We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Art

Ascension Art

The Ascension has always been a challenge to understand through the scriptures. Artists have played a role in giving us a visual depiction of the event. They have been doing this for over a 1000 years.

By the 6th century the iconography of the Ascension had been established and by the 9th century Ascension scenes were being depicted on domes of churches.   

There are many traditions in Ascension art.

In some representations there may be no mountain and he may be climbing a mandorla, or be lifted towards Heaven in a mandorla by angels.

In the Eastern Church and in some western paintings, the Virgin Mary is at the center of the group of Apostles (representing the Church) who look upwards towards the ascending Christ.

In Romanesque depictions sometimes just the feet of Christ are shown as he disappears up into the clouds; this depiction became the most popular in Northern Europe, where it lingered in provincial wood reliefs until well after the Reformation.

Ascension scenes fall naturally into two zones, an upper heavenly part and a lower earthly part. The ascending Christ may be carrying a resurrection banner or make a sign of benediction with his right hand. The blessing gesture by Christ with his right hand is directed towards the earthly group below him and signifies that he is blessing the entire Church. In the left hand he may be holding a Gospel or a scroll, signifying teaching and preaching. From the Renaissance on the angels may not be present.

The earthly part of the Ascension depictions do not only represent those believed to have been present at the Ascension, but the entire Church. In some Ascension depictions both Apostle Paul and the Virgin Mary may be present. Given Paul converted to Christianity after the Ascension, and that the New Testament does not directly place the Virgin Mary at the Ascension, these depictions represent "the Church" rather than the specific individuals

More modern views often omit the disciples focusing on Jesus. The sky in many cases is not specifically shown and he is alone. One of the most radical is Dali’s horizontal Jesus.  Another type of image is a three dimensional space emphasizing Christ’s movement, accompanied by brilliant colors.  

Modern Stained Glass Windows for Revelation

This Eucharistic Window, inspired by the Lamb from the Revelation 5, symbolizes the crucified and risen Christ as the Paschal Mystery celebrated in the Eucharist. Christ, depicted as the Apocalyptic Lamb, is the vulnerable God who suffers with humanity, but also epitomizes the hope and joy of resurrection.

Richard King, drawing on Revelation 5:6–10, states that:

“The central theme of this design is the Apocalyptic Lamb shown standing on the Book of the Seven Seals with the ‘seven horns’ of light on his head. The Lamb was slain—wound in breast—but for us the blood is not wasted, but is caught up in the chalice for our salvation. The lamb rose again and so bears the banner of the Resurrection. The seven flames represent the lamps seen in the beatific vision and are symbolic of our means of Grace. Below are the Chalice and Host and the wheat and grapes. (Sheehy 2020: 333)

“The style of this window, blending symbolic, expressive colours with contrasts of light and darkness, is conveyed by cubist-abstract forms. The large red cross behind the white Apocalyptic Lamb, recalls the Passion as the condition of the resurrection hope that King so profoundly affirms. This is further indicated by the blood flowing from the wound in the breast of the Lamb into the chalice, signifying the Eucharist. The blue background with some white, showing the Alpha and Omega, indicates Christ as the beginning and the end, while the eyes—signifying angelic hosts—evoke heaven and transcendence.”

The iconography of this stained-glass window reflects Revelation 5:12–13:

Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!

All these aspects are revealed by the colour, sacramental symbolism, and cosmic vision of this window.

References

King, Richard. N.d. ‘Unpublished explanatory notes concerning the sanctuary windows in the chapel, Sisters of Saint Joseph CentreWest Region’, Archives South Australia: Series 32

Sheehy, Ruth. 2020. The Life and Work of Richard King: Religion, Nationalism and Modernism, Reimagining Ireland Series (Oxford: Peter Lang)

Arts and Faith, Lent 1, Year C

This scene of the temptation of Christ comes from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a 15th-century book of hours, or personal devotional book created especially for Duke Jean de Berry. The book offered meditations based on the time of day, as well as the feasts and seasons of the liturgical calendar. As the Latin text on the bottom tells us, this scene comes from the Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent.

The illuminated scene shows Christ resisting the temptations of the devil atop an ornately detailed Gothic castle. This castle was modeled after a real one, the Duke’s own castle at Mehun-sur-Yevre. Christ standing on top of this castle in the context of his temptation is an image that must have been deeply challenging for the Duke and meant to recall him to humility and conversion.

The scene is a conflation of the three temptations Jesus experienced in the desert. On top of the castle’s tower, he is experiencing the heights the devil asked him to jump from, and seeing all the riches of the world that might entice him. The devil completes the narrative by handing Jesus a stone to turn into bread. Alluding to all three temptations atop of the castle shows the Duke that he is in danger of succumbing to all of these. But rather than casting the Duke into despair and shame, the image offers hope and encouragement: we spot on the bottom right a mighty lion that has treed an ape-like adversary, a metaphor perhaps of the Duke conquering his personal temptations.

The three swans swimming in the moat further connect this scene to the Duke. An often-used symbol for de Berry, the swan was an homage to a woman for whom de Berry’s love was unrequited. To spot the swans in this image connects sin and temptation to one’s own hurts and woundedness. Our own suffering and pain can lead us to grasp tightly at our own reality, sometimes to the point of tearing our wounds even deeper. Conversion of heart means letting go and trusting in God’s healing love to mend the brokenness of our lives.