December 30

Check out my new book: “Who Told You That?”

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Hello readers! I invite you to check out my new book hot off the press. Go here (https://laurieetta.com/lauries-new-book/) to learn more about it and to place your order. I appreciate you and thank you for taking the time to read my blog. May you be blessed!

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January 26

Daily Bread

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This week we turn our attention to one simple yet deeply profound petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Martin Luther once noted that this prayer has a distinctly social dimension. Daily bread does not fall from the sky in isolation. For everyone to have what they need, there must […]

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January 19

Leaning In, Looking Up

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St. Matthew and the Angel is one of Caravaggio’s most fascinating—and controversial—religious paintings. Caravaggio painted it in 1602 for a chapel in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. The church was commissioning a series of paintings about St. Matthew, and Caravaggio was asked to paint three scenes: Matthew’s calling, his martyrdom, and […]

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January 12

The Moment Before Yes

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I was attempting to organize all things in storage over Christmas break and somewhere between old photos and half-remembered keepsakes, I pulled out a timeworn book from 1938 titled Christ and the Fine Arts. My sorting came to a full stop. I sat right down on the floor, surrounded by piles of things, and let […]

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December 29

A Father’s Love

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If you’re reading this, congratulations—you’ve made it through another Christmas. The decorations are coming down, the leftovers are dwindling, and the whirlwind of the season is beginning to settle. We’ve just celebrated the birth of Christ, so it might seem a little early to shift our gaze to Jesus as a child. And yet, the […]

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December 15

Unconditional Love

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As I mentioned before, I used to visit New York City once a  year with women on a mission trip. Each trip was a gift—an incredible experience shared with an amazing group of women. One of our annual stops is St. Patrick’s Cathedral, nestled just a block from Rockefeller Center and across the street from […]

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December 15

Sowing Seeds to All in Need

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One of my favorite places to linger this time of year is by the dining-room window, looking out at the birdfeeder dusted with winter snow. The yard feels quieter in December, yet the feeder is still a flurry of life—sparrows, juncos, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, and the occasional determined squirrel. Even the robins make an appearance, […]

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December 08

Practicing Grace

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Eugène Delacroix painted more than 9,000 works in his lifetime, but one of his earliest pieces—Orphan Girl at the Cemetery—continues to tug at hearts. Delacroix himself understood the ache of loss. Believed to be the illegitimate son of diplomat Talleyrand, he was orphaned at 16 and lived much of his life supported by others. When […]

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November 27

Freedom From Want

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Happy Thanksgiving! Anyone above a certain age is familiar with the work of Norman Rockwell. He was a beloved American illustrator and storyteller who had a remarkable gift for capturing everyday life in a single image. His covers for The Saturday Evening Post helped define an era, filled with gentle humor and scenes that stirred […]

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November 24

The Abundant Life

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“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly,” says Jesus in John 10:10 It’s that time of year again. The “buy, buy, buy” season has arrived in full force. Everywhere we turn—newspapers, inboxes, store aisles—we’re met with advertisements promising happiness if we’ll just purchase one more thing. It’s ironic, really. Our culture […]

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November 17

Hope Against Hope

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If someone asked you to paint hope, what would you paint? That’s exactly what English artist George Frederic Watts tried to do in his famous painting called Hope. He pictured a woman sitting on top of the world, blindfolded, holding a lyre with most of its strings broken. She’s still trying to play a song—trying […]

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November 10

Valuable…or Not?

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Just when you think you’ve seen it all. Today, we are not looking at some great Renaissance masterpiece, but something quite different. Paint has been replaced with dryer lint, meticulously placed by Laura Bell of Roscommon, Mich., to create a 14 ft. wide by 4 ft. high reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. The […]

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November 03

Letting Go of Assumptions

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The Italian painter Savoldo was a master of subtle light and shadow—what artists call chiaroscuro. His works often depict sacred moments with a quiet realism that draws us in. In one of his most moving paintings, Mary Magdalene, we find the familiar figure identified by her jar of ointment and the faint shimmer of red […]

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October 27

Grace in the Jordan

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The work of artist Cody F. Miller has become some of my favorites. I have two prints of his hanging in my office. Stop by sometime and take a look. His pieces blend cut paper and paint, giving them a textured, layered look that feels both ancient and alive. In his artist’s statement, he writes, […]

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October 20

Cataract Surgery

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“Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.” — Jonah 1:5 We don’t often talk about Jonah. But what a story it is. It’s full of drama, humor, irony, […]

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October 13

Living in the Melting Moment

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Salvador Dali’s famous painting has always fascinated me. The art genre of surrealism, for which Dali was a master, rejects logic, reason, and natural order. It’s not meant to make sense—it’s meant to make you wonder. Surrealism invites us to see the familiar through new eyes, to wake up to mystery, to ponder life’s oddities […]

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October 02

Being Like Bach

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When I sit down to write a sermon, I often have classical music playing in the background. Music with lyrics distracts me, but instrumental pieces help me focus. As I write, my prayer is always the same: that the words are from God and bring glory to God alone. Johann Sebastian Bach shared that same […]

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September 29

Imperfect People, Bold Mission

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There is a quiet power in this painting by Duccio titled Jesus Sending Out the Eleven Apostles. Painted more than 700 years ago, it still has the ability to stop us, to make us pause, and to remind us of who we are as followers of Christ. The risen Jesus stands before his disciples, his […]

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September 22

We’re all in this together

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This painting is created in the style of Cubism—an art movement you might recognize from Picasso, one of its pioneers. Cubism, one of the most influential movements of the 20th century, breaks down objects and reassembles them in an abstract way. Instead of portraying a subject from one fixed perspective, the artist invites us to […]

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September 15

Seeing Clearly

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This dramatic painting, The Parable of the Mote and the Beam, was created by Italian Baroque artist Domenico Fetti. He spent much of his career in Mantua until a feud with local leaders pushed him to Venice. I can’t help but wonder if that conflict gave him inspiration for this scene from Matthew 7, where […]

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September 08

The Resurrection of Christ

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This summer I had the joy of traveling to Rome and Florence, where breathtaking works of art seem to greet you at every turn. Among them, I came across a painting displayed in the same museum as Michelangelo’s David, which immediately caught my attention. Curious to learn more, I discovered it was The Resurrection of […]

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September 01

When We Stumble

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“Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”—Psalm 37:24 David K. Rubins’ sculpture Stumbling Man captures something deeply human. The figure, caught mid-stumble, is raw, vulnerable, and unfinished in his perfection. There’s no heroic pose, no polished strength. Instead, we see fragility—legs buckling, arms reaching, body fighting […]

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August 25

Death and Life

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Another one of my favorite artists is Gustav Klimt (I admit, I have a lot of favorites!). A few years ago, I had the chance to visit Vienna and see this painting in person, along with his most famous work, The Kiss. When I look at this painting titled Death and Life, I’m struck by […]

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August 18

Once and For All

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As I mentioned last week, we have been studying Hebrews this summer. The theme word for Hebrews is “better.” Jesus was a better high priest, a better mediator for a better covenant, and a better sacrifice. But he wasn’t just a better sacrifice, he was the perfect and final sacrifice. Hebrews reminds us that Christ […]

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August 11

A Seat at the Table

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At my church we are coming to the end of our summer series on the book of Hebrews and I found myself lingering on the opening words of Hebrews 13: “Let mutual love continue.” Those words—so simple and yet so full of invitation—brought to mind one of my favorite pieces of art: Andrei Rublev’s icon […]

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August 04

Go Into the Deep

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Let’s start with a fun bit of art history. Back in the Renaissance, artists used something called a “cartoon” to help them plan their artwork. Not cartoons like Saturday morning shows—these were big drawings on paper. The word comes from the Italian word carta (meaning paper) and the ending -one, which just means “big.” So […]

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July 28

Jesus: God’s Illustration of Himself

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Imagine a children’s Bible—one of those with bright pictures showing stories like Adam and Eve in the garden, or Noah’s ark floating above the flood. Now, imagine a Bible where there’s an illustration not just for each story, but for nearly every few lines of text. And then imagine another layer—another text added to interpret […]

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July 21

The Sacrifice of Isaac

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Let’s look at another Caravaggio. (Sorry, I can’t help myself!) It was quite a thrill for me to see this painting in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. One reason I love Caravaggio is that he doesn’t just paint scenes—he paints human emotions. And nowhere is that clearer than in this painting titled, The Sacrifice of […]

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July 16

The Beauty We Long For

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One of the “must-sees” in my trip to Rome was The Birth of Venus by Botticelli. When I walked into the room in which it hung, it took my breath away. This is one of the most iconic paintings of the Italian Renaissance. It depicts the Roman goddess Venus emerging from the seas, standing on […]

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July 14

A Shady Scene and a Surprising Call

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It looks like a shady deal going down. Money on the table. A dimly lit room. A few nervous, armed men keeping watch. Is it the back room of a seedy tavern? A gangster’s basement? And what’s with all the pointing? A few weeks ago, my husband and I had the chance to visit Rome […]

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July 07

The Freedom to Relax

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This past week, we celebrated the Fourth of July—a time to honor the freedom we enjoy as a nation and express our gratitude to those who fought, both on the battlefield and in the realm of ideas, to make that freedom a reality. As I reflected on this, I was reminded of a “zen doodle” […]

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June 09

Truth, Dressed in Light

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The first time I saw this painting, I was captivated. Even before I knew its title or history, I could tell it carried deep meaning. The painting is Ignorance, Envy and Jealousy, created by James Ward in 1829, and it’s as unsettling as it is captivating. Three monstrous figures twist together in a corner, their […]

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June 28

The Pending Storm?

