Ruth at the feet of Boaz

Marc Chagall

El Greco - Pentcost

I love this painting by el Greco. It feels unusual and enlightened with women disciples at the center and the feeling of quite, gentle wonder.

Ministered to by angles

James Tissot: Jesus ministered to by angels

John the baptiser

Original painting by Rev Dr Wes Cambell
used with permission

Mary and Elizabeth

Original art by Rev Dr Wes Campbell, Used with permission

John the Baptiser

An original Ouil Painting by Rev Dr Wes Campbell
Used with permission

Jacob's ladder

Battle of Jacob and an Angel

“Battle of Jacob and an Angel” by Jan Spychalski, 1946 (National Museum, Poznan, Poland)

The incredulity of Thomas

Asylum Boat

A painting by Rev Dr Wes Campbell 

Is Christ divided? Another boat in stormy seas, with a wall (reminiscent of the wall dividing Palestine) reminds us of the divisions and fear experienced by our sisters and brothers.

Jesus calms the storm

http://laurajamesart.com/portfolio/book-of-gospels/

He is Risen!

Rev Dr Wes Campbell has done a new Easter journey triptych and has given me permission to post his paintings and share on our site. 
This is the Resurrection

 panel. 
Please feel free to use with acknowledgement.

The Betrayal

Rev Dr Wes Campbell has done a new Easter journey triptych and has given me permission to post his paintings and share on our site. 
This is the first panel portraying the betrayal of Jesus. 
Please feel free to use with acknowledgement.

Baptism of Jesus - Daniel Bonnell

http://www.bonnellart.com/www.lifeonthenile.com/Paintings_1995-2000.html

Nativity

Brian Kershisnik

Advent 2 - Peace

On the back wall of the church building at Gambier East there are three paintings done by a local artist. They are not the sort of thing we are used to seeing hanging on the walls of Uniting Church buildings and I was somewhat shocked when I first saw them. When they were commissioned some years ago, the artist was given instructions to paint where he saw God in the local area. The paintings are good although they were nothing like what most of the congregation were expecting.

They hung for some years at the front of the church. I was glad that, by the time I arrived, they had been moved to the back of the worship space as I think people would have been tempted to meditate on the paintings rather than listen to the sermons. Most people had grown to love them and respected them as aids to worship. They act rather like banners do in other churches or the stained glass windows in others. It was interesting to hear various people telling what they saw in them and how this had helped them to see God in their everyday lives.

The background of each painting is a familiar local spot. One is of a child playing with a boat in the vicinity of the Blue Lake.  Another was of a draught horse in fog, the rich brown-black, volcanic soil under its feet. The third one was of a small bird sitting in the middle of a patch of blackberry canes, leafless and with the apparent lifelessness of winter. The bird has its feathers fluffed up against the cold and wind, but it looks totally at peace, protected, secure and calm in the middle of the storm surrounding it.

All three paintings are comforting. They depict the peace of God in distinct ways and I also grew to love them as I contemplated this mystery within them. The building was small enough for me to see them clearly through the worship services.

Some Christians believe that it was at his baptism by John that Jesus was adopted by God as his Son.

People are often hungry for words of comfort and longing to be spoken to tenderly. Tender words come from the place of inner peace.

It is interesting that Isaiah depicts God approaching through the mountainous wilderness areas of our lives where travelling is difficult and isolation is easy, not across the plains. The glory of God is seen in people making these places easier for others as well as for God, ironing out the difficulties many face. May we bring comfort to those who are suffering by our words, attitudes and actions in Christ’s name. Amen.

Rev Julianne Parker

(for full sermon see sermons page)

The Burning bush

Paul Koli

The five thousand painting

Eularia Clarke's Feeding the Five Thousand, a quirky fusion of Stanley Spencer and Beryl Cook, features a fish-and-chip picnic – the hands of a preacher, resting on a pulpit, being the only clue to the spiritual setting. Indeed many of the works address their subjects obliquely; note-cards reveal an evident working-out of doubt or of highly-personalized abstractions of Christianity.
http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/reviews/feature/1907/The_Colour_Of_Love

The servant girl at Emmaus

The Servant-Girl at Emmaus (A Painting by Velazquez) She listens, listens, holdingher breath.  Surely that voice is his—the one who had looked at her, once,  across the crowd,as no one ever had looked? Had seen her?  Had spoken as if to her? Surely those hands were his, taking the platter of bread from hers just now? Hands he’d laid on the dying and made them well? Surely that face—? The man they’d crucified for sedition and blasphemy. The man whose body disappeared from its tomb. The man it was rumored now some women had seen this morning,  alive? Those who had brought this stranger home to their table don’t recognize yet with whom they sit. But she in the kitchen,  absently touching the wine jug she’s to take in, a young Black servant intently listening, swings round and sees the light around him and is sure. -Denise Levertov

supper at Emmaus

I love this painting by Caravaggio of the moment when Jesus was recognised by the disciples in breaking bread. It captures a moment of surprise really well. It paints Jesus in a manner which is unfamiliar to us (what! no beard?) and so emphasises that the disciples were not stupid or blind when they were walking with him.