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Thursday, October 14, 2010


Agog in Oakland: Visit to Cathedral of Christ the Light
by Peter Menkin


The Great Continental Divide in the Western States in America defines water running east or west. Not just a geologic formation in its younger age 100 million years ago, this awesome and continent defining set of snow-capped mountains offers the barrier of imagination through which migrating Americans traveled to come to what are now States like California (38 million residents).

Like a book of facts, the majestic formations that characterized this area of the world are spiced even by its denizens, its citizens, its friends as a part of the Pacific Rim. In these words, seemingly encyclopedic in their arrangement and tone, turn to the more man made, the humble, the unusual in the Wild West where in a City named Oakland, situated on San Francisco Bay and sharing with its more romantic and celebrated sister San Francisco the recognition that the construction of a modern Roman Catholic Cathedral captures the visual and religious sensibilities of the diverse worshipers of what these residents, mere humans with a lifetime so short, have built to their God with skill and style and up-to-date techniques for its 600 thousand or more Diocesan members use. A holy place, a Benedictine Monk told this writer, a place of worship, and a House of God this Cathedral of Christ the Light as it is called was a work of devotion and love.



The Cathedral’s altar contains relics, inserted and sealed in the stone. The holy persons represented are Andrew, apostle; Thomas, apostle; Stephen, deacon and first Christian martyr; Sixtus II, pope from 257 to 258 and martyr; Perpetua, a young wife and new mother martyred in North Africa in 203; Cecilia, Roman martyr of the third century; early Christian martyrs Restituta and Speusippus; Francis of Assisi, founder of the Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans (1181-1226); Colette of Corbie, Poor Clare who established many reformed monasteries (1381-1447); Francis de Sales, bishop and spiritual writer (1567-1622); Junipero Serra, Franciscan President of the California missions (1713-1784); John Vianney, parish priest (1786-1859); Pius X, pope who allowed children to receive Holy Communion (1835-1914). Two additional, unusual contents of the reliquary are soil from Auschwitz, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust (especially Saints Maximillian Kolbe and Teresa Benedicta [Edith] Stein) and a rock from Calvary.

The firm responsible for the construction and design is Skidmore, Owings &Merrill with lead architect and designer Craig Hartman. Mr. Hartman is currently working on a second Roman Catholic Cathedral in California, and so was not available for interview. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill supplied this writer with an excellent video presentation that introduces the design concepts in a talk by architect Craig Hartman. Note that Mr. Hartman has numerous important prizes for the work he did on the Cathedral.


Lake Merritt and Cathedral
Set on a prominent, two-block site overlooking Oakland’s Lake Merritt, the 1350-seat cathedral is the centerpiece of a 224,000-square-foot complex that includes a mausoleum, conference center, administrative offices, bishop’s and clergy residences, bookstore, café, and community-serving ministries. The design gives special consideration to the Cathedral Center’s physical and cultural place within the city of Oakland. A landscaped public plaza, accessible from all directions, firmly links the center with the city’s commercial downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Within the cathedral, the experience of light and space, rather than traditional iconography, instills a deep sense of sacredness…





Christ the Light Cathedral Architect's Presentation


Christ the Light Cathedral Architect's Presentation
Uploaded by ctlcathedral. - News videos hot off the press.


Cathedral of Christ the Light spokesman told us some bare bones facts about this significant and even unusual structure in its graphic conception and unusual look, so attractive and inviting. This is a well thought through construct of new Cathedral, inviting to its parishioners, visitors, and pilgrims. The Cathedral spokesman answered some questions.

You are one of those I have questions for, including some clarification. For example, the Docent who was very good told us that the previous Bishop worked with the architect on the construction?

The project began with Bishop John Cummins. He really got the whole process off the ground. Developed the very large committee and lay people. 2003 Bishop Vigneron was involved in 2003, January 1, 2009. He was there for the early period and groundbreaking.


Is that so, and can you tell me briefly what he did?

He was the boss. It was his project. The architect was hired by the Diocese, and so was the liturgical designer.


Who was on the design committee? Was it a large group?

There were a good handful on the design committee.


On my visit to the spacious and even majestic Cathedral I stayed for Communion and noticed there is an Altar, of course, but no rail. We took Communion in a round, standing.

Vatican II papers really opened up that form of receiving the Holy Eucharist. That was a Vatican II set of directives.


How new is the Cathedral? It seems so almost breathtaking in its spacious interior, and with the huge figure of Christ created with natural light there is a supernatural sense to the interior. I found it so.

Most recent Cathedral in the world. The Diocese was formed in 1962. It spun off from the San Francisco arch-Diocese. Estimate closer to 700,000 because of the Hispanic population. It’s a real mix of Vietnamese, Hispanic, and Anglo. Mass for Vietnamese every week; two Masses in Spanish, of course English.


Sometimes various stories evolve around Cathedrals. They can be true or false. For example, there is a rumor that goes around that there is a cat buried in a tomb in the Episcopal Cathedral in San Francisco (Grace Cathedral). The Docent who showed my group around Christ the Light Cathedral said that the Finials on top of the building were the unfinished crown of the Christ the Light Cathedral and represent Mary Mother of God. Did I get the name right?

Finials: It is not a liturgical design to represent a crown; that is not the case.


Who was the Judge in the competition offered by the Roman Catholic Diocese to find an architect? Was it the San Francisco Chronicle Architectural Critic Alan Tempko?

Alan Tempko headed up the selection committee, and the world’s architects were invited to compete.


What of the naming of the Cathedral?

The naming was one of the high points that came from a collaborative meeting process. Former pastor of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, Fr. Don Osuna, recalls inspirations for the name:


“The name is a departure from the tradition of naming cathedrals after Mary the Mother of God or a patron saint. In dedicating its mother church to Christ the Light the Diocese of Oakland highlights the role that Christ must play in the new millennium.

“Only Jesus, ‘light from light, true God from true God,’ can guide the Human Family into the uncertain challenges of future centuries. Jesus himself declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

“The name ‘Christ the Light’ also resonates with the image of God’s People so impressively described in Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. Its opening sentence reads, ‘Christ is the light of nations’ [Lumen Gentium].

“In it the council fathers express their heart-felt desire that by proclaiming the Gospel to every creature the People of God ‘may being to all the light of Christ which shines out visibly from the Church.

“Light is a universal phenomenon, celebrated by every country and cherished by every culture. The Cathedral will hopefully provide a resting place – like a candelabra – for those who seek a home and for those who may seek a beacon in the night.”