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When I first saw this painting, I was filled with nostalgia. Can you feel the coolness of the ground on your back; the poking blades of grass on your arms, the sound of distant thunder in your ear? Makes me want to go out into my backyard and lay down, although the misquotes and traffic […]

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June 22

“Behold the Man”

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When I first saw this painting, I thought it had a modern feel to it. However, it was actually painted in 1510 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, a renowned German Renaissance painter and engraver. Cranach was a close friend of the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. His artwork often centered on religious figures and narratives, aiming […]

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June 10

Slowing Down

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Vincent van Gogh is one of my all-time favorite artists and I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon this painting by French painter, Léon-Augustin Lhermitte, titled Making Hay. As it turns out, Lhermitte was a great source of inspiration for Van Gogh. He became known as a painter of peasant life and Van Gogh […]

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May 27

A Work in Progress

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This is another painting I discovered on my recent visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis. It is a work in progress painted by American artist Charles Loring Elliott in 1850 of fellow artist and writer, Henry J. Brent. Elliott was considered the best portrait artist of his day and is said to […]

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May 20

Our Dual Nature

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I was visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Art, one of my favorite places on earth, when I came across this painting by Emerson C. Burkhart. This piece is one of over two hundred self-portraits he created. When asked why he painted himself so frequently, Burkhart explained, “It’s cheaper than hiring a model, and it’s reliable. […]

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May 12

Agony in the Garden

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The anguish of our Lord is vividly captured in this masterpiece. Paolo Veronese, the artist, skillfully portrays the human aspect of Jesus. Confronted with the impending suffering of the next day, Jesus has succumbed to the weight of grief, collapsing into the comforting embrace of an angel. Observe the poignant detail of Jesus’ arm draped […]

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May 08

The Self-absorbed Narcissus

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“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” – James 1:23-24 (ESV) In the dimly lit chamber of introspection, […]

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April 29

Can You See Me?

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Today I want to reflect on the poignant painting, The Rich Man and the Poor Lazarus, by Dutch painter Hendrick ter Brugghen based on the story found in Luke 16:19-31. Brugghen was renowned for his depictions of everyday life and religious themes. He was inspired by Caravaggio, one of my favorite artists. Caravaggio’s influence is […]

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April 22

Great is Thy Faithfulness

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This portrayal of Jeremiah by Michelangelo is part of the monumental masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel. Jeremiah is one of the seven prophets depicted by Michelangelo on the ceiling. He is portrayed as an older man, his face etched with lines of wisdom and sorrow. You can almost see the inner turmoil in his tense posture. […]

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April 14

The Blessing of the Mundane

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I was immediately drawn to the brilliant colors and composition of this painting. If I was able to do laundry in this setting, I probably would enjoy it more. It is titled, Wash Day on the Maine Coast, and was painted by N.C. Wyeth, an American artist known for his illustrations of adventure and historical […]

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April 07

My Lord and My God

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I’m baaack. Thank you to my faithful readers who have graciously understood my need to take a break from posting. I have missed discovering and researching artwork and tying artistic expressions to our faith. One of the biblical events that is talked about often after Easter is the story of Doubting Thomas. I was captivated […]

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December 04

Gratitude in Healing

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This painting, Ten Lepers by James Christensen, illustrates the story found in Luke 17:11-19 where ten lepers, ostracized and desperate because of their disease, cry out to Jesus for mercy. Their physical ailment has separated them from society, but their collective plea has united them in their need for healing. This painting beautifully pulls us […]

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November 20

Peculiar Portraits

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I got your attention with these paintings, didn’t I? This artist creates some of the more bizarre pieces of artwork I have seen. Go ahead and Google him to see what I mean. His name is Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a masterful and prolific Italian painter of the Renaissance period. Although he had a great number of […]

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November 12

Blessed Solitude

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Dear readers, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your patience during these past months of adjustment to a new church calling, which regrettably led to a lapse in my regular postings. With God’s grace, I aim to be a more consistent blogger moving forward. The artwork in focus is a masterpiece by Willem Van Mieris […]

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September 24

The Holy Marys

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I was immediately drawn to this captivating depiction of the Marys, (Mary mother of James, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Cleophas) peering with wonder into the tomb that once held their Master. Not only are the women beautifully portrayed but the way the artist has arranged the painting makes the viewer feel as if he […]

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August 31

His Eye is on the Sparrow

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I took a picture of this painting at the Minneapolis Institute of Art last May. It looks so real; you may think you could touch one of the rocks and it would move. Or you could feel its smoothness with your fingertips. Perhaps you believe you can dust some of the dirt off the soft […]

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June 23

What is of Value and Why?

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Mark Wagner is a collage artist. He had no idea what to expect when he first cut up a dollar bill 24 years ago. But he couldn’t stop making things out of money. His collages are assembled entirely from one-dollar bills—and can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. Above is his tribute to the Statue […]

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June 15

Jesus and the Lamb

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Listen to the words of Isaiah 40:11: He tends his flock like a shepherd:    He gathers the lambs in his armsand carries them close to his heart. This simple drawing by American artist Katherine Brown is a perfect illustration of a God who draws us in and carries us close. Notice the scar on the hand […]

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May 31

The Ascension of Christ

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In John 16, we read of Christ’s bodily return to his Father. He tells his disciples, “Now I am going to the one who sent me.” This is called The Ascension of Christ and has been a popular subject matter of the Old Master’s painters, such as Caravaggio, Vermeer, and Rembrandt, whom Salvador Dali, the […]

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May 28

Disappointed Souls

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Disappointment is a common experience. Even Jesus faced his fair share. In Luke 10, he sends his disciples to spread the message of the Kingdom of God but warns them to expect rejection. He reminds them of the towns who have disappointed him saying, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the […]

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May 24

An Allegory of Communion

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The fruit in this painting is so real you may feel as if you can reach out and pluck a grape. It was painted by a Flemish artist named Alexander Coosemans and showcases an arrangement of still life symbols. Grapes symbolize Christ’s blood, while wheat stalks represent the bread that is his body. Two cornucopias […]

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May 08

The Good Shepherd

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This is such a tender painting of Christ holding a lamb. It is based on the parable in Luke 15 where Jesus says, “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds […]

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April 18

Blind Faith

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The title of this painting is Le Désespéré (The Desperate Man) by French artist Gustave Courbet. There is something about the wide-open eyes and hair-clinging hands that draws the viewer into the man’s state of desperation. This is how I imagine my expression to be after watching the evening news or reading the daily paper. Courbet […]

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April 13

The Road of Disappointment

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A few days after Jesus has risen, we hear the story of two of Jesus’ followers walking down the road to a town called Emmaus, dejected by the events of the past few days. Along the way they are joined by Jesus, but they do not recognize him. They convince Jesus to stay with them […]

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March 28

Whose Agenda?

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“The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”The words of Judas found in Mark 14:44 This dramatic scene depicts the moment Jesus is arrested; the immediate chaos caused by Judas’ kiss that identified him as the Son of God to the soldiers. The seven figures in the painting […]

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March 18

Facing Our Burdens

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The artist of this grand painting, Sebastiano del Piombo, was among good company in Italy. His teachers and mentors were Michelangelo and Raphael, even though these two never got along. Following Raphael’s death in 1520, historian Giorgio Vasari stated that “first place in the art of painting was unanimously granted by all, thanks to the […]

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March 06

The Battle is Real

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Way back when, around 600 AD, a monk named John Climacus wrote a treatise called The Ladder of Divine Ascent. It is considered an important work for the Russian Orthodox Church and St. John wrote it as a way to represent the monastic path in simple, understandable language. It became an essential book for monks […]

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February 24

Wonderfully Imperfect

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A little bit of history. Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945, and again from 1951 to 1955. For his 80th birthday in 1954 he received a present—a portrait of himself, commissioned by members of the House of Commons and House of Lords. The painter’s name was […]

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February 09

Struggling with Doubt

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I find this portrait of Mother Teresa beautiful and captivating with an explosion of bright colors framing a loving and nurturing pose. The artist, Patricia Bellerose, stated, “I was very happy to be asked to paint this portrait of Mother Teresa caring for poor people all around the world. As I researched her life, I […]

