Guest Blogger: Rev. Anna Elise Fleming-Jones

My starting place for the tablescapes was the lectionary for the 5 Sundays in Lent, specifically the Old Testament and Gospel readings. 

From there, I chose items that were on-hand and also touchable. Anything can be used for creator art, especially installation-style art for worship. Pottery is an important image in Scripture, even symbolizing humanity and created-ness--God is the potter, for example. McCarty and Peter's Pottery are both staples in Mississippi homes. I have a large collection that I use on a regular basis. Featuring these pieces in worship is a healthy meeting-of-worlds. 
 
Lent 2017 tablescapes: 1) "not by bread alone, but eat the right fruit," pics 2a) and 2b) "by water and the Spirit," 3) "water from a rock?", 4) "empty bowl/fruitful bowl: Mary and Elizabeth," 5) "when Lazarus couldn't come to dinner." #artforLent #cometothetable #lectionary
 
Also, one of my practices for Lent is to make art. Putting together this diomrama-remiscent collection for these Sundays connects me to other times in my life where I interpreted Scripture through art. This vital spiritual practice is as valid as any other Spirit-led biblical interpretation tool. Remeber--the whole Bible is a work of art. If a writer hadn't written it, if a historian hadn't taken time to tell the stories, we would not have it!

​1) "not by bread alone, but eat the right fruit"
 
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Matthew 4:1-11
 
Two stories of temptation are juxtaposed, featuring Eve and Jesus. Here I picked apples as a common fruit, common bread as the bread, and our traditional chalice and paten (glazed and fired clay) along with a cross that is toned-down from our usual brass one, but has intricacies upon inspection. 
 
ANYONE can make a tablescape for worship. I used images from the Scriptures interpreted through my lens, and brought the theology full circle with our practice of Holy Communion. Art is for EVERYONE. The presence of art and creativity in worship is vital. 

​2) "by water and the Spirit" 
 
Genesis 12:1-4a
John 3:1-17
 
Jesus and Nicodemus are talking it out, and the latter man learns a lot, especially about birth! Two overt symbols: the pitcher for water, and the shell for baptism/Spirit. Same cross included. 
 
I let the Lot passage slide a little bit on this set-up, but it would be appropriate to add some salt in, to remind the worshiper that though Lot was getting God's blessing, and salt was a part of everyday survival (and still is!), his wife disobeyed God and became a pillar of salt. Salt and water are key ingredients for preserving food and thus life throughout the history of humanity. Salt showed up in the lectionary earlier this year. 

​3) "water from a rock?"
 
Can God bring water from a rock? If you're thirsty enough, then yes, and are wandering in the Wilderness with moses, certainly. The woman at the well found out how thirsty she was as well. Here, a rock (from my church in Kentucky, vaguely heart-shaped), and the same water pitcher from last week. Same cross included. 
 
Exodus 17:1-7
John 4:5-42

​4) "empty bowl/fruitful bowl: Mary and Elizabeth" 
Luke 1:26-38
 
The unlikely women pregnant, Mary and Elizabeth, are depicted here, both by both bowls: both had been empty, and both became full of fruit because of God. In case this imagery is too subtle, the bowl is the womb--a vessel, a thing of beauty in itself. Same cross included. 

​5) "when Lazarus couldn't come to dinner"
 
Ezekiel 37:1-14
John 11:1-45
 
The Old Testament reading features the vision of the dry bones, a nice counterpoint to Jesus and Lazarus. What happens when your friend dies? Do you still set a place for them as you miss them? I've featured two cups, two bowls, and an empty platter, and the same cross included before. Here we dive in to the emotional experience of Jesus during the days Lazarus lay dead. 

Follow Anna on Instagram @reverendsweetie.

Center yourself.
Become still, and aware of God's presence.
Pray:
God-who-is-with-us, help me to be fully present to you in this time of prayer.

Isaiah 7:10-16 (NRSV)
7:10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
7:11 Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
7:12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.
7:13 Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?
7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
7:15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.

Read Isaiah 7:10-16 through once, slowly, listening simply for the sense and flow of the text.

