Beginning in 2002 I constructed annual Lenten meditations composed of materials found during the season of Lent. Toward Holy Week, I assembled them into a meditation on that season.
Lent in South Arica (2002)
This first plaque contains chips of broken mirror glass from a parking lot in Cape Town, along with other materials from one of our stays in South Africa.
Ancient Brokenness: Baghdad to Richland Creek (2003)
Our friend, Ken Sehested, founding president of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, went to Iraq in the winter of 2003 to try to stop the US invasion from happening. He brought back shards of pottery from an ancient ziggurat. Placed on a board taken from nearby Richland Creek, they form a testimony to the broken commandments of our warfare and deceit.
Stations of the Cross (2004)
Like all the Lenten meditations, this piece is composed of found and recycled/recovered materials. Like the traditional stations of the path Jesus took toward his crucifixion, it sets out a pathway past markers significant for any pilgrim’s life journey. Each station is marked by a piece of broken pottery bearing a Christian symbol. The path itself is made of broken brown glass, mostly beer bottles, recovered on the rocky shores of Richland Creek. Behind the path is a tree-like cross in a blocky form made of found green glass.
Stand in Awe (2005)
Shards of broken dishes, some still showing their flowery patterns, and broken bits of glass rods representing humanity gather in the lower right-hand corner. They stand in awe as the golden sun above breaks apart and gives off dark rays that remind us of the way the sun turned dark at mid-day, as told in the traditional story of the hour of Jesus’s death. Broken clear glass over painted paper along with a few small seashells compose a sun-streaked sky, reflecting the breaking and healing of the natural world.
Watch and Wait (2006)
In this abstract landscape numerous crosses appear in the earth and floating in the sky. Shroud-like figures wait for an unknown outcome. A small owl, an ancient symbol of wisdom, eyes wide and sitting under a large evergreen tree, waits patiently for an unknown future.
Earth Memory (2007)
Three stone shards from pre-historic human tool-making form the heart of this small plaque. They were a gift from Revs. Marge Marsh and Earl Thompson for use in this project. They are joined by bits of early Roman mosaic tile, found in the rubble of gravel paths on Sicily. These two ancient elements are highlighted with modern gold mosaic tiles. These are all set with modern Italian tesserae as well as found glass. Together they invite us to reflect upon and honor our ancient ancestors as well as appreciate our contemporary world.
Middle Eastern Icon (2008)
This modern “Icon” represents how the three Abrahamic Faiths can exist in harmony. Their inter-laced history and faith can be found in the people and streets of the Middle East. All the pieces, with exception of a few purchased pebbles, were found in trash on the streets of Israel, primarily in Jerusalem. Lower left is a Star of David, centered by a coin also found in the street. The center presents a cross of broken materials, glass, and pottery, outlined in gold. Upper left shows the Islamic crescent moon, in the Islamic sacred color, green. All three symbols are interlocked with each other. A found broken mirror, probably from traffic accidents, invites us to reflect upon ourselves and each other.
Uncommon Treasures (2009)
This plaque contains in its center chips from prehistoric tool-making, rubbles from mosaics, and early Roman pottery, all part of our travels in the eastern Mediterranean.
If He Should Die (2010)
Steve DeGruchy, son of our dear friends John and Isobel, died in a tragic rafting accident in South Africa in February, 2010. This piece commemorates his life with reference to Shakespeare’s words in Romeo and Juliet:
“And, if he should die, take him and cut him out in little stars and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world would be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.”