Andrew J Bonnette's Mary


When taking a Docent tour of Cathedral of Christ the Light ours told us that the large organs, which are lifted up on the walls of the Cathedral were, “…better than Grace Cathedral’s organ.” In addition to comments, we were served with a look at various works of art in Cathedral of Christ the Light, including the Stations of the Cross, built to the walls so even a child can reach up and touch them. They are lovely, this writer reports, and modern. Sculptor Andre Bonnett was their maker, as well as other works of sculpture.  He worked with liturgical designer and director Brother William Woeger. There is an interview with both these talented and devoted men of faith later in this article.
Our Docent told us that Mary is the Diocesan Patron Saint, and there is a sculpture of Mary with a bear (representing the State of California, we were told) on the floor of the Sanctuary. We could touch the Mary sculpture, and were told to notice her eyes. The eyes were especially noteworthy and unusual, one could say shaped like a fish—each eye.

Andrew Bonnette's Christ
The sculpture of Christ on the Cross, another work of impact, simplicity and displayed in the sanctuary for all to see, was another greeting to the visitor. But above all was the huge Christ created in light on the high wall of the inside of the building. Just huge, and impressive as both image, work, and graphic. For it does appear as a graphic presentation and if memory serves correct was conceived as such.
The interior in daytime is entirely illumined by natural light. This is a lovely use of light, and light of its own accord plays a role in the ethos of the Cathedral (Cathedral of Christ the Light).
Three years in construction, the Roman Catholic Diocese staked $190 million in construction costs on the belief that people will come. Average Sunday Mass attendance in 2009 – 1400
"It bespeaks a kind of missionary confidence," said Bishop Vigneron. "With the attractiveness of the message of Christ, we can build up the congregation." San Francisco Chronicle Religion Writer Matthai Kuruvila reported those words, Saturday, September 13, 2008 in the Bay Area morning paper.
Mr. Kunuvila noted in his report this important matter:
Instead of naming the cathedral after a particular saint, a designation that might seem to favor one ethnic group, the diocese chose the neutral "Christ the Light" - a reference to the first lines of the magna carta of the Second Vatican Council, which ended in 1965 and began the era of modern Catholic multiculturalism.
During the Docent tour, ours stayed with us the entire time of her walkthrough, answering questions well. I asked her if she had a question for the Architect, and she said Yes.
Her name, Esperanza Quenteros. It was during the Docent tour the title for this article appeared to me, for it represented my initial reaction to the new building: Agog in Oakland: Visiting the "New" Catholic Cathedral Christ the Light . We were told there is a new Bishop in Oakland, California USA. A city that is so very diverse it is billed as a metropolis of unusual diversity with its many kinds of ethnic and national citizens. The Cathedral must accommodate them, and unify the Roman Catholic Community.
Just for the record, the current Bishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone offers this about himself in his official biography:
On March 23, 2009 Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Cordileone to be Fourth Bishop of Oakland. His Mass of Installation in the Diocese of Oakland was celebrated on May 5, 2009 at the Cathedral of Christ the Light
Bishop Cordileone presently sits on the Committee for Canonical Affairs and Church Governance and the Ad Hoc Committee for Defense of Marriage of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB.) He also serves on the Religious Liberties Committee of the California Catholic Conference. • It is the mother church and spiritual home of all the members of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Oakland, which inspires our diverse community across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The ministries at the Cathedral and its adjacent campus foster unity through worship, teaching and evangelization, and works of service – especially to the poor and those at the margins of society. The Cathedral functions as a “palace of the poor,” serving those in need by appealing to volunteers and donors who support cultural and community projects from a platform that will exist for centuries. Free health and legal clinics give life to this mission.
Bishop Cordileone’s avocations include a life-long interest in jazz music. Even during his seminary studies in Rome he played his alto saxophone in a jazz quintet, and continues to follow the music.
What of the Theological purposes of the Cathedral. On its website, the Cathedral says of itself:



Bishop Allen Vigneron said: The Cathedral is to be a place for God and his people to meet. This only happens in Christ and thus the Cathedral is an icon of Christ, re-presenting the meaning of Christ. The Bishop continued with other remarks during the conception of the Cathedral and its building: Through the Cathedral, the idiom of our day can give voice to faith that is timeless.


He described the Cathedral this way, and it is a kind of charge for Architect Craig Hartman, who worked so closely and well with Bishop Vigneron: Abundant with Catholic symbols and metaphors, woven into a context that has universal appeal, achieved through the shape of the Cathedral and the dramatic unfolding from the Story of Creation to Redemption through Christ...

Asking for the creation of a place of being, a place of space and purpose, Bishop Vigneron added: The Cathedral then is our statement about how we, through whom Christ dwells in the world, dwell in Oakland and the East Bay.

A Catholic Catechism declares: …Christians construct buildings for divine worship. These visible churches are not simply gathering places but signify and make visible the Church living in this place, the dwelling of God with men reconciled and united in Christ. There is no mistake on the charge given Architect Craig Hartman, an Episcopalian who worships in an Episcopal Church in San Francisco: In this ‘house of God’ the truth and the harmony of the signs that make it up should allow Christ to be present and active in this place.

No doubt Architect Craig Hartman shared a similar vision as the Bishop, at least when it came to the concept of using light. He’d been working with this concept previous to his being chosen Architect to build the Cathedral of Christ the Light.


Skidmore, Owings & Merrill wrote this of their SOM architectural partner Craig Hartman:

The Oakland Diocese’s initial project prospectus called for light as the central focus of the design. In response to a question about which lighting principles he would employ on such a project, Hartman quoted architect Louis Kahn’s pronouncement: “We are born of light . . . we only know the world as it is evoked by light.”
Hartman was invited to participate in the design competition in large part because of his imaginative use of light and reflection in the then-under-construction International Terminal at San Francisco International Airport. In the competition questionnaire, Hartman evoked the airport terminal project both to indicate his own “predisposition towards lightness and luminosity in architecture,” and as an example of “the recent advances in the technology of glass and concepts in structural engineering” that made the terminal a celebrated architectural work. Light,
Hartman suggested, could indeed be the key “to create a contemporary design that was still evocative of the Church’s two millennium-old traditions.”

