December 17, 2006 Rose

The advent rose is for the week of Love. This particular rose is called the Christmas rose, it is also related to the Luther rose, which is also has five petals, but includes a heart and a cross in the center

December 10, 2006 Dove

This dove is for the week of peace. The dove is a symbol used for both peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

December 3, 2006 Crown

Advent Manger and Crown

This is the first of four advent mosaics. This is for the week of hope. First, we have the hope of Christ's coming as depicted in this image of a manger. Secondly, the hope of Christ's coming glory as depicted in the image of a crown. The assortment of green tiles in the background suggest the green of the evergreen tree where our Chrismons are hung. Chrismons are white and gold, signifying purity and royalty and surrounded by evergreen leaves, signifying eternity. You'll see as the weeks go by these are images of Chrismons in mosaic form.

November 26, 2006 Kingdom of God

This work was for our discussion of the Kingdom if Heaven. The inspiration for this mosaic came from CS Lewis' The Last Battle. In this last installment of The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis talks about how the New Narnia looks so much like the old Narnia which had passed away. Here is the passage: "It is as hard to explain how this sunlit land was different from the old Narnia as it would be to tell you how the fruits of that country taste. Perhaps you will get some idea of it if you think of it like this. You may have been in a room in which there was a window that looked out on a lovely bay of a sea or a green valley that wound away among mountains. And in the wall of that room opposite to the window there may have been a looking-glass. And as you turned away from the window you suddenly caught sight of that sea or that valley, all over again, in the looking-glass. And the sea in the mirror, or the valley in the mirror, were in one sense just the same as the real ones: yet at the same time they were somehow different- deeper, more wonderful, more like places in a story: in a story you have never heard but very much want to know. The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more. I can't describe it any better than that: if you ever get there you will see what I mean." I decided to use bits of mirror to catch glimpses of our world in that deeper realm. The pieces of mirror are surrounded by tiles of blue, green, and yellow to echo the colors of our world. Many thanks to Maison, Morgan, Debra and Tim Rogers for their assistance with this project.