Christ is the Door
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside
the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23 KJV
Psalm 23
SWANSON,
John August
2010
Serigraph on paper, 15 ¼” by 24 ¼”
47
Color Stencils
Los
Angeles, California
United
States
http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm/PID%3d1.2-15.html
JOHN AUGUST SWANSON
makes his home in Los Angeles, California, where he was born in 1938. He paints
in oil, watercolor, acrylic and mixed media, and is an independent printmaker
of limited edition serigraphs, lithographs and etchings.
His art reflects
the strong heritage of storytelling he inherited from his Mexican mother and
Swedish father. John Swanson’s narrative is direct and easily understood. He
addresses himself to human values, cultural roots, and his quest for
self-discovery through visual images. These include Bible stories and social
celebrations such as attending the circus, the concert, and the opera. He also
tells of everyday existence, of city and country walks, of visits to the
library, the train station or the schoolroom. All his parables optimistically
embrace life and one’s spiritual transformation.
John Swanson
studied with Corita Kent at Immaculate Heart College. His unique style is
influenced by the imagery of Islamic and medieval miniatures, Russian
iconography, the color of Latin American folk art, and the tradition of Mexican
muralists.
His art is in no
way "naïve." It is detailed, complex, and elaborate. Unlike many
contemporary artists, John Swanson works directly on all phases in producing
his original prints. His serigraphs (limited-edition screen prints) have from
40 to 89 colors printed, using transparent and opaque inks creating rich and
detailed imagery. For each color printed the artist must draw a stencil on
Mylar film. This stencil is transferred to the silk screen for printing the
color ink on the serigraph edition. The resulting serigraph is a matrix of
richly overlaid colors visually striking and technically masterful.
Mr. Swanson’s art is represented in the permanent collections of many museums, including three museums of the Smithsonian Institution: The National Museum of American History, The National Museum of American Art and The National Air and Space Museum. He is also included in the print collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Harvard University’s Fogg Museum, the Tate Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. His painting THE PROCESSION is one of relatively few works by contemporary artists to be selected for the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Modern Religious Art. In 2008, an extensive collection of John August Swanson’s works were purchased by Emory University’s Candler School of Theology to hang on the walls of their new 76,349 square foot building. He was awarded The Dean’s Medal for his art’s transformative effect on the campus. With over 55 works hung, this is the largest open public display of the artwork of John August Swanson. [from the artist's website]
The death of Jesus left a fledgling faith community
bereft until they themselves rose out of his grave
to begin life over again
wiser for what they knew,
stronger for what he was,
determined now to finish what had already begun.
All things end so that something else can happen.
~
Sr Joan Chittister
I am
the breeze that nurtures all things green.
I
encourage blossoms to flourish with ripening fruits.
I am
the rain coming from the dew
that
causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life.
~ Hildegard of Bingen
Ray Yoshioka’s 100 Day Celebration
“Okuizome (お食い初め)"
It means the first meal and the tradition is to
pray for the baby's health, growth,
and for them to never go hungry in the future.
(Explanations by his mother, Junna Sakamoto Yoshioka)
(From Right; Red snapper, clam soup, stewed chicken
mix, stone:umeboshi:kamaboko all on one plate, rice and namasu)
Each
dish symbolize and wishes the babies health. The fish (Red Snapper)
is a kind we usually eat when there is something to celebrate. Red snapper is
Japanese is "Tai" and this is a pun with the Japanese word
"Omedetai" meaning celebratory. Umeboshi (dried plum) symbolize that
the baby will live long until he is old and wrinkly. The Lotus used in the
stewed chicken mix means the baby see through the future as lotus
routs have many holes. Red and White "Namasu" is a vinegared
vegetable mix cooked with carrots and Japanese radish. Red and white color
is auspicious combination in Japan. Also, carrots and Japanese radish are root
vegetables so this means we wish the baby to live a life day by day like root
corps grow.The clam used in the soup is to wish the baby encounter good partner
in the future since a shells is always in pairs. And finally the most
important... a Stone! yes, you didn't miss read this. We don't actually feed
the baby this stone but this is to wish the baby to have strong teeth.
And
yes the babies can't eat all this so it was mainly pretend eating for Ray
and Eugene and I got to enjoy the food :)
We
also dressed Ray up in "Hakama" a traditional formal kimono for
boys.
The
Yoshioka Family
Another Zoom Week
Just
a few pictures ...
Sunday
morning coffee hour after church via Zoom —
This
is one of the things the Green girls constructed.
A
delightful bunny that Jackie McFarland painted!
At
Rotary on Friday morning, Bill Manning shaved!
A wise man is superior to any
insults which can be put upon him,
and the best reply to unseemly behavior is
patience and moderation.*
~
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Moliere
May 3, 2020 Fourth Sunday
of Easter Year A
Previous
OPQs may be found at:
* Easier said than done!
Very
truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but
climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the
gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and
the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep
follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but
they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers."
Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he
was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am
the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the
sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be
saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to
steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly."
John 10:1-10
Agnus
Day, by James Wetzstein
Agnus
Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Congratulations,
Jack
Alexander, for completing your hormone treatments
and 20
of your 40 radiation treatments!!!
YEA,
Jack!
Acts 2:42-47
Psalm
23
1
Peter 2:19-25
John
10:1-10
Acts
2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone,
because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who
believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their
possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day
by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at
home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having
the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number
those who were being saved.
Psalm
23
God is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
God makes me lie down
in green pastures,
and leads me beside
still waters;
God restores my soul
and leads me in right paths
for the sake of God's name.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff--
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of God
my whole life long.
1
Peter 2:19-25
For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while
suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what
credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have
God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered
for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered,
he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He
himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we
might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were
going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian
of your souls.
John
10:1-10
Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold
by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who
enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate
for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads
them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the
sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger,
but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of
strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not
understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am
the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the
sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be
saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to
steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly."