The Good Shepherd

This is the final stained-glass window photo from St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Waverly, Iowa:

As with an earlier window posted, this one is on the east side of the sanctuary, I believe, and had the morning sun shining through it, washing out some of the color.


*
Believe it or not, there is a Good Shepherd Sunday on the traditional Church calendar. It falls on the third Sunday following Easter each year.
*
Its a comfort to think of Jesus as a Good Shepherd and to see Him thusly depicted in artwork. Here's a link to numerous examples of Good Shepherd paintings, engravings, etc. Here's
another page of links to Good Shepherd depictions from around the world. And, this Wikipedia page about Early Christian Art is interesting.
*
Thinking of the Good Shepherd prompts thoughts of the 23rd Psalm:


1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.
3
He restoreth my soul:

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

Thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

*******
*******
Oh, boy.......I did a bit of roaming on YouTube to try and find someone singing the 23rd Psalm in the version that is my favorite, with no success. I did find someone playing
an organ rendition of one of the psalm's musical versions.......in case you don't get to hear organ music very often, jump over and listen. Fortunately, my church uses an organ that sounds very similar to the one in the YouTube video.
*
Here's some earth-shattering news: I may not blog for a few days. Haha.......please keep your cheering to a dull roar! You know how it is.......Christmas is rapidly approaching and I AM NOT READY! Gotta get that way!
*
Have a great day!
*

Words of Advent

This banner hangs in our church during the Advent season each year. A talented lady from our congregation made it from iron-on fabrics. Many more of her creations hang in

the sanctuary during the various seasons of the Church Year.

*

PREPARE

*

WATCH

*

BEHOLD

*

REJOICE

*

That's what the season of Advent is all about.

*

I could add some links, but you are surely able to Google the word "Advent" and go exploring and discovering for yourself! I will mention that yesterday, December 6, was St. Nicholas Day. When my daughter spent a college semester in The Netherlands, she experienced the celebrations in Leiden on that day......there was a big parade to welcome Sinterklaas and his helper, Zwarte Piet (Black Pete).

*

*

One Advent link describes these weeks before Christmas as "a time of spiritual reflection, as well as cheer and anticipation". Hmm.......do frantic shopping, decorating, cleaning, baking fit the bill very well? Maybe.....maybe not.

*

Have a cheerfully reflective day.......or a reflectively cheerful day.......either way, anticipating the good things to come!

*

*

Oh, one more thing.......on my traditional Church calendar, today, December 7, is the feast day of St. Ambrose. If you have time, read this VERY interesting article........about the ADVENT of silent reading----Ambrose is mentioned. Evidently, silent reading would have at one time seemed as ludicrous as silent singing! Can we imagine a world where reading was always done OUT LOUD?! What if the the word read had been reserved for the audible version of the activity and another word chosen for taking in printed words in silence? Hmm......what would make a good word for that? Would the situation be like that of the words look/see; listen/hear; touch/feel? Maybe not. I'll just keep on doing my reading in silence.

*

As of this typing......late last night.....we still had not found Betsy, our lost Australian Shepherd. I have no idea where she could be, and am sadly holding out little hope that we'll see her alive again, considering the extreme cold weather. Thank you for your concern. I'll keep you posted. (We've seen a bald eagle in the neighborhood lately.......would it or could it kill a dog, do you think?)

*

Advent Etcetera

Before church on Sunday, while wandering around the farm snapping frosty photos, I was also thinking about what to wear to church later in the morning. The honest truth is that the fact of Advent beginning on this day did not even enter my snow-addled mind. Somehow, though, I managed to decide to wear this bright blue sweater.......I recalled that I had worn it to Father-in-law's funeral a year ago, and, also on another Sunday after Thanksgiving a few years ago. The thought of Advent hadn't entered my head on those occasions, either.