The Diocese asked the design team to think about the cathedral in terms of a three-century lifespan: “We felt that the 300-year standard applied not only to the cathedral’s structural integrity,” Hartman recalls, “but equally to the aesthetic that that building should be architecturally worthy of lasting at least until the 24th century.” According to structural engineering partner Bill Baker, it was equally important to use “an ‘of the moment’ approach to design and material because it was the most honest and sensible way to proceed.” This belief in the rightness of contemporary design led the team away from, for example, a neo-gothic tribute and towards a modern design instead.
The sanctuary design references two interlocking spherical grids in the form of the “Vesica Pisces,” the conjoined circles that represent both an ancient symbol of congregation and the basic symbol of Christianity—the fish. The interlocking grids will support curved glass walls that are ceramically coated to infuse varying degrees of opacity. The results will be a glowing, variegated, indirectly lit interior space, vaulting up 12-stories to a glass oculus roof which is also in the intersecting circle motif.
The oculus was designed to focus light on the central altar, provide a view of the sky above, and be a component in a unique, passive cooling system.


Richard Rapaport, who wrote the article for Skidmore, Owings& Merrill, put it right when he emphasized the use of structural integrity, and that it be worthy in its architectural sense to last until the 24th Century. Mr. Rapaport quotes Architect Hartman on the matter, and as well emphasizes another significant element in the design and symbolism of the Cathedral. That is the use of the form “Vesica Pisces,” an ancient symbol indicating meeting place for Christians.

 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill reports on its website:

Bishop Vigneron ultimately believes that the SOM design succeeded both “as an expression of a created Cosmos,” and as a design that “meets all of the requirements for sheltering people to pray.” Beyond that, the Bishop sees something “beautifully worked about the way the design uses wood, concrete, and stone. Each of these materials,” he feels, ultimately “makes its own contribution to the display of light in very powerful yet subtle ways.”




This writer can’t recall if our Docent mentioned any of the specific awards won by Craig Hartman, but his biography offers these paragraphs in summary with emphasis on some:

Courtesy SOM
Mr. Hartman’s work has been recognized with over 100 awards for design, which, in addition to 8 national AIA Honor Awards, includes two Gold LEED® Certifications and AIA awards for environmental sustainability at Treasure Island and the University of California, Merced. He also received a Federal Design Achievement Award in the 2000 Presidential Design Awards Program.

In 2001, Hartman became the youngest recipient of the Maybeck Award, an award presented periodically by the California Chapter of the AIA to an individual in recognition of “lifetime achievement in architectural design.” During the dedication ceremony for The Cathedral of Christ the Light in September 2008, the Vatican’s Knighthood for Service to Society (St. Sylvester) was bestowed upon Hartman by Pope Benedictus XVI. He also received an Honorary Doctorate of the Arts from Ball State University during the May 2009 commencement ceremony.

The the beautiful new Cathedral, Oakland had as Mayor Jerry Brown, well know three time Presidential aspirant and grass roots candidate who when the grass in the Springtime of his life was green was Governor of California USA. Then that young man, son of a father who was a popular Governor of California…Jerry Brown, the Catholic Seminary attendee, had the label Governor Moonbeam. At 72, this well-known politician again seeks the Governorship after being Mayor of Oakland, California. He was a centerpiece of fame for the minor California City, described in Wikipedia as a City that “…is a major West Coast port, located on San Francisco Bay, about 8 miles (13 km) east of San Francisco. Oakland is a major hub city for the Bay Area subregion collectively called the East Bay, and it is the county seat of Alameda County. Based on United States Census Bureau estimates for 2010, Oakland is the 41st-largest city in the USA with a population of 446,901.” The current Mayor of the City of Oakland is star of a YouTube that presents a montage of the many faceted laboring and sometimes troubled and crime plagued City of work and working class with its fine homes and tony people living in the Hills above the metropolis. With this thumbnail sketch of the lesser known California City with its marvelous new Cathedral, let us turn again to Cathedral of Christ the Light, spiritual home to Roman Catholics in the City’s region.


Probably the both spare and moving artwork of the Cathedral adds to its beauty in a way of simple and impressive candor about faith and the place of worship and Christ in the Cathedral’s holy expressions of devotion. This writer talked with sculptor Andrew J Bonnette by phone when he was in his studio. We talked by phone more than once. On one call one of his children answered the studio phone and the youngster said his father had gone out. One recognized by this that the studio was probably in close proximity to his home.

INTERVIEW

I live in Afton, in a country area. The home is a civil war era stone house built in 1851.
I am 44. When I was about 15, my father would hire me to do odd jobs in the shop for him. Cast waxes, and make plaster molds and the like. As time went on the projects were
Sometimes rather complex. Some of his mentors from the past I began to know quite well, as they often played a role in his work. Around 1986, he began to suffer from some
terminal physical problems. He died 1987. He was very well known all over the United States as an important sculptor of Liturgical and Sacred art, Gerald S Bonnette.
I went to technical school for the field of hospital central service technician, (CSR)
But I never went to art school. I learned the profession of sculpting,
mold making and how to use wax and clay from my father. He left me with a lot of
equipment and tools, and introduced me to oxy-acetylene torch welding. Most of the other skills I have picked up were self-taught, like Tig welding, stick welding, and metal casting, which were things that my father did not do himself.
My skills with wood were also self-taught, and to this day I do most of the small woolated tasks myself.After the death of my father, the orders for the artwork continued to come to me. I expanded my skills as the need to do so evolved. There was never much time when I didn’t have a project to do.
At the Cathedral of Christ the light in Oakland California, all of the sculptures I am responsible for were cast by myself: The Stations of the Cross, the Madonna and Child with the black bear cub, the Tabernacle reliefs and the life-size crucifix are all designs of my creations. Some people have asked me what is the meaning of the bear cub. The bear cub symbolizes a state of strength, and wisdom of the coronation of Mary as the mother of God. That is all; this is my understanding, otherwise Oakland is a place of the black bear. There was also supposed to be a bronze oak tree near the Madonna. This tree was never fully completed in time, the Cathedral ultimately decided not to place the tree in the Cathedral. It remains in my shop, and someday it may be used for another reason.
Text of email to the Bishop:Andrew:
Fr. Minnihan forwarded to me a photo of the corpus you致e created for the sanctuary crucifix for our new Cathedral. It is very beautiful.
Thank you,
Bp. Vigneron






Do you like the work done on the Cathedral?
Courtesy Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
It is fantastic, the most interesting Church and Cathedral I have ever seen or been in. When I visited Oakland, I was able to see how it was built and I love the physical shape of it. From the outside, it is very well illuminated from all directions. You can see the light coming from the inside from all directions. The light shines in from all directions during the day. It is so unique. I have so many good memories of going in there, everywhere you look there is something to see of history, art and the focus of the real light of Christ is everywhere.
The reason the Cathedral chose me as one of the artists was mostly because of my personal accomplishments, however without the help of a good friend, Brother William Woeger, I do not think I would have been there.
Do you say the Stations of the Cross?
Yes, of course. Attending the processions of the Stations is very important thing for myself and my family. We usually attend mass at Saint Rita's Catholic Church in Cottage Grove, but there are more than a few Catholic churches where I live. Since childhood, Saint Rita's Church I have thought of as my church.
My father was one of the main Liturgical Artists at Saint Rita's, and there are a few pieces of his work there.


