Greek Bible Saints Paintings: Altar Art

Pastor Megan painted some more icons for our altar.  Here is who's who of the saints on the right hand side (or the Greek Testament side).

Pastor's icon guide for the altar panels.  The characters are in chronological order from the top to the bottom.  Click on this or any of the other pictures on this page to see them in a larger version.

In the center column:

Prophetess Anna  (icon to the left) is considered by some to be the last of the line of prophets.  Anna is the person who finds young Jesus in the temple when he gets lost.  Either an 84 year old widow or an woman who was at least 105, who had been a widow for 84 years. Regardless, Anna was a faithful Jewish woman who regularly prayed and fasted.

Martha and Mary (icon to the right) are the sisters of Lazaras.  Martha (on the left) is depicted as following the traditional roles of woman and fulfilling the hospitality laws when Jesus comes to visit.  Martah is depicted in traditional garb to symbolize her rule following nature.  Mary (on the right) has her hair down, to remind us of the story where she is said to be washing Jesus' feet and anointing him for burial.

Zacchaeus was a short man who couldn't see Jesus over the crowd, so he climbed up into a tree.  It's also possible that Zacchaeus was in the tree because as a tax collector, he would have been despised by most people in his community.  Jesus tells him to come down from the tree and Jesus went with him to his house.  Order a signed wood print.

The Naked Guy is perhaps one of the most faithful characters in the Gospel of Mark.  It is possible that this is the rich younger ruler whom Jesus tells to sell all of his possessions.  The naked guy becomes naked when the soldiers come to take away Jesus and someone grabs the cloth he was wearing as he ran away.  In the tomb after Jesus is resurrected, a young man in a white cloth is there to tell the women that Jesus already left.  Did the naked man get there first?

Thecla was a woman who heard the teachings of Paul and decided to follow him.  Thecla's mother did not like the vow of celibacy that Paul was asking people to take and betrothed Thecla for marriage.  When Thecla refused, her mother had her burned at the stake, but she did not burn.  Thecla leaves her family, cuts her hair and dresses as a boy.  She follows Paul as his ministry continues.

In the right column:

The Samaritan Woman at the Well  (icon to the left) is a women of scandalous background.  Having been married several times, she is currently living with a man that she is not married to.  When she meets Jesus at the well she tells him about the Messiah who is going to bring living water.  Painted with a curvy, but aged figure, this icon is painted to highlight the reason approaching a sultry stranger would have been noticed by the neighbors.

Legion (icon to the right) an allegory predicting the defeat of the Roman army, Legion is a story in Mark's gospel of an individuals with mental health issues getting help from Jesus.This icon depicts Legion tied up and finger prints on his body, to make it look like there are demons trying to claw their way out of his body.  This icon is a reminder that God is with individuals who struggle with mental health issues.  Order a signed wood print.

Lazarus (icon to the left) is the brother of Mary and Martha and a friend of Jesus.  Some wonder if he is the beloved disciple mentioned in the Gospel of John.  Lazarus is painted to look like a cross between a mummy and a zombie to remind us of the time Jesus raised him from the dead.  Lazarus is the only saint to have two halos, because he died twice.  Order a signed wood print.

The Bleeding Woman (icon to the right)is known for reaching out and touching the hem of Jesus' cloak.  After doctors are unable to solve her problem, the bleeding woman ends 30 years of bleeding by taking her health into her own hands.  The bleeding woman is the only saint is turned to face Jesus.  Order a signed wood print.

Titus (icon on the left) was a companion of Paul who raised money for the poor.  Rising to the rank of Bishop,

Priscilla and Aquila (icon on the right) A couple that traveled with Paul, Priscilla is known as one of the first preachers and teachers of the Gospel and is the only known female writer of a book of the Bible (Hebrews).  Aquila is said to have been made a Bishop by Paul.

Collage triptic in the Sanctuary

Pastor Megan designed a triptic of the Trinity (made from magazines, cardboard and lots of glue) for the sanctuary. 

