Lent 2023, First Sunday.

I hope you all had a great, restful Sunday that has put you on the right path for having a great week. First, I must share a poem Z wrote in honor of Black History Month:

I assigned her a few assignments for BHM, and she wrote this poem in minutes. I’m not just saying this because she’s my kid, but she is so talented. I’m so very proud. This morning, she read it at church:

I’m a big fan of candles, especially at this time of year when the daylight hours are so short, and I just ordered a few from Kelly Latimore Icons. From the About page:

I do not wish to approach Iconography as an art form that simply follows an inherited tradition, knowledge, and practice. I want it to be a ‘holy pondering’, meditation, and process that potentially brings about a new way of seeing for the viewer and me. What is the artwork in our churches and communities for? Who are the saints that are among us here and now? Where is Christ present right in our own backyards?

My hope is that these icons can do what all art can potentially do, which is, to create more dialogue. By transcending our biases, listening, and having inner silence about our convictions, our inherited traditions, or our favorite ideas we can become open to the patterns of work, knowledge and experience we may not have seen in the other or buried in ourselves. The other may have something to teach us about who God is, the world we live in, and who are our neighbors. This is the real work of being human and of art. Being more present.

I’ve felt compelled to have more art that reflects the beauty of us- all of us- made in the wonderful, amazing, beautiful Imago Dei. Check out more of his designs- signed prints, downloadables, and more- here.

Finally, I’ll end this post with this beautiful Duke Ellington song, The Lord’s Prayer- My Love. Have a fabulous week.