Once the sweater was on, I could see it needed a pin to draw the eye. While rummaging through my jewelry box, this old pin of my mother-in-law's seemed to shout out, "Wear me!", even if the green stones didn't quite match the sweater. (I do love blue and green together, though.) It wasn't until I looked at this photograph of the pin later that I noticed the two cross-shaped cut-outs. On the way to church, I pointed the pin out to Husband and said, "This pin belonged to your mother." He thought for a moment and replied, "She would have turned 75 tomorrow (December 1), and Dad would have turned 80 on Friday (the day after Thanksgiving)." Anyway.......I felt privileged to be wearing the gold pin in honor of my mother-in-law's golden anniversary of her birth!

*
Once in church, I saw the bright blue paraments on the altar, pulpit and lectern, and the blue stole on pastor's robe, and realized they were there because of the arrival of the Advent season. I thought, "Wow......everyone will think I was really on the ball because I'm wearing this Advent-blue sweater!" I love to fake people out. In the photo below---which warms my heart because it captures these two little friends of mine; they are #6 and 7 of a family of seven sisters!---you can see the blue cloth hanging from the lectern.

This photo was taken after the church service. Why did I happen to have my camera in my purse at church? Well, I threw it in there in case of spotting an interesting snow scene on the drive to and from church. Am I insane?......"Signs point to YES", says the 8-Ball. Anyway, I was standing at a lower level down in the narthex when I took this photo. The girls' parents were helping to put up the two large Christmas trees in the nave, up near the altar, below those arched stained-glass windows which were pictured in my blogpost on Sunday. A few members of the church youth group---including my son---were stringing Christmas lights in place up in the balcony at the rear of the sanctuary.......that's what the little girls are gazing up at. This seasonal church decorating task is done at the beginning of Advent each year.

*

Remember that I mentioned on Sunday that it was St. Andrew's Day? Well, sitting right behind me in church that morning was a guy named Andrew, so at the end of the service I turned around and told him "Happy St. Andrew's Day".......which perplexed him a bit, I think.

*

Have a wonderful day! Consider the meanings of the Advent season; Ruth of

Ruth's Visions and Revisions blog posted a lovely Advent prayer the other day.....one which she wrote herself.

*

[An update on Jacob, the 17-year-old friend and relative who collapsed with a brain bleed last week.......he had been improving and was scheduled to go home soon, but yesterday he developed seizures, and is back in ICU, having more tests. Thank you for thoughts and prayers for him.]

*

X for St. Andrew

For the past 30 years, I've stared at these windows which rise above the altar in my church.

*

Until one day last summer---when I sneaked ino the church's sanctuary to take these photos---I had never taken a close look at the details in these stained-glass windows. For thirty years I had no idea that the little white squares had petal-like designs in them. I did not know that parts of the circles and X's were interwoven, over and under each another. And, I didn't even realize that the color purple was part of this stained-glass design; it doesn't show up from a distance. Could I have been any more ignorant?

*

*
Well, no matter.......I have always enjoyed gazing at these colorful, quilt-like windows which from a distance appear to be full of X's enclosed in circles. Today, November 30, is St. Andrew's Day. Tradition says that St. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross.......if you take the previous link and scroll down the page aways, you will see a painting of St. Andrew on the Saltire, which is the name for the X-shaped cross used on flags and in heraldry.
*
My church's name is not St. Andrew's Lutheran........but, I think it could be called that because of these windows.
*
Have a blessed St. Andrew's Day!
*

On Water, In Water

Today is St. Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist Day on the Eastern Christian Church calendar. (I have a calendar that shows saints' days from East, West, Anglican, Lutheran.) This stained glass window from St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Waverly, Iowa, does not show

St. Matthew, of course, but depicts St. Peter, Jesus' disciple who took a stab at walking on water, as related in the New Testament book of Matthew, Chapter 14. Peter became distracted by reality---poor guy---and slipped underwater after managing a few steps ON the water, apparently. Peter's supposed lack of faith is often the main focus of this Bible story. The story of

Jesus walking on water is also told in Mark 6 and John 6, but Peter's water-walking attempt is not mentioned there.

