children's bibles

don't get me started on children's bibles... or on flannel-graph for that matter. there is nothing more profoundly uncreative than the way the church has attempted to engage the smaller and illiterate members of the faith community. (the opposite problem is the dogma that once literate, images have no place in the believers faith experience, but that's a whole different post). anyways, reading children's bibles to my son has been painful for both of us. he'd rather read dr. seuss or richard scarry and frankly, so would i. so i found myself a bit caught. it is important to me that my sons know the story of our faith but it is also maybe more important to me that they not reject it some day, simply because of the offensive flatness and absence of mystery with which it has been presented (as i almost did myself). so i set out to see if there was such a thing as a children's bible that honored the story as well as stimulated the imagination without insulting the aesthetic sensibilities of both child and parent. much to my surprise, i discovered this beautiful gift, The Lion Illustrated Bible for Children. the narrative is creative and accurate. the illustrations are absolutely fantastic and whimsical with the characters appearing to be appropriately middle-eastern, rather than bath-robe outfitted norwegians. the illustrator seems to be influenced by Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen or Gustav Klimt in style... categories simply unheard of in christian art for kids. i highly recommend this to you artsy parents who believe the kingdom of God has to do with even the art we wrap His story in to tell it to our kids.

enchanted

i found this image on the bbc a couple of days ago and threw it up on religious imagery and somehow keep coming back to it with fresh eyes. i see this neon sign everywhere: in churches, in relationships, at work, on the face of every person who has repeatedly been disappointed by hope. after a while we adopt this as a way of life- declaring to the world and those around us: "mine is not an enchanted forest, and there will be no miracles here."

motherhood: of joy and sorrow*

Motherhood is inherently a relational endeavor- one cannot be a mother without another being. As in any relationship (and more so, as the primary relationship) to embrace motherhood is to walk into one’s deepest desires and greatest fears.

To be called into Motherhood is to be called into Life:

Luke 1:46-49 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name…”

To be called into Motherhood is to be called into Death

Luke 2:34-35 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and Mary, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

If life is to be brought through death it seems as though mothers are the daily embodiment of the paradoxical message of the gospel.

And yet there is so much confusion around mothers. Phrases like “don’t mother me” and “momma’s boy” (amongst others) convey a profound disappointment with mothers. If you really stop to think about being in the presence of one who has bared and birthed and nourished and raised you (given you life)… you will go crazy. I experience gratitude, disappointment, love, shame, tenderness, weirdness and awe when I consider my mother. But the question that I’m sitting with today is- How did she discover life more fully through being my mother? And what was it for her to die a million deaths on my behalf?

And now I look at my wife- mother now twice. Death- and yet more Alive than ever before. Her face bears a heaviness (a darkness?) it didn’t 2 years ago yet she carries a lightness of joy I didn’t know she possessed. I have seen her mourn the loss of much but have seen her grow into deeper more complex beauty because she has embraced the call to bear life on behalf of the other with the risk of death for her self. And that is motherhood- to bear life on behalf of the other with the risk of death for one’s self. Mary would be the mother of the Messiah and have a sword pierce through her soul because of it. Similarly, is this not the call of Jesus? An invitation to embody this stance towards our family, our community and our world. This is a place where we are called to die and in doing so, discover a life of meaning we could not imagine. Happy Mothers Day.

*(notes for dialog at wits end church today)

jim rittimann

the other day i was walking in downtown seattle and stumbled upon this golden nugget- jim rittimann's "Paradise Insects and Symbiotic Relationships". check it out in person if you have a chance, it's on 2nd and james- absolutely incredible.

de frente

rojii and michi

check out chuck's fantastic new artwork- rojii and michi. it's brilliant.

escapadita: camano island state park