Did you do much Church work before the Cathedral?
There is a large 3 dimensional of Christ the King in Madison, Wisconsin. It is 7 1/2 feet from head to toe. It is a full size copy of a very important little bronze crucifix of my father’s design. It looks like a gigantic duplicate of the little crucifix. It is in the courtyard of the Archdiocese. I was paid a fair price for the work, however now that it is done, the cost of it is not important; the meaning of the statue is the only important thing.Did you work with the Bishop on the crucifix for the Cathedral of Christ the light?
Yes, I met with Bishop Vigneron more than a few times. Myself, the design consultants and others met to have dinner in his house in Oakland, California. During our conversations, we arrived at the conclusion that Mary be very gentle looking and have a slightly Middle Eastern appearance because this is the region of the world they were from, and have certain features on the facial expressions of the Madonna statue. The final details of Mary's eyes were my doing. The entire design was changed more than a few times. She is looking very lovingly at Jesus. I didn’t want her to look hard or difficult at all, and to show that Jesus is our gateway to God.

Text of email to the Bishop:Dear Bishop Vigneron
Bishop Vigneron said, Oakland is populated by many different ethnicities and that relating to the masses and varieties of the ethnic generations is very important. Nobody really knows for sure exactly how Jesus or Mary really looked, and so you have to use some artistic license in deciding this.
I spoke with the main architect a few times. We exchanged emails and talked about dimensions and where we would place the sculptures. I wanted people to touch the stations, and some people are not very tall, and so the height of where they are is important. We live in a three dimensional world and seeing is not all visual, and so a lot of our comprehension comes from being able to hold onto what is around us with our hands. It was important to me for the statues to be accessible to everyone.


Will you speak briefly of the method you used, and maybe even tell us something of the inspiration that led you to create the Crucifix Christ, and the Mary statue? Can you talk briefly of the meaning of the Mary statue to you, and what your feelings are about Mary? I wanted the sculptures at the Cathedral to look slightly Romanesque. There is no perfect art. I have always felt that if an artist is a perfectionist or fancies him or herself a professional artist, that is the opinion of the artist only. If you look at a Romanesque work that was made thousands of years ago, the artist was not thinking of making something perfect. The idea was captured in the act of doing the sculpting. I love the material bronze because it is such a usable material, and it has a beautiful color, the 2,000 year old castings are probably more interesting now than they were back then.
Dear Andrew: Text of email to the Bishop:
Thank you, again, for your work on our Crucifix. And thanks, too, for your good wishes for Christmas. Mine to you and your family.
Bp. Vigneron
Dec. 20, 2007

Doing this kind of work is a labor of love, and there are a lot of hazards. The original design concept probably takes a month or a few days, depending on how you look at it and the complexity. Taking your concept and turning it into a sculpture may take up to a few months for the original, and the final product could take up to a year.
Welding is important. No matter how thoroughly the attention to detail is, you will always have to weld some part or parts of your work. You need to know how to join pieces of metal together. You need to know how to turn one scale into a larger scale.
I make a lot of my own tools and machinery, and do invent new concepts in the process. For the most part, I am self-educated on most subjects, even electricity. In the house and shop, that really comes in handy. If someone were going to try to make a sizable and large sculpture, they would want to get familiarized with material and how to handle it. Come up with a good plan, write it down on paper, right down to the last detail, and perform each task as a separate job. That’s key to the whole thing.
You do get tired. Over the years, my hands have become stronger, my abilities to notice details have increased and certain arm muscles are just stronger than usual. It’s hard work, and you want to get your design done while the idea is fresh in your mind. I like to think of myself as a do-it yourselfer, however I know that I am not an average person--I do not want to be, I couldn't go down that road again.


Text of email:

Dear Bishop Vigneron, Dear Andrew
I wanted to let you know that I do plan on being at the dedication of the Cathedral in September, and thank you for the invitation, it will be faxed to Oakland. I hope that you have been well, and I look forward to seeing you again. The crucifix will be delivered to Omaha this Monday or Tuesday.
Sincerely, Andrew Bonnette



The photos sent are of the feet on the large crucifix. They were changed because the size and shape of the feet prior were not acceptable. I am moving forward with the casting.
Merry Christmas and Happy Newyear
sincerely, Andrew Bonnette

Dear Andrew:
I’m sorry it has taken me so long to respond to this message. I very much appreciate seeing the feet of the Crucifix. What struck me first was the thought you put into it in having the nail holes show the result of the flesh being torn by the nails as the Lord’s body pressed downward.
I am so very eager to see the whole.
Know that I am most grateful that your talents are enriching our Cathedral. I hope that you and your family have a blessed Christmas.


It makes one want to know something about her and pray the rosary. The rosary is something I pray a lot. I think that was what gave me my inspiration. When I was sculpting Mary I prayed the rosary a lot. I didn’t want to make her look too glamorous. I don’t think that is the right thing to do for making a sculpture that is to be holy, to make it too glittery. I wanted it to be conservative—simple, yet beautiful.
Bronze is what it is, you can brush it or buff it and then let it patina. Usually you do not have to clean it up and it looks beautiful anyway.
I do not think that that Mary is often given enough glorifications. She is not the savior of our human race of course, but she is the mother of our lord.
I hope that the Madonna statue encourages more people to pray the rosary. The holy rosary is something I practice. I am sure it has given me a lot of my inspiration for the work
If a reader wants to contact the sculptor, write, Andrew J Bonnette, 12487 40th St.
Afton, MN 55001 USA. A pictorial brochure is available upon request









An interview with liturgical and design director, Brother William J. Woeger, F.S.C.
Director, Office for Divine Worship, 100 N. 62nd St., Omaha, NE 68132. 402.558.3100 ext. 3008
402.558.3026 (fax). wjwoeger@archomaha.org www.archomaha.org


Brother William J. Woeger, F.S.C
Will you speak some to the subject of art and faith for readers? Perhaps they’ll gain a better understanding of the Cathedral space, and the liturgical role works of art play in a space that accommodates and nurtures faith?I’ve been a big fan of the art of borone in Switzerland. Basically, it’s late 19th century Viennese secessionists associated with the monastery of Barone. They were reacting to the romanticism of religious and also to the kind of artist himself as an object of cult and following. That the artist becomes bigger than the work of art itself. The true purpose of art is to serve religion. Ultimately the work was anonymous and the style heavily borrowed from Egyptian. They felt art was closely related to mathematics.
Personally, I identify more with work that is iconic. It is theology and not just emotional. There should be some content. That was what I was looking for with some of the artists and so we have art that is evocative of the religious; we have art that is devotional, and art that speaks of a culture. It may not be the primary culture of the people who use the cathedral. For example, the art in the holy family chapel is Spanish colonial, and the average age of the paintings is 200 years old. The school of Cusco. The Cusco paintings are anonymous and come out of the school. The two sculptures that are in there are Cusco but they are contemporary. There San Jose Joseph with the child, and Conino Nino. (The Family Chapel.) The immaculate (Mary).