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January 19

The Ragpicker

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This painting is considered an icon of 19th century collections. It was painted by Édouard Manet around 1870 and is titled The Ragpicker. One who gazes upon this canvas may be awestruck by its imposing size of more than 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. Parisian viewers would have been familiar with the ragpickers […]

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January 13

The Isolation of Hell

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Let me first apologize if this painting is offensive. Art isn’t always beautiful and this particular piece is both eye-catching and disturbing at the same time. You must agree that the depiction of the human anatomy is astonishing. The strain of the muscles is visceral. The agony of the men writhing in pain as they […]

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December 30

Happy New Year

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Isn’t this a lovely winter scene? The team of Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives (Currier and Ives) headed up a successful printmaking firm based in New York City from 1857 to 1907. While the company began with images created by Currier first, and Ives later, it employed a host of other artists who sketched […]

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November 18

The Meaning Behind the Mosaic

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To my readers, I apologize for not posting for a while. I have been writing a series for our church on the history and meaning of the artwork found in the church. I wasn’t sure if that interested anyone outside the faith community, so I did not post my explorations. However, there is a mosaic […]

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September 02

The Lost Coin

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This painting is by an artist named Jim Hasse who was a Jesuit Priest. He passed away in 2011. It illustrates the story Jesus told called the Parable of the Lost Coin. A woman who had ten silver coins loses one, and rather than being content in letting the coin stay lost, she sweeps her […]

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August 19

Seeing God in the Mundane

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I fell in love with this simple portrait of a simple girl doing a simple task. Maybe because I am a simple person? Her facial expression is hard for me to read. Is she bored? Upset? Or just resigned to doing the task at hand that must be done? The artist is a Swiss painter […]

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August 12

Minimally Liminal

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I discovered this image while looking through Biola University’s Center for Christianity Culture & the Arts. It is a digital illustration by Christopher Powers who oversees a ministry of art called “Full of Eyes” where he creates visual resources for the global church. Dream job! This is how the illustration is explained on the website: […]

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August 05

Don’t Just Do Something…

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This is a painting of a familiar Bible story told in Luke’s gospel about Jesus’ visit to sisters Mary and Martha. Mary is praised by Christ for her willingness to sit at his feet and listen to his teachings. Martha, however, is up and about, concerned with food preparation and housekeeping. The work is by […]

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July 22

Watching the Battle

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Who are these lovely ladies hiding in the crevice of a rock? What are they looking at? We learn from the painting’s title that their names are Courage, Anxiety, and Despair and they are watching a battle. This masterpiece is by British painter James Sant who was mostly known for his portraits. He was the […]

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July 01

Saying Goodbye

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I fell in love with this painting when I saw it. It is titled Our Lady Says Farewell to Christ and was painted by a Polish artist named Piotr Stachiewicz. It shows the tender moment when Jesus says goodbye to his mother and begins his public ministry. She strokes his hair and he kisses her […]

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June 05

Forgiveness

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I love the emotion this sculpture evokes. The title is Forgiveness which is an appropriate name for the scene playing out before us. We know this piece of art was made from marble, a hard substance to be sure, but after being in the hands of the artist, Pieter Braecke, the marble looks weightless, pliable, […]

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May 21

The First Mourning

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Once again this week we are dealing with mass murders in our country. It is heartbreaking. As the face of each victim is shown on the news, I can’t imagine what the families are going through. This painting aptly shows the grief of the most heart-wrenching loss—that of a child. This piece is titled, The […]

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May 21

The Blind Leading the Blind

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In Luke 6, Jesus asks, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?” This painting by Netherlandish Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder shows us what this situation might look like. The leader of this hapless group of gentlemen has already fallen into the pit and his buddies […]

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May 19

As One with Authority

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If you have been reading my devotions, you know I love the Italian artist Caravaggio’s work. This painting wasn’t done by him, but the artist, Orazio Borgianni, used Caravaggio as inspiration. That is why we see dramatic lights and darks employed in this composition. Borgianni was an Italian painter as well but spent much time […]

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May 17

Solitude

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This gorgeous oil painting is by Frederic Leighton, a British painter and sculptor from the late 1800s. His paintings were enormously popular and expensive during his lifetime, but for some reason, fell out of favor in the early 20th century. Generally, his work illustrates biblical, classical, and historical subject matters but this painting is more […]

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April 15

Good Friday

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Today is Good Friday. Christ was crucified on this day of Holy Week as reported in all four gospels. Although hard to look at, I wanted to share this depiction of this gruesome act. When I saw it, my eyes were immediately drawn to the eyes of Jesus. I whispered, “I am sorry,” and “thank […]

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March 30

Solitude

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I love the simplicity of this painting. The artist’s limited color palette and simple background ensure nothing distracts the viewer from the subject matter at hand. The artist is Francisco de Zurbarán, a Spanish painter who was prominent in the 1650s and heavily influenced by the Italian painter Caravaggio. In fact, his nickname was “Spanish […]

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March 25

Who Is My Neighbor?

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The parable of the Good Samaritan has been captured in art for centuries but I don’t think I’ve seen a depiction quite like this one. And I love it. The artist is Ferdinand Hodler, one of the best-known Swiss painters of the 19th century. His early works were painted with realism, but toward the end […]

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February 26

Tossed About

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One art lover called this painting by Rembrandt “the coolest painting you’ll never see.” That is because it was stolen from the Boston Museum along with 12 other paintings in 1990. None of them have ever been recovered. If you go to the museum today, all you will see is the eerie sight of an […]

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February 20

The Peaceable Kingdom

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My husband and I enjoy watching the power dynamics that surround the bird feeder in our backyard. The red squirrels are jerks, always jumping on the bird feeder and hogging it for themselves. The rabbits munch happily with an occasional leap in the air when confronted by charging grey squirrels. One particular rabbit seems to […]

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February 11

Past, Present, and Future

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A few weeks ago, one of the readers of this blog sent me a digital image of this painting. She noticed the crucifix hanging above Mary and the newborn baby Jesus. She wasn’t sure if she found the crucifix hilarious or disturbing. So, I did a little digging and this is what I found. This […]

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January 31

Hidden

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This artwork by Belgian artist Rene Magritte has become an iconic image and is possibly one of the most easily recognized surrealist paintings to date. It is entitled The Son of Man and was painted in 1964. It started out as a self-portrait but ended up as an anonymous man in a bowler hat, although […]

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January 25

Regrets and Remorse

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I would like to share this sculpture with you by Jewish artist Herman Wald who was born in Romania in 1906. The title of this piece is The Prodigal Son, based on the biblical parable in Luke. It is the story of a destitute son who squandered his inheritance and remorsefully returns to his father […]

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January 01

Three Little Words

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This painting was so endearing that I couldn’t help sharing it with you. It is by French painter Henri Jules Geoffroy (also knowns as Geo), who began his career illustrating children’s books but went on to become known for his ability to capture the innocence of children in their daily tasks of work and play. […]

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December 30

Redemption

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The story goes that the old woman in this painting was a former nun who, at age 70, had been defrocked, lost her faith, and fled the convent. The artist, Paul Cézanne, found her wandering aimlessly in the streets and took her in as his maid, out of charity. This painting was discovered in 1896 […]

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December 24

The Third Coming of Christ

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Merry Christmas! Today is Christmas Eve and we celebrate our dear Savior’s birth. What better work of art to examine on this day than the nativity of our Lord? This masterpiece was painted by the Italian Renaissance master, Sandro Botticelli, in 1501. As with many paintings of this era and style, there is a plethora […]

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December 22

Melancholy

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This sculpture is by Swiss artist, Albert György, is installed at the side of Lake Geneva. The figure sends a familiar message. Head down, filled with emptiness. It portrays how we may be gutted by the hardships of life. When this sculpture was installed in 2018, it was shared over 200,000 times on Facebook and […]

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December 20

Holiday Death Spiral

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You can’t help but love how American artist, Norman Rockwell, captures the American experience in his paintings and illustrations. He is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life created for The Saturday Evening Post. This illustration adorned the cover on December 27, 1947. Rockwell produced more than 4,000 original works in his lifetime. […]

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October 30

Laugh a Little

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Isn’t this delightful? I don’t know much about this painting except to say the artist is from Rome and his name is Alberto Macone. Any information I find on him, and there isn’t much, is written in Italian and I’m not smart enough to figure out how to translate it. Speaking of not being smart […]

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October 22

Happiness

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There is something about the simplicity of this painting that makes me smile. With just a few strokes of watercolor, the artist, Pittasso, gives us the impression of a man with a balloon. Pittasso is a Greek artist who says, “I paint and draw from life, expressing through different mediums, to different surfaces. Exploring how […]

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October 15

What the Hell is Wrong With Me?

