme detail and good contrast and were most importantly, unaltered.
So passionate was Group f/64 about their cause, they wrote a manifesto. They saw themselves in something akin to a battle against the “tide of oppressive pictorialism”. Pictorialism was a highly popular artform involving the blurring of photographic images with heavy manipulation of negatives. This often involved painting techniques with visible brush strokes. This would be the equivalent to what we would say today looks “airbrushed” or “photoshopped” — in other words… fake.
Present in this week’s texts are depictions of battle: the battle within the human heart, Christ’s specific battle with Satan in the desert and the great ongoing cosmic battle of good versus evil – life versus death. While the pairing of these two alternate images makes for a great metaphor of such, I find the backstory to Cunningham’s work as much of a connecting point to these passages. What other connections or metaphors do you find?
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
-
Ash Wednesday
Devil’s Slide, San Mateo County, California by Minor White — gelatin silver print, 6 5/8 × 8 1/2 inches, 1948. MoMA.org February 22, 2023 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12 • Psalm 51:1-17 • 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 • Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21Image description: A high contrast black and white photograph depicting a layer of thick clouds hanging over a sea of gentle waves. The sun, barely peaking through, brightly illuminates a thin band of clouds stretching across the upper portion of the image. Sunlight dances in bright patches on the ocean surface. The horizon line is shrouded in darkness and tilts slightly to the left.
Eternal One: Blow the trumpet in Zion; signal the alarm from My holy mountain! It is almost here. Let all who live in the land tremble because the day of the Eternal One is coming. Judgment will come on a black and fearful day; a thick cloud of darkness will loom over everything. — Joel 2:1-2a
No, what I want in a fast is this: to liberate those tied down and held back by injustice, to lighten the load of those heavily burdened, to free the oppressed and shatter every type of oppression. Then, oh then, your light will break out like the warm, golden rays of a rising sun; in an instant, you will be healed. Your rightness will precede and protect you; the glory of the Eternal will follow and defend you. If you make sure that the hungry and oppressed have all that they need, then your light will shine in the darkness, and even your bleakest moments will be bright as a clear day. — Isaiah 58:6,8,10
But still, You long to enthrone truth throughout my being; in unseen places deep within me, You show me wisdom. Cleanse me of my wickedness with hyssop, and I will be clean. If You wash me, I will be whiter than snow. — Psalm 51:6-7
Whether respected or loathed, praised or criticized as frauds, yet true, as unknown to this world, and yet well known to God, we serve Him. We are treated as dying and yet we live, as punished and yet we are not executed. Though we are sorrowful, we continually rejoice. As the poorest of the poor, we bring richness to all, and though we have nothing, we possess all things. — 2 Corinthians 6:8-10
Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice — don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matthew 6:19-21
For Lent this year, I am choosing to feature black and white photography pieces. This is a medium close to my heart. My college photography classes opened a world of wonder and contemplation to me. The many hours spent developing film and image in the darkroom brought me to a place of conversation and communion with God previously unknown to me. Here I discovered visual metaphor. Images became more than just snapshots of people, places and objects — they became symbols of the things one cannot photograph such as emotions, spiritual experiences, prayers, longings, etc. Often as I worked with a particular image, a passage of Scripture would come to mind. When presented in black and white, an image enters a liminal space. No longer seen as it actually appeared to the human eye, such a picture can now swing the doors open to personal meaning making and interpretation.
As you contemplate the images and Lenten Scriptures, allow yourself to generously apply metaphor — “this is like that”. In the instance of the image I’ve selected for Ash Wednesday, we may ascribe the contrast found between the rich black tones and glowing white areas of the landscape to be a visual representation of Paul’s list of dichotomies in 2 Corinthians. Just as White’s landscape presents and holds both darkness and light, so does the believer’s experience as Paul explains.
What other metaphors from the texts can you find a home for in this image? How does this image serve to usher us into the liminal space of the Lenten season?
