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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Bible Marginalia-He is Risen!

Bible Marginalia Series-#149

There are many things to focus on
 in these paragraphs on this page.
I am drawn to HOPE.
He is Risen!
The Good News!
Because of His amazing grace.
And in the beauty of this 
spring newness of life-
 all the earth rejoices.

The second violent earthquake 
in three days in the Jerusalem area-
 is related in the Matthew account.
The three women with trembling, 
fear and excitement.
They could not help but tell others.
Lord, may this be my prayer
 this Easter season.

Supplies:
Printable butterfly cutout
 Illustrated Faith printable Easter sheet
He is Risen margin designed by Pat Maier
Colored pencils
Yellow Gelato
Black fine-point Sharpie marker- non-bleeding


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Holy Spirit You are Welcome Here

Holy Spirit You are Welcome Here
Baptism Day for Levi Michael Wilson
The Shepherd Rejoicing
 over one of His Lambs

The Baptismal Font with the WATER, 
the Candle,
 the cloth (White Garment)
the Shell for Sprinkling the Water

Baptism Banner
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Springfield, VA
The Shell - A symbol of Baptism
On Holy Saturday
And all the images that capture Easter 
Grandpa's Guitar
Singing Jesus Loves Me Together
Levi likes hanging out with mom and dad
Deborah Wilson- Grandmother
The Wilson Family
Mom and Dad- Sara and Joshua
Deborah Wilson
Michael Wilson- Grandfather
Papa and Gigi Denninger
The Promises of all the Grandparents 
to support this young family
Deborah with the three Wilson Men
with Officiant Pastor Carl Gnewuch-
Senior Pastor at Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church.
Grandpa Denninger .was honored to 
baptize Levi
Remembering 
Laura and Joshua Schumacher- 
Godparents in Absentia
Hugs are just the best
The cross that brings meaning to 
He is Risen indeed!
A snuggle from Daddy
Celebration Easter cupcakes 
and the Faith Chest to tell the 
Faith Journey Story

Baptism Canvas designed by Mom- Sara Wilson
Visual Reminders of the Special day
and a copy of the Baptism Service for the Faith Chest


A Gathering together on
Easter Day.

So much to celebrate.

Joshua and Laura and Griffin
and a Michigan Easter 
Aunt Jessica and Uncle Dan with
Hello Spring smiles.
And giving thanks for ALL.
The Song that blesses this day-
Holy Spirit You are Welcome Here.




Monday, March 28, 2016

Lenten Journey 2016

Lenten Journey 2016
Devotion Book- 
Pauses for Lent by Trevor Hudson
Calendar design- Patricia Maier

Once again I followed the discipline 
of one word a day 
for the liturgical season of Lent.
I have been doing this practice
 for five years now.
It is interesting for me to see how
 differently each year has been 
tied to words and thoughts for prayer.

The idea for this practice follows my learning
 about visual prayer and how the 
actual kinesthetic work of writing binds
 these words into Spirit.
Then they are recalled throughout the day
 for prayer reflection or serve 
as an alert to the words- in the world.

At the beginning of a prayer calendar- 
I choose 4 colored pencils 
and that is the simple way I deal
 with the distraction of "choosing a color".

The blessing of this practice has been 
the set aside time for reflection 
and also for putting aside the onslaught 
of the "to-do" list for a moment of quiet.






Sunday, March 27, 2016

He is Risen! Alleluia

The Door to the Garden Tomb
Jerusalem, Israel

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Springfield, Va

My Messiah
for me 
and you
 Cross and Nest Wreath


Natural Dyed Eggs
New Life Symbols

Praying IN Color
One Word a Day
The Lenten Journey
to the Easter Celebration
Pauses for Lent by Trevor Hudson
Pauses-Lent-40-Words-Day
Calendar Designed by Pat Maier


Saturday, March 26, 2016

Holy Saturday- The Lamb Triumphant



The Lamb Triumphant


The Good Shepherd 
giveth  His life for 
the Sheep. 
John 10:11

And the sheep listen to His voice.
And no one can snatch 
them out of His hand.

Worthy is the Lamb

Friday, March 25, 2016

Good Friday

Crucifix from the Cave of St. Jerome- 
The Translator of the Vulgate Bible.
 This is from the cave
 where he lived under the 
Church of the Nativity- Bethlehem.
 Jerome lived a life of translating 
the Bible from Hebrew to Latin.
He certainly contemplated 
the Good Friday story
in His life work.  

From the Shroud Exhibit- 
Notre Dame Jerusalem Center

A Good Friday image
that stirs my heart 
in His deep love for me.

An example of what a Roman "Crown of Thorns" 
actually looked like--
More Hat-like or Crown 
than a Ring of Thorns as often Depicted.


O sacred Head, now wounded, 
with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, 
Thine only crown;
O sacred head, what glory, 
what bliss till now was thine! 
Yet, though despised and gory, 
I joy to call thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, 
was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
 but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 
'Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, 
vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

What language shall I borrow
 to thank Thee,
 dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow,
 Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, 
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, 
never outlive my love to Thee.