*

I wasn't happy with the color in these two photos. As I recall, this church window faces east and the morning sun would have been hitting it straight-on when these photos were taken, and maybe that's what caused the tones to appear washed out.
*
My traditional Church calendar also lists today, November 16, as the remembrance day for
St. Eucherius of Lyon. Interestingly, Eucherius defended the reading of Scripture in an allegorical sense. We don't hear much about that these days. I wish I knew more about allegorical thinking and interpretation. When I was young, in grade school, my parents gave me an abridged Pigrim's Progress. I recall reading that book over and over again, and I still have it. Especially, I recall when Pilgrim finally dropped his heavy burden at the foot of the Cross.......a good example for us all. Here's a paragraph from the book's introduction:

In the reign of James II of England, popular Protestant preacher John Bunyan (1628-1688) was arrested for "holding unlawful assemblies and not conforming to the national worship of the church of England." Because he refused to conform, he was cast into Bedford Jail in 1660, where he remained for twelve years.

While he lingered in what he called "this lion's den", he longed after his congregation who were his children in the Lord. In hope of strengthening their faith, he took his pen, and while writing,

Fell suddenly into an allegory........

And they began to multiply,

Like sparks that from the coals of fire do fly.

The result was The Pilgrim's Progress, now known as the world's most famous allegory.

*
St. Margaret of Scotland is also listed on the calendar for today's date. Supposedly, she was such a serious person that no one ever saw her smile or laugh. Goodness, I hope that's not the reason she was elevated to sainthood! Let's not emulate that humorless aspect of her personality.
*
For today.......LAUGH.......SMILE.......read a Bible passage and attempt to apply allegory to it.......and, don't dive into a risky endeavor unless you have the faith required to keep your head above water!

*
*

Limestone Church

In keeping with my normal Sunday blogpost subject........church windows.......here are some:

Last Friday, Husband sent me to an implement dealership in Fort Atkinson, Iowa, to pick up netwrap for the round baler. The town of Fort Atkinson actually does contain a preserved fort, and I will post about that sometime soon.

*

Up the road from the fort are these limestone ruins of a church, and much to my surprise, the sign denotes that it was a Lutheran church.......this is the St. James Lutheran Church Preserve, which I've never been to before. This is a predominantly Catholic community, which is why I was surprised to find out this church was Lutheran. The Catholic church down the hill in the town of Fort Atkinson is called St. John Nepomucene......someone I'd never heard of before. Read about this Bohemian saint. Many people in this part of northeast Iowa are of Czech Bohemian descent.

Click this next photo to enlarge it and read the sign which says "English Congregational - 1857" and "German Lutheran - 1871. As I was taking these photos, a pickup drove up and honked......I thought, "Oh, dear, maybe I'm trespassing." But, no, the driver rolled down his window and said, "Thank you for taking a picture of my cross!" He made the cross in front of the old church. We talked for a few minutes........in that short time I found out he is a dairy farmer, now living in town, but still helping his sons out at the farm. He's very involved in his community, but here's something surprising that he said: He asked me what I thought of the upcoming election, and then he told me that he's NEVER once voted in the presidential election......not in his entire life, and he appeared to be in his 70's! He said, "I don't trust any of those national politicians."

Since yesterday was All Saints Day, a day to remember the departed, here's a couple little tombstones that were nestled amongst the tall pine trees behind the church ruins. Here's Tille and Milly.......twins.......

.......and Georg, whom presumably was also a young child, for his gravestone is tiny and has a lamb depicted on it.

*
Today, in some parts of the world, people spend time in cemeteries, putting flowers on graves and having picnics near the resting places of departed loved ones. Seems like in the U.S., we do our best to stay away from graveyards.
*
Enjoy your day! May we remember our departed loved ones and friends with thankfulness.......the Communion of Saints.......the Cloud of Witnesses.......they may be nearer to us than we realize.
*
*
[WARNING: If you're still of the opinion that Sarah Palin is the greatest thing since sliced bread then you probably won't care for my opinionated blogpost tomorrow. Gotta get one more rant in before Election Day! What would life be without varying opinions......right?! Then I think I'll hunker down and hide out from blogging for awhile. Let the election whirlwind blow over.]

*

Canadian Thanksgiving

This blogpost is dedicated to our good neighbor and friend to the north.......Canada! Tomorrow is Canada's Thanksgiving Day! God's blessing to everyone up there on this special day! May you always have much to be thankful for! May peace always define the relationship between our two nations!