 

These colorful works are designed to brighten up the sanctuary and look like stained glass. Below you will find pictures showing how the project was completed in 2014.

 Images are filled in with magazines like paint by number.

 Members of the congregation helped with some of the work.

The triptics were first revealed at the 2014 Christmas Eve service.

Sanctuary Art: The Genealogy of Jesus

Pastor Megan created some icons for the sanctuary. 

This Sunday, the children's sermon will talk about the genealogy of Jesus.  The art above illustrates the stories of the bible.  On the left is the genealogy that is attributed to Joseph and includes characters from the Hebrew Bible.  The right side depicts relatives of Mary and characters from the Greek Bible.  Click here to learn more about the many, many versions of Jesus' genealogy.

Lets take a closer look at the seven icons on the left side of the altar (click on any of the images to see a larger version).

Adam and Eve: (left) Naked in the garden, the icon shows the tree of life, the snake and Adam's scar.  An allegory about what happens to people as they go through puberty, this story is one of the first in the bible.

Isaac: (right) Depicted in front of mountains and a lamb, Issac has no hands in the assumption that his relationship with his father and family trauma altered their relationship and his life forever.

Tamar: (left) Tamar pretends to be a prostitute to continue her family line.  Keeping intimate items to prove the lineage of her offspring, Tamar was painted with a red band around her head to symbolize her sexual choices.  Hidden entirely behind her clothes, Tamar represents the trauma that comes from difficult sexual choices.

Rahab: (right) Also thought to be a prostitute, Rahab uses a red cord to signal to spies that her house is a safe place for them.  As a result her family is saved when the city is destroyed.  Rahab's hand is shown to symbolize the way she uses her trauma to find liberation.

Naomi, Ruth and Boaz: (left) Ruth was a widow who loved her mother-in-law.  While gleaning (collecting the crops left for the poor), Naomi devises a plan for Ruth to marry Boaz.  Ruth gets Boaz drunk and then makes sure that when he wakes up his "feet" is in her hand, so he'll have to marry her.  It works.  This painting has wheat in the corners to remind us of the difficult choices Ruth makes because of poverty.

Jesse: (right) Perhaps the most popular and famous king of Israel, Jesse was a shepherd and is often referenced in hymns.

David, Jonathon and Bethsheba: (left) King David proclaimed that he loved Jonathon more than anyone else in the world.  After Jonathon is killed, David finds lots and lots of wives.  One of them, Bethsheba, became his wife after he spotted her bathing naked on a roof and had her Bethsheba's first husband killed in war.  David's saint crown doesn't form a circle, to remind the viewer of his sorted love life.

Now, let's look at the five icons on the right side of the altar, which follow Mary's family line. 

Anna and Joaquin: (left) Some Christians believe that Mary was the first person born without sin - making her body the perfect place for a part God, part human Jesus to be born.  This was accomplished when her elderly barren parents were visited by the Holy Spirit (depicted as a dove) and 9 months later, along came Mary. 

Mary and Joseph: (right) Mary and Joseph, Jesus' mom and step father are depicted with the star that was said to guide the Magi to them.  In Judaism stars symbolize hope, here the star reminds us of Mary's hope that Jesus' birth would fulfill God's promise to bring justice to the world.

Elizabeth and Zachariah: (left) Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, is the mother of John the Baptist.  Elizabeth feels the baby in her womb leap when pregnant Mary comes to visit.  Zachariah becomes unable to speak during the pregnancy and misses the big moment when he's supposed to say God's name at a festival.

James: (right) James was much more popular than Jesus during his day.  This brother of Jesus is mentioned in historical texts of the day.

Jude and perhaps Thomas: (left) Another of Jesus brothers, some wonder if Jude is also the disciple called Thomas (the twin), because he was thought to look a lot like Jesus.  Known as the doubting disciple, the image of Thomas has rough sections to remind us of the time Thomas said he wouldn't believe that Jesus was resurrected unless he could touch Jesus' wounds.