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
-
Transfiguration Sunday
The Transfiguration by William Blake (1757-1827) — watercolor, England, late 18th century. February 19, 2022 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Exodus 24:12-18 • Psalm 2 or Psalm 99 • 2 Peter 1:16-21 • Matthew 17:1-9Image description: A glowing white image of Christ stands at center wearing an almost translucent robe flowing down and over the heads of disciples Peter, James and John. Christ gestures gently with palms raised towards the viewer. His eyes are large and locks of his curly hair float up and outward like rays from his face. We see his bear feet and he looks to be stepping forward. Below Christ, the central disciple of whom we see only his reddish curly hair leans towards us with his head resting on his forearm. The disciples on either side gaze up at Jesus — their faces bear expressions of awe/fright. Kneeling to the left of Christ is Moses dressed in a similar transparent garment and curly floaty hair. His lengthy beard falls over his hands clasped in a gesture of prayer as he looks up to Jesus. The stone tables of the Law are seen beside him. At Jesus’ right kneels Elijah again dressed similar to Christ but with reddish curly hair and beard. He too gazes at Christ with hands in a prayer position. Flames of fire shoot from behind Elijah towards Christ. The upper left and right corners of the work are occupied by two faintly appearing golden winged creatures with wide eyes, wild hair and long beards.
Moses made his way up the mountain. A thick cloud blanketed the mountain because the Eternal’s glory had settled upon it. The cloud stayed there for six days; and when the seventh day arrived, the Eternal spoke to Moses from the cloud. For the Israelites below, the Eternal’s glory appeared to be a consuming fire on the top of the mountain. As Moses walked further toward the top, he was swallowed by the cloud of God’s glory… — Exodus 24:15-18
So leaders, kings, and judges, be wise, and be warned. There is only one God, the Eternal; worship Him with respect and awe; take delight in Him and tremble. — Psalm 2:10-11
The Eternal is the king ruling over all; let all people shake in fear. He sits on His throne, settled between winged guardians; let the planet tremble. Lift up the Eternal our God in your heart; bow down to the earth where He rests His feet. He is holy, perfect and exalted in His power. Lift up the Eternal our God in your hearts, and celebrate His goodness at His holy mountain, for the Eternal our God is holy, perfect and exalted in His power. — Psalm 99:1,5,9
You see, God the Father lavished honor and glory upon Jesus when the voice of the Majestic Glory echoed from heaven and said, “This is My beloved Son, and My favor rests on Him.” We witnessed this — we ourselves heard this voice from heaven — when we were with Jesus on that holy mountain. We have a fuller confirmation of the message of the prophets. You would do well to pay close attention to this word; it is like a light that shines for you in the darkness of night until the day dawns when the morning star rises in your own hearts. — 2 Peter 1:17-19
Six days later, Jesus went up to the top of a high mountain with Peter, James, and John. There, something spectacular happened: Jesus’ face began to glow and gleam and shine like the morning sun. His clothes gleamed too — bright white, like sunlight mirroring off a snowfall. He was, in a word, transfigured. Suddenly there at the top of the mountain were Moses and Elijah, those icons of the faith, beloved of God. And they talked to Jesus. — Matthew 17:1-3
While still dramatic, what I like about Blake’s Transfiguration would be the softness of it. There is a quite unity here especially between Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Note how their garments flow into one another is soft playful ripples. Note too the divide of darkness that separates the union of the three figures above from the three below — an apt visual for the misunderstanding and confusion experienced by the three disciples who are witnessing this.
I have always just assumed it was Moses and Elijah who appear to talk with Christ because of their closeness to God during their earthly lives. Who else had such an intimate relationship? Blake is giving us clues for another possible reason: these two individuals represent two fundamental ways of knowing God as revealed in the Old Testament — the Law and the Prophets (aka the Spirit). Jesus is the fulfillment and embodiment of both.
Lastly, I wish to share a lovely quote from Blake that has been associated with his Transfiguration piece and Christ’s glowing countenance.
We are put on earth a little space that we might learn to bear the beams of love. — William Blake
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
-
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
The Good Way: West to the Stream by Michelle L Hofer — mixed media painting on hardboard, 12 x 12 inches, 2021. February 12, 2022 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 or Sirach 15:15-20 • Psalm 119:1-8 • 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 • Matthew 5:21-37Image description: A gray-brown autumn landscape featuring a grove of trees in the distance and the pink glow of of sunset at the horizon on the left below a gray cloud filled sky. A glassy stream reflecting the glowing sky emerges into the left foreground from somewhere back near the tree line. At right and defined in black ink, a grass and rock-lined rough path winds beside two bare trees. A raven gazing upward is perched on a larger rock in the lower right corner.
