Easter Morning April 5 2015

 

by Eugene Burnand (1898)

"The disciples Peter and John running to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection"

John 20: 1-3

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.  So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."  Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.

Reflection

Don't you know, just by looking at this painting, without knowing the title, that this has to be John and Peter? Look at their faces and figures: big ole craggy-faced Peter in sturdy brown, and the younger, slighter John in white. They are rushing forward; their hair and robes are being blown back. The beautiful new day is dawning golden all around them. Their faces emanate both hope and worry, yet in different ways.

Peter's huge hands look quite capable of hauling in fishing nets all day, while John's are clasped in prayer. I imagine what my prayer would be, if I were in his place. It would be fairly inarticulate - just "Oh Lord please please please please let it be ... I don't really know, I don't understand what's happening ... just let it be okay."

    

When Jesus was with them, he spoke of being raised again, but I can't imagine that his disciples completely understood what that meant. In verses 8 and 9, it says that "Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead."

In the grief and confusion of this first Sunday morning just after Jesus' death, what would you think if you heard that the tomb was empty? Would you assume that someone had stolen the body? Or would you begin to hope?  

Some two thousand years later, growing up with the Gospel, hearing it week after week, and reflecting on it year after year: we still find it difficult to grasp.  Jesus willingly followed our Father's plan, died for our sins, and was raised again. And brings life eternal for us all. Imagine being the first people to encounter this, the most wonderful news of all.

I think Eugene Burnand has done an excellent job of portraying the possible first reaction of these two men.

Nancy Langham

by Eugene Burnand (1898)

Lamentation April 4 2015

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Niccolo dell’Arca, Il Compianto (1463)

Matthew 27:55-61 (NRSV)

Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him.  Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.  When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus.  He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.  So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Niccolo dell’Arca is a little known 15^th century Early Italian Renaissance artist who created sculptures in painted terracotta with amazing movement and expression.  This Lamentation of the Dead Christ was created for the church Santa Maria della Vita in Bologna.  Six life-size figures gather around the dead Christ in varying states of distress: (from left to right) Joseph of Arimathea, Mary the mother of John, Mary the mother of Jesus, John, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.  The emotion and drama only seems to increase moving from Joseph to Mary Magdalene, from stoicism to dynamic tragedy in the outpouring of grief.  Despite the energy and movement within the scene, each figure is turned inward, privately addressing their reaction to the death of Jesus, and each reacts differently. 

Look at the detail of each figure and dwell on them.  Think of their relationship to Jesus: having walked with Him daily or having known Him from His birth or perhaps a more recent follower.  Think of this moment of absolute darkness and hopelessness as they see the dead body of their son, their rabbi, their leader, their Savior, their Messiah.  What might they be feeling?  How are they expressing their grief? 

Like Joseph of Arimathea (see him holding his tools), stoically taking care of practical details?  Jesus is dead, He needs a tomb and the body needs to be prepared before the Sabbath. 

Like Mary His mother, pondering those things in her heart from His birth to His death and wondering why now?

Like John, the one He loved, remembering every lesson Jesus taught and trying to see a bigger picture?  Trying to reconcile the things He said with the reality of death, struggling with faith and hope?

 

Like Mary Magdalene, overwhelmed with grief for the One who saved her and the loneliness of facing life without Him; wondering who will protect her, who will save her now; and the dread of falling back into the ways of the past?

In this time of Lent, how are you grieving?

The amazing Good News is that we know the end of the story.  We don’t have to dwell in the grief of Saturday, but know that the joy of the resurrection is just a day away!  In Ecclesiastes 3 it says that there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.  There is a time to weep and to mourn, but there is also a time to laugh and to dance.  That is the joy of the resurrection!

Nancy S. Livengood  

The Crucifixion April 3 2015

The Yellow Christ by Paul Gauguin (1889)

Matthew 27: 45-50 (NRSV)

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah." At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.

Paul Gauguin was a French artist who worked during the Post-Impressionism period.

He was living in Breton, France in 1889 when he painted "The Yellow Christ".

Here, he has juxtaposed the Breton landscape and contemporary peasant women, in their native dress, with the depiction of Christ on the cross.

Gauguin admired what he saw as the simple faith of the Breton people and he imagined that they were granted privileged access to God - unmediated and unencumbered by complexity. Some scholars say that he has depicted the women here as praying so devoutly that they are enabled to see the crucifixion as vividly as if it were actually before them.

