Love
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Dream
Now
the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had
been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be
with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and
unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But
just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your
wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a
son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their
sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through
the prophet:
which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25
The
Angel Visiting Joseph in a Dream
LA
TOUR, Georges du Mesnil de
1628-1645
Musee
des Beaux-Arts
Nantes
France
Fourth Sunday in Advent, Year A: This
image depicts the theophany of Joseph, when an angel appears to Joseph in a
dream, telling him of the virgin birth. The image reflects the lectionary
text from Matthew.
Georges De La Tour
painted ‘The Dream of St Joseph’ around the year 1640. Until 1913, it was
believed to be the work of Rembrandt, even though De La Tour‘s signature was in
the top right-hand corner of the painting. Apparently, due to the beauty and
magnificence of the painting; many sought a famous name to place on it. It
displays a young child in biblical clothing standing before an old man who is
still holding on to his book after falling asleep. The artist’s dramatic use of
lighting gives the room a supernatural atmosphere and creates a feeling of
serenity.
Interpretations
of the Painting
The most common
interpretation of ‘The Dream of St Joseph’ suggests that the elderly man in the
painting is Joseph, and that he is dreaming of a visit from an angel who is
announcing to him the upcoming arrival of his blessed son.
Another theory is
that the young child is Samuel, who has been summoned by Eli, his priest. When
Samuel arrives to find Eli sleeping, he realizes that the voice he heard was in
fact the voice of God calling to him. The child’s hand gestures and the
intricately detailed curve of his fingers add powerful meaning to the scene.
The arm covering the flame of the candle causes an illumination of the face
that results in a dream-like aura found in very few masterpieces of the
era.
Analysis and
Reviews
“Georges de la
Tour's works can be distinguished most especially through the unique use of
lighting in his nocturnal scenes. The paintings are lit with a candle, a
nightlight, or a torch, which are sometimes visible or are, at other times,
hidden behind a subject's hand or object. As for his less numerous and less
popular daylight scenes, the figures are rendered with an acute eye to detail
and a simplicity within the scene that is not found in the works of any other
artist at the time.” (Misty Amanda Vandergriff – Sweet Briar College study
page)
‘The Dream of St
Joseph’ is currently located at the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Nantes, France.
In the evening,
we will be judged on love.
~ St. John of the Cross
Love many things, for therein lies the true strength,
and whosoever loves much performs much,
and can accomplish much,
and what is done in love is done well.
~
Vincent Van Gogh
Sculpture Evergreen
Monday,
December 13, 2016
Christmas
Party
Karen
(golfing buddy) and James Hume hosted the party in their lovely home.
Beautifully
decorated home!
Anna
Marie Nelson, President of Sculpture Evergreen (golfing buddy),
with
Martha Zavodsky.
We
celebrated Joan Evashevski’s birthday at Willow Creek on Tuesday evening.
Center for the Arts Board Holiday Party
Wednesday,
December 14, 2016
Becky
Guy and her husband with their son, Atticus.
Atticus
loved to dance!
Dine Around Holiday Party
Thursday,
December 15, 2016
Don
and Marty Unger were our hosts in their beautifully decorated home.
Annette
Bradley, Carolyn Alexander, Jeff Brekke, Gretchen MacArthur
At
our Rotary Club meeting Friday morning, we were treated to carols
by
15 members of the Evergreen Chorale.
Drive-Through Nativity
Church
of the Hills Presbyterian
Evergreen,
Colorado
Saturday,
December 17, 2016
The
subzero temperature was —6 degrees!
My
shutter kept freezing and I had to keep putting the camera
inside
my jacket.
We
even had camels, sheep, goats, burros, and more!
Then
it was off to a lovely party.
The
Vickstrom’s home
Mark
and Anne Vickstrom
Carolyn
with Philip Yancey and another guest.
Philip
is a popular Christian writer and has authored many books.
The more one judges,
the less one loves.
~
Honore de Balzac
December 18, 2016 Fourth Sunday of Advent
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:1-7
Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein
Agnus Day appears with the
permission of www.agnusday.org
~
Richard Rohr quote on a photo by Mark Vickstrom
(Thank
you, Mark!)
Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25