Read Isaiah 7:10-16 again, more slowly. This time, listen for a word, phrase, or image that catches the attention of your spirit. You don't need to understand why; just notice it.

Read Isaiah 7:10-16 again.  When you reach your word, phrase, or image, pause.  Ask God, "What is your invitation to me, God, through this word/phrase/image?" Listen for God's answer.

What have you sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to you? Respond to God in prayer.

Finally, simply rest for as long as you want in the light of God's love surrounding you.

Romans 1:1-7 (NRSV)
1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
1:2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
1:3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
1:4 and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
1:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,
1:6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
1:7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1.  When have you "received grace" through Jesus Christ? 
2.  When have you experienced "peace from God"?
3.  When have you been given "power according to the Spirit of holiness"? 
4.  How are you called to be an "apostle" and a "saint," "set apart for the gospel of God"?

Matthew 1:18-25 (NRSV)
1:18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
1:19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
1:20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
1:21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
1:22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
1:23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."
1:24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
1:25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Poem for Reflection
Excerpt from "The Inner History of a Day"
by John O'Donohue

We seldom notice how each day is a holy place
Where the eucharist of the ordinary happens,
Transforming our broken fragments
Into an eternal continuity that keeps us.

Somewhere in us a dignity presides
That is more gracious than the smallness
That fuels us with fear and force,
A dignity that trusts the form a day takes.

So at the end of this day, we give thanks
For being betrothed to the unknown
And for the secret work
Through which the mind of the day
And wisdom of the soul become one.

-from For Lovers of God Everywhere by Roger Housden (Hay House, Inc.; 2009)

God, in whom there is no darkness, only light:
when we are weary,
when our ways weary you,
warm us with fire of your Spirit
rekindled in our spirits.
Let your face shine upon us,
and your dreams grow within us,
until we are freed from fear
to turn toward the mystery
and the grace
and the peace
of Christ our Lord,
who is You-with-us.

Pray:
Christ, you are the Way.
Help me to wait patiently for your Spirit as I listen for your guidance today.

Isaiah 35:1-10 (NRSV)
35:1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus
35:2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.
35:3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
35:4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you."
35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
35:6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
35:7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
35:8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
35:9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.
35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Read Isaiah 35:1-10 aloud slowly, listening for the overall sense and feel of the passage.

Read Isaiah 35:1-10 aloud again, even more slowly.  As you read pause to imagine, with as much detail as you can, each and every image used in the passage.  

Read Isaiah 35:1-10 again.  This time, listen prayerfully for which image is most vivid to you.  
​To which image do you feel drawn?

Lift up that image to God in prayer.  What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this image?

Respond to God in prayer.

Take time to rest in God's love.  
You don't have to do or say anything; simply be present with God, until you feel ready to move on.  

As you read this Scripture, allow yourself to meditate on both the words and the image below.

How does this image speak to your spirit?  
What invitation is God's Spirit offering your spirit through this image and Scripture?

Song for Reflection: 
The Canticle of the Turning
by 
Rory Cooney
(Upper Room Worshipbook #16)

My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,
and my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant's plight, and my weakness you did not spurn,
so from east to west shall my name be blest. Could the world be about to turn?

My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn!

Though I am small, my God, my all, you work great things in me,
and your mercy will last from the depths of the past to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame, and to those who would for you yearn,
you will show your might, put the strong to flight, for the world is about to turn.

My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn!

From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears ev'ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn.

My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn!

Though the nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast:
God's mercy must deliver us from the conqueror's crushing grasp.
This saving word that out forebears heard is the promise which holds us bound,
'til the spear and rod can be crushed by God, who is turning the world around.

My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn!

God, you are the Way in the wilderness,
a stream of Living Water in the desert,
the Song that our souls long to sing.
As wait patiently for your return,
may we never be patient with injustice.
Strengthen our weak hands;
make firm our feeble knees;
fill us with your Spirit,
and free us from our fear.
Turn our hearts and world
away from hate, and toward your love.
Amen.

Center yourself in silence.  Become still, and aware of God's presence.
Pray: "God, prepare me to receive your Spirit and your hope with joy this day."