*

These lilies are in in honor of that thought.......PEACE!!

*

These stained-glass window photos were taken at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Waverly, Iowa.

*

This might be Martin Luther.......but, I'm not for sure about that.

*

I think this next window is unusual and quite beautiful, with the brownish leafy background design. The flower-like designs are perhaps not flowers. Does anyone know what they are meant to depict? A symbol of the Trinity, perhaps? One of them is turned sideways.......then it looks more like a flower, so maybe that's what it is.

[Thank you to reader, Pat, for providing an explanation of the flowers in this window.......they depict the "Passion Flower". Here is the Wikipedia page. And here is a blogpost containing a gorgeous photo of a Passion Flower. Thanks again, Pat!]

*

Back to the subject of Canada........I've been there only once, and that was while floating on Basswood Lake in northern Minnesota many years ago. I was with my parents and siblings in a small motorboat; we were fishing for small-mouth bass, wall-eyed pike, and northern pike. According to the map we were using, our lake meanderings took us into Canada at one point! We were very excited about that!

*

Even though one person's blog is minute, insignificant, and trivial when compared to all that's going on the world, I'd like to dedicate this blog to Peace........throughout this troubled world. Just as SkyWatchFriday and other blogging endeavors originate from all over the globe.........may peace quietly crisscross the world, too!

"Pray for peace, people everywhere"........remember that line from the Christmas song,

Do You Hear What I Hear?

*

God Bless Canada......God bless the U.S.......God bless the whole Earth with PEACE!!

*
*

The Woman at the Well

*

This post features another window from St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Waverly, Iowa.

*

The story depicted is, of course, Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well in the town of Sychar in Samaria........this biblical story being found in the 4th chapter of John in the New Testament. Verses 3 and 4 relate that Jesus had left Judea, and was headed back to Galilee, and that He "had to pass through Samaria." If you look at the maps found at the back of most Bibles, you will see that this would be true, for Samaria lay between Judea in the south and Galilee in the north.

*

The well Jesus had stopped to rest at that day was a famous one, known as "Jacob's Well". It was located about halfway between Jerusalem and Nazareth.

*

*

I Googled the "Jesus and the Woman at the Well" story and happened to find

a blogpost written back in February of this year........on a Catholic blog entitled "Cura Animarum". I think it reaches in and retrieves some some very good insights from this particular Bible story. I can't think of anything better to say about it.

*

*

Have a blessed Sunday!!

*

*

Jesus & Two Disciples

On the traditional Church calendar, today is the day to remember St. Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist, thus I'm posting this richly-colored window scene of Jesus and two disciples.......presumably that's what the scene depicts, anyhow. If anyone thinks differently, let me know.

*

*

*

*
*

Once again, this is a stained-glass window from St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Waverly, Iowa.

*

*

Jesus Knocking on Door

In Revelation 3:20, in His message to the angel of the church at Laodicea, Jesus says: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (RSV)

**
**

**
**

Presumably, this scene in stained-glass refers to those word of Christ. A footnote in my NIV Bible indicates that the "angel" Jesus is directing this message to may refer to either a heavenly messenger, an earthly minister, or a personification of the prevailing spirit of the church at that particular place called Laodicea, which was a wealthy city in Roman Phrygia, now part of Turkey. The footnote goes on to say that Laodicea was famous for its banking establishments, medical school, and textile industry. Its major weakness was a lack of an adequate water supply.

**
**

**
**
The footnote to Revelation 3:20-----the verse above-----says: "Usually taken as a picture of Christ's knocking on the door of the individual unbeliever's heart. In context, however, the self-deluded members of the congregation (at Laodicea) are being addressed."

**
**

At any rate........I think this window is very beautiful, from the jewel tones to the thoughtful face of Jesus to the odd flattened flowers, or whatever that is, on the flagstones at the lower right. Actually, I wonder if the two sides of the scene even go together!? A closer look makes me think that they do not.

**
**
This is another window from St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Waverly, Iowa.

**
**

Have a blessed Sunday!!

