Making Square Foot Beds and this week in our garden

Well, I can't take much credit for the building of our Square Foot Beds in the back yard since I was hit with a terrible stomach flu the day they were made! We were blessed to have some of RJ's students over to help and I vaguely remembering wandering out once to mutter something about keeping the soil moist as they mixed it, getting strange looks, and going back to bed.

But I can tell you the book (All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew) has very detailed instructions on making the beds, the right soil, seed sowing, plant spacing and more.

The Boxes:

We bought 2 pine 2x6 lumber boards for each bed, sawed them in half, and used a drill to attach them with wood screws. We then laid down Weed Block so we didn't have to dig out the grass. The beds were filled with our own version of Mel's Mix.

Here is one cost-comparison for making the boxes. For those who think just planting seeds is ambitious, you can buy the boxes here.

The Soil Mel recommends:
* 1/3 Peat Moss – available at any garden center or supermarket. It expands to double its size in the bag
* 1/3 Vermiculite – Buy the coarse grade in large 4 cubic-foot bags at any garden center.
* 1/3 Compost – Buy bags of it at the garden center to get started, but make your own as soon as possible.

We decided to skip the Vermiculite after talking with our local gardening center expert. It was expensive and he said it really wasn't necessary. For compost, we did purchase a few bags of different types of compost/manure since Mel recommends using 5 different types, but we mainly used free compost from our local county, which saved us a bunch of money. We hope to stock up so that for the rest of the season we won't have to buy compost. And maybe, just maybe, by the end of the summer, we will have our compost heap going!

The book explains that such rich soil should not need any fertilizer so we will wait and see. But we will use organic fertilizer if we have too.
I like Organic!

The Grid:

The beds are then divided into square feet. We used Wood Lathe Board (they come 4 feet long!) and followed the plant spacing guide in the book and found on one easy page on Emily's site at My Square Foot Garden. (What I also loved about Emily's site this Spring was getting her emails about when to plant. After you determine your color based on your hardiness zone, she will send you weekly emails about what to plant when!)

Lettuce and Spinach-4 to a square!

Plant Spacing:

Emily explains plant spacing in this way:

"To calculate how many plants per square, look on the back of the seed packet–totally ignore the row spacing, just look at the plant spacing:

• 3″ apart (or less), plant 16 per square
• 4″ apart, plant 9 per square
• 6″ apart, plant 4 per square
• 12″ apart, plant 1 per square"

Chard seedlings, 4 to a square

Peas, 9 to a square

The Cages:

The cages were made with 1x2 inch pine lumber boards, cut and attached in the same way as the boxes. We used our staple gun to attach the chicken wire to the frame. We bought 1" chicken wire which was difficult to work with, but we figured it only had to be done once and would ensure that even the tiniest of bunnies couldn't get in!

The cages were sturdy enough that on frosty nights I could throw a blanket over to protect the seedlings.

Location of boxes:

1. Close to the house for convenience.
2. Pick an area that gets 6-8 hours of sunshine a day.
3. Stay clear of trees or other structures that may shade the bed.
4. The area shouldn't puddle after a heavy rain.

Vertical Frames:
One last catch to growing lots of vegetables in one 4x4 plot is growing plants up. We still don't have our vertical frames but our peas are so big that we need them soon. I'm not exactly sure if we will try to build our own, just use trellis or purchase frames. I'll update next week!

So I hope that shows that even if you have a small backyard like us you can still grow lots of veggies!! It's not too late to start now!

Check out Anna Kocher

Anna Kocher, who I interviewed during Holy Week, has been featured on Her.meneutics, the Christianity Today Blog for Women! Hope you'll check it out.

Congrats Anna!

The Simple Life: Homemade Laundry Detergent

I've had a few friends ask for my homemade laundry detergent recipe so I thought I'd post it here to share with everyone. It's just another small step to being frugal, healthy, and self-sufficient. It's fun to make with kids too. They like to watch the soap melt and then see it gel as it sits.

I've used this recipe for about 6 months now and it's been great. Clothes come out clean and smelling fresh. And it's so cheap--it calculates to less than $.01 a load! You also know that it's free from the chemicals and toxins that are store-brand detergents, even the supposed "free and clear" kinds.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of pure soap, such as Ivory.

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

I found the original recipe with detailed directions, pictures and tips at the bottom. I used an Ivory Soap bar and my hand blender to mix it all up after it had gelled. I mix it and keep it in 5 gallon paint bucket with a lid.

Let me know if you have any other questions or if you give it a try!

Our Square Foot Gardens

I was delighted to receive an email from a friend requesting more information about our raised garden beds! Though my husband grew up on a farm, it was huge with at times over 1000 head of cattle and 4000-5000 acres of grain. If you grew up in Jersey, it's hard to imagine that magnitude. They always had a vegetable plot with potatoes, cabbage, and onions but he was out with the animals or out with his gun hunting gophers (but most likely, out with a book!!). So the little plots we've had over the years have been mostly trial and error.

