and in loving memory of Hilbert Schumacher, the Holy Evangelists - "My heart overflows with a pleasing theme, my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe":
St. John
Before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
Christians, come, in sweetest measures
Sing of those who spread the treasures
In the holy Gospels shrined;
Blessed tidings of salvation,
Peace on earth their proclamation,
Love from God to lost mankind.
See the rivers four that gladden
With their streams the better Eden,
Planted by our Savior dear.
Christ, the Fountain, these the waters!
Drink, O Zion's sons and daughters,
Drink and find salvation here.
TLH 282 - Hugh of St. Victor
who was and is and is to come!”
Christians, come, in sweetest measures
Sing of those who spread the treasures
In the holy Gospels shrined;
Blessed tidings of salvation,
Peace on earth their proclamation,
Love from God to lost mankind.
See the rivers four that gladden
With their streams the better Eden,
Planted by our Savior dear.
Christ, the Fountain, these the waters!
Drink, O Zion's sons and daughters,
Drink and find salvation here.
TLH 282 - Hugh of St. Victor
Wow! The most beautiful church in the world just keeps getting MORE beautiful.
ReplyDelete(joey lawrence style) Whoa.
ReplyDeleteVery nice! SDG!
Fantastic, congratulations.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful reminder to the pastor, who, during the Divine Service, will be seeing these paintings the most frequently, of whose Word he is to be preaching!
Very nice! The Lord be praised!
ReplyDeleteWow. Very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI was gonna say, I don't remember those being there.
ReplyDeleteNow I have to come back and photograph them from atop a ladder. ;)
You do, Jen!
ReplyDeleteI think St. Luke is my favorite.
Beautiful paintings! Care to comment on the significance of each Gospel writer's symbol (its meaning)?
ReplyDeleteWikipedia is your friend!:
ReplyDeleteMatthew the Evangelist, the author of the first gospel account is symbolized by an winged man or angel. Matthew's gospel starts with Jesus' genealogy from Abraham; it represents Jesus' Incarnation, and so Christ's human nature. This signifies that Christians should use their reason for salvation.[citation needed]
Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second gospel account is symbolized by a winged lion - a figure of courage and monarchy. Mark has John the Baptist preaching "like a lion roaring" at the beginning of his Gospel. It also represents Jesus' Resurrection (because lions were believed to sleep with open eyes, a comparison with Christ in the tomb), and Christ as king. This signifies that Christians should be courageous on the path of salvation.[citation needed]
Luke the Evangelist, the author of the third gospel account (and the Acts of the Apostles) is symbolized by a winged ox or bull - a figure of sacrifice, service and strength. Luke's account begins with the duties of Zacharias in the temple; it represents Jesus' sacrifice in His Passion and Crucifixion, as well as Christ being High priest (this also represents Mary's obedience). The ox signifies that Christians should be prepared to sacrifice themselves in following Christ.[citation needed]
John the Evangelist, the author of the fourth gospel account is symbolized by an eagle - a figure of the sky, and believed to be able to look straight into the sun. John starts with an eternal overview of Jesus the Logos and goes on to describe many things with a "higher" level than the other three (synoptic) gospels; it represents Jesus' Ascension, and Christ's divine nature. This represents that Christians should look on eternity without flinching as they journey towards their goal of union with God.
P.S. The "this signifies" stuff is a bit off, naturally.
ReplyDeleteVery Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSo do you still have many WW-II veterans in your congregation? Pretty soon they'll be gone & you can get rid of the flags in the nave.
Jeff
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteYes, we still have WWII vets - I have a member who was on the beach at Normandy.
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, John. I wish you could see them in person. They just "fit" the room very well.
ReplyDeleteLove it, Pr. Weedon! Did you mention somewhere who the artist is?
ReplyDeleteI am ashamed that I do not remember Brenda's last name. I know her name prior to marriage was Autenrieb and that she is the chief artist for Autenrieb studios in Edwardsville, IL.
ReplyDeletePastor Weedon,
ReplyDeleteTwo comments, first, would it be possible to get pics of the evangelists from a level position without the distortion??
Second, so far as removal of the flags from the nave, it would also be sad to see them removed for someone serving in the military today...Another thought is that they are a reminder we are 'in' this world, but not 'of' this world.
Yours In Christ,
Darian L. Hybl
During the service this morning, C said, "Who is that man up there?". I replied, "I don't know", thinking that he was referring to someone up in the balcony and not wanting to turn around and look. I realized later, when you brought our attention to them, that he was talking about one of the new paintings! They are lovely and kids notice everything!
ReplyDeleteDarien,
ReplyDeleteworking on it!
Stephanie,
That's too funny. Your little fellow doesn't miss a turn, does he?