John is a wonderful story teller.  In the 5th chapter he tells of a man born blind who causes quite a problem in his neighborhood.  Sometimes we don’t want to see what is happening right in front of us.  Living in the house of Lent calls us to see God’s new activity in our lives, or maybe to see what we have been ignoring.

These images are based on the scriptures for the Sundays of Lent and were projected as part of worship during the 2011 Lenten Season at Asbury United Methodist Church in Harrisonburg Virginia. They are the work of the artist.  Seek her permission if you desire to use them.

The reading for the third Sunday of Lent is about the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman at the well where she has gone to get water.  In John 4:7 Jesus asks her for a drink of water.  This is a beautiful and rich story about asking and offering, giving and receiving, questioning and courage.

As always this series of graphics is the property of the artist.  They were projected as part of worship at Asbury United Methodist Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia during Lent 2011.  Contact the artist for permission to use.

Jesus challenged Nicodemus (John 3:4) to be born again.  He later included the part about being born of water and Spirit.  Here the water becomes a stream that flows from the cross and the Spirit is symbolized by a dove descending from God. Lent gives us a chance to be born anew in the pattern of Jesus and the plan of God that is alive in us as we acknowledge and connect with it.

To be a Christian during Lent is to live in a purple house, purple being the color for the Lenten season.  It is a house not like the neighbors who do no think of their lives in terms of what Jesus taught and lived out on his way to the cross.  And maybe we don’t either most of the time.  But as we Christians approach Easter, there is that cross on the hill above the purple house.

The heart is the center of our lives, pumping blood to all parts of our body: enabling our muscles, enlivening our minds, and giving material weight and power to our souls. The heart is a symbol of courage, energy, and compassion.
Not a trifle, not a trivial extension of ourselves.  It is a deep beauty we have within and share in many forms.

Waiting is not something we do well in our culture.  Pregnancy is waiting.  The heaviness of hope is borne within Mary and in each of us.  In truth we are always waiting for God’s graciousness and generosity.  Mary reminds us of this in her waiting time.

These images are part of my 2010 series on the young Mary.  Please ask if you would like to use them in some way.

Mary was carried by Grace,  but the way was still unknown.  It was her first child.  Her body and the world around her were changing.  And then there was this God Connection Thing…this new thing God was doing in and through her.  Yet she moved on by faith into what Grace was providing.  

This series of images was created on my iphone app in the year 2010.  Permisssion to use the images will be given without hesitation if I am asked.

In the prior blog post I stated that in this series of works I focused on the moment of the Annuciation and the months following.  Mary is a young girl when she and God connect.  She has not experienced the pain and struggle that will come.  Awe and wonder and gratitude carry her into the unknown of body, mind and spirit on waves of Grace. 

As with all the images in these blog posts they were created by me. Ask me if you would like to use them. I’m generous.  KCB

The Annunciation… a graphic print… first in a series created 2010… KCB

My personal journey with Mary of Bethlehem began in a moment when I realized that my call to ordained ministry made us companions. It was the 70’s when I received the call. I did not know any female pastors. It was a new thing. There was prejudice and skepticism, but the God who had called me, also led me, taught me, and made a way for me. Just as God had done for Mary when she was called to the new thing God was doing. Between 2003 and 2007 I completed a watercolor and two mixed media pieces that were expressions of my journey with Mary. These were previously exhibited. The graphic prints on this blog are new, part of the new media work I have focused on recently. As I have worked with creating these Mary images I have experienced them as returning to the time before Mary was the great lady and the precious icon she became. In these works she is the young girl, the one called and gifted with Grace. There is also a reference to what she will become in the early church: the burning bush a title she carries lightly. She is active, moving, dancing, dreaming, the picture of a youthful “yes” to God, to life and to the future.  I will post these images over the weeks of Advent.

My art teachers often directed me to turn abstract compositions upside down and sideways and decide which was the best orientation.  Which satisfied my feelings and ideas.  The new update on the app with which I create much of my work gave me the same opportunity when I save the work to my photo gallery or send it by text or email.  Below are the other orientations of this piece.  Each has a different flavor although they are similar.  Feel free to choose and to remember that we often have more choices with our feelings and actions than we first believe.

As with all my work these are images that belong to me, but I share if asked.

Kathy