After reading All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew, I realized we were trying to garden for one family like farmers do to feed hundreds and there was so much wasted in the process--seed, soil, water, time and money.

So I hope this answers some of your questions, Melissa!

RJ and a few of his college students put our boxes together! They were inexpensively and quickly made. We didn't want to invest too much money because we don't have that much and weren't sure this was how we'd always want to use the space.

The boxes are wonderful for those who don't have a huge yard but even if we ever have a larger yard the boxes still make sense. Here's why:

1. Being only 4x4, you can easily sow and tend from any spot rather than walking up and down long rows. You never walk on the soil! This is especially nice with little children. The raised beds keep kids out of the garden but they can also reach all spots if you do want them to help. G. is in charge of watering! We give her a big bucket of water and a little cup (recommended in the book) and she diligently waters every square!

2. There is little wasted space, thus you don't need all that wasted water, seed, soil, and fertilizer with long rows. You save money on all those things too.

3. Since it is so compacted with no rows, there is very little weeding! Something I hate to do, I can get the motivation to plant and water, but weed--ugh!

4. We could put time and money into making our own soil mix b/c it wasn't such a huge plot. It took us years at our old house to improve the soil and we started right on the very first day, so we hope that this will help us keep our garden organic!

5. My mind works well in the grid. It was fun to plan what would go in each square and when it is harvested what vegetable will go next.

6. I hope they will look pretty:-)With a mix of flowers, lettuces, pepper plants all together blooming and growing at different rates, especially since a normal garden with rows would take up half the yard.

7. We're also using them to create a sense of enclosure for a sitting area/fire pit. Though they are still pretty bare now so we'll have to wait a few more weeks to show you what we're going for!


8. Our neighbors have had problems with rabbits and especially squirrels who can jump and climb over fences and destroy all their harvest. With small beds, we could easily create cages which we hope will keep out even the smartest pests! And the cages double as weather protection. One frosty night, I covered them with sheets to keep them nice and warm. For hail, you can cover them with a tarp. But then when they aren't needed, the cages are light weight and easy to store.

9. No digging or using herbicide to kill existing grass/weeds! With beds raised above ground, we just laid down a weed cloth and filled the dirt in on top. The book now recommends that the beds only be 6 inches deep, anything else will be wasted.

10. Well, I can't think of a 10th reason! But I'll post more on how to create the beds and how to grow so much in such little space.

If you want more info, Mel has his own site. And here's a YouTube clip:

Hanging Cloths to Dry

Now that it is so warm out, I've been motivated to hang clothes on the line to dry. We don't have that great of a system but the savings of money and energy make it worth it to me. (I've read estimates that the dryer can cost around $.50 an hour to run.)

The other great perk to line-drying is that the sun is a natural bleaching agent to whiten up your cloth diapers and wipes!

It's also a lovely reason for me to get outside with the kids and somehow my busyness keeps them occupied on a task too. Today they were spiders creating a huge web (mess of rope)! And hopefully, we will all nap better too!

Our Garden-week 2

Today the high is 88 degrees and we could see the garden growing right before our eyes. I sent this to the great-grandparents and thought I'd share it with you too!

We still are working on our Tomato and Raspberry beds which we won't start for another two weeks. And I didn't take any shots of our Pole Beans or much of the Herb bed but you'll see photos of our three main 4x4 beds. It's amazing what you can pack into a little place!

In the first box we're growing onions, spinach, a mesculin mix, bibb lettuces onions, red and yellow peppers, swiss chard, nasturtiums, coreopsis, yellow squash and cucumbers.

In the second box, we're growing radishes, carrots, sugar snap peas, alaska peas, 6 types of lettuces, and spinach.

In the third box, we're growing Bush Beans, Zucchini, Kale, more lettuce and eventually strawberries and winter squash.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Good Earth

Reflections on Earth Day

There was a time when I believed that our commands in Genesis 1 to care for the earth merely meant to use it for our purposes. I allowed arguments like "recycling doesn't really work" or "caring for endangered owls costs jobs" to get me off the hook of my own stewardship of God's good gifts to us.

Now I feel the weight of the command enough to attempt even small ways to conserve and uses resources rightly. We try to avoid a disposable lifestyle, buy in ways that produce a sustainable, healthy land and cultivate the small plot of a yard we've been blessed with. When did this change occur? Well, it was obviously brought on with the birth of my children. I wanted them to live healthy lives free of harmful chemicals and toxins. I wanted them to be able to enjoy the beauty of God's creation without pollution. But really this attitudinal change began much earlier than my will to follow through with it. A change that began with our prayers Sunday morning in church.

Sadly, most of my church experience on a Sunday morning had little time set aside for corporate prayer. Yes, we sang praise songs, we heard His Word and good teaching, we prayed for our souls and our sins and those of the lost. But there was not time for much else.

Praying the "Prayers of the People" from the Prayer Book during our Sunday service then was a big shock to my system.