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I recently discovered a musical artist named Sean McConnell. His album, A Horrible Beautiful Dream, has a song on it called, What the Hell is Wrong with Me? I discovered this painting by Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler at about the same time. The painting is titled The Disappointed Souls and the song and painting seemed […]

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October 12

The Risen Christ

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This painting is Italian artist Bartolomeo Suardi’s work titled, The Risen Christ. Suardi was a devoted follower and mentee of the great Italian architect and artist, Donato Bramante, so he is better known as Bramantino (“little Bramante”). Bramante’s haunting portrayal of Christ is different than most others in the 15th century. We are used to […]

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September 24

The Forgiving Father

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Frank Wesley, the artist who painted this painting, was born in India into a fifth-generation Methodist family (thus the surname Wesley since John Wesley and his brother, Charles, founded the Methodist movement in the Church of England). Wesley painted this while studying in Japan in the 1950s and donated it to the Hiroshima girl’s school. […]

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September 17

Memento Mori

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At first glance, this picture may seem a little dull—two old guys in stuffy outfits with stoic expressions. It was painted in 1533 and is a portrait of the French ambassador to England (Jean de Dinteville) and his friend, French ambassador to the Republic of Venice and to the Pope in Rome (Georges de Selve). […]

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September 10

The Bookworm

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Carl Spitzweg titled this painting The Librarian, but the viewing public renamed it The Bookworm. In the late 1800s, when this painting was made, calling someone a bookworm was an insult, implying one was book-smart but not living in the real world. He is so into learning that the books almost become an extension of […]

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August 24

Weaving and Unweavng

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The title of this painting, Penelope Unraveling Her Web, suggests there might be a story here and indeed there is. In Homer’s epic poem, Odyssey, we learn Penelope’s husband has been called away to fight the Trojan War. In his 20-year absence, Penelope is beset by suitors who tell her that her husband has perished […]

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August 16

Blessed

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I’m not sure why I was drawn to this painting by Chaim Soutine called Young English Girl, but I was. My husband and I were at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris the summer of 2017 and I was immediately taken by it. Remember when we used to be able to travel freely, without worry? […]

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July 30

Where Are You Going?

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This painting by L.S. Lowry is titled Going to Work and was commissioned in 1943 by the War Artists Advisory Committee (WAAC). Britain’s Ministry of Information established WAAC when WWII broke out. The goal was to avoid what happened in WWI when artists stopped working because of gallery closures and diminishing sales. As a result, […]

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July 23

Judge and Be Judged

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In the late 1850s, Romanticism was the preferred style of art in Barcelona. Painter Pere Borrell del Caso, however, preferred the Realistic style. His painting, Escaping Criticism, is an example of that style. His forced perspective, from the hand grasping the outer edge of the painted frame to the shadowed rear leg, we are hard-pressed […]

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June 26

Ezekiel’s Vision

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This majestic oil painting by Raphael is surprisingly quite small (16 x 12 inches). The subject matter is the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel’s vision of God. I find it curious that Ezekiel is depicted as this tiny figure in the lower left of the composition. If his name wasn’t in the title, you would likely […]

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June 18

The Power of a Seed

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I suggest you view this painting as large as you can. The detail is amazing! My friend and co-worker, Rollie, made me aware of this painting—and I love it. Thanks Rollie. Frederick Edwin Church (1826-1900) was known as a great landscape painter and was a part of the Hudson River School (an art movement embodied […]

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June 14

Quite the Hubbub

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Isaiah 49:13-16 Shout for joy, you heavens;    rejoice, you earth;    burst into song, you mountains!For the Lord comforts his people    and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. We begin our reading from Isaiah with shouting, rejoicing, and revelry—feelings similar to the ones evoked in this painting by Joanna Braithwaite called Hubbub. She is known for her surreal […]

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May 28

A Beautiful Array

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Since we are in the season of Spring, I could not resist sharing this beautiful still life with you. It was painted by Dutch artist Hans Bollongier during a time known as “Tulip Mania.” In the 1630s, tulips were all the rage, especially the striped ones shown here. However, the bottom fell out of the […]

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May 19

Release from Deception

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In summer of 2019, I had the joy of traveling to Italy. During my time there, I met up with my sister who lives in Istanbul and we took a day trip from Rome to Naples. Our main goal was to see a sculpture called The Veiled Christ located in Cappella Sansevero, a deconsecrated church […]

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May 09

Paradox Blessing

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Alphonse Mucha is one of my favorite artists. (I’m beginning to realize I have a lot of favorite artists!) I have a book of his complete works in my office at home and at one point in my life, I had a huge poster of his work, Bières de la Meuse (see below), hanging on […]

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May 05

Remorse and Repentance

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Francisco Goya was a Spanish painter who was very important in the art world. His long career and immense success made him known as the last of the Old Masters art movement and the first of the next movement, the Moderns. It’s hard enough to be apart of one era, much less two. Towards the […]

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May 01

Weed-Wacker for the Soul

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We’ve had recent rain where I live and it has sure greened-up the landscape. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to this Van Gogh painting. It shows a corner of the garden at the asylum in Saint-Rémy where Van Gogh lived for a time. At first glance, all you see are some tree trunks […]

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March 26

Game Changer

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Banksy is an English-based street artist who uses creative, unconventional, and satirical images to make political and social commentary. You never know when or where one of his works is going show up, but when it does, it creates quite a stir and is instantly famous. This particular work of his made headlines. On March […]

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March 21

Who will show her mercy?

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This painting by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri offers us a gorgeous depiction of the story of the woman caught in adultery. The woman is saved from being stoned to death by Jesus’ words, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Shame, accusation, mercy, judgment […]

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March 05

“I am in Torment Within…”

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Consider the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. Imagine preaching to people for 40 years but no one listens. Imagine constantly encouraging a nation to act but no one moves. Jeremiah was thrown into prison, into a cistern, and into poverty. He was under house arrest, public torture, and witnessed the burning of his books. No matter […]

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February 19

Oops.

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In 2012, a Catholic church in the village of Borja in northeast Spain suspected someone had broken in and vandalized one of their 19th century frescos. The fresco in question is a traditional Catholic icon, Ecce Homo, which is Latin for “Behold the man,” the phrase uttered by Pilate when he presents Jesus to the […]

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February 12

How Can This Be?

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Caravaggio is one of my favorite artists. I have a book of his complete works and I never tire from looking at them. This painting is called the Deposition (meaning “burial” in this context) and is considered one of Caravaggio’s greatest masterpieces. It was painted around 1435 and currently hangs in the Vatican Museum. Caravaggio does […]

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February 05

In the Bleak Midwinter

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How cruel of me to choose a painting entitled, The Stormy Blast, on a day when the high temperature in the upper Midwest is forecast to be 5 degrees followed by days of subzero temperatures. As payback, our furnace went out this morning, but we are blessed to have alternative ways to heat the house. […]

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January 29

What a Testimony

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In Acts 7, we find the story of the church’s first martyr, Saint Stephen. He had confronted the religious elite of the day, calling them a stiff-necked people who resisted the Holy Spirit. They didn’t care for this much and ordered him stoned to death. This scene has been painted by many of the Masters. […]

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January 22

Days of Summer

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About this time or year, I start to long for summer. Even though this winter has not been too bad weather-wise, January tends to be a gray month. To give us all a little taste of warmer weather, I am sharing this painting titled, Summer Day at Skagen South Beach. From the late 1870s until […]

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January 08

When Life Runs Dry

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In John 2, we find the story of Jesus’ first miracle: turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana. His mother, Mary, explains the situation to him. “They have no wine.” And Jesus acts. Spiritually speaking, Mary may be naming a truth we feel at times. For all of us, there comes a day […]

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January 06

Eternity Swings on this Moment

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Not many artists depict the Christmas story through the eyes of Joseph, but French Baroque painter, Philippe de Champaigne, does just that. Notice the carpentry tools under Joseph’s chair, where he has fallen into a deep sleep. As the story is told in Matthew, Joseph learns that Mary is pregnant and decides to divorce her […]

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December 13

Alone but Not Lonely

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When I came across this painting, I thought it was an appropriate image for the time we are in. Loneliness has become amplified during this time of social distancing and isolation. As winter starts to close in and we enter a darker season with shorter days, it can be hard to be alone. I was […]

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December 11

Sowing Seeds to All in Need

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One of my favorite places to be is in my dining room looking out towards the birdfeeder in our back yard. I could stand there for hours watching the birds flutter in and out. Usually a red and/or gray squirrel are in the mix, eating seeds off the ground. I have taken delight in discovering […]

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November 12

Holy Ground

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This painting is quite small—only 12 inches by 12 inches. The size invites intimacy, I think. Central to the composition is a small kneeling figure hunched over, head touching the ground. Is it someone in distress or someone praying? Often those go together. The room would be quite murky and depressing were it not for […]

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November 10

At the Center of It All

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When this scene was painted (circa 1510), it was one of the first landscape paintings of this scale ever done. The artist, Patinir, is considered the pioneer of “world landscape” compositions which depicts an imaginary panoramic scene viewed from an elevated viewpoint. This particular painting demonstrates the power of such landscapes. The people involved in […]

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November 06

Walking in Another Person’s Shoes

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I ran across this quote on a blog by Gehad Gamal and I’m not sure if she wrote it or if it should be attributed to someone else, but it struck me. No human being can be more human than another human being.I liberate you from my ignorance. Have you ever thought of someone as […]

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November 06

My Favorite Time of Year

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As much as I love the warmth of summer, I also appreciate the nip in the air that comes with autumn. The cold snap we had a couple of weeks ago made me worry we had missed the season of fall, but it returned, and we have been enjoying some beautiful weather lately. This painting, […]

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September 25

Who is to Blame?

