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 […]
Tag Archives: Christianity
September
24
What Does It Mean?
posted by laurieetta
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 […]
May
01
Man of Sorrows
posted by laurieetta
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 […]
April
19
Weakness or Strength?
posted by laurieetta
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 […]
April
09
Who Killed Jesus?
posted by laurieetta
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 […]
April
05
“I’ll be praying for you.”
posted by laurieetta
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 […]
March
25
The Modern-Day Prodigal
posted by laurieetta
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 […]
March
19
Longing for Home
posted by laurieetta
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, […]
March
12
I Would Gather Thee
posted by laurieetta
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 […]
March
01
“It is good for us to be here…”
posted by laurieetta
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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