Isaiah 11:1-10 (NRSV)
11:1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
11:2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
11:3 His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;
11:4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
11:5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
11:6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
11:7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
11:8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
11:9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
11:10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Read Isaiah 11:1-10 aloud slowly, simply absorbing the sense and flow of the sacred text.

Read Isaiah 11:1-10 aloud again, slowly.  This time, listen in your spirit for a word, phrase or image that catches your attention.  You don't have to understand why; simply notice, then make note of, your word, phrase, or image.

As you read Isaiah 11:1-10 a third time, pause when you arrive again at your word, phrase, or image.  Ask God, "What is your invitation to me today through this word (or phrase, or image)?"  Reflect on the word, phrase, or image you have received, and what God's Spirit is saying to your spirit in this moment.

Respond to God in prayer.

Now, release your own thoughts, plans, and anxieties.  Allow your mind, body and spirit to simply rest in God's loving presence.  Receive God's grace, and be at peace.​

You are invited to read this psalm as a prayer for those in power over the nations.
As you do so, imagine yourself seated on a hill, overlooking all the world's peoples.
Invite God to draw your eyes to the poor and the needy, the oppressed and the forgotten,
​that you might see their faces before you as you pray this psalm.

From "Reconciliation" in Disciplines of the Spirit by Howard Thurman

"The discipline of reconciliation for the religious man cannot be separated from the discipine of religious experience.  In religious experience a man has a sense of being touched at his inmost center, at his very core, and this awareness sets in motion the process that makes for his integration, his wholeness.
[ . . . ]
There must be a sense of leisure out of which we relate to others.  The sense of it is far more important than the fact of leisure itself.  Somehow it must be conveyed to the other person that our effort to respond to his need to be cared for is one with our concern to be cared for ourselves.  Despite the pressures under which we live, it is entirely possible to develop a sense of leisure as the climate in which we function.  We cannot be in a hurry in matters of th heart.  The human spirit has to be explored gently and with unhurried tenderness.  Very often this demands a reconditioning of our nervous responses to life, a profound alteration in the tempo of our behavior pattern. Whatever we learn of lesiure in the discipline of silence, in meditation and prayer, bears rich, ripe fruit in preparing the way for love.
[. . .]
Ultimately, there is only one place of refuge on this planet for any man - that is in another man's heart.  To love is to make of one's heart a swinging door."

God,
may your Spirit rest upon us,
as we rest in your Spirit.
May we be so changed by your love,
so transformed by your hospitality,
that our hearts become a doorway
to hope and love for all in need,
as our hands prepare the way before you,
​making paths of justice and of peace.
Amen.

Center yourself in silence.  Become still, and aware of God's presence.
Pray: "God, may my spirit be awake to your Spirit as I listen for your Word this day."

​Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)
1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. 
3 Many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 
4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 
5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Read Isaiah 2:1-5 aloud slowly, simply absorbing the sense and flow of the sacred text.

Read Isaiah 2:1-5 aloud again, slowly.  This time, listen in your spirit for a word, phrase or image that catches your attention.  You don't have to understand why; simply notice, then make note of, your word, phrase, or image.

As you read Isaiah 2:1-5 a third time, pause when you arrive again at your word, phrase, or image.  Ask God, "What is your invitation to me today through this word (or phrase, or image)?"  Reflect on the word, phrase, or image you have received, and what God's Spirit is saying to your spirit in this moment.

Respond to God in prayer.

Now, release your own thoughts, plans, and anxieties.  Allow your mind, body and spirit to simply rest in God's loving presence.  Receive God's grace, and be at peace.

Romans 13:11-14 (NRSV)
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 
12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 
13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 
14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Questions for Reflection: 
1.  In what ways have you been asleep to the work of salvation? 
2.  Where do you see darkness in the world?  Where do you see light?
3.  "The day is near . . . put on the armor of light." What does this look like for you?

Matthew 24:36-44
​36 "But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 
37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 
39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 
40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 
41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.
42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 
43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

O God of Light,
the darkness is deep,
and the night is long,
but your salvation 
breaks like the dawn.
Awaken us
to your presence, Lord;
clothe us in light and love,
that the world's people might find in us
the unexpected gift of your peace
already among them.