At first, I was attracted to the beauty of the prayers but at the same time a bit frightened. Isn't this "the vain and repetitious prayer" warned of in Scripture? Slowly, I realized what was most often vain and repetitious were my own prayers. When I prayed, I focused on what popped into my head, often blinded by own sin. Being led in prayer actually allowed the Holy Spirit to break through these walls to convict and open my eyes to others' needs, as well as my own. And when I was convicted of these needs, sins, desires, praise, or adoration, the prayer book also gave me the language to express them.

One of the first examples of this was the inclusion of prayers for God's creation. I remember wondering if these prayers were just for those crazy environmentalists in the crowd! But week after week of praying for the earth (along with our work, the work of our church and our missionaries, the work of our country; our sins, the sins of the church and our country, for those sick, in danger, suffering from hurt, loss, poverty), I began to love God's earth more, to be convicted of my careless waste, to see ways my indulgences hurt others.

And so, while many of us, are a bit skeptical of movements like "Earth Day," now extended to "Earth Week," where we get to pay Disney lots of money to see a movie and feel good about their effort to plant a few trees or spend $20 for a cool t-shirt and save the world. The prayers below have taught me that doesn't mean that I am off the hook. As Christians, we are called to "reverence the earth as [His] creation," ask him for "the wisdom and will to conserve it," to realize our right use can free others from "poverty, famine, and disaster."

These prayers are worthy of our consideration on Sunday mornings as a community and each day as individuals. Not just one day of the year, but until we are brought into the fullness of His Kingdom.


...Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation,
that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others
and to your honor and glory.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
From Form IV (BCP, p. 388)

...For the good earth which God has given us, and for the
wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
From Form I (BCP, p. 384)

... For a blessing upon all human labor, and for the right use
of the riches of creation, that the world may be freed from
poverty, famine, and disaster, we pray to you, O Lord...
From Form V (BCP, p. 390)

More on Celebrating Easter Season

Yesterday we celebrated Holy Baptism at our service. I appreciate that the service has the entire congregation not just pray for the newly baptized but to also renew their own baptismal vows.

In light of thoughts on Easter, I was struck by the relation of baptism and Jesus' Resurrection:

Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ your Son may live in the power of his resurrection and look for him to come again in glory; who lives and reigns now and for ever. Amen. (BCP 1979)

How am I, as a baptized believer, living in the power of the resurrection each day?

Also, along these lines my sweet friend sent me this link with lots of ideas for celebrating the 50 days of Easter. Thanks Christina! We really are just starting Easter season so even if you haven't made much of this time in the past, the site has many great ways to begin. Let me know if you try any out with your family and how it goes!

I also loved the list that Story-Formed put together to Practice Resurrection based on my earlier post. Have you made your list yet?

Sabbath Poem-The First Greens of Spring

While I'm not cool enough to know how to forage for greens yet, I'm pretty proud of those lettuce greens sprouting. This winter has also seemed especially long for us and so the first green of spring was much cheered!




I love this poem's hints of resurrection--" we and the world / are alive again today, and this is the world's birthday" and, perhaps, life-after-death-- " this green, this life, / harbinger of things to come." I thought the poem appropriate for the day we celebrate the Resurrection, not just in Easter Season, but every Sunday of the year! Hope you were able to enjoy the sweet first green of spring this Lord's Day!

The First Green of Spring

by David Budbill

Out walking in the swamp picking cowslip, marsh and marigold,
this sweet first green of spring. Now sautéed in a pan melting
to a deeper green than ever they were alive, this green, this life,

harbinger of things to come. Now we sit at the table munching
on this message from the dawn which says we and the world
are alive again today, and this is the world's birthday. And

even though we know we are growing old, we are dying, we
will never be young again, we also know we're still right here
now, today, and, my oh my! don't these greens taste good.

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2001/04/09

See other Sabbath poems, by clicking the subject heading in the LABELS toolbar to the right!

Gathering Fruit

Well, I have been a quiet blogger these last few days. Now that Easter season is here it is good to enjoy the fruits of the labor of Lent. Not that prayer and penitence end but I have found that the seasons of the church year are much like the season in nature: there are necessary times of dormancy and husbandry which bear forth into growth and harvest.

Rather than the more sober Lenten practices seeking God, we've been spending time enjoying the blessings of His earth, gathering in the fruits of discipline and husbandry.

And so with good weather and a spirit of resurrection, we been doing lots of this:













ALMIGHTY God, who hast blessed the earth that it should be fruitful and bring forth whatsoever is needful for the life of man, and hast commanded us to work with quietness, and eat our own bread; Bless the labours of the husbandman, and grant such seasonable weather that we may gather in the fruits of the earth, and ever rejoice in thy goodness, to the praise of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (1928 BCP)

Practice Resurrection

So what will you do to celebrate the resurrection for 50 days?

Here are some suggestions my husband put together with contributions from students in his Art and Culture class after they had just completed a study of Wendell Berry. Picking up on the idea Berry ends with in Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front of "Practice resurrection," RJ sent this to his students.

