Art: The Burning Bush

[Moses] led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Exodus 3: 1a-2a.

The Burning Bush, by Julie Carson, 2009.

Oil on canvas.

I came across this image in The Christian Century in the Spring 2008 and was stunned by the brilliance of the color and the feeling of the Divine that the painting evokes.  I took it to a close family friend and talented artist, Julie Carson, to see if I could commission her for this work.  Double-click on the painting to enlarge the image.

Today, this magnificent work hangs above the fireplace mantle in our living room.  It is very, very special to us and represents Julie's gift from God to paint and to express herself through this medium.  The camera does not even come close to catching the brilliant colors.  The texture of the oils, combined with the illuminating essence of the metaphor is quite striking!  I fully expect to see Julie's work progress in the years to come, who knows, she could be the next household name in oil painting.  Thank you Julie for this heartfelt gift of joy and wonder!

Icons in Progress

I wanted to show my readers some of the latest iconography that is currently in progress.  Double-click on the image to enlarge the photograph.  Note:  the camera does not do justice to the colors.

This is the second icon that I've written of Our Lady of Walsingham.  The size is 11.5 in. x 21.5 in., acrylic on wood.  It debuted this past Friday at the Sewanee Taize service at St. Luke's Chapel.  It adorns my prayer desk and never fails to move me into contemplation.  What strikes me are the eyes; a mother looks with tender love into those of her own son, knowing in her heart that his path will take him away from her.  The compassion and loving expression gets me, which is why I adore this particular icon of Our Lady.

I begun work at our recent Seminary Quiet day on Saint Edward the Confessor, whose shrine adorns the royal peculiar of Westminster Abbey in London.  St. Edward is a continuation of my desire to restore the images of British saints from the past--which now includes icons of Chad of Lichfield, Hugh of Lincoln, and King Charles the Martyr.  Future icons in this series will include St. Alban the Protomartyr and Edmund, King and Martyr.  This icon is 12 in. x 16 in., acrylic on wood.

In a pleasant break from the norm, I have also begun work on a Coptic-style icon of Christ enthroned.  The style is different and I am joyful with my progress so far (in fact, this was all done yesterday!).  You can also see the icon on the right which is the model.  Size is 10 in. x 17 in., acrylic on wood.

The Feast of the Exultation of the Cross

The Calvary Garden, The Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield

V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

"Don't romance the tragic," screamed my moral theology professor to us in class. The very thing that we have turned into jewelry, stickers, car magnets, and generally anything else that consumers will buy has not only romanced the tragic but anesthetized us from the real horror of the cross. The cross was a Roman torture device used for traitors and rebels of the Empire. I can envision hillsides littered with corpses and fallen crosses. It was the supreme statement of Rome to anyone who dared to defy her imperial power: we will hang you by the tree in the most humiliating death possible! The cross was cruel, the very shape intended to pull the body apart by means of a slow and certain death.

Today marks the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross (September 14th) and I cannot help but think of these things every year that we remember this day. I am afraid that so many of us Christians have softened the cross too much, glorifying it to the point of taking away its power.My doctrine professor says it quite succinctly, "there is only one cross that we glorify." Have we taken away it's efficacy? Has the meaning of the cross been dulled over time and by capitalism?

The versicle/response at the beginning is used at the start of each station during the Stations of the Cross. It is a clear reminder that by one cross and one Lord, the whole world was redeemed. Jesus the Son of God came into the world to teach us how to live, love, and forgive. His gospel was too radical for the established powers and principalities, overturning the balance of power in favor of the least, the lost, and the last. And we nailed him to the cross because of it, thereby God showing us the extremity and depths of true forgiveness and love.

A prayer from Saint Francis [paraphrased by BOB]:

"O Lord, may I feel in my body as much as possible the pain and suffering you endured on the cross. But even more, Lord, may I feel and know in my heart the love that brought you there." Amen.

Sweet Caroline

I found a new use for the maniple, and my model was my precious girl, Caroline. You can catch a glimpse of my latest icon of Our Lady of Walsingham in the background above my prayer desk.