Text by Bernard of Clairvaux  1153.

Whatever the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin-
 there are some helpful things to think 
about in the Good Friday story -
for all Christians.
shroud of turin exhibition


Thursday, March 24, 2016

Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu--Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday
Oh! Peter!
and the cock crows.
And the denial.
It pierces my heart.
For all the times I denied him.
And will deny.



Jesus telling Peter 
that he will deny him three times.
The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu
perhaps on the site of the house of Caiaphas
where they brought Jesus.


The steps lead from Mount Zion 
back down to the Kidron Valley.
Believed to be steps from the time of Jesus 
and ones he may have walked on that Thursday.


Steps that Jesus trod

Church of St Peter in Gallicantu
Steps leading to the House of Caiphas (Seetheholyland.net)
Beside the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu, excavations have brought to light a stepped street which in ancient times would have descended from Mount Zion to the Kidron Valley.
These stone steps were certainly in use at the time of Christ. On the evening of his arrest, he probably descended them with his disciples on their way from the Last Supper to Gethsemane.
And, even if the House of Caiphas was situated further up Mount Zion than the present church, it would have been by this route that Jesus was brought under guard to the high priest’s house.

The Church of St Peter in Gallicantu illustrates the tumultuous history of religious sites in the Holy Land: A major church built here in 457 was damaged in 529 during the Samaritan Revolt and destroyed in 614 by the Persians. It was rebuilt around 628 and destroyed in 1009 by the mad Caliph Hakim. Rebuilt around 1100 by the Crusaders, it was destroyed in 1219 by the Turks. Then a chapel was built, but it was destroyed around 1300. 
The present church was completed in 1932.

And in HIS steps 
we still struggle to walk today.


Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Migdal- Where His Followers Gathered

The worship center here opened
 in 2014 in Magdala-
(Migdal in Hebrew.)
The altar is shaped like a first-century boat. 
From the pews it looks like it is floating
 on the Sea of Galilee-right out the window.
The church is simple in design,
  but also rich in mosaics and murals,
 focusing especially on women in the Bible.
 It is named Duc in Altum 
(Latin for "Put out into the deep," 
from Christ's words in Luke 5:4)

 Beautfiul mosaic in the Migdal Church
Midgal was the home of Mary Magdalene.
 And the power - even in His garments

Jesus hung out here 
with His followers in Migdal.
 Perhaps He met Mary here. 
 She followed Jesus after meeting
 Him in the Galilee. 
"An expression that appears many times
 in several places of the Gospel,
"Jesus went around Galilee 
preaching in their synagogues,"
Father Solana, general director
 at the Magdal Center, explained.
 "So this is the closest synagogue 
to Capernaum where He lived. 
So it was likely He was here many times." 

The Jewish historian Josephus
 says Magdala had a population
 of 40,000 people
 and a fleet of 230 boats
 about 30 years after Jesus died.

This synagogue is dated to the first century AD, 
before the destruction of the second Temple. 
It is the first synagogue discovered in Galilee
 and one of seven known from this period
 in the land of Israel. 
The impressive structure was established
 by a community of Jewish farmers and fisherman.
A seven branch Menorah relief.
This is the earliest example - so far- 
of  a Menorah discovered 
in a Jewish building in Galilee.
The modern day town of Migdal 
was founded in 1910. 
In 2009 it had a population of 1, 627.
It is located near Ginosaur 
with a shoreline on the Sea of Galilee.
The town is named after the old city of Migdala- 
which was the home town of Mary (called Magdalene)
Luke 8:2
In 1908 a small group of German Catholics 
identified the site as the birthplace 
of Mary Magdalene settled there. 
They left after a year and the land 
was bought by Russian Zionists to farm.
A few years later it was sold to private investors.
Port and city uncovered

Beginning in the 1960s, Franciscan archaeologists discovered Magdala’s ancient port and a city grid, with paved streets, water canals, a marketplace, villas and mosaics — one depicting a sailing boat.
Buried in the mud covering a thermal bath complex were ceramic crockery, perfume jars, jewellery, hairbrushes and combs, and bronze applicators for make-up.
The discovery of the massive foundations of a tower may account for the city’s name. Both Magdala in Aramaic and Migdal in Hebrew mean “tower”.

First-century synagogue identified


More archaeological remains were uncovered in 2009 
on an adjacent property newly acquired 
by the Legion of Christ to establish a hotel,
institute for women and retreat centre. The Legion,
a Catholic congregation, manages the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem.
seetheholyland.net

Our guide Yossi--
explaining the significance 
of this relief discovery.
Father Kelly introduces 
a bit of the Migdal site-
Migdal Site

 In this Holy Week-
 thinking about where His followers 
hung out with Jesus.
 Where they listened.
Where they asked questions.
Where we can still be close to HIM-
 in His Word.

A very helpful site for Holy Land info-
see the holy land