So I meant it, practice resurrection.
Bring the resurrected life to your household,
to where you are a member.
Is the sign on the campus entrance missing the 3 from 1300?
Volunteer to pay for it.
Does Walton need new furniture? Build some.
Does Walton need painting? Paint it.
Is your enemy alone? Love him.
Do you have a beloved? Spend too much money and make her too nice of a picnic. Play with a baby.
Meet your neighbor.
Ride a bike.
Make home-made ice cream.
Make bread.
Cancel cable.
Dance.
Rent a canoe.
Learn the names of two species of trees on campus.
Go to Au Sable.
Contribute to Oxfam.
Save seeds.
Don't buy Cargill products.
Adopt a kitten.
Quit your job. Get a job.
Go to your room and study in silence.
Go out with friends and tell jokes.
Go to church.
Make land, make membership, make the great economy, make good work.
Of course, do all of these things in membership, in line with the integrity of the community.
So patiently, calmly, with the consensus of the whole community and its leadership.

Though your list may look very different, may your day be filled with the joy of the resurrected life...I'm enjoying a second cup of coffee, a slice of Easter cake, and listening to all 3 of my children play fort under the dining room table. I'm off to join them! Would love to hear your ideas!

Our Easter Card

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter; we wished the day didn't have to end. Luckily, we celebrate Easter for 50 days until Pentecost. G. asked "Is that as long as Lent because that was long, long, long!"

The day started off with a very moving and triumphant church service and then feasting with family the rest of the day. G.'s bedtime prayer was "...Thank you for punishing Jesus for us. Mommy sins, M. sins, I sin. Thank you for a lovely day. Happy Easter, Jesus."

An Easter Monday custom is to take an Emmaus Walk. Following the example of the two who walked discussing all that had happened in the last few days and then met Jesus (Luke 24:13-35). It's a wonderful way to reflect on your Lenten Journey and Easter celebration and walk off some of those Easter treats! It's also interesting to speculate on what the men discussed and what prophecies Jesus would have discussed with them.

Jesus opens their eyes to reveal who he truly is as he takes "the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.(vs 30-31)" We too have been able to partake in the bread as Easter People and so "may our hearts now burn within us.(vs 32)." "The Lord is risen indeed" (vs. 34).

Pictures from our Emmaus Walk today!

He is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Jesus resurrected

Way of the Cross-Interview with Anna Kocher Part 4

Jesus body is removed from the cross

What role do you think art has in the church?
I could go on for ages about this and never really get to it. Probably the most significant thing for me is that God created us in His image. The fact that He created us, and that we're somehow like Him, means that it's a part of our identity and a part of his intent for us that we be creative as well. I guess art is meant to communicate God's nature to one another, to worship Him, and to express and reveal the truth about ourselves and life itself, and in so doing get down to the heart of the matter, which for me is Christ. There are so many different ways of going about all of these things so I hesitate to limit it. I would hope that art in the church would be seen the same way something like accounting might be seen: necessary. It shouldn't be glorified over other gifts or modes of expression, but it should be used and supported as one of the many necessary parts of the body. I would also say that I think we need to be careful of putting heavy parameters around the ways we worship or enter into and articulate our faith. We shouldn't say that we learn and we sing and we maybe look at a painting or two on the wall and that's the extent of our interaction with God and church and our spiritual lives. There are myriad ways to express and communicate with God and one another and we should attempt to do that authentically ourselves and to create space for those around us to do so as well. What would the church be if it wasn't just the preachers preaching, the musicians doing the music, maybe an artist or craftsperson contributing something here or there, but everyone bringing the offering of themselves and their unique insights and abilities and expressions to the church body and to God? That would be exciting.

Do you think there is such a thing as Christian art? Do you hope your works will be defined this way?
I think anyone who is a Christian and creates art that comes from deep inside of them, art that is hard-won and not just trite and thoughtless, is making Christian art. I think you can have paintings that are of Christian themes or images that aren't really helpful or valuable. As long as "Christian art" means legitimate artwork created by an authentic Christian person, I would hope that my work would be defined that way. If "Christian art" means stereotypical, tired pictures of the same old thing created without any conviction or integrity (which is, unfortunately, what a lot of people expect) then I would hope to avoid such a categorization.

Who are your favorite artists? Any Christian artists?
Kathe Kollwitz, Cy Twombly, Alice Neel, Wayne Theibaud, Georgio Morandi, Caravaggio, Jenny Saville, Jerome Witkin (I believe he may be a Christian...) and too many others to mention. Christian artists would be Bruce Herman, Makoto Fujimura, Ed Knippers

If you are interested in Christian art, visit WhiteStoneGallery, specializing in contemporary art expressing faith.

If you missed the introduction to the Way of the Cross and artist Anna Kocher, click here!

Good Friday, Riding Westward

The Raising of the Cross, Rembrandt. 1633.

I find it interesting that Rembrandt has painted himself in the center of those lifting up the cross.