Omega wall

How did you get involved with the Cathedral project, and when?
For about thirty years I’ve been travelling around the country as a liturgical designer and I interviewed with the Diocese and was hired. The Bishop and members of his staff and committee. That was Archbishop Vignonor, who is now in Detroit. For about the last forty years Catholic Churches have not been built with Communion Rails because people receive standing. Other than the altar rail, the layout of the Church is really not radical at all, even though the architecture is very, very contemporary. I don’t think anybody, even an architect or a designer than the client is, and nine times out of ten if you’ve got a good client you’ve got a good result. Archbishop Vignoron is one of the best clients I’ve ever worked for. He approached the project in a manner that was open minded and inclusive. When he came in to the Cathedral, the basic concept of the Cathedral was made. He called the project techno – that he appreciated the way a building like that is built. There is never too much. He would affectionately refer to the building as techno, for it had an abundance of technical design. He very much appreciated the whole metaphor of light.

At your age, when working on the Cathedral, what were the expectations for the liturgical and theological designs?
I think all of us knew we were doing something special. This was not just “another church.” We knew there were a lot of people looking to see what would happen. We thought we were onto something very positive, and moved forward with it. Relationships were established. I have friends I made I will have all my life.
The lead architect was very open to the project and input of the people around him. This was not a one man show. He was very responsive to the gifts that were brought to the table.



Whose idea was it to have the smaller “chapels” throughout the Cathedral?Those spaces were there and it was not clear how they were going to function. My job was to work with the committee and the Bishop to reflect on the building and build a theology for it. We came up with the idea of the Chapel of the Suffering Christ because people may be in pain. The family is supposed to remind people that the principle educator of children is parents. Chapel of the saints will be filled with icons. No one has been commissioned to fill the frames. They are quite ornate. The all seasons chapel was created where the average parishioner could make a seasonal statement or where a more spontaneous expression could be made, like a shrine. That changes all the time. The Pacific Rim it is said faces Asia, and the Rocky Mountains divide east from west. So we’ve said. The cities of the Pacific Rim include those not only in the United States but within this entire global definition. That a Cathedral, in this case a new Roman Catholic Cathedral is to last three centuries, into the 24th Century, takes building skills, imagination, and a lot of work that promises quality. As an addition, so small in the geologic sense, and even small when compared to the proportion of population of the Pacific Rim, this Cathedral of Christ the Light is an addition to the Western United States and especially the City of Oakland and all of California.
It was and continues to be a great privilege to be involved in this project. It is one I will continue to stay close to. I came away from the project feeling like I had received a gift to be involved with it.

Hyperbole? Of course! What else is a new Cathedral, but a celebration? Regardless of denomination, a house of God, a light of and for believers in Christ, need not and should not be ignored. This writer hopes we have celebrated the addition of a new Cathedral, and expressed the modern and unusual space of light and graphic presentation of the “supernatural” huge Christ as a place of worship for Roman Catholics.



ADDENDUM

The second Cathedral for Architect Craig Hartman is going to be built:
In the Roman Catholic tradition, a Cathedral houses the cathedra – the teaching seat – of the bishop. The Cathedral becomes the focal point of important liturgical events within the diocese and hosts celebrations and other activities closely linked to the diocesan community and its faith. An important distinction for the new Cathedral is the long-range plan to make the complex serve ecumenical as well as parochial needs; and to become an important spiritual and cultural center for all of Orange County. “Craig Hartman and SOM have the skill and creativity to help the diocese design a place of worship that will become a living faith environment. In ancient times – the Cathedral was the center of life for many communities and it is our hope that Christ Our Savior will reflect this ancient capacity of service and become a shining beacon of our caring faith for generations to come,” Bishop Brown concluded.
The search for an architect capable of translating the many ethnic and cultural facets represented in the Diocese of Orange, while acknowledging the historical architectural and worship traditions of Roman Catholicism, culminated with the selection of San Francisco-based Hartman, the Design Partner in SOM’s San Francisco office…

The good work of the Cathedral Center is now highlighted in a new brochure, in both English and Spanish. (updated 8-27-2010)











ADDENDUM 2City of Oakland Montage
ADDENDUM 3
This longish YouTube produced by the City of Oakland has as a main personage the City’s current Mayor and region previous Congressman, Ron Dellums.

Unanswered questions regarding the Cathedral of the Architectural firm
At the time of this posting the writer continues to work on these questions for Skidmore, Owens and Merrill. The area that occurs to me is in part a statement of design by architect Craig Harman made in his video of the design process for the Cathedral. His words were to the effect that the building was placed so as to be created between the urban Oakland and the natural setting of Lake Merritt. I consider this as a boundary, as outlined in a book
Food for thought and reflection
(1) In the realm of public work meeting the private, what particulars of architecture and community do you see as most significant and immediately recognizable as necessary? Can you think of a Church or Cathedral that speaks to this ethos and aesthetic in important ways? Is there a particular project with which you are familiar, or worked on, that you could mention in this regard?
(2) What is the architectural role of the kind of building that is religious or faith oriented in the community, to your mind? What of your own place of worship? Does it or does it not fit your criteria for a good place of its kind within its city or community? In what way?
(3) Will you speak for a moment for attribution, if only briefly, about the Western United States and its sense of architectural design in cities as opposed to those sensibilities in the Eastern United States? Can you think of a Cathedral or Church that is memorable and a statement for its own region or area? Even a building that strikes your mind when considering this kind of difficult and probably unfair, and too broad of a question? But there the question is, and I am sure readers will be interested to get a feel for American architecture in this regard.

I reviewed Esther de Waal's work (link to book review is here: http://www.examiner.com/x-10965-SF-Religion-in-the-News-Examiner~y2009m8d22-Book-Review-Entering-into-a-life-in-the-Spirit ). (A link to where the video is found is here: http://www.ctlcathedral.org/resources/video_display2.shtml )

Further, a Cathedral is a symbol, and many religious requirements are met in its design. For instance, the direction the altar faces is a traditional matter of religious intent and necessity. It requires some special knowledge within its own sense of value and purpose. Just in that it becomes particularly special, even as religious statement. May we agree on that?