**
*

Home of Mary & Martha

**
**

This biblical scene in stained-glass appears to be Jesus visiting and teaching at the home of Mary and Martha. Fascinating details........even a dog curled up on the floor.........very homelike. I love the color combination in Mary's clothing........green and violet. Busy Martha, in the background, is wearing less gaudy attire........well, some like to wear bright colors and some don't.

**
**

***
***

This very beautiful window is from St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Waverly, Iowa.

***

***
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 (RSV): "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

***

***

Assignment for today: Set aside your Martha-busy-ness; go to church-----sit still like Mary (wear bright colors if you wish); listen and learn of and from Him!

***
***

[A couple days after publishing this post, I found a German-English dictionary website. The words at the bottom of window mean, "Founded by the womens' association".]

***
***

Take Photos At Funerals

A few days ago, we attended the funeral of Husband's 99-year-old great-aunt, at an ELCA Lutheran church in Waverly, Iowa. The sanctuary was framed on all sides by stunningly gorgeous stained-glass windows; I ventured back in there after the lunch to take photos. (By the way, for any LCMS readers out there: this ELCA funeral was very old-time, orthodox Lutheran. In the lunch line after the funeral, I found myself next to the pastor who had preached the very excellent funeral sermon. While scooping chicken casserole and potato salad onto our plates, we conversed briefly about the current state of Lutheranism, and he recommended a book to me, Principles of Lutheran Theology, by Carl Braaten, although he said it was a bit "academic".)

***
***

There was such a multitude of stained-glass windows in that church, I hardly know where to start, but will begin with this scene of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. This window is situated above the altar area:

***
***

It is flanked by these next two windows, depicting the two Lutheran Sacraments:

**
COMMUNION:

**
BAPTISM:

***
***
I didn't take my new camera to the funeral, so this shot of the altar with its beautiful Last Supper carving is not as clear as I would have liked:

***
***
Before the funeral, the casket was in the church narthex for viewing, alongside a table of family photos, many very old. I snapped pictures of the old photos. In case you don't realize it, that is a great way to acquire family history photos for yourself. In my post about Aunt Luella a few days ago, her photo shown there was cropped out of a snapshot of several photos sitting on the table. After cropping and enlarging, it turned out quite well, I think. (I did ask her daughter for permission first. She exclaimed, "Oh, yes......take pictures, and give me some later!") And, as I was snapping the photos, the funeral home guy came up to me and said, "Its wonderful that you're doing this........families usually forget to take photos at funerals. Be sure you take pictures at the committal service in the cemetery, too." I did, and later burned two CD's of the day's photos and sent them to Aunt Luella's daughter and son.

***
***

Should anyone be interested in reading the funeral sermon, email me at junebug1976@hotmail.com .

***
***

Church of Wedding

This post will bring the wedding subject to a close for now. Here are scenes I enjoyed inside the church where my son's wedding took place last weekend:

***
***

***

If you've been hanging around this blog much, you know that I tend to post photo scenes of church buildings or stained-glass windows on Sundays, IF I have such photos available. Sunlight or light from inside is so beautifully transformed as it filters through the colored glass designs!
This Lutheran church is of the ELCA synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Supposedly, it is more liberal than the Lutheran synod I belong to, the LCMS, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. In our small, rural Iowa community, there are four churches, all Lutheran, two ELCA, and two LCMS. The town and surrounding area was settled almost exclusively by German Lutherans. How the two different synods ended up being established right here is a mystery to me, for presumably the people were all originally of the same Lutheran faith. But, perhaps there were differing factions who came from various German provinces or states back in the 1800's when many were emigrating to the U.S.
There's even a traditional Crucifix in this ELCA church. The wooden carvings of the altar piece are distinct and beautiful, fashioned as several miniature steeples, somewhat similar to the altar design at the church I attend.
This whole church structure design, exterior and interior, is indeed similar to my LCMS church, just a few miles away. The walls of both churches are covered in that old-fashioned molded tin paneling, covered over with layers of paint, of course.

***
***

***

***

***
Have a very blessed Sunday!

***
***

Marriage Blessings!