Some believe that the man on horseback is a reference to Donne's following poem:

GOOD-FRIDAY,1613, RIDING WESTWARD.

by John Donne

Let mans Soule be a Spheare, and then, in this,
The intelligence that moves, devotion is,
And as the other Spheares, by being growne
Subject to forraigne motion, lose their owne,
And being by others hurried every day,
Scarce in a yeare their naturall forme obey:
Pleasure or businesse, so, our Soules admit
For their first mover, and are whirld by it.
Hence is't, that I am carryed towards the West
This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East.
There I should see a Sunne, by rising set,
And by that setting endlesse day beget;
But that Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall,
Sinne had eternally benighted all.
Yet dare I'almost be glad, I do not see
That spectacle of too much weight for mee.
Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye;
What a death were it then to see God dye?
It made his owne Lieutenant Nature shrinke,
It made his footstoole crack, and the Sunne winke.
Could I behold those hands which span the Poles,
And tune all spheares at once peirc'd with those holes?
Could I behold that endlesse height which is
Zenith to us, and our Antipodes,
Humbled below us? or that blood which is
The seat of all our Soules, if not of his,
Made durt of dust, or that flesh which was worne
By God, for his apparell, rag'd, and torne?
If on these things I durst not looke, durst I
Upon his miserable mother cast mine eye,
Who was Gods partner here, and furnish'd thus
Halfe of that Sacrifice, which ransom'd us?
Though these things, as I ride, be from mine eye,
They'are present yet unto my memory,
For that looks towards them; and thou look'st towards mee,
O Saviour, as thou hang'st upon the tree;
I turne my backe to thee, but to receive
Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave.
O thinke mee worth thine anger, punish mee,
Burne off my rusts, and my deformity,
Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace,
That thou may'st know mee, and I'll turne my face.

Notes on poem: http://moist.wordpress.com/2007/05/18/good-friday-1613-riding-westward-john-donne-detailed-notes/

Way of the Cross-Interview with Anna Kocher Part 3

Jesus is nailed to the cross

How did you decide to be an artist? Where and with whom did you study? What has been your inspiration?

I've always drawn and at the end of high school received a lot of encouragement from teachers to pursue art in college, but basically disregarded it as being "impractical." I went to Gordon College with the intent of studying psychology, but was not at all satisfied and very much missed art. I met with the head of the art department, Bruce Herman, to see if I could maybe take one class (at that time only those with majors or minors declared in art were able to take courses in the department) and by the end of the conversation we both knew that that's what I needed to be studying. I went for a walk in the woods afterwards and remember feeling so grateful that God had made it so clear to me, because I'm not the kind of person for whom things are usually clear. I was also able to do a semester as a visiting student at Temple University and a semester studying Renaissance art in Italy.
Bruce Herman was my adviser and mentor and his perspective on the relationship between Christianity and art and also on the human body have probably been the most influential things to me in my development as an artist. George Wingate and Cherith Lundin were also incredible teachers. Having not intended to study art, I really stumbled into the ideal place. Gordon is actually now the headquarters for CIVA [Christians in the Visual Arts] so to have wound up studying art there "accidentally" was rather fortuitous.

Christ dies

For all the moms who want to pursue their talents in writing, theater, music [you know who you are!], when do you find time to paint? Is it difficult to turn your passion on and off around nap schedules and all your other mom duties?!

It has definitely been difficult finding time to paint with two little ones. I see this time of life as a time of hanging on. I sometimes start to get discouraged and feel like I'm not being productive enough, but ultimately if I'm painting regularly, even if it's only once or twice a week, and feeling like I'm forging ahead, if slowly and painfully, in both what I'm trying to express and in my ability to express it, that is success for me right now. During the year after my son was born I felt like I would never paint again. Even if I did get the time I didn't have the energy or the inspiration or anything I needed to be able to do it. But after a year I was able to go back to it and gradually expand and expand until my daughter was born. After that I had another dry spell. The second time around I was more able to see it as a period of dormancy rather than death. I look forward to having more time to really pursue the ideas that excite me, but I don't want to spend this time of having little kids always feeling like I should be doing something else, no matter what I'm doing. I know that eventually have more time and energy and that all this time I've spent becoming a mother and nurturing my kids will enrich my understanding of myself and life in general which will, in turn, enrich my work. In the meantime, I just need to give enough to my painting to allow it to stay a living thing and not let that part of me die out completely.
My family, including my mother-in-law, my husband, and my mom, have been really supportive, have taken me seriously, and at times intervened to make sure I get uninterrupted time to work, because there's only so much you can do when you have kids on different nap and school schedules, or not napping at all, and when you still have to somehow keep clean clothes and nutritious food coming! I do think that I am a much deeper person than I used to be as a result of having kids. My capacities for both pain and joy have been increased, sometimes beyond what I think I can bear, and I know that when I eventually get a little more space in my life to work it will come out in the paintings and allow me to tap into places in myself I was unable to access before I was a mother.

Way of the Cross-Interview with Anna Kocher Part 2

Jesus takes up His cross

The inclusion of text in these paintings is very powerful. How did you make that choice?