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Perhaps you know the story of Job, shown here with his wife. He was a prosperous and godly man, blessed with wealth and family. Satan questions Job’s dedication to God, claiming that Job only loves God because life is easy. He wants to know would happen if Job faced adversity. God allows Satan to have […]

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August 28

Everyone’s a Critic

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When I was in Rome last summer, I had the distinct pleasure of taking in Michelangelo’s artwork in the Sistine Chapel. Most people know about the famous ceiling, but this work is just as impressive. It is the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel and depicts the Second Coming of Christ and final judgment by […]

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August 23

A Gentle Answer

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Not much needs to be said about this painting. It is self-explanatory. I identify with both figures—the one with the arrows in the back and the one with the bow. How about you? I am currently reading a book, A Gentle Answer: Our “Secret Weapon” in an Age of Us Against Them by Scott Sauls. […]

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August 16

Loneliness or Solitude?

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Elijah, the subject of this painting, was a great prophet in the Old Testament. At one point, he predicts a terrible draught is going to ravage the land. God told Elijah to flee to a stream called Cherith. Lonely and in despair, Elijah did as he was told and waited on the Lord. Ravens delivered […]

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August 07

Let Us Rejoice!

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Let’s have a little fun. When Italian pastry chef Matteo Stucchi makes his culinary creations, you can bet he has a little fun. His cakes are clever, imaginative, and put a smile on my face (as well as a craving for sweets in my mouth!). I would love to be a fly on the wall […]

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August 05

Healing Our Wounds

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When I was at an art retreat in Venice last summer (seems like years ago!), I found myself with a couple of unscheduled hours, so I made my way to a museum to do one of my favorite activities: look at art. I came across this painting of the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke […]

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July 31

Lord, To Whom Shall We Go?

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Claude Vignon’s painting, “The Lament of St. Peter,” is a beautiful example of how an artist can use lights and shadows to create a sense of depth. The background is almost indiscernible, yet the robe, hands, and face of Peter are richly illuminated. We see the pain in Peter’s eyes, but with a glance, we […]

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July 23

Bloom Where You Are Planted

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Summer—the time of year for flowers! Everyday I linger among my peonies, marigolds, and geraniums, thanking God for their beauty. We often send flowers to people we love to show our affection or to brighten their day. In the Victorian age, flowers became the primary way people shared their feelings. Proclaiming affection in those days […]

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July 10

I Have Called You Friend

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This lovely painting of two friends reading together comes from the French impressionist, Pierre Auguste Renoir. His first foray into art was creating designs on fine china, but he went on to become a prolific painter, creating several thousand paintings in his lifetime. In his later years, he suffered severe rheumatoid arthritis which left him […]

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June 26

Standing Strong

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One of the attractions in New York City is a bronze statue called, “Fearless Girl,” sculpted by Kristen Visbal. She is a 50-inch high ponytailed powerhouse with attitude, facing down the famous Charging Bull sculpture, a longstanding symbol of Wall Street. After she was installed on March 7, 2017 (the day before International Women’s Day), […]

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June 19

The Journey, Not the Goal

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If you want to see some amazing paintings of the sea, go here. Marine artist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky creates mesmerizing waves and seascapes and has over 6,000 paintings devoted to the subject of oceans. An article in “My Modern Met,” says, “What separates Aivazovsky’s seascape paintings from others is his ability to replicate both the […]

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June 12

“Dance with My King”

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©Maria Magdalena Oosthuizen I recently discovered a wonderful South African artist named Maria Magdalena Oosthuizen. One website explains her style and motivation: “She paints figurative portraits emanating innocence and hope that pay tribute both to her devotion to God and her belief in the intrinsic goodness of the people of this world.” Maria has no […]

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June 05

The Wrestling Match

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This striking painting depicts the story of Jacob wrestling with a mysterious stranger in Genesis 32. The stars in the background look down Jacob and the stranger, whose identity is hidden behind his garment. Jacob leans with all his might into his opponent, who has a hold of Jacob’s foot. Jacob’s face is buried in […]

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May 29

The Divine Artist

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This Sunday, May 31, is Pentecost when the church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit. It occurs 50 days after Easter, and the Greek word for 50 is “Pentecost.” The story as told in Acts 2:1-21 is that all the disciples were together when there came a sound like the rush of a violent […]

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May 15

Peace, Be Still

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When I look at this painting, I get a sense of calm. It depicts Jesus and his disciples after Jesus has calmed the storm. (Mark 4:39) You can still see distant thunder and lightening disappearing in the lower left- and right-hand corners. Jesus, in the red cloak, has his arms raised in such a way […]

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May 08

All We Need

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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” John 14:6 When Jesus suggests a little, two-letter word, he stirs up much controversy. And that word is “is.” Many people get offended when Jesus says he “is” the way, the truth, […]

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May 01

I Shall Not Want

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Isn’t this painting gorgeous? It is called “The Beeches,” because it features beech and basswood trees, but I chose it because of the shepherd and sheep on their way down the road. One of the readings for this Sunday is the 23rd Psalm, and this painting illustrates the tranquil peaceful mood that is often associated […]

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April 24

Breaking Bread

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A story from Luke 24 tells two of Jesus’ disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus. They were joined by a third man who wondered why they were so dejected. They explained to him that the man they thought would set Israel free had been crucified three days earlier. Their new companion […]

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April 17

“My Lord and My God”

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Once again, we’re looking at one of my favorite artists: Caravaggio. This large painting tells the story of the disciple Thomas who wasn’t around when Jesus first appeared after his death. Thomas wants proof; he wants to put his fingers in Christ’s wounds—then he will believe. Soon after saying this, he gets his chance. On […]

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April 10

Thrust into the Story

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“As they led [Jesus] away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.” -Luke 23:26 Sometimes you just want to be a bystander; someone just passing by. All you want to do is mind your own […]

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April 08

True Image

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  In case you haven’t been paying attention, I’m quoting Mark Batterson, the author of Draw the Circle, a lot these days. That’s because our church is using this book as our Lenten study, so I am writing reflections from what we read there. Mark talks about how many people have circled various things in […]

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April 07

A Little Help from My Friends

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I couldn’t decide between two paintings to illustrate the idea of a “prayer covering,” so I am including both. They each depict a story in Exodus 17. The people of Israel are on their desert journey when they are attacked by the Amalekites. Moses commands Joshua to take some men and engage in battle while […]

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April 06

Jesus, Please Contend for Me

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Did you know you have a God who will fight for you? And not just fight but contend. You see, the word “contend” translates to mean more than mere fighting. God is like a mother Grizzly bear protecting her cubs (physical combat) and like a defense attorney who pleads our case (verbal combat). God loves […]

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April 04

Prayer Takes Chutzpah

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Chutzpah—a Yiddish word that means, “gall, brazen nerve, effrontery, and incredible guts.” Sometimes prayer takes chutzpah. To prove the point, we look at a story Jesus tells his disciples about a woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer. The story is called “The Parable of the Persistent Widow.” Deprived of her rights after her […]

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April 02

Prayer Paradox

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Prayer is a paradox, I think, because it is easy to do (just talk to God) yet it is also complicated, nuanced and deep. That is probably why so there are so many books and Bible studies on prayer. Mark Batterson, who wrote a book about prayer called, “Draw the Circle,” talks about this prayer […]

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February 21

We Played the Flute for You and You Did Not Dance

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This well-known painting is by the French artist, Édouard Manet. While on a trip to Spain, he became fascinated by a painting by Diego Velazquez, which inspired him to paint this iconic image. It depicts an anonymous regimental fifer of the Spanish army. Manet presents the uniformed boy against a flattened, monochrome background of a […]

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February 16

Pass the Salt, please

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Did you know there was such a thing as “Salt Art?” In 2016, creating art with table salt was all the rage. This work is by Mexican-born artist Rob Ferrel (pictured), who became one of the most prolific Salt Art artists. This art cannot be sold. It is made for the moment and then disappears. […]

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February 12

What is Your Worth?

