Judgment Upon Gog, Ezekiel 38-39

Dawn Campbell, studying Ezekiel with me, found a much better image than I had posted before of the painting of God's Judgment upon Gog by Asher Brown Durand, American, 1796-1886. Click the image to enlarge. For information on the painting and artist, click here.

Lazarus and the Rich Man

 

Another great print shared by Benjamin Hart (see yesterday’s post). He created this artwork after writing an exegesis paper on Luke 16:19-31, the story of Lazarus and the rich man.

By the Oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18:1-2)

“The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre… 
“He looked up and saw three men standing near him…

A fantastic etching by artist and VTS seminarian Benjamin Hart. This photo that I shot of it this morning at our formation-group meeting simply does not do it justice. Benjamin created two plates in order to make the print, all locally here at the Torpedo Factory art studio in Olde Town, Alexandria.

Happy Easter 2012!

 

Happy Easter!

Good Friday 2012

 

Holy Thursday 2012

 

Torah and Trauma

Jesus and Judas at the Last Supper

Jesus answered "The one who has dipped his [bread with his] hand into the bowl with me will betray me" (Matt 26:23). I learned today that Leonardo da Vinci painted The Last Supper with the hands of Jesus and Judas simultaneously reaching for bread. I've indicated the simultaneous motion in the image above (click to enlarge). Judas, being distracted by the conversation between John and Peter, is not aware that he is marking himself as the one to betray Jesus by his grasping for the bread. He is not privy to Jesus' statement, which is directed off to the right of the painting (to Thomas and James, to Jesus' left). The Gospel story is thus made realistic/plausible. It is also made miraculous--a "coincidence" that cannot be mere chance. Is the simultaneity between Jesus and Judas also indicative of spiritual mystery? Is God working all things together for good to bring about a wondrous redemption out of what the human being intends as evil? Do the folded, peaceful hands of John represent a sort of "hyphen" between Jesus and Judas, uniting their acts into one great saving mystery?

VTS Seder Dinner 2012

Over the weekend we had what everyone agreed was the best Passover dinner liturgy that the seminary as seen to date! There were over fifty persons in attendance. Warm thanks to the many people who worked so hard!

Palm Sunday 2012