I first started using text in my work when I was involved in a Christian artistic collaborative. We would meet periodically to discuss and critique one another's work and encourage one another in both living out our faith through our work and in creating work that pushed the limits of our abilities and of tradition. The Church of the Good Samaritan, in another display of gracious and surprising support for the artists and for me in particular, agreed to allow us to do a show in a very large, central hall in the church. This was an even more generous gesture because my work was by far the most traditional of the group. We had artists working with found objects, creating installation pieces, and working in very abstract styles.

For the show we decided to all read one piece of literature and then do work inspired by the reading, hoping that it would give the show a sense of unity in spite of our styles being very disparate. We chose Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky. I found myself incorporating words from the book in my paintings and drawings. It was a nice connection for me because I have always been very drawn to literature but always saw it as something distinct from art. That project allowed me to see it as something that can enrich visual representation in the same way that graphic novels allow visual representation to enrich a story. The nice thing about postmodernism is that it allows you to have a much broader toolbox to draw from in attempting to express a concept. You're no longer limited to the narrow range of your particular discipline.
Another thing I thought a lot about in creating the paintings was Christ as "word made flesh." The body, or the flesh, is something that I'm irresistibly drawn to in my work and I am so excited by the idea that Jesus was a physical, bloody, dirty human body, but also the Word of God breathed into the history of humanity. I certainly believe there's power in the actual words of the Bible and so I wanted to include them in the paintings themselves.


Jesus falls

My husband thinks the artwork is very emotionally powerful due to the thick lines and hoped you'd talk about that...

I guess I tend to use thick lines. When I was a kid I would always look at my friends' coloring pages and be impressed and envious at how they could manage to color so lightly and consistently and to stay inside the lines. I would try to start out that way, but halfway through I would be pressing the crayon so hard and bursting outside the lines again. It was frustrating as a child, but I guess it's found its purpose.

I think the thick lines in the Stations were also a way of expressing the power of the subject. I have no patience for the effeminate, powerless images of Jesus you see so often. The bold lines, for me, were a way for me to drive home the violence and brutality of the story and the strength of the Character.

I also lean on the bold outlines much more in my "nouveau iconography" work than in my other work because they are a way of communicating that this is the way I envision the story, but that it's not actually "from life" in the way that a portrait or something might be. It somehow seems to me to be a way of reaffirming that the picture is a tool to direct the gaze to the truth of the story, but that the image is not, itself, true.




If you missed the introduction to the Way of the Cross and artist Anna Kocher, click here!

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday!

Maundy Thursday is one of my favorite days of the church year. I say that a lot, don't I?! The name is derived from the Latin novum mandatum, the new commandment that Christ gives us : "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34).

And what a radical new way Christ brings. Those who seek tradition on this day by only celebrating a Passover Seder miss out on the powerful way Christ takes this rite and institutes a new way in the foot washing and the Lord's Supper. It is a powerful service to partake of the bread and wine.

Foot Washing has been a very moving observance for me both when we celebrated in the church and at home. There are two traditional ways for a foot washing service to take place. The first is for the congregation to take turns having their feet washed and then washing the foot of the next. I found it was just as humbling to have my feet washed as to wash another!

The second way traditionally was for the King or other high ranking leader to wash 12 representatives to symbolize Christ and to remind the people that to lead is to serve. When we celebrated at at home we followed the second--my husband washing all of our feet. I was always surprised that though they were babies when we started they always participated in silence and awe. To see Daddy on his knees with the basin and towel gently washing them clean.

Here is a few sample liturgies or you could use the one below:
Anglican Liturgy
New Zealand Prayer Book

FOOT WASHING
In your great love you delivered your people of old from slavery and you have delivered us from the power of evil and death through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. We praise and honour you, holy God Heaven and earth are surely full of your glory. Blessed is He whose supper we share this night, and blessed are we - renewed by his life. Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come... and ... having loved his own who were in the world he loved them to the end; at supper with them, he washed the disciples' feet and gave them the new commandment: "... love one another as I have loved you."

Lift the basin and towel and hold in silence for a moment.

Fellow servants of Christ,on this night Jesus set an example for the disciples by washing their feet, an act of humble service.Therefore, I invite you to come forward. As your feet are washed remember that strength and growth in God's reign come by lowly service such as this.

During the washing of feet suitable anthems, songs, or a psalm (for example Psalm 40) may be sung.

The Lord Jesus, after he had supped with his disciples and had washed their feet, said to them, “Do you know what I, your Lord and Master, have done to you? I have given you an example, that you should do as I done.”

Peace is my last gift to you, my own peace I now leave with you; peace which the world cannot give, I give to you.
I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.
Peace is my last gift to you, my own peace I now leave with you; peace which the world cannot give, I give to you.
By this shall the world know that you are my disciples: That you have love for one another.

Ubi Caritas Traditional hymn for this service.
Where charity and love abide, there is God.
The love of Christ has gathered us together;
let us be gay in Him, and cheerful;
let us love and be in awe of the living God,
and love each other with honest hearts.
Where charity and love abide, there is God.
So now that we are gathered together
let us take care not to be isolated in ourselves.
Let ill will, quarrels, and disagreements stop,
and Christ our God be among us.