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Did you know the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911? Before it was taken, it was not widely known outside the art world. Historian, James Zug, said it wasn’t “even the most famous painting in the gallery, let alone in the Louvre.” Yet, during the two years it was gone, more people […]

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February 07

Thank You for the Thorn

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If you’ve been following me at all, you know that Caravaggio is one of my favorite artists. This particular masterpiece is entitled, “The Crowning of Thorns” and is one of two pieces that he did on the subject of the torture of our Christ. Caravaggio, like many other Renaissance artists, often used sculptures as models […]

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January 27

A Slow Fade

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A while back, I became fascinated with a story written by Oscar Wilde called, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” It is the tale of a young, naïve man who becomes terrified of losing his good looks. His ego leads him to have a large portrait made of himself which celebrates his handsomeness. In his desire […]

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January 21

I will not abandon you

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This past summer when I visited Rome, I could hardly contain myself as I looked up at the Sistine Chapel, gazing wide-eyed at Michelangelo’s masterpiece. I had just finished a book called, “Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling,” by Ross King which explored the artist and what was happening to him, his peers and the country […]

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January 17

Bending in Love

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There may be no more significant description of how God relates to his people than the Hebrew word, “hesed.” This word is used throughout the Old Testament, and one of the challenges of translating it is that it is hard to find an English word with exactly the same meaning. Hesed has been translated into […]

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December 06

His Master’s Voice

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Anyone over a certain age will recognize this painting entitled, “His Master’s Voice.” The dog’s name is Nipper, a name he got by occasionally playfully nipping the back of visitor’s legs. Nipper was a mixed-breed Jack Russel Terrier born in 1884 in Bristol, England. His original owner died penniless in 1887 and the owner’s siblings […]

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November 29

More About Angels

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Last week, we looked at a guardian angel depicted as an elegant winged protector of children. This week I thought it would be fun to look at another familiar depiction of angels. Most everyone is familiar with these two chubby-cheeked cherubs painted by Raphael around 1514. What many don’t know is that they are part […]

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November 25

To Guard You in All Your Ways

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One of the regular readers of these devotions jokingly asked me to do a study on the well-known but not highly artistic tapestry of dogs playing poker.  Maybe someday. He also emailed me this painting the other day, saying, “The image of this print popped in my mind today. My Grandma had this image hanging […]

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November 06

Hubris on Display

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One of the most popular subjects of paintings is the Tower of Babel. There are hundreds of them and many used this painting as their inspiration. It tells the story from Genesis 11 of Noah’s descendants who had settled in the lowlands of Sinear after the Flood. They spoke a common language and strove to […]

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November 01

Do You Not Care?

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A great illustration of worry and fear is found in the story of Jesus calming the storm. The disciples are in a boat and the winds kick up. They’re sure this is the end and Jesus is asleep in the stern. His friends wake him and ask, “Do you not care that we are perishing!?” […]

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October 19

Forgive Us

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When I first saw this installation, I did a double-take. The juxtaposition of the sacred and the secular made me pause. The beautiful stained glass of traditional religious expression made up of graffiti and street slang. Yet still beautiful. Then I noticed the young man below, praying on his knees next to a paint can […]

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October 15

Identity

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The fluidity of this painting entitled “Baptism” is beautiful! I can’t find much information about the artist, Julie Howard, but I did find her artist’s statement about this work from an exhibition at the Linus Galleries in California. She says: “If the meaning of baptism could be boiled down to one word, that word would […]

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October 12

Look Right Through Me

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Édouard Manet is another one of my favorite painters. He was a pivotal artist in the 19th century who inspired many other French impressionists. This earned him the title, “The Father of Modernity.” The location of this painting is a cafe-concert called Folies-Bergère in Paris. The model was a friend of Manet’s named Suzon. She […]

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September 27

Have Mercy on Me

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This is sure a busy scene! The eye is not sure where to land, but that is the style of this artist, Pieter Brueghel the Younger. Yes, there was an elder—his father, of course. The younger Pieter was most known for making numerous copies of his father’s work, but he did some original compositions as […]

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September 24

What Does It Mean?

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At my church, I asked people to ponder the term, “Christian,” and whether it was used as an adjective or a noun in their life. I then invited them to respond to the question: “What does it mean to you to follow Christ?” Here are some of the responses I received: “Since you invited your […]

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September 20

It’s About Time

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    I love the lazy feel of these pictures. In a time when things are so rushed, they make me want to sit for a bit, ponder the day, and enjoy the beauty of creation. They awake the urge for childlike dawdling and play. When we do such as this, it is called “taking […]

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August 30

The Open Bible

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This is a painting by Vincent van Gogh that I had not seen before, and being a big van Gogh fan, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon it. As it turns out, van Gogh’s father was a Protestant minister, and some believe that this is his Bible. After his father’s death, van Gogh feverishly […]

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August 16

“I Found It”

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Today I thought we would examine Rembrandt’s “The Parable of the Hidden Treasure” since the idea of what we treasure has been our text in church for the past couple of weeks. Rembrandt is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art and even if you don’t know art, you’ve […]

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August 09

“But I’m Not Ready!”

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The painting we are looking at is tiny, barely 6 by 5 inches. I can’t imagine painting such details so small. But sometimes big messages come in small packages.  In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus tells the story about the rich farmer who had so much stuff, he had to build bigger barns. He was pretty pleased […]

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May 01

Man of Sorrows

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Come, sit with me awhile. This painting feels to me like Christ is inviting me into an intimate conversation about what surrounds him. Or maybe Jesus would rather be alone. Is he pondering what must take place in order to fulfill his Father’s will? Perhaps solitude would be more desirable. It’s hard to tell. This […]

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April 19

Weakness or Strength?

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Today is “Good” Friday. Everyone always questions why it is called “good” since it is the day that our Lord was killed. I suppose you could say it is good because what appears to be a moment of defeat is really a moment of victory. Oswald Chambers says, “The greatest note of triumph ever sounded […]

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April 09

Who Killed Jesus?

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If we ask the question, “Who killed Jesus?” we might get differing answers. Pontius Pilate sentenced him to death, but the religious leaders encouraged him to do so. Do we blame Caiaphas, the High Priest? Or the angry mob who yelled, “Crucify him!” One BBC article I read said that many experts believe that, more […]

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April 05

“I’ll be praying for you.”

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This monochromatic pencil and ink sketch is so simple, yet poignant. The old man’s altar is an unimpressive piece of furniture—nothing grand or ornate. He doesn’t need a church altar or padded pew. The humility depicted in this scene may be the reason it feels intimate. In solitude and without fanfare, a faithful man talks […]

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March 25

The Modern-Day Prodigal

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This Sunday’s text is a familiar one—the story of the Prodigal Son. The youngest son takes his inheritance early, squanders it on questionable living and then returns home, relieved to be forgiven and welcomed by his father. The father throws a banquet for the prodigal son. The older brother is a little miffed at this […]

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March 19

Longing for Home

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Meet Christina. A young woman in a stark landscape. You can sense a story is unfolding here, a mystery perhaps. Why is she in the middle of the field? What is she staring at, or waiting for? Is her upper body tense with longing, or with fear? Anna Christina Olson, the subject of this painting, […]

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March 12

I Would Gather Thee

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The fluff of a feather; the warmth under a wing. One glance at this painting makes me want to snuggle up to something warm and safe and hunker down. The scripture this painting is based on can be found in Luke 13: 34. Jesus is longingly looking over the city and says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the […]

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March 01

“It is good for us to be here…”

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Who knew that in Butte, Mont. (my home state), there is an Orthodox church where four Serbian painters, who claim not to be artists, brought scriptures to life by painting the ceiling of their worship space with amazingly beautiful artwork? As if painted on a giant imaginary wheel, we see a visual representation of stories, […]

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February 22

Sermon on the Level Place

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Karoly Ferenczy was a Hungarian painter who became a major figure in the art world of his time. He is considered the “father of Hungarian impressionism.” Impressionists got their start in France in the 1860s and were not interested in realism in their paintings, but rather preferred to convey an impression of what the subject […]

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February 15

At What Price?

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What interesting subject matter for a painting—a 16th Century knight paying ransom for the return of his two kidnapped daughters. The painter, John Everett Millais, was an Englishman and a child prodigy. At the age of eleven, he became the youngest student to enter the Royal Academy Schools. He is also known for establishing the […]

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January 26

Reckless Abandon

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The winter is getting long and yes, I know it is January and I live in the north country, but I do long to look out my window and see more than mostly white (and for the thermometer to go above zero!). My heart aches for spring and green and color, which will be here […]

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January 13

Words Stuck in My Head

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As I’m writing this in my office, I can hear our preschoolers in the room across the hall singing at the top of their lungs: “My God is so GREAT; My God is so MIGHTY; there’s NOTHING my God cannot DO, for YOU!” Yes, they are shouting the words that are in upper case. I […]

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January 06

What the Heck?