Look, I’ve given you two choices today: you can have life with all the good things it brings, or death and all the bad things it brings. If you do what I’ve commanded you today and love the Eternal your God; if you live as He wants you to, if you obey His commands, regulations and judgments, then you’ll live and have many descendants. He will bless you in the land where you’re going to live. But if your heart turns away and you don’t listen, if you go astray and you bow down to other gods and worship them, then today I assure you you’ll be destroyed. You’ll cross the Jordan River into the land that’s going to belong to you, but you won’t live there very long at all. — Deuteronomy 30:15-18
Happy are the people who walk with integrity, who live according to the teachings of the Eternal. Happy are the people who keep His decrees, who pursue Him wholeheartedly. These are people who do nothing wrong; they do what it takes to follow His ways. — Psalm 119:1-3
My brothers and sisters, I cannot address you as people who walk by the Spirit; I have to speak to you as people who tend to think in merely human terms, as spiritual infants in the Anointed One. I nursed you with milk, as a mother would feed her baby, because you were not, and still are not, developed enough to digest complex spiritual food. And here’s why: you are still living in the flesh, not in the Spirit. How do I know? Are you fighting with one another? Are you comparing yourselves to others and becoming consumed with jealousy? Then it sounds like you are living in the flesh, no different from the rest who live by the standards of this rebellious and broken world. — 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Jesus: As you know, long ago God instructed Moses to tell His people, “Do not murder; those who murder will be judged and punished.” But here is the even harder truth: anyone who is angry with his brother will be judged for his anger. Anyone who taunts his friend, speaks contemptuously toward him, or calls him “Loser” or “Fool” or “Scum,” will have to answer to the high court. And anyone who calls his brother a fool may find himself in the fires of hell. — Matthew 5:21-22
This landscape offers much to explore and contemplate with the Scripture passages this week, but there is one element I wish to help you see on a symbolic level. It is the raven found in the lower right corner of the scene.
The story of Elijah being fed by ravens in the desert (I Kings 17) lends the symbolism of Divine provision during a vulnerable time. In the context of this painting, the raven stands as an assurance of God’s presence and protection for the path ahead — a symbol that resonates with choosing life from the Deuteronomy and Psalms passages.
Conversely, ravens are culturally understood as a warning — an omen of doom or an evil presence. How might the raven therefore stand as a symbol for the warnings found in the texts from Deuteronomy, 1 Corinthians and Matthew?
Can you use your imagination to envision the raven speaking from the Scriptures as you proceed forward on life’s path? Are you apt to stop and listen? take what you encounter to heart or forge ahead?
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
-
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
Glow of Hope by S. L. Haldankar — watercolor, 1945-46. On display in the Jayachamrajendra Art Gallery at Jaganmohan Palace of South India. February 5, 2022 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) • Psalm 112:1-9 (10) • 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) • Matthew 5:13-20Image description: Rendered in great detail, a young Indian woman dressed in a traditional sari holds a lit candle with a tall brass candlestick in her left hand while protecting the flame with her right hand. The flame, not visible to the viewer, illuminates the woman’s face and beautiful clothing. The fingers of the hand protecting the flame glow. A large dark shadow is cast by the woman’s figure towering over her on the wall behind.
If you make sure that the hungry and oppressed have all that they need, then your light will shine in the darkness, and even your bleakest moments will be bright as a clear day. — Isaiah 58:10
When life is dark, a light will shine for those who live rightly — those who are merciful, compassionate, and strive for justice. — Psalm 112:4
But we do impart God’s mysterious and hidden wisdom. Before the ages began, God graciously decided to use His wisdom for our glory. This wisdom has not been grasped by the ruling powers of this age; if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as the Scriptures say,
No eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard
and it has never occurred to the human heart
All the things God prepared for those who love Him.
God has shown us these profound and startling realities through His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep mysteries of God. Who can see into a man’s heart and know his thoughts? Only the spirit that dwells within the man. In the same way, the thoughts of God are known only by His Spirit. — 1 Corinthians 2:7-11And you, beloved, are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. Similarly it would be silly to light a lamp and then hide it under a bowl. When someone lights a lamp, she puts it on a table or a desk or a chair, and the light illumines the entire house. You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it. — Matthew 5:14-16
One of the most treasured artworks of modern-day India, Glow of Hope, can be viewed in a unique space at the Jayachamrajendra Art Gallery. I read how the room in which it is displayed is designed to enhance various aspects of the piece. It can be viewed three ways: in very dim light allowing the maximum effect of the art’s luminous candle glow effect, with brighter lighting to reveal it’s exquisite detail, and by natural light from a nearby curtained window which discloses the subtleties of coloration and further detail.