Where charity and love abide, there is God.
And together, with the saints,
may we see Your face in glory, Christ our God.
That is straight, unmeasured joy,
for ages on unending ages. Amen

Way of the Cross-Interview with artist Anna Kocher Part 1

Christ is Condemned to Death

Anna, please share with us the history of the creation of these amazing paintings.

The Stations of the Cross, or Way of the Cross, is something that I first encountered at a convent called the Instituto de San Lodovico while studying art in Orvieto, Italy through Gordon College. We visited many different churches while we were there and were interested to see the Stations included in the permanent ornamentation of the sanctuaries. I was also able to participate in a Way of the Cross service at the small parish I was attending in the hill town of Orvieto. We met at the church around nightfall walked through the town by torchlight, pausing to remember the different moments of Christ's journey to the cross and to say the appropriate prayers. It was a group of 50-60 people in the most amazing landscape I've ever experienced, and the whole thing was very moving. It's the tradition of the program I was involved in to do a collaborative piece to be left as a gift for the nuns in the convent and the group my semester did bas relief sculptures of each of the traditional 14 Stations, with each student creating one individual Station within an agreed-upon format.

When I returned to the States and began attending the Church of the Good Samaritan, they were very open to the inclusion of artwork in worship in a way I hadn't experienced at other American churches. My husband was for a long time the worship leader of the contemporary service at the church, and he and the priest responsible for the service had made a big point of including many different artistic disciplines in their service. They were the first ones to ask me to do a series based on the Stations of the Cross. I did a series of oil paintings of hands, which were meant to be the hands of Jesus, in different positions that, to me, expressed the different stations. They started in black and white and gradually had more red introduced the closer you got to the actual crucifixion.

The paintings themselves were really not very good, and thankfully I had another opportunity to engage with the subject after having honed my style a bit more. The church always does a Way of the Cross service for children on Good Friday and the director of children's ministries commissioned me to do the most recent series of Stations for the service. I think they were a little stunned when they saw the actual paintings. I had tried to bear in mind, through their creation, that they were intended for a children's service; but it was a depiction of an execution, so there was only so much I could do to tone it down. They did use them for the service, but also realized that they could be used for the wider congregation as well since they weren't strictly "children's art."

Christ is Stripped

Tell us about your style. What is your hope in using this look with very traditional images?


I'm not really sure what I would call my style. When I do work like this, based on scripture or Biblical characters, I tend to think of it as being "nouveau iconography." I don't think that's an actual term, but it's what goes through my mind.
My general hope for my style is that it would subvert the kind of easy imagery that allows you to take for granted that you know the story and what it means. When the way we depict a story gets so old and stale that we know what the images will look like before we even see them it allows the story to become old and stale as well. I try to think around the stereotypical and dig into what seems real to me.


How would you advise people to use these paintings? As art, inspiration, meditation, prayer tools, all of the above?

I would say all of the above. The beautiful thing about art is that so much of its significance is given by the viewer. The artist creates it, but it will mean something different to everyone who experiences it.
If you missed the introduction to the Way of the Cross and artist Anna Kocher, click here!

Also, to see more of Anna's art, check out her website.

Tenebrae Service for Wednesday of Holy Week

A Tenebrae Service is a Medieval tradition during Holy Week; ‘tenebrae’ is Latin for shadows. The symbolism of the light being extinguished begins a more somber and meditative time leading up to Easter. It is very powerful in a church but I've found the intimacy of your own home is just as dramatic.

The church or home begins with candlelight and after each Scripture reading a candle is extinguished until all is dark and the final reading is Jesus' words on the cross from Psalm 22 (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?). It is fitting for the service to end in darkness and the people to depart in silence. As this site explains, "The purpose of the service is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events, and it is left unfinished, because the story isn’t over until Easter Day."

The Episcopal Book of Occasional Services has a Tenebrae for Wednesday evening. I like doing the service on Wednesday as it sets the mood for the next few days and it doesn't overshadow(!) the signigicance of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Here is another service.

You can design your own service with additional hymns or songs that would be fitting. And the number of candles should fit the number of Scriptures.

Here is one we've done at home together after the children are in bed. I hope to do it with them when they are a bit older.



TENEBRAE The Service Of Shadows

The 14 candles are lit and the Christ Candle, lights extinguished.

READINGS

1. THE SHADOW OF BETRAYAL Matthew 26:20-25

2. THE SHADOW OF INNER AGONY Luke 22:40-44

3. THE SHADOW OF LONELINESS Matthew 26:40-45

4. THE SHADOW OF DESERTION Matthew 26:47-50,55,56

5. THE SHADOW OF ACCUSATION Matthew 26:59-67

6. THE SHADOW OF MOCKERY Mark 15:12-20

7. THE SHADOW OF DEATH Luke 23:33-46



After each reading, the reader says "Lord, have mercy" to which the response is "Christ, have mercy." 2 Candles are put out until only the Christ candle remains.