A reiteration in rephrasing of the questions for reflection:

  • In what way is the Cathedral situated within its public and private environs so that it creates a series of boundaries and statements, if that is even so?
  •  
  • Where or what is the statement about the western parts of the United States in the design of this building, especially as a public place for worship for the community? I understand you are familiar with regional and public design and reason for same in architecture, hence the question.
  •  
  • The Bishop who worked on the building in its building stage noted that he thought the design “techno.” It does seem so modern and “techno.” Though you cannot speak for him, perhaps you know what he means for on your website you have a genre of buildings that are modern in their particularity. If you understand what I mean, please comment on this form of Skidmore, Owen Merrill work.
  •  
  • The graphics on the building are striking. Who was in charge, and will you say something of the design team’s vision?
  •  
  •  

This article originally appeared in The Church of England Newspaper, London.
I am sorry this posting is decaying so some of it is garbled. This link goes to Church of England Newspaper, London:
http://www.religiousintelligence.org/churchnewspaper/blogs/christ-the-light/



Photography by Rick White, Mill Valley, CA USA unless noted otherwise.



If one is in Oakland, visiting San Francisco, hear the organs of Cathedral of Christ the Light. Currently, on every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, a brief demonstration of the Conroy Memorial Organ will take place at 1PM as part of the docent-led tour. Join the Cathedral's organist, Rudy de Vos, as he briefly talks about this magnificent instrument and demonstrates some of the different sounds from its 5,298 pipes.



Educated at Ball State University and the Architectural Association in London, where he studied under Cedric Price, Hartman was recruited from school by Walter Netsch, FAIA, to join the Chicago office of SOM in 1973. He moved to SOM’s Houston office in 1982, becoming a Design Partner in 1985 at the age of 35. In 1987, he became the Design Partner of SOM’s Washington, D.C. office and ultimately joined SOM’s San Francisco office in 1990 as the Design Partner in charge of Architecture for the West Coast practice.
[One Press Statement headline reads:] Christ Our Savior Cathedral Design will Feature Innovative Engineering and Extensive Community Service Facilities when Completed.



Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Interview with Sally Brower of North Carolina on faith & art...

by Peter Menkin

This photograph was taken in Italy. Both photographs, the Shrine and
Threshold, have hung in juried shows. Threshold took second place in
photography.



For many the subject of Art & Faith is a mystery. Here we join with The Reverend Doctor Sally Brower who in the following interview speaks of her living the mystery of Art & Faith, and as an artist herself shares some of her work. Assistant Priest at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Charlotte, North Carolina USA (a lovely city), her artistic talents are encouraged by the Parish.


As a poet, she speaks to readers with the voice of a believer and the words of someone who knows her theology. This sample from one poem indicates a yearning for God:


Yet it is the visual arts she delves into in this interview started by phone, worked by emailed questions, and answered in writing by Reverend Doctor Sally Brower. During one phone conversation to her home, this writer recalls she said North Carolina, a State of the Union in America’s South, encouraged artists and had a strong interest in the arts.

Winner of various prizes in art, she also as a Parish Priest emphasizes in her ministry the relationship of Art & Faith and how it creates and contributes to worship and a broadening of knowing God in Christ. She speaks to this in the interview. Further, as a Priest and Artist, Sally Brower has taken retreats to learn about art, and as painter of icons and photographer, she also has given retreats on the subject of Art & Faith. All of these retreats, taken and given, are for the purpose of advancing an understanding of God and this for herself and especially in her ministry to others. She speaks to this in the interview, as well.

For those interested in learning about her education, herewith schools the Assistant Priest has attended:

Virginia Commonwealth University, B.F.A. in Design, 1971

North Carolina State University, M.S. in Psychology, 1978
North Carolina State University, Ph.D. in Psychology, 1987
Erskine Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity, 1998
Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Senior Year and Internship, 1997-99

Her statement on her Resume reads: Trained as an interior designer, psychologist, spiritual director, and minister. Brings energy, creativity, and vision to every endeavor. Uses visual art and writing to promote the encounter of mystery and explore the meaning of our life’s journey.

A woman who is not alone in her art work, more education of the artistic kind includes these artist-teachers–an impressive set: Iconography: studied with Vladislav Andrejev, Prosopon School 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005; studied with Xenia Pokrovskaya, Hexaemeron, 2008; studied with Suzanne Schleck 2008; studied with Louise Shipps 2000, 1998.

A married woman, she told this writer that she and her husband will be vacationing for a couple of weeks, and adds that she was, “Delighted!” to be interviewed on this important subject to her ministry, Art & Faith.


INTERVIEW

1. I came across your work on Episcopal Church for Visual Arts website. But then, I am new to you and your work. How long have you had an interest in faith & art? 1. If you recall, I came

Art and faith have always been intertwined in my life. When I was working on my bachelor’s degree in fine arts, I was probably the only art student who went to church on Sunday. Yet it was in art history classes that I discovered a period of art known as Renaissance in the North , because it represented a time and place when religious art was dominant.



But it has only been in the last thirteen years that I have come full circle and brought art into a central place in my life of faith. My repertoire includes: writing icons, combining visual images on screen with written meditations for worship, creating a CD of meditations and music for use during a stations of the cross prayer walk, enacting Biblical characters through costume and original monologues, published litanies for use in worship, leading retreats on art and spirituality, religious poetry and paintings, pilgrimage photography, and receiving a grant from the local Arts and Science Council for an Expressing Your Faith Through Art weekend.


2. Having heard the term “journey” so many times, both a religious and spiritual term I am sure readers will be curious to know more about your own relationship with art and with faith. What started you on your journey? Or should I say “journeys?”

The first time art and faith came together for me was the 1997 gathering of Spiritual Director’s International when I was asked to create a piece of artwork that would be a focal point for the weekend and incorporate their logo. I began to think about the medium I would use, the size it should be for a room of several hundred participants. I settled on a 4’x4’ acrylic painting. I used the colors of the rainbow for the diversity of people that serve as spiritual directors. There was a numinous gold light indicating the light and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The background was blue for the clarity of truth. It was the first time I had ever been identified primarily as an ‘artist’. It was two years prior to my ordination.


