Name Day: June 24

Name Day: June 24

“On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ Then, they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed.”—Luke 1:59-63.

If your name is John or some derivative, June 24 is your name day. We also celebrate it as the birthday of John the Baptist. In some countries, such as Greece, this is even more important than your regular birthday. When our daughter, Joanna, and her dad were in Greece on this, her name day, their guide Maria did not charge them for taking them around that day. When others heard it was her name day, they gave her gifts.

Just as important as this name day is to our family is the remembrance that June 24 is the birthday of Bob or Dede, my husband’s father, who showed our children and us so much unconditional care and love. More and more in my life, I find it necessary to remember people who taught us about unconditional love. We can feel the love they brought into our lives as we remember the person.

Consider learning about your name, how you got it, and even your name day.

On June 24, I also remember my grandparents, Joe and Anna, as I was named after them. Again, these were two people who taught me about love without conditions. I was the “apple of their eye.” They loved me no matter what I did. They did not always condone what I did, but still loved the sinner. Through their love, I learned about the unconditional love of God.

Honor and remember those who have brought the presence of love into your life. My experience is that in bringing them back into our memory, we can still feel and experience that love—even if they are not with us and are now living in eternal life.

The God of my understanding does not give us this love and then stop it at death. Love lives on. Love never dies.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Abundance

Abundance

“The church is the only community that has as its central symbolic act called, ‘Thanks.’ The Eucharist. Eucharist is Greek for ‘Thanks.’ Participation in the Eucharist is an act of gratitude for the abundance that the creator God gives to the world!

But the extraction economy wants to think, ‘It’s mine!’ ‘I made it, I own it, I can do what I want, I don’t have to be grateful to anybody.’ Which leads me to think that participation in the Eucharist is the most subversive thing we can do. But notice what the long history of the church has done to the Eucharist. It has siphoned off its danger into something about sin and salvation and getting right with God, rather than a meal for the neighborhood.”—Walter Brueggemann.

Brueggemann reminds us of something we so often forget about: the Eucharist. Christ called all to the Welcome Table, which should be the center of our worship. Weekly or daily Eucharist is an experience of abundance. There is always enough bread and wine and always some left over. The Eucharist is a reminder of a great gift: the love of God for each of us and for all.

Remembering we are giving thanks for God’s great gift of love,

Remembering this is a table of abundance for all,

Remembering this is an assurance that we have been given a life of abundance through Christ

Can make all the difference in how we receive the Eucharist and

How we live our lives.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

Painting as a Spiritual Practice

                                 Painting as a Spiritual Practice

Guest Writer: Ken Fellows

  Watercolor Painting

     Before I took up watercolor painting, I was a radiologist who spent decades contemplating black/white images. My gray-scale discrimination is pretty good, and perhaps the reason my paintings feature light and shadow …..a doctor colleague observed at one of my shows: “Well, I see you’re still dealing in shadows.” Interpreting X-ray images also requires subconsciously rejecting what’s unimportant or extraneous and focusing on the unusual, the variant, and the arresting. The same holds true for watercolor art. When I paint, I do a similar thing: I try to extract elements of a scene that are essential and defining, and leave out those that are mundane or distracting. Art teachers stress that what’s left out of a painting is as important as what is included. Sometimes, deciding that can be difficult … it complicates the start of every painting.

     Dewitt Hardy was my best teacher. He painted locally and was known nationally as a master of watercolors. His early criticism of my own work was that my paintings were “too photographic.” Other people have observed, not always admiringly, that “your work looks like a photo.” I offer no defense, unintentional as ‘the look’ may be.

     I often use personal photos as a painting reference, but I’ve usually studied and sketched the scene on-site before attempting a final rendition. Photos taken on-site help me recall the ambient light and shadows when back in my studio. Everything else –the objects, shapes, proportions, and colors –are all candidates for change and innovation.

     Whatever viewers think about my work, if it’s in a show, it has already passed my severest critics …my artist/wife Kristin, photographer/daughter Hannah, and young granddaughter Ella (who always recommends: “Grandpa, there’s not enough color”). They have discerning eyes and good judgment. If they disapprove, the painting is never on display. My paintings have qualified for about 65 shows over the past 22 years. I’ve been fortunate to have the support and encouragement of my family, and to have found this ‘2nd act’ in life.                                                                             

     In any case, I paint for pleasure, not for critical approval. I see more things I want to paint than I can ever accomplish. I choose what I like and paint what I see. There’s no message in my work –no karmic meaning, no philosophical intent. When a painting pleases me enough to hang on a wall, and my in-house jury approves, I dare publicly to exhibit it. I am satisfied if anyone else finds the effort either pleasing or interesting. 

   “I’ve been drawing all my life, just as a hobby, without really having shows or anything. It’s just an agreeable thing to do, and I recommend it to everybody. I always say to people, practice an art, no matter how well or badly, because then you have the experience of becoming, and it makes your soul grow.”—Kurt Vonnegut

Ken Fellows

Joanna joannaseibert.com