This post is being published many days in advance, but if all goes as planned, my son's wedding will have taken place by now..........yesterday.........at this altar, in a traditional-style Lutheran church in rural Iowa:

***
***

***
***
***

Certainly, as these carved wooden hands appear to be beseeching the Heavens, prayers are offered to God for a lifetime of marriage blessings upon the couple!!

***
***

***

Well.......did Jeannelle survive the big weekend? Did she take any pictures? Will she now give up blogging to pursue a career as a wedding coordinator or caterer? Stay tuned!

***

***

After this past week's fling with blooging, will Freckles the Cow be content to remain anonyMOOsly in the background of the herd? Who knows!!

***

***

Will blog readers survive this intense suspense??!!

***

***

Will you have a MOOvalous day today?? Freckles the Cow and I certainly hope so!!

***
***
***

Reflection of His Love

"May our lives reflect Your love, O Lord,

In all we say and do.

And when we see ourselves,

We pray we see You, too."

AMEN!

-----Pattie Mattozzi

YYYY
YY
Y

Peeling Bells & Paint

Normally, on a Sunday blogpost, I show a stained-glass window from my church, but unfortunately they've all been used up now.

**********

[As you may or may not know, you can click on ANY photo on blogs to see them larger.......I have no idea how that can happen, but it does.]

***********

***********

If you click the first photo on this post, you will see that this church was built in 1885, and though the sign doesn't say so, the church was established by German immigrants who had settled on farms in the immediate area, including many ancestors of my husband. The families were large, and surely, at one time, the pews beneath the steeple bells in this Lutheran church would have been packed full for Sunday services. Husband's parents, grandparents, great-grands, great-greats, and a great-great-great are buried in the cemetery adjacent to the church. Obviously, the poor old building needs a fresh coat of paint, or better yet, vinyl siding. Congregations keep getting smaller, and finances, tighter.

************

************

************

Once, years ago, I heard a pastor say that way back in the brush behind this churchyard was the grave of a man who had committed adultery with the hired girl at his house. That would have been back in The Good Old Days, by the way. I think the man ended up taking his own life, and that's why he couldn't be buried in the cemetery proper. Churches used to have strict rules about that, and I have heard other such tales over the years about suicide victims' bodies not being allowed into church for the funeral, plus not being allowed burial in the church cemetery. Wow.......talk about adding insult to injury for the family of the deceased. Eventually, opinions changed on that issue, thankfully.

****************

Thinking of church bells peeling reminds me to mention a related old custom: When a church member passes on, as soon as possible one of the deacons/elders goes to the church and rings the bell, pulling the rope as many times as the age of the deceased person. In the past, if the wind is right and the sound of our church's bells ringing in a series on a weekday reaches my ears, I rack my brain worriedly trying to figure out who may have just died, and whisper a prayer for the loved ones of the deceased person. Usually the bell peeling session includes many, many rings (quite a workout for the deacon pulling the rope), as most people around here live to a ripe old age........although, not always, of course. Church bells peeling in a series can be an unwelcome sound.......especially a short series of rings.

**************

I wonder if this bell ringing tradition is common in other denominations? Is it just a rural custom? Did it originate in the Old Country, and how far back in time? I should do some research on that.

**************

**************

Have a wonderful day!!!

Methodist Window

I've exhausted my supply of stained-glass window photos from my own church, so I must find something else to post on Sundays.

************

************

This "window" was on display in a lighted frame in the vestibule of the Methodist church at Waverly, Iowa, where we attended a county Dairy Banquet several months ago.

The church is quite new, and its construction resulted from the uniting of two Methodist congregations. This window came from one of the old church buildings, I presume. It was very beautiful, with a light bulb shining through from behind!

*****************

*****************

Hey, I'm curious about something........a question for any of you out there who attend a Christian church. During your Communion service, before the Distribution of the bread and wine, does your officiant pray, "May no one receive this Communion to their judgement."???

**************

I believe this relates to St. Paul's words in I Corinthians, chapter 11, specifically verse 29. I've read this chapter many times......it seems to me that Paul is lecturing the people because of the way their Communion service was being held. Certain people would rush in and consume all the bread and wine, leaving none for other people. I'm thinking that such a ludicrous scenario would never happen in a Christian church in this day and age. Thus, why do pastors say those words, which, in my opinion, can cause unnecessary fear for those about to partake of Communion. Are we to suppose that if we subsequently fall ill, it is due to partaking of Communion "to our judgement"?

