The Heavens Declare - Oh The Wonder!

A very good friend of mine has an expression, that echoes Psalm 19:

Oh The Wonder!!

The text from Psalm 19 has been a favorite of mine, for a very long time...
I love to look at the sky.

I've been late to work on some days, just for looking up at the clouds in the sky,


Enjoy the text of Psalm 19 ~ a few different ways... :-)

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.

3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The Message:

Psalm 19

A David psalm

1God's glory is on tour in the skies, God--craft on exhibit across the horizon.

2Madame Day holds classes every morning,

Professor Night lectures each evening.

3Their words aren't heard,

their voices aren't recorded,

4But their silence fills the earth:

unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

God makes a huge dome

for the sun--a superdome!

5The morning sun's a new husband

leaping from his honeymoon bed,

The daybreaking sun an athlete

racing to the tape.

6That's how God's Word vaults across the skies

from sunrise to sunset,

Melting ice, scorching deserts,

warming hearts to faith.

7The revelation of GOD is whole

and pulls our lives together.

The signposts of GOD are clear

and point out the right road.

8The life--maps of GOD are right,

showing the way to joy.

The directions of GOD are plain

and easy on the eyes.

9GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,

with a lifetime guarantee.

The decisions of GOD are accurate

down to the nth degree.

10God's Word is better than a diamond,

better than a diamond set between emeralds.

You'll like it better than strawberries in spring,

better than red, ripe strawberries.

11There's more: God's Word warns us of danger

and directs us to hidden treasure.

12Otherwise how will we find our way?

Or know when we play the fool?

13Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

Keep me from stupid sins,

from thinking I can take over your work;

Then I can start this day sun-washed,

scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.

14These are the words in my mouth;

these are what I chew on and pray.

Accept them when I place them

on the morning altar,

O God, my Altar-Rock,

God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

A Special Treat - Rudolf Schäfer's altar screen from Germany

These three panels are from an altar in Germany at a Mental Health Care facility sponsored by the Church. www.eben-ezer.de

Rudolf Schäfer was an artist who made many many woodcuts for Biblical publications, and a whole Bible published first in 1929.

I contacted the Eben-ezer facility and they sent me some photos of Schäfer's altar screen.
~ hope you enjoy them...

Barry Moser's Illustrated Bible, a First level source for Visio Divina image Meditations

Today, I wanted to introduce to you the Barry Moser Illustrated Bible, finished in 1999.
I am aware of only two bibles entirely illustrated in the woodcut style by one person in the 20th Century, The Moser Bible, and the Schäfer Bible, which I may cover later.

The Barry Moser Bible has 229 woodcut style images, done in a medium of plastic designed to mimic the best medium for wood engraving, English Boxwood.



Moser's images are starkly and terribly wonderful and extremely powerful. I am constantly stunned by these images, when I view this Bible. So Many of his images are really portraits, that do not limit the ethnicity of the person to western facial features, but many are semitic, giving great authenticity and strength to these portraits.

The versions appearing here are prepared by someone else, and their quality and contrast pale comparatively to their originals, but the cure is easy, and cheap...Buy a copy for yourself, and your family, and all your friends and loved ones, to share with all of them the power of images in their lives and relationship with God.

Here's a link for this at Amazon.com



This is really a classic and first level source of images to use in Visio Divina meditation... It's really a "WOW" bible.

The Road to Emmaus

John the Baptist

Elijah fed by Ravens

The Crucifixion (one panel of two)

Jonah and the Whale and a Young David































































Here is a link for an internet story on Moser, and his life's journey, as related to his Bible images and their making:

Today in Literature: Barry Moser Bible