Tag: abram

Pentecost +2, Proper 5A

No distrust made Abraham waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.

Welcome!

Each Wednesday morning a group of us gather to explore the readings to be used in worship on the following Sunday. Our handout features readings, commentaries, and notes for the Second Sunday After Pentecost (June 11, 2023) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary.

In our Forum on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, we carefully explored the readings from Genesis 12:1-9 and Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 for the voice of the Spirit. Both the appointed Psalm (Psalm 33:1-12) and the portion of the Letter to the Romans (Romans 4:13-25) added depth to our discussion.

Please view or download the handout we used to guide our exploration.

View the Revised Common Lectionary readings appointed for Sunday, June 11, 2023 on the Revised Common Lectionary site curated by the Vanderbilt Divinity Library.

Track 1 and Track 2?

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?

During the … season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.

The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands. 

The first track of Old Testament readings (“Track 1”) follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. In Year A we begin with Genesis, in Year B we hear some of the great monarchy narratives, and in Year C we read from the later prophets.

A second track of readings (“Track 2”) follows the Roman Catholic tradition of thematically pairing the Old Testament reading with the Gospel reading, often typologically—a sort of foretelling of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry, if you will. ….

Within each track there may be additional readings, complementary to the standard reading; these may be used with the standard reading, or in place of it.

(credit to The Rev Dr. J. Barrington Bates)

Via The Lectionary Page (scroll down to view)

Pay attention. Keep learning.

View or download the Handout for Proper 5, Year A.

Saint Matthew – Tax Man, Apostle, Evangelist, Martyr from the Ad Imaginem Dei blog curated by Margaret M. Duffy. This post explores Saint Matthew presented in Christian art through the centuries.

Please come back to this site throughout the week in order to keep learning.

Image: ChurchArt Pro

The Vision of the Lord directing Abraham to Count the Stars

Envisioning a turning point in Salvation History.

The Vision of the Lord Directing Abraham to Count the Stars, wood engraving, 1860, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872

Commentary by Hovak Najarian

The Book of Genesis gives an account of Abram being visited by God. Abram was notified of God’s covenant and that he (Abram) would be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. Abram was told, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them” and God said, “So shall your descendants be.” Abram was ninety-nine years old when his name was changed to Abraham (“father of many” in Hebrew) and a covenant with God was made.

In nineteenth-century Europe during the lifetime of German artist, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, there was renewed interest in classicism. This interest in Greek and Roman art was due partly to the discovery of the Roman cities, Pompeii and Herculaneum during the eighteenth century. In AD 79, these two cities were buried by the volcanic ash of Mt. Vesuvius. Cultural changes also brought conditions that favored a return to classicism. Artists who worked in this “neoclassic” style tended to take a formal and intellectual approach to art. Their contemporaries, the Romanticists led by Eugene Delacroix, however, believed art should come from the heart and reflect emotions. When Schnorr first studied in Rome, he admired the art of the late middle ages and Early Renaissance. Later, he was influenced by artists of the High Renaissance, but by mid-nineteenth century, at the time he engraved, The Vision of the Lord Directing Abraham to Count the Stars, there was dramatic action (a characteristic of Romanticism) in his work.

Schnorr first studied engraving with his father and then attended the Vienna Academy in Austria. From there he went to Rome and joined a brotherhood of likeminded artist who sought a return of spiritual content in art. The artists that were part of this fervent group affected biblical manners in their clothes and hair and were soon called, “The Nazarenes.” After ten years in Rome, Schnorr returned to Germany and settled in Munich where he established a successful career painting frescos and designing windows for churches.

While on a visit to London in 1851, Schnorr was commissioned to create a Picture Bible. During the next eight years, he completed more than two hundred wood engravings in which he interpreted biblical stories and events. Schnorr’s Bible contains the dramatic engraving that depicts God calling Abraham’s attention to the heavens. When Abraham looked at the stars, he was awed and fell to kneel on one knee. God is there before him pointing to the stars. As in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel, God is shown surrounded by figures symbolizing unborn generations that are to come to earth when it is their time.

Hovak Najarian © 2018

Be well. Do good. Pay attention. Keep learning.

Image: Wikimedia Commons