The piece is quite popular, copies and renderings by other artists are widely available for sale. Gita, the artist’s daughter who posed for the picture had also gained public notoriety especially at the celebration of her 100th birthday, on February 2, 2017. She passed away in 2018.
It was during Diwali, the Indian celebration symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, that Haldankar was instantly inspired to paint the picture when his daughter emerged from the house carrying a candle and protecting the flame with her hand.
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
-
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
Family Crowds Around Open Oven for Warmth and The Only Picture Hanging in the Fontenelle Home by Gordon Parks — black and white photographs, Harlem, New York, 1967. Photos found in the Photography Archive at GordonParksFoundation.org Fourth Sunday After Epiphany — January 29, 2022 Lectionary Texts — Year A
Micah 6:1-8 • Psalm 15 • 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 • Matthew 5:1-12Image description: A pair of black and white photographs from a photos series shot for the Life Magazine March 8, 1968 issue feature on the Fontenelle family of Harlem – a black immigrant family of 10 struggling to survive the winter. At left, Bessie Fontenelle sits in a kitchen in front of an open stove being used for heat. She appears lost in thought. Her son sits on the floor in front of her resting his head on her knee. On the right, a dime store purchased Sallman-esque portrait of Jesus mounted on a paper doily in a decorative metal frame hangs above a hole in the plaster and lath apartment wall.
Look carefully at your call, brothers and sisters. By human standards, not many of you are deemed to be wise. Not many are considered powerful. Not many of you come from royalty, right? But celebrate this: God selected the world’s foolish to bring shame upon those who think they are wise; likewise, He selected the world’s weak to bring disgrace upon those who think they are strong. God selected the common and the castoff, whatever lacks status, so He could invalidate the claims of those who think those things are significant. — 1 Corinthians 1:26-28
Jesus: Blessed are the spiritually poor—the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed are those who mourn—they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek and gentle—they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness—they will be filled. — Matthew 5:3-6African American photographer Gordon Parks was said to use his camera like a weapon. So disturbing and upsetting were his images at times to those who held idyllic perceptions of America. But for many, such as the immigrant family Parks photographed for Life magazine in 1968, living destitute in Harlem with less than ideal employment opportunities was a horrific reality. Norman Fontenelle, Sr. had brought his family to America from the British West Indies. His wife Bessie is quoted in the article talking of the lure of large factories requiring huge numbers of laborers. What the family experienced instead was inconsistent temporary work opportunities for Norman and horrible housing options.
Screenshot from GordonParksFoundation.org photo archive featuring the Fontenelle Family images as published in the March 8, 1968 issue of LIFE Magazine. “I didn’t know it would be like this,” says Norman’s wife Bessie as she talks with the poverty board director, Bob Haggins. “You have to keep the faith,” replies Bob who goes on to explain how he will try to find Norman some job training.
The portrait of Jesus Bessie has hung in their apartment is similar to depictions of Jesus by Warner Sallman — a dreamy blue-eyed, pale-skinned Jesus — a depiction that became widely popular in America. Versions of this Jesus can still be found in thrift stores across the country. What is the connection or disconnection of this image to the situation of the Fontenelle family? to the family’s hopes to find a good life in America? to the Jesus who preaches on the Mount?
Photography is an art form focused on capturing and framing what is seen in order to communicate something more, something beyond the moment and beyond the image. Photographs can become powerful metaphors. I encourage you to explore the full documentation of Park’s work with the Fontenelle family as you explore the connections between the images and the Scripture texts presented this week.
Practicing Visio Divina:
- View the artwork
What do you see?
Note shapes – color – style – movement
What stands out for you?
What are you curious about?
What questions do you have?
Hold back any feelings – judgments – opinions - Read the accompanying scripture and look over the artwork again
What connections do you make?
Between the image and text?
What is coming to mind from your own experience?
What feelings are rising in you?
Are you uncomfortable with something?
There are no right or wrong answers - Read the scripture again and explore the artwork a third time
What do you hear?
What is God saying to you?
What do you wish to speak to God?
What blessing or prayer is rising in you?
- View the artwork
Visio Divina 
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