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Last summer while in Vienna, my husband and I went to the Belvedere Museum. Off to one side, I spotted a room that immediately sparked my interest. I couldn’t help being drawn into this round room that held 60 or so busts by sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. Each bust’s facial expression looked as if they […]

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January 04

Handwriting on the Wall

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The book of Daniel is a historical account of the faithful Jews who lived in captivity in Babylon. The focus is, of course, on Daniel, but the story also contains colorful people such as Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Belshazzar and Darius (always fun names to pronounce). The scene painted in this masterpiece is of a […]

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December 23

A New Set of Eyes

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We’ve met Caravaggio before when we looked at The Denial of St. Peter (November 25, 2018). You may recall that he was quite a character, often having run-ins with the law. So, it seems appropriate that this painting of his not only caused a scandal when first released but continues to be surrounded by mystery […]

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December 19

Wonderfully Imperfect

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My husband and I have been watching “The Crown” on Netflix. It’s well-done, well-acted, and since my husband and I both love history, we find it very interesting. We learn something every episode. The last episode we watched was about Churchill’s 80th birthday present—a portrait of himself, commissioned by members of the House of Commons […]

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December 16

Holy Magnificance

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The announcement of the coming of Christ-child didn’t only come to Mary. It also came to shepherds who were watching over their flocks that night. Oh, what a night that must have been, and I love how this painting portrays it. As I look closely at the multitude of angels, I can’t pick out a […]

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December 09

Being Warm

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I had a hard time finding out much about this painting. Witz, a Swiss painter born in Germany, is known for painting three altarpieces that have only partially survived but I don’t believe this is from one of those altarpieces. I do know the larger piece it comes from is called “The Counsel of Redemption.” […]

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December 05

Give Us This Day…

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This painting is called “The Zemstvo Dines,” and was painted in 1872 by a Russian artist named Myasoedov Grigory Grigorievich. “What the heck is zemstvo?” you ask. It was a type of local government set up during post-reform Russia of the 1860s. It was meant to provide a common voice for all citizens, but it didn’t quite […]

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December 02

“How Can This Be?”

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Henry Ossawa Tanner was an African-American artist who fled the racial restrictions of America in the late 1800s and moved to Paris. There he enjoyed much success and by 1900, he was among the leading American artists. Many considered him the premier biblical painter of his day. Tanner’s depiction of the moment when the angel […]

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November 25

Humility on Display

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Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893) was an English painter. Originally this painting depicted Jesus only partially clad, but this caused such an outcry that it remained unsold for several years, until Brown covered Christ with more robes. I love this depiction of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples on the night he was betrayed. Here we […]

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November 20

Salome’s Dance

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By Iman Maleki, Morteza Katouzian, ca. 1910 Many stories in the Bible are disturbing, like the beheading of John the Baptist. The story goes like this: Herod imprisoned John, but Herod’s wife, Herodias, would rather see John dead. That is because John has the nerve to tell Herod the truth—his marriage is wrong, because not […]

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November 10

Who? Me?

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While most of his contemporaries were painting in Baroque style, which was highly ornate and extravagant, Caravaggio had begun to switch to “chiaroscuro,” a technique that depends on the dramatic use of light and dark. Caravaggio’s life was quite the story. He had many run-ins with the law and was arrested on several occasions. In […]

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August 11

The Mourning Lion

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While in Vienna earlier this summer, we were in the famous Augustinian Church where the Hapsburgs (one of the principal sovereign dynasties of Europe from the 15th to the 20th century) were hatched, latched and dispatched (baptized, married and buried). While there, I was struck by a memorial to Maria Christina (daughter of Empress Maria […]

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June 08

Holy Imagery

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I first saw this painting by Lucas Cranach (circa 1529) when I went to the Luther exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minneapolis a couple of years ago. Luther found that because of the Protestant Reformation, people had to be educated on the difference between law and grace. This painting, entitled “The Law […]

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April 21

God, the Audience

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It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. ~Psalm 92:1-3 I was talking to a friend the […]

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April 11

Grace

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But as for you, you were dead in your sins. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been […]

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March 29

Communion in the Cosmos

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Eons ago, when I was 6 years old, space exploration was very new. Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to the Moon and it entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, 1968. That evening, three astronauts did a live television broadcast from lunar orbit in which they showed pictures of the Earth seen from space. […]

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March 23

Being Shattered

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A few years ago I heard a song, brilliantly played by a local violinist, called “Shatter Me.” (You can watch the video by the original artist Lindsey Stirling  here.) The raw emotion of the song captured me, haunted me. I think what captured me was the idea of being “shattered.” At first glance, that doesn’t […]

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March 09

Practicing Grace

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In London in the 19th century, there were two pastors whose parishes were near each other. One of them ran an orphanage. The other one commented on how poor the condition of the children admitted to the orphanage was, but the word that got out was that he had commented on how poor the condition […]

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March 04

Being Relaxed

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A while back, I decided to treat myself to one of those salt flotation spas. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you spend an hour in a tub full of room-temperature water that is salty enough to keep you afloat. The room is darkened and basically, you just lay there, and because you […]

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February 20

Being Concerned

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These are anxious times. No one can blame us for being worried about the direction of this world when we read the headlines and hear the news. Are you worried—or are you concerned? There is a difference. Worry is ruminating over something, wringing our hands without making any progress to solve the issue. It tends to […]

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January 29

Being a “lastie”

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Remember the Parable of the Vineyard. In this story told by Jesus, the workers who are hired at the end of the day get the same amount of money as those hired in the morning. I love (and hate) this story because it grates on my sense of fairness. When I consider who I identify […]

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July 14

“Life is difficult”

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In the summer of 1978, I spent a couple of months in California with my cousins. We had a blast and made many memories. This past week I had the pleasure of going home to Montana for a family reunion and my cousins from California were there. As you can imagine, there was much reminiscing, […]

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May 26

What are you worth?

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Say that I am standing in front of a group of people and I pull a $20 bill out my purse and say, “I’ve got a $20 bill here and it’s yours if you want it. Who wants it?” I imagine many people would raise their hands. I tear up the $20 bill and ask, “Who […]

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March 11

Words are Not Spaghetti

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“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21 If you’ve ever spent any time in the comment section of a blog or website, you will sadly understand this guy’s description: comment boards on websites are a place where civil discourse goes to die. But that’s not the only place civil conversations […]

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January 09

Three Signs of a Miserable Job

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In the common American model, the job is central. We are frequently more defined by what we do than by who we are. When meeting a new person, the conversation normally goes as follows: “Hi, I’m so-and-so. What do you do?” From that one brief answer, we make conclusions about that person’s intelligence, education, income, and value […]

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December 09

Being Helpless

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Every year on the first week of December I take a group of women to New York to do mission work. In the past, I wrote about seeing a woman lying on the cold sidewalk of 5th Avenue of NYC and how hopeless I felt not knowing how to help her. A similar thing happened this […]

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July 07

Care, Not Cure

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I don’t know about you, but when someone comes to me with a problem, my first instinct is to want to “cure” it. But most often what people need is just someone to listen. Listening without fixing is of great value and much-needed. Doesn’t sound too hard? Oh yea, just try it! It is hard […]

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June 27

Being Whiny

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We all get a little whiny sometimes. I get that. And sometimes that whine spills into our prayer life, especially if we feel God isn’t paying any attention to us. Perhaps we’ve been praying about a problem for a long time now, but getting nothin’ in return. Hello, is anybody up there? And perhaps our […]

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February 27

OK, I’ll Trust That

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  A few weeks ago, I was tasked with creating a slide show for worship. While the show played, a rendition of the song “Thank You” was performed by our choir and orchestra. It was both beautiful and moving. The week I needed to get the presentation done, there were many other things demanding my […]

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February 14

Being Free

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Dr. Timothy Keller tells this true story of a Highland Scot named Murdo McDonald. During WWII he was captured with another Scot and put in a prisoner of war camp, Stalag 17. Both Scots acted as chaplains and were on opposite sides of the fence—one with the British group and one with an American group. Once […]

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January 28

Which God?

