Art in Worship
Each Sunday, a work of visual art accompanies our Scripture readings, inviting us to encounter their themes through color, form, and imagination. Here we gather the artworks and reflections shared during our worship.
November 1, 2026
Indians with Umbrellas — Fritz Scholder
This ink drawing portrays a group of Native American horsemen carrying ordinary umbrellas, challenging romanticized images of Indigenous peoples. On All Saints’ Day, we remember a similarly overlooked multitude: those whose lives and struggles rarely appear in history’s grand narratives. Scholder’s unexpected procession invites us to recognize dignity beyond appearances and a communion far greater than the celebrated few.October 25, 2026
Eleusa is a type of icon that depicts Mary with the infant Jesus nestled against her cheek in a gesture of intimate tenderness. Their closeness speaks of a love that is both gentle and deeply personal, echoing Paul’s language from 1 Thessalonians 2: “like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her children, so deeply do we care for you.” It is an invitation to offer not only affection but our very lives to one another. (This icon is used as the cover art for AM Higgins’s album Tender Mercies.)
October 18, 2026
Moses in the Cleft of the Rock — James Baumgartner
This image recalls the scene in Exodus 33, where Moses longs to see God's glory. God answers, not by granting Moses an unobstructed view, but by sheltering him in the cleft of a rock. The image invites us to consider this mystery: a God whose presence is both overwhelming and protective, who is truly present yet never fully within our grasp. A God encountered through grace and not possession.
October 11, 2026
There Is Magic Underneath It All — María Berrío
This glass and ceramic mosaic panel features a butterfly, flowers, and an expansive sky. Its imagery evokes themes of renewal, transformation, and resurrection, offering a visual connection to our reading from Isaiah and its promise that God will swallow up death forever.
October 4, 2026
The Red Vineyard — Vincent van Gogh
A vibrant scene of workers at harvest time. Echoing the setting of Jesus' parable in Matthew 21, van Gogh's image invites us to imagine ourselves as the tenants of the vineyard, reflecting on both the beauty of the harvest God has entrusted to us and our willingness to relinquish control over it.
September 27, 2026
Rage, The Flower Thrower (Love Is in the Air) — Banksy
Painted in 2003 on a wall in Beit Sahour near Bethlehem, this work combines the stark black figure of a rioter with a colorful bouquet of flowers. The unexpected contrast invites us to reconcile an aggressive posture with a gesture of peace, challenging our expectations about conflict and the possibilities of nonviolence.
September 20, 2026
Jonah — Annette Fortt
While our reading from Jonah 4 does not include his time in the belly of the whale, that moment is symbolic of Jonah's trials throughout the story. Fortt's image reminds us that while we may see only the inside of the whale, so to speak—the confines of whatever difficulty we are enduring—God's hand and presence continue to surround and support us even in our darkest moments and deepest despair.
September 13, 2026
The Great Wave off Kanagawa — Katsushika Hokusai
This powerful image of fragile boats beneath an immense, threatening sea accompanies our reading of Psalm 114, where creation itself responds to God's presence: “The sea looked—and fled.” Hokusai's wave invites us to wonder at forces beyond our control and to remember the God who rules the waters and leads God's people safely through them.
August 30, 2026
Silk no. 15 — Thomas Jackson
This photograph captures colorful silk seemingly suspended in the sea breeze, hovering between earth and sky. Its unexpected beauty invites us to pause and wonder, reminiscent of our reading from Exodus 3 and Moses' encounter with the burning bush. Like Moses, may we notice the holy mystery that calls us to stop, look, and listen.
August 23, 2026
Bloom Within — Daniel Nevins
In this artwork, we are invited to see the life of God taking root within us and flourishing outward. As our reading from Isaiah 51:3 declares: “The LORD will comfort Zion; God will comfort all her waste places and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found within her.”
August 16, 2026
THREADS no6 — Tia Keobounpheng
This work invites us to see unity not as sameness, but as many distinct elements woven into something beautiful together. Its overlapping colors, shapes, and threads retain their individuality while contributing to a greater whole. The artwork offers a rich image of Psalm 133:1: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.” Our differences, woven together, become part of the beauty of community.
August 9, 2026
The Drowning Dog — Francisco de Goya
The painting pictures an endangered creature, all alone, surrounded by a hostile sea that threatens to drown it. But it keeps its head up and looks straight ahead, seeming to expect something that will rescue it—perhaps even seeing its rescue already. Goya's drowning dog is expressive of the human condition on display in our Gospel reading today, as Peter sinks into the stormy sea, crying out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!”
August 2, 2026
Wine and Bread — Alexander Antonyuk
This painting invites us to the table where God's abundance meets our deepest hunger. “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price,” Isaiah proclaims in our Old Testament reading, echoing Jesus' feeding of the crowds in our Gospel reading. May this image awaken our trust in the generous hospitality of God. And may every hungry heart come gladly and be filled.
July 26, 2026
Pool Plunge Photograph — Natalie Greenroyd
As we celebrate a baptism today, this striking image captures the exhilarating instant of plunging into deep water—an image of trust, surrender, and joyful commitment. Baptism is not simply a quiet ritual but an entry into the abundant life of God's kingdom. And today we rejoice as one of our beloved members enters these life-giving waters, embraced by the grace that carries us into God's unfolding future.