FINAL READING In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. (John 1:1-4 ) The light has come into the world, but people love the shadows rather than the light.



The Christ candle is extinguished. The church [or home] is plunged into darkness.


READER: "My God, My God why have you abandoned me?"



After a brief time, only enough lights are switched on so that people can leave the church [or go to a quiet place in your home].


DEPARTURE You are invited to leave the church in silence.



http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au/liturgies/main/index.php?ch_table=link5&PID=5&SID=&year=B

Introduction to the Way of the Cross and Interview with artist Anna Kocher

The Way of the Cross has been a part of Christian tradition since the Crusades as Pilgrims set out to follow along the path walked by Jesus carrying the cross to Golgotha. It may be used for private devotion or corporate meditation, with reflections at each stop. Our church is having a Way of the Cross service for children on Good Friday and I am eager for us all to attend.

The first Sunday when the Stations, large original paintings, were displayed around the Church of the Good Samaritan I found them so striking and was amazed to hear they were done by Anna Kocher, who actively serves at the church, along with her husband Steve and their 2 children.

I wanted to find out more about her work and the paintings and so begged her for an interview for the blog. For thousands of years the church has supported the arts so I hope you enjoy getting a glimpse into her work. My hope is just hearing from a woman who has been able to do what she loves and share her gifts while being a mom of young ones and actively serving the church will inspire you!

Anna, who graduated from Gordon College, has exhibited locally at the Art Scene Gallery in West Chester, PA at the Phoenix Village Art Center in Phoenixville, PA and has been included in juried exhibitions at various venues including the Fine Arts People Gallery in Exton, PA and the Center Art Gallery at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Anna completed all of the paintings during one season of Lent: “I had a one-year-old at the time, so any time I got to paint was spent furiously working to stretch and prime canvases and to paint.” She explains that the “project turned into a very profound Lenten discipline for me and allowed me to experience and interact with the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus in a very new way.”

A Way of the Cross Service can allow the story of Christ’s death and resurrection to become fresh and powerful. If you are in the Philadelphia area, I encourage you to stop in for one of our Holy Week Services and see the art in person. But for the rest of you, here is the pdf of prayers to go along with the paintings, perhaps you might want to use them for private devotion during the week or on Good Friday.

Also, to see more of Anna's art, check out her website.

Reflection for Palm Sunday

Have you visited this blog yet? A Palm Sunday reflection.

Easter Menu

I'm so excited Easter Dinner will be at my house this year. Living out in the midwest we were never together with family.

Here's what my mom, sister-in-law, and I cooking up for our Easter Dinner. It's a blend of traditional Italian and American Easter fare. I'm so looking forward to eating meat again, I think I'm trying to find a way to add it to every dish!



Starters:

Pepperoni Bread

Vegetable Tray, Cheese, Crackers and Dip



Dinner:

Green Salad

Glazed Ham

Italian Meat Pie

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Green Bean Casserole

Pineapple Stuffing

Easter Bread



Dessert:

Italian Easter Cookies

Italian Ricotta Pie

Easter Egg Shaped Cake using my mom's antique Egg molds. She always dyes coconut green for a border. We may let the kids decorate the egg with candy, if my mom can let go...!!

Palm Sunday

"Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

Psalm 118:19-29

19
Open for me the gates of righteousness; *I will enter them;I will offer thanks to the LORD.
20
"This is the gate of the LORD; *he who is righteous may enter."
21
I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *and have become my salvation.
22
The same stone which the builders rejected *has become the chief cornerstone.
23
This is the LORD'S doing, *and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24
On this day the LORD has acted; *we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25
Hosannah, LORD, hosannah! *LORD, send us now success.
26
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *we bless you from the house of the LORD.
27
God is the LORD; he has shined upon us; *form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.
28
"You are my God, and I will thank you; *you are my God, and I will exalt you."
29
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; *his mercy endures for ever.

Traditions-

Parading around the church dates back to the fourth century. Our church has the children participate and G. will be a part of the Sacred Dance! But if you're not part of a church that celebrates Palm Sunday, why not do it at home together? I think even after processing around the church, my little ones will love to come home and sing and wave palms as a family.

Spend time praising God and giving thanks, for he is good!

Another tradition is to shape the palms into crosses. Scroll Down for directions.

Palm fronds are also weaved to produce beautiful woven symbols to hang in the Christian home during the year:

No Palms? Any branch can be used. Palm Sunday is also called Olive or Branch Sunday, Sallow or Willow, Yew or Blossom Sunday, or Sunday of the Willow Boughs, named for the local replacements for the traditional palm branches. Even Evergreens and Pussy Willows were used here in the United States before the custom of importing Palm branches.

Here is aPalm Sunday Coloring Page: http://www.sermons4kids.com/palm-sunday-colorpg.htm

P.S. This is also known as Fig Sunday since Jesus wanted to eat a fig before he entered Jerusalem so many people eat figs on this day! Though since he cursed the tree, it seems a bit of an odd tradition to me! What do you think?!