Cornelis Monsma Abstract Christian Artist

"Prayer Focus", by Cornelis Monsma

I am always blessed by viewing, dwelling, meditating and enjoying Visio Divina Meditations with Mr. Monsma's work. You may too...

Cornelis Monsma's Website

Our Creator/Artist God Rejoices in His Works (artworks)

Reading this morning in an absolutely favorite psalm, Psalm 104, I was struck by God standing back, and looking at his creativity, enjoying it.

We so often do the same after completing a project, we spend time standing back and gazing upon the works of our hands... I just enjoyed thinking about God looking back at me, and enjoying that he'd made me... :-) Hmmm...

It's great to read the whole psalm, fast, then slowly, and then think about what catches your attention, and ask God to bring His mind to you... but here is a truncated version of Psalm 104 below... the parts that hit me this morning...

Have a great time with God today...

Paul

Psalm 104

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent

3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.

4 He makes winds his messengers, ^[a]
flames of fire his servants.

5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.

10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.

11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12 The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.

13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:

15 wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart.

16 The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the pine trees.

24 How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.

27 These all look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.

28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.

29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.

30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-

32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.

A Bit More for Holy Week ~ Favorite Unusual Images of the Season

These images are some of my favorites for Visio Divina meditation, for the Easter Holy Week.

Be sure to click on an image that interests you, as the linked image is much larger for these images.

Grace and Peace to you, this Resurrection week...

Paul







Julius Schnorr, Peter Asks for forgiveness

Jacques James Tissot, What Jesus saw from the Cross

Salvador Dali, Christ of Saint John of the Cross

Rembrandt, The Three Crosses

Jean Leon Gerome, Consummatum est Jerusalem

He Qi, Easter Morning

Matthias Grünewald, Isenheim Altarpiece Resurrection

He Qi, He Is Risen

Stations of the Cross at Crossroads Church

This week, my church, Crossroads Church in Corona, CA, presented 11 Stations of the Cross.
(not to be ignorant that there are more stations than that, it's just that 11 artists volunteered to make artworks for 11 stations, so there are 11 of them... :-)

But the Jesus is Whipped and beaten Station, just seemed to be so terribly well done, with the whip ends being the words, "ME", or "YOU". It is about 12 feet long, so the sheer size of the whip is overwhelming as well. Not to give the other stations short shrift, they were also excellent, done by talented Artists.

This one just hit me at a point of personal relevancy... as I suppose that the stations are supposed to do...

Good Good Friday. With the anticipation of Easter... :-) Paul

Passion Week Visio Divina Meditations

For this Holy week, I thought that I might post the Holy week images from an old favorite book, "The life of Christ in Woodcuts", a book without words, just images, By James Reid, 1930.

So, Here's images to meditate upon for Holy Week, from the book, and these are the whole selection of this time period of the book, telling the story. Prior to these images, there is about two thirds of the book, and after, just two more images, 1. Giving the Great Commission, and 2. Christ's Ascension.

I pray that you can see God freshly anew in His magnificent Gifting this week.

As with all images, you can click to see a larger version, This one above is especially nice, and the larger version is bigger than the others...