3. Was there a seminal moment? Some people believe in the seminal moment, the religious “ah-ha.” Also the artist’s “ah-ha,” that time of inspiration of the artist when he or she knows she will be creating something, or in this case beginning a journey as a Priest, or into Priesthood. Even beginning the work of an artist, let alone a work of art. Tell us of your seminal moment in starting work with faith in mind as an artist, and in the life of the Church as a Priest.

Acrylic on Canvas.
This painting of Christ the Bridegroom, like the Mother of Sorrows, is

out of the Spanish Colonial tradition.

There were two seminal moments for me in my life of art and faith. The first was attending my first icon workshop in 1998. I had studied icons and begun to include them in personal devotions. Icons are not seen as ‘art’ but as windows to the holy, pointing beyond themselves to the heavenly realm and the person or persons they represent. For me, it was the first time I was gathered into a community of people with whom I shared both Christian faith and art. We painted contemplatively, in prayer and silence with sacred music in the background.

The second moment came after entering my first call in 1999. My official role was in pastoral care and spiritual formation. I had incorporated art into worship, workshops, retreats, and teachings. There came a moment when the senior pastor said, “I didn’t call you to be the art pastor.” In retrospect, he did me a great favor because he was naming my true identity. I am now flourishing in an Episcopal community supportive of my art.


4. When speaking with you by phone at your home, you mentioned something about access to the right brain. That is intriguing. How are art activities a way to access the right brain? And of course, what do you mean by “accessing the right brain?”

In an oversimplified view, the left brain is logical and analytical and the right brain is intuitive, creative, visual, and imaginative. The right brain responds to images, symbols and sounds. The multi-sensory environment of worship would thus appeal to the right brain: the sound of bells and music, the smell of incense, the visual beauty of stained glass, icons, and candlelight, the taste of wine and bread, the touch of a hand in making the sign of a cross or receiving a blessing.


5. This is a kind of part two of the previous question. Please tell us about the spirituality of working with image, getting out of the thinking brain.

This photograph was taken in Ireland on pilgrimage.
It reflects my artist's statement: My art emerges from the
intersection of the deepening of the personal spiritual life and
participation in the communal life of faith. Through photography, I
retrace the footsteps of Christian pilgrims and record the vestiges of
their journeys, the shrines, altars, and thin places where they meet
God. My art is both my spiritual practice and an invitation to others
to awaken to the mystery of God, risk holy encounter, and cross the
threshold of their heart's deep hopes.

The spirituality of working with image begins with creation. When God speaks, there is creation. God’s language is light, color, texture, sound, shape, and movement. Art invites us to speak God’s language. Secondly, working with image is profoundly incarnational. God appeared in the human form of Jesus, sanctifying human flesh and allowing us to depict the face of God without falling into idolatry. The images of Jesus painted from the earliest days of Christianity speak to us in the language of God, not with human words, but with sheer beauty that awakens us to awe and reverence and praise.


6. Interestingly, you’ve been involved in retreat work. Describe a retreat for our readers–for instance the one held in West Los Angeles, USA.

It is, of course, impossible to describe in words what must be experienced, but I will offer a sampling. I began by telling the retreatants we were embarking on a spiritual journey of discovery. We were going to use art as a medium to open doorways into our perception, to put us in touch with the unseen sacred realm through the power of imagination, and to cultivate respect for the holy in the ordinary, to embrace the love at the heart of all creation. We were also going to use art as a medium to look inside ourselves as well; to create a path of inner knowledge where we dared to live deep questions and where we practiced the art of waiting on God for the answers.

We looked at four pathways. On the Path of Presence we were seeking the transcendent God who is Holy Other; the path of being rendered speechless in wonder, silent before the great Mystery of Life. I showed photographs I took at ancient pilgrimage sites around the world and we lavished devotion on making an illuminated manuscript. I always bless the participants hands before beginning artwork.

The second path we explored was the Path of Practice where we were seeking the immanent God revealed through and in creation; the path of sacred attention. Music accompanied a slideshow of photography from the beauty of creation. We collaged devotional images from nature and wrote poetry. The third path was the Path of Possibilities where we were seeking the inner world, the world of God’s kingdom that lies within us. I showed poetry combined with photographs from a place of pilgrimage. I led a meditation which led to drawing a mandala.

The fourth path was the Path of Personal Transformation where we were seeking the transforming power of God to draw us close, to heal us and make us whole. We considered thresholds, those liminal spaces between what is and what could be, the doorways of invitation between our lives as they are and as God envisions them. On this path, participants were asked to integrate all of their workshop experiences and the art they had created and to journal their reflections.


7. Probably a popular subject for the past ten years in some quarters, art & faith are like a combination of influences. I have heard of art as a work of faith, and the work in art as a spiritual practice. But not always art & faith as a way of being religious. When did this start: The Why Now. What is it about the intersection of art & faith at this time that makes it of interest and an issue for people?

I think there are at least five reasons that art and faith are again entering into a close relationship. First, the dominance of the word based culture is eroding. Our children know all about icons – not religious images, but images you click on a computer screen. We are becoming an image based culture.

Second, the spiritual hunger of our day is causing a fresh outpouring of religious art for the ordinary person. Angels and crosses appear not only in Christian bookstores but in catalogs and websites alongside secular art. Just this week articles have appeared in print on the appearance of religious imagery in jewelry and fashion.

Third, technology is inspiring a new generation of multi-sensory worship where the screen becomes the stained glass window of the twenty-first century. Expanded art forms are entering worship like liturgical dance, drama, and live painting by artists.

Fourth, creative and expressive arts are being used extensively in workshops to help open people to the inner self and to divine mystery.

Fifth, there is a renewed emphasis on faith in parts of the art community. I think of the Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts, Christians in the Visual Arts, and the Grunewald Guild which is an art-faith community in Washington State. Conversely, seminaries have classes on arts and the Christian life and art as a contemplative practice.


8. Many of the readers will be interested to learn about some of your tools. For instance, what kind of camera do you use?

My camera is a Canon Powershot SX20. Prior to that I had a Canon Powershot A540.


9. Tell us about the integrity of your work. Do you enhance photos with Photoshop? Is that okay as part of a photograph’s integrity?

I do not use Photoshop to enhance photographs. I think integrity is preserved whenever we are open about the process we used to create the final product. For instance, photography can be a useful medium in mixed media work. Also, I have created artwork combining altered photographs and it is identified as digital artwork.


10. As well as tools, readers and other artists who are readers will want to know something of our tools used in creating a work as a painter: What medium are your paintings in?

My icons are ‘painted’ in traditional egg tempera on gessoed wood panels. I also paint in oil and acrylic on canvas.