If that was Gauguin's intent, then that explains how the man on the road in the background can be going about his business, seemingly ignorant of the horrific scene he has just passed.

Reflection

And now it is 3pm. Finally, it is over. What have we done? What have I done?  

What can God possibly do with such a horrible, final ending?

Nancy Langham

The Mocking of Christ April 2 2015

Édouard Manet, Jesus Mocked by Soldiers (1865)

Within his body of work, Édouard Manet only produced two paintings with a religious theme.  As a founding father of modernism and leader of the artistic movement from realism to impressionism, this subject was unusual. Known as an artist who painted modern life, contemporary urban scenes or landscapes, this painting is a surprise.

Manet’s life was marked with contradictions: born of a wealthy family he turned from the legal profession of his family to art and scorned the life of the gentleman within his art; he consistently sought the acceptance of the Salon of the artistic establishment only to enter paintings he knew to be nontraditional that produced scandal and criticism; as he gained some success in the Salon, he attempted to separate himself from the young artists, the Impressionists, only to be linked to them as their leader and inspiration. 

Likewise, this painting is a contradiction.  The composition of heroic scale and colors suggest an Old Masters painting, but the stark contrasts of light, thick raw brushstrokes and flat forms are the beginnings of modernism in Manet’s style.  The grays and browns suggest a seriousness that is brought to life with the occasional use of bright orange.  Manet flouts convention in his portrayal of Jesus.  Rather than the idealized versions of the past, he confronts us with a very human, vulnerable Jesus, unable to control his fate, unheroic and awkward.  The critics condemned Manet’s use of common, lower-class people as his models and the sheer ordinariness of this presentation of Christ as a man. 

However, as Christ was fully God, He was also fully man.  It is His humanity that we should embrace at this time in Lent as we move toward the grace and forgiveness of His death and resurrection when He is revealed as God.  Looking at our own weaknesses, it is difficult to imagine Jesus as weak, but here we see that image presented.  Manet reveals a Christ that is as ordinary, common, vulnerable, out of control, awkward, and human as we are. 

Interestingly, the title suggests another contradiction within this painting.  Jesus hardly looks like He is being mocked by the soldiers, but instead they seem stunned to be in His presence.  The one soldier looks to be covering Jesus’ nakedness with the purple robe rather than striping Him, and the other is kneeling almost in homage rather than preparing to torture Jesus with the rod he holds. 

So, in these last few days of Lent, may we confront our weaknesses, our sin, our humanity, and bring it all to Jesus on bended knee, laying down all that we use to torture others or ourselves.  May we remember that we are forgiven and that grace abounds!

-- Nancy S. Livengood  

Agony in the Garden, April 1 2015

Byzantine Icon “Christ in the Garden (Agony)”

Matthew 26:36-46 (NRSV)

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."  He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated.  Then he said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me."  And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want."  Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?  Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again he went away for the second time and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."  Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.  So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.  Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand."

Reflection

This image captures how utterly alone Jesus was before he was betrayed and then two days later crucified and buried. Jesus didn’t want to be alone at this time. He brought along Peter, James and John and instructed them to “Stay here and keep watch with me” (vs. 38). But they fell asleep. They could not keep this vigil with Jesus. He was alone. In fact, maybe he needed to be alone.

In his solitude, Jesus prayed to his Father: “if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (vs. 39).  Do you blame him? Remember, this cup represents the sins of all humanity for all time. My own sin wears me down, but consider bearing all of humanities sins once and for all? Impossible. It defies logic. Yet until you deeply grasp why Jesus had to go to the cross then you cannot begin to fathom what He accomplished for us by doing it!

I invite you to prayerfully look at the Icon of Christ in the Garden (Agony). Behold how he is on bended knee. (Pause) Examine his outstretched hands. (Pause) Look at his pleading eyes and the sweat glistening on his brow. (Pause) What do you think Jesus was contemplating? (Pause) Reflect on the immense agony of what Jesus had to bear alone. (Pause)

Jesus finished his prayer by saying: “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (vs. 39). Jesus knew what God’s will was for him: to go to the cross for us (which we will reflect about that in a couple days). Today let us remember the magnitude of the agony of Christ in the garden and give thanks for what he willingly did for our sake. 