***********

St. Paul speaks of not "discerning the body of Christ", which may mean two things........the body of Christ in the bread and wine, or the body of Christ, which is all members of the church. Discerning the body of Christ is a divisive issue in Christendom. Martin Luther clung to the concept of the Real Presence of Christ in the bread and wine, while other Protestant groups viewed the bread and wine as symbols of Christ's body and blood.

***********

Oh, my........this is a difficult issue for me, personally, for I don't believe the Bible in any way spells out which way is correct. Jesus simply said, "This is my body, this is my blood." Honestly, that is all I think about when I partake of Communion. I don't give a thought to whether its a Real Presence or a symbol.

************

Do you suppose I'm partaking "to my judgement"?

*************

*************

Have a blessedly pleasant day!!

St. John Window

Here is the final stained-glass window from my rural Iowa church, which is LCMS Lutheran........not that my denominational loyalties are extremely strong, but it happens to be where I am a member. A person marries young, joins a church because of that, and years later wonders what on earth she was thinking. But, here she is, and here she will remain.

******************

******************

St. John.......Apostle, Evangelist, and author of the fourth Gospel in the New Testament, has been bestowed with the symbol of winged eagle since ancient times. Not that I knew that before taking a close look at these windows. Its been very interesting learning about them.

***********
***********

Matthew - winged man or angel

Mark - winged lion

Luke - winged bull or ox

John - winged eagle

***********

***********

These symbols are from the Bible-----from Ezekiel 1:10, and Revelation 4:7----- although who first attached them to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is a mystery to me. Probably it was the early Church Fathers.

***********

***********

I'd be curious to know how many Christian denominations have used these symbols in their churches, in stained-glass windows or elsewhere. I grew up in a Baptist Church and never heard therein about these symbols and their connection to the Gospels.

St. Luke Window

Here's St. Luke's window, which stands sentinel over the sanctuary of the LCMS Lutheran church I attend:

*******

*******

Here's a site with info on why St. Luke was bestowed with the symbol of a bull or ox.

*****************

*****************

Click for an excerpt from The Gentlemans' Magazine , from 1851, which discusses the symbolism of the four winged creatures from Ezekiel and Revelation, and their ancient connection to The Four Evangelists-----Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

St. Mark Window

Ahem.......have you ever seen St. Mark the Evangelist and author of the Gospel of Mark depicted in this manner? He looks like the lion from the Wizard of Oz......with wings. This is another stained-glass window from my church. Honestly, before I started blogging and taking photos, these unusual symbols just never registered in my mind at all, even though I sat beneath them almost every Sunday. These window images are situated way above normal eye level on each side of the church sanctuary.......maybe that's why I never took notice of them........it couldn't be that I was just plain non-observant.......yeah, sure. Also, it can be noted, that in 30 years of attending church here, I've never once heard a pastor offer an explanation of the symbols on these windows.

***************

***************

*************
*************

At any rate, I don't wish to give away the characters used to represent St. Luke and St. John, but they are also of winged, non-human creatures. Of course, if you are curious enough, you can easily use an internet search engine to find the answer to why these four disciples of Jesus are depicted as winged creatures. Its from an ancient tradition based on descriptive imagery from the first chapter of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.

****************

On that note, here's a bit of info about Ezekiel.......excerpted from the introduction to his book in my NIV Bible:

****

"Ezekiel was obviously a man of broad knowledge, not only of his own national traditions but also of international affairs and history. His acquaintance with general matters of culture, from shipbuilding to literature, is equally amazing. He was gifted with a powerful intellect and was capable of grasping large issues and of dealing with them in grand and compelling images."

************

On the traditional church calendar, I believe today is The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. A feast day is this week, The Nativity of St. John the Baptist, on June 24.

************

************

May peace and contentment define your day!

*******

*******

Update: Here is an interesting link concerning the four winged creatures which represent Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.