11. I have been interested in Icons for years. In case you didn’t know, Rowan Williams has written one or two small, lovely books of his meditations on working with icons. You create them. How long have you been working on icons?

I have been working on icons for twelve years. My best teachers have been Russian Orthodox iconographers. I am beginning my first commission.


12. What brought you to do icons?

I was given icons as a gift by several friends. The priest at the Episcopal church I attended is now an Orthodox priest and he taught me about icons and their use in worship. When I attended the Shalem Institute to study spiritual direction, we used icons for meditation. I read Henri Nouwen’s book Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons. When I saw an icon workshop offered at a nearby Episcopal retreat center, I signed up. My instructor encouraged me to do further study with the Russian iconographer who taught her.


13. Besides as an exercise in a personal and private way… and of course since you are a minister in a Church… I am sure this next to last question is directed at the community aspect of effects and acts in creation. Please let us know: Is art a ministry for you? What is the place of the artist in Church community? (I know that question could in itself be enough for a full interview-article.)

My body of work is multi-media and it is ministry. Whether leading worship in a church setting or introducing art in a retreat setting, it is my hope to put others in touch with the Holy, to help them become more aware of God’s presence in their daily lives. The artist in the church community brings a creative spark, reminding us that God placed that creative spark within each one of us.


Mother of Sorrows
Acrylic on Canvas
14. Would you like to add a comment, statement or remark of any kind that hasn’t been covered? We’ve certainly covered a lot of ground with these questions. Thank you so much Reverend Sally Brower for being kind enough to be interviewed.

Art for me is as much a call on my life as priesthood. The artist and visionary Meinrad Craighead, in speaking of the earliest drawing on the walls of caves, said that artists were the first spiritual leaders because they were the ones who could see in the dark. The mystic and artist Hildegard of Bingen, as translated by Matthew Fox, said that neither science nor technology is enough to awaken a people. It is the artist’s gift to do the awakening. It is my call and gifting to use my creativity in the service of spirituality, to use my art on behalf of faith.









ADDENDUM



Behold the Beauty of the Lord
Sermon: September 23, 2007 at the
Westwood Presbyterian Church Women’s Retreat in Ranchos Palos Verdes,
California.USA

Exodus 33:17-23; Psalm 2:4-8; John 17:20-24
Rev. Dr. Sally M. Brower


Several years ago I wrote, “Art invites us to speak God’s language and seek God’s face.” When God speaks there is creation. When God speaks there is light. When God speaks there is water and sky, there are mountains and trees, flowers and birds and butterflies. God brings color and sound, shape and movement to dance before our eyes. Creation is saturated with the beauty of God.

Yet the greatest beauty is not the beauty God created, but the Beauty that is God. Moses asks to see God’s glory. The psalmist longs to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. To seek the face of the Lord has been the quest of psalmists and artists through the ages. Jesus prays for us to see his glory, the glory given to Jesus by his Father in the act of love. “Art invites us to speak God’s language and seek God’s face.”

Post Reformation and post Enlightenment, we have been accustomed to being people of the word and not people of the image. Stained glass windows and frescoes belong to an age when most people were illiterate. Yet we stand at an amazing intersection in history, when image meets word in the age of computers and the internet. Our children are children of the image. Projection screens appear in worship, the stained glass images of the 21st century. Protestants sit by Catholics and Orthodox in iconography classes across the U.S. daring to depict the face of Jesus the Beloved.

This icon of the Virgin Mary is done in egg tempera on gessoed wood
panel in the Russian Byzantine tradition.

In traditional Orthodox iconography, we are told we cannot paint the face of God because God remains unseen, but God appeared to us in the person of Jesus and we can paint the human form that we have seen. The images of Jesus from the earliest days of Christianity and down through the centuries speak to us in the language of God: not with human words, but with sheer beauty that awakens us to awe and reverence and praise.

Icons are scripture in image. They are the power of the gospel spoken in silence directly to our hearts. One of the most revered icons in the world is the icon of Christ at the Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai in Egypt. Saved from the ravages of the iconoclastic period, this icon is reputed by art historians to be one of the oldest existing icons of Christ. More amazing than its age is that modern technology has shown that it shares the same facial structure and proportion which we know from the Shroud of Turin.

Several years ago, I was going on retreat up in the mountains of North Carolina. It had been a long year with only two pastors in a 2600 member church and I was weary, not just physically, but soul weary. I was delayed in leaving Charlotte and got caught in rush hour traffic. By the time I reached the interstate on the outskirts of the city, I decided I could not take anymore of the main roads – I was going to find another route. As the poet said, I took the road less traveled by and it made all the difference. I had several choices, but I chose the most out of the way.

Two miles off the interstate, I entered Bessemer City, a small town that was bypassed by the growth and development of the larger metro area. I passed Fat Possum’s gift shop. I passed the used car lot with bright yellow happy faces flapping in the breeze and there across from the car lot was a billboard. It was mostly a black background, but there in the center was the Christ of the Sinai, full height on the billboard, staring down at me. I pulled the car over and sat in awe. There were no words, just the face of Jesus confronting me with his penetrating gaze, piercing through to my soul.

I knew I could have chosen other roads – but here in this tiny town, the Lord of the Universe was confronting me. I was familiar with that particular image of Christ though never on that scale. Little pictures tend to shrink things down to a manageable concept, but Jesus was revealed that day with the full force of his glory. For the rest of the trip, all I could think about was the face of Jesus. For the next two weeks, that’s all I could think about. And as I thought about the billboard appearance of Jesus in Bessemer City, I thought about the little town of Bethlehem and the story that was told all over the world. Isn’t that the way Jesus comes to us – in unexpected ways, in out of the way places?

The Rev. Sally Brower, PhD
Priest Associate
sbrower@stmartins-charlotte.org
Another week went by and I was heading south on the interstate again, and I just had to turn off and take another look. Three-tenths of a mile off the interstate on the opposite side of the road, there was another billboard just like the first one. I pulled over and wept. I longed for what Peter preached about in Acts 3:19-20 that “times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you.” For the second time, Jesus appeared in the midst of my life, seeking me every bit as much as I was seeking him.

The heart of the psalmist cries out, Seek his face! Your face Lord will I seek! Image awakens us to the beauty of the Lord; image opens us to the power of the Lord’s presence which touches our lives in unexpected ways. Image helps us to encounter the mystery of God and explore the meaning of our spiritual journeys. In reflection, I wrote a new verse to the tune of A Stable Light is Lighted:

and bid you come,
I can only stand upon the earth
lay bare the bones.
Uncover every sweet deception,
every treasured self perception,
until I am yours alone.


This article appeared in Church of England Newspaper, London.