Tom Livengood

The Last Supper, March 31 2015

Tuesday  March 31

                                                                                                                                                               

Luke 22 14:-20 (NRSV)

When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Reflection

            Here we find a fairly traditional and recognizable scene of the "The Last Supper".  What is not so traditional is the lack of clarity and what are not so recognizable are the faces.  This depiction of Jesus' famous last meal with his disciples the night before his crucifixion has been painted in the impressionist style.  A style which is known for looking unclear up close, but offering a full picture at a distance.  In this painting the lack of clarity keeps us from being able to distinguish between each figure and in turn makes it easier for us to paint our own face into the story.  All we know is they are Jesus' disciples, why not be us?

            As we find our seat at the table with Jesus we are reminded all he wanted to do as he neared the end of his life was to be with the people he loved most and to enjoy one of life's greatest pleasures with them, eating.  Though, again like with the impressionist style, it is unclear what this meal and its connection with Jesus' death exactly means for us, his disciples.  He does not give full and clear explanation of it, though many theologians have posed a variety of interpretations.

            What is given is the meal.  An invitation to dine with Jesus and remember him.  It is an act that speaks more to us than words ever can.  I try tirelessly to wrap my mind around its meaning, comprehend its power, or find some feeling within me to connect with it...  Yet, admittedly, time and again on Sundays after I go up to partake in the meal I find myself usually only able to muster the thoughts, "I was really looking forward to that bread and juice," and, "Oh wow, that tastes good."  I find I am just filled with overwhelming gratitude for getting to literally 'taste the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).' The physical experience brings that truth home for me. 

            This meal is a gift to be received and enjoyed.  Whenever we participate in it physically or in memory we can remember Jesus' desire to simply be with us, the disciples he loves so much, and that his life is in us.  His life which nourishes ours and prepares us for facing any and all things along our journey in grounded confidence of his ceaseless presence and enables us to be the very Body of Christ. 

Katie Archibald-Woodward

Christ Driving the Out the Money Changers March 30 2015

Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple by El Greco

John 2: 13 - 16

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"

Matthew 21: 12 - 15

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.   He said to them, "It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a den of robbers."  The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry.

Reflection

            El Greco's interpretation of "Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple" is probably one of the more famous visual versions of this biblical passage. El Greco was a Renaissance-era artist whose work became more appreciated in the 20th century than during his own time. He is known for his elongated figures; his style was probably influenced by Byzantine art.

            Let's take a look at this painting:  Why do you think Jesus is dressed in red?  Notice that he is brandishing a whip. In this dramatic snapshot of a moment in time, the merchants on the left are dodging his blows. I love the ribs of the one fellow and the musculature of the other one (in yellow), in this depiction.

            Try putting your hand over the right half of the picture and then the left half. Compare how different the two sides are from each other - almost like two different scenes. The men on the right are understood to be the disciples. It looks like at least two different conversations are going on. What do you think the disciples are saying? And how many of all these people are actually looking at Jesus? There is an over-turned table in the foreground, but no coins are in evidence. What else is missing? Where are the doves, the cattle, and the sheep? 

            As happens frequently, the Gospel of John tells the Good News a little differently than the synoptic versions (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). I find it interesting that this painting has elements of each, but important pieces are left out, too. Only in John do we read that Jesus was wielding a whip of cords, which El Greco has depicted here. However, John makes it clear that Jesus was using the whip to drive out the animals (the sheep and cattle), not to whip any people. Yet in this painting, we see no animals at all.

            And in Matthew, we learn that after this dramatic act, the blind and the lame came to Jesus, and the children were crying out in acclaim for this "Son of David". To me, it seems that the Jesus depicted in the painting is more violent and frightening than the one portrayed in the Gospels. If an enraged (unbalanced?) man barged into the temple, beating people unaccountably, would vulnerable people such as children and the blind and the lame be attracted to him? I think not.

            So what is going on in this scene? My view is that not only is Jesus purifying his Father's temple, but he is also standing up for the "little guy". People who could not easily afford to travel have made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover. Imagine arriving in town after a long journey - you're tired, dusty, maybe hungry, and probably feeling a little disoriented.  This may be the only chance in your lifetime that you'll be able to offer a sacrifice in the Temple. And now you're being charged exorbitant, perhaps prohibitive, fees by these "insiders". It's no wonder that Jesus' actions resonated with the people. He was "doing justice" -  standing up for people being taken advantage of.  Speaking up when we see someone being wronged, standing up to bullies: following in those footsteps is how we can all try to be more Christ-like.