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I’ve been watching the show “Orange is the New Black.” I’m not recommending this show to anyone because of the “rawness” of the content, but I am fascinated by the characters in the show; how they got to where they are at and what they are doing to survive. Piper Chapman, the main character, said something in […]

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January 23

Fact, Fate, Faith

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At noon on Thursdays, a group of us women are looking at the study called, “Me, Myself and Lies.” This past week we talked about labels in our lives and were asked to consider what our “fact,” “fate,” and “faith” labels are. The fact label was something about ourselves that we maybe didn’t ask for but nonetheless […]

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January 09

Being Beautiful

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For we are God’s masterpiece. -Ephesians 2:10 In the women’s study we just started on Tuesday, Beth Moore said something that struck me. “God is pursuing you!” What women (or man) doesn’t want to be pursued? We want to be wanted. I have a tag on my bulletin board above my desk at work that says, “God […]

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January 01

Stepping into the New Year

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As much as I love decorating the house for Christmas, I also love when I take everything down. It’s not so much the “taking down” part, because that is a lot of work. Instead it is the “getting everything back in order” part that appeals to me. I do a deep clean of sorts and […]

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December 19

Holiday Death Spiral

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Today I got an email from Donald Miller who talked about HDS (Holiday Death Spiral). He said it was: “That deadly infestation of lies that hits us in the holidays where we start thinking calories don’t count and budgets don’t matter.” Because, after all, whatever we do now, we can correct in the New Year. It made […]

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December 11

Sacred in the Midst of Secular

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I just returned from New York City where I led a group of women doing mission work and sightseeing. It was an incredible trip with a lot of memories made and friendships formed. One of the highlights each year for me is the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. The show doesn’t change much from […]

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November 20

Love Must Triumph

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Last Friday, we were shocked by more violence in our world. These senseless acts always shake us but when they are carried out in the most ordinary of places, it unnerves us even more. Who of us hasn’t found themselves in a restaurant, concert hall or sport’s stadium? These killings were not on a field […]

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November 14

4 Ways to Combat Worry

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Who of us hasn’t spent a restless night worrying about something or someone? My pillow and I have had many conversations deep into the night. Yet, we all know, to a certain extent, that worry is a thief, stealing away our peace and strength (and our sleep!). I’ve been told we are to be warriors, […]

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October 02

Being Wounded

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In our church, we are doing a series called “Believe.” This week we are pondering the fact that although our God is the Almighty, the Creator, the Ruler of all, he is also intimately involved in and concerned with every detail of our lives. It can be hard to wrap our minds around a God […]

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September 18

Being Perfect (Not!)

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This past week, as in Tuesday, September 15, I started a women’s study at church. When I originally scheduled this six-week event, I was going to start it on the 29th for various good reasons. So in a publication that was distributed through the Beth Moore event in our city, that was the start date […]

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September 11

Who Am I To You?

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In Mark 8:27-29, we come across Jesus asking his friends what the talk on the street is about his identity. In a sense, “What are people saying about me around the water cooler?” His friends offer up answers that all make sense given the time and culture of the question: John the Baptist; Elijah; a prophet. But it is […]

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August 31

Being Anxious

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This weekend, I was blessed to be at a Beth Moore conference. I was a volunteer whose job was to hand out Compassion International packets to participants and to pray for people who requested it. Beth’s topic for the weekend was anxiety and she began by asking us to rate where we landed on the […]

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July 25

The Basement

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I’m baaaack. Yes, it’s been a while. But I wanted to share something that I wrote at a retreat I was on. We had a workshop on writing poetry and I’m no poet, but I had just given a talk about shame and the imagery that stuck with me was the impetus for the following poem. […]

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January 12

Who’s Your Friend?

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I have been blessed with amazing friends. We don’t see each other as much as I’d like, but when we do, it’s as if we’ve never been apart. We laugh together, cry together, support and encourage each other, and tell each other things that we wouldn’t tell someone we don’t trust. Friendship is an amazing gift. […]

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December 18

Everyone is Someone

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I am haunted by her image. She was a woman laying on the corner of the cold sidewalk on 5th Avenue in New York City. She looked like she had been to hell and back. Her only cover against the wind was a dirty white sheet that she had pulled up to her chin. Her […]

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December 10

Best Laid Plans

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Early Thursday morning, 18 women and I will fly out to New York City for a mission trip I’m leading for our church. We’ll be delivering “meals-on-heels” to a couple of Manhattan neighborhoods and serve at a couple of soup kitchens. We’ll also tour the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and get in a Broadway show […]

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December 01

Answer Me!

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God is good; all the time; all the time; God is good! Unanswered prayer is a stumbling block for a lot of people, me included. Sometimes I feel like I throw my prayers up, only to have them hit the ceiling and fall to the floor. What’s up with that? Of course, God is God […]

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November 24

The Widow and Me

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I haven’t written in this blog for many months. The main reason I started blogging was for my own personal devotion time. I love God. I love to write. I love art. So why not combine them? But I ran out of steam. And you know how it is when you feel guilty about not […]

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August 02

Being Still

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I was bruised, bitten, bone-tired—and blessed beyond belief! In mid-July, I was lucky enough to be part of a canoe trip down the Missouri River in central Montana. I’ve been wanting to blog about the experience but just can’t seem to put into words what the trip meant. So, I’m sharing this reflection from Rollie Johnson, our fearless leader, […]

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July 04

Being Free

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Happy Fourth of July! Today we celebrate our freedom and are grateful for those who fought both physically and intellectually to secure that freedom. We have a good idea of what it means to be free as a nation, but what about freedom as an individual? Janis Joplin said that freedom is just another word for nothing […]

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June 23

Stuff Happens

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Oh my. It has been awhile since I have posted. So much for fulfilling my goal of posting three times a week. Actually, now that I have written that goal out loud, I suppose there is more pressure to keep up. But there always seems to be an excuse. First, it was getting ready for VBS (Vacation Bible School). […]

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June 04

Being Christian 3

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Part three of three I ended my last post saying that one should come to Christianity because it is true. That comes across a little arrogant, I suppose. I recently listened to an excellent talk by Mark Meynell from All Souls church in London (link below). He talks about how arrogance and religion seem to go […]

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June 02

Being Christian 2

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Part two of three Further exploration on the term, “Christian.” I won’t claim to be the first to say this (I see a lot of people have taken credit for it) but perhaps one reason people are confused about the term “Christian” is because we have made it an adjective. If you remember, the purpose of an adjective […]

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May 30

Being Christian 1

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Part one of three I say I am a Christian and some people cringe. Not all, mind you, but some. And if I am really being honest, I cringe a bit too. Not because I’m not sure if it’s true but because I wonder what people hear when I say that word: “Christian.” Donald Miller in […]

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May 26

Antici… what!?

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I was introduced to a new word the other day: anticipointment. Without even going into the definition, I bet all of you know what I’m talking about. But just for kicks, I found this definition on urbandictionary.com: “A gut wrenching emotion felt deep in the belly of a person unrealistically looking forward to an upcoming event […]

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May 24

Not so sure

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It’s that time of year when a lot of people are making a life transition. And that can be a scary thing. When I was a kid, I was certain I was going to be a teacher—until I became a graphic designer. When I was in high school, I was certain I would play basketball in […]

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May 10

More Mom Memories

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A few days ago I shared a “mom saying” in honor of Mother’s Day week. Today I am thinking of some of the things my mom said that made me cringe. Granted I don’t think she meant for them to come across as they did, but nonetheless…. I was the editor-in-chief for a magazine for […]

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May 06

Cat and Dog Theology

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A while back I ran across a book entitled, “Cat and Dog Theology.” The premise was this: A dog says, “You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, you must be God.” A cat says, “You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, I must be God.” […]

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May 03

Remembering Mom

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A week from tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and as I think back on my mom, I’m surprised at how many “mom sayings” go through my head on a regular basis. My mom passed away in 2003 and I enjoyed a close relationship with her. I always felt like I could talk with her about everything, and […]

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April 30

Mentality of Scarcity

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From writer and speaker Lynne Twist: “For me, and for many of us, our first waking thought of the day is ‘I didn’t get enough sleep.’ The next one is ‘I don’t have enough time.’ Whether true or not, that thought of not enough occurs to us automatically before we even think to question or examine it. We […]

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April 28

Hell and Back

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I can’t get the song, “Hell and Back” by Airborne Toxic Event out of my mind. It is from the movie Dallas Buyer’s Club, where drug use is prevalent. I have never been addicted to drugs, but it seems to me the lyrics describe it well. About 15 years ago I wrote an article on […]

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April 26

Why Torture is Wrong

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Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them. With that title, I didn’t know what to expect. Last night I was pleasantly surprised as I watched this play by Christopher Durang at NDSU. (BTW, my son’s girlfriend, Sarah, played the role of the mother Luella brilliantly!) As the title suggests, the subject matter is […]

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March 10

The Marriage

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This weekend, my husband and I took a mini-vacation to Minneapolis–and by “mini,” I mean mini. We were down and back in 26 hours. In our crazy busy lives, we’ll take what we can get. Our main goal was to go to a Timberwolves game, but we managed to get in one hour of another […]

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March 04

Don’t go changin’…

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Omigosh! “Being Human” got interesting tonight. (See my “this blog’s being” if you don’t know what I’m talking about.) Sally went back to the day she died and possessed herself in order to stop her death. Then she meets Aiden and Josh and tries to rework the future to be the way she thinks it […]

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March 03

God’s Glory

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This is one of my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite writers. I created this in a circle to mirror the circle of the sun. In case you don’t want to rotate your computer screen, it says: “A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship him than a […]

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August 24

First Days

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Kind of like the first day of school or the first day of a new job. A little apprehensive. A little unsure of myself. What could I write that anybody would care about. Yet, I have felt compelled to do this for a mighty long time. I’m NOT a techie, so I have bumbled my […]

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