Nancy Langham

Triumphant Entry, March 29 2015

“Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem” by He Qi* depicts the events of Palm Sunday that marked the fulfillment of the prophecy made in the Old Testament:

Zechariah 9:9-10 (NIV)

9    Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

      Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

      See, your king comes to you,

      righteous and victorious,

      lowly and riding on a donkey,

      on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim

      and the warhorses from Jerusalem,

      and the battle bow will be broken.

      He will proclaim peace to the nations.

      His rule will extend from sea to sea

      and from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.

The entry of Christ into Jerusalem is found in all the Gospels - Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12. 

Each reports in some fashion Jesus instructing his disciples to find the donkey and bring it for him to ride and thereby fulfilling the prophecy. 

Mark 11 (NIV)

1        As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

     4     They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

                        “Hosanna!”

                        “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

      10             “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

                        “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

At the conclusion of Luke’s account, we see the beginning of the seeds of the Pharisees’ dissatisfaction with the praise given Jesus and his rebuke of them.

Luke 19 (NIV)

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down

the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b]

      “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41 As he approached

 Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

John reports the lack of awareness on the part of the disciples of what was going to transpire. (John 12:16).

John 12 (NIV)

16 . . . his disciples did not understand all this.

Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

The entry into Jerusalem set in motion the events of Holy Week.  Palm Sunday (identified by the branches the people waved and place before Jesus on his entry) marks the beginning of our celebration of Holy Week and the events that led to the crucifixion and resurrection.

 “Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem” painted by He Qi captures the moment in a style that is in contrast to traditional Western depictions of this moment.  Jesus and the crowd are presented in vibrant colors with the strong reds and blues being the primary colors- in stark contrast to what is found in many Western paintings.  In addition, the individuals (and even the donkey) seem to have an Asian appearance.  The sign on the wall identifies the location as “Jerusalem” in Chinese characters.

He Qi (pronounced “Huh Chee”) is a Chinese Christian artist who originally came to Christ and began to develop his unique artistic style in the midst of Mao ZeDong’s Cultural Revolution.  He and his family were sent into the fields as part of the “reeducation process of Chinese intellectuals.  As a young man, he escaped hard labor by painting pictures of chairman Mao. At the time of the Cultural Revolution the atmosphere was one of struggle, of hatred, of criticism. All around you could only see images of struggle and criticism. It was hard to find any images of peace.

One day he happened to come across a very old copy of a magazine which contained a picture of the painting "Madonna and Child" by Raphael. Qi was extremely moved by this painting with the Madonna smiling and the little baby Jesus also smiling and felt a great sense of peace. After this, Qi began to paint portraits of Chairman Mao by day and then, late at night, completed copies of the "Madonna and Child," both sketches and oil paintings.

The art of He Qi is best understood when it is seen as a reinterpretation of sacred art within an ancient Chinese art idiom. Chinese religious art, being an expression of Buddhism, was historically typified as a tranquil and utopian portrayal of nature, often painted with black ink and water. He Qi is especially influenced by the simple and beautiful artwork of the people in rural China. Within that framework, he seeks to redefine the relationship between people and spirituality with bold colors, embellished shapes and thick strokes. His work is a blend of Chinese folk art and traditional painting technique with the iconography of the Western Middle Ages and Modern Art.

His work initially met resistance within the Chinese Christian Community.  Traditional pastors had been shaped by Western missionaries and felt depictions of Biblical scenes should reflect a Western vision of the events.  Qi, in contrast saw the need to help Chinese identify with Christianity by capturing the scenes from a Chinese perspective.

After the Cultural Revolution He Qi went on to obtain a doctorate in Religious Art and received a award for outstanding achievements in religious art from Cambridge.  He has taught at Nanking University and is currently a resident of Minnesota and is a guest professor at Drew University. *This picture was reprinted with permission from the artist.

Reflection – if Jesus were to return today in a form not as traditional as we expect, would we greet him with celebration and recognize the fulfillment of the Scriptures?  Or would we be like the Pharisees and express dissatisfaction and disbelief?

During Holy Week let us remember the Good News is to be shared with all God’s people.

- Paul Cropley