...and all the company of heaven

I love the concept of the Communion of Saints, that great cloud of witnesses that includes all the faithful who have preceded us, all who are members of the Body of Christ living today, and all who have yet to arrive on the scene, and so it is a delight that a good number of the commissions I receive are in fact of the Saints... Saints today, saints of old, as the anthem goes...



Usually the commission is intended as a gift. This year the gift was particularly delightful as I was asked to write this icon of St. Nicholas. As I pray my way through the next several days, Nicholas is a good companion. This particular icon of St. Nicholas is based on an icon written by Alaskan artist, Byron Birdsall, who himself based his icon of Nicholas on those of the more ancient tradition.

This icon of Ignatius of Loyola was also commissioned as a gift. Writing this icon was a gift to my spirit, as I had recently spent some time reading and praying with Ignatius's spiritual disciplines through the writings of Father Thomas Ryan, the ecumenical officer of the Paulist Brothers. As I wrote this icon I prayed Ignatius' prayer, "Take Lord, and Receive":

Take Lord, and receive
All my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my entire will
All that I am and all that I posess
You have given it all to me, to you Lord, I return it
All is yours
Dispose of it according to your will.
Give me only your love and your grace, for that is enough for me.




Our Lady of Guadalupe is not an icon, per se. It is a holy image with an important role in the spiritual history of our country, particularly our country out West, where I grew up. I wrote this icon while on a stragely difficult sabbatical, which led into a fascinating journey of discernment in the year that followed. I am still a Western kid, called to serve in the East for now. Still very much a mystery. Take Lord, and Receive...

This icon of Francis is one of my first commissions, written for a parishioner who "won" it in an auction at St. George's. Francis' tenderness, his hands wounded by the stigmata, and the bird of peace were moving elements to engage while writing this icon.

I was writing this icon of the Beloved Disciple for the Rev. Steven Godfrey as an ordination present, while listening to the U2 Best of 1980-1990 album, when I had something of a mystical experience singing I Will Follow at the top of my lungs. OK, to be fair, I was rinsing off my palette at the sink while singing at the top of my lungs and dancing in the kitchen. That experience was overwhelming-- no really-- it was overwhelming, and led me to discuss the possibility of a U2 Eucharist with other U2 fans in my congregation. That, my friends, is the subject of another blog... http://u2charist.blogspot.com/

This icon of Miriam the Prophetess was first written as an ordination present for the Rev. Suzanne Poulin. This particular image of Miriam was written as a Christmas gift for a friend's mother who is a Jewish woman who has converted to Christianity.

This icon of St. Andrew also began as a commission for a young boy named Andrew. This particular image of St. Andrew is hanging out with a friend of mine in Estero, Florida. I love his fisherman-windblown hair and craggy sun-creased face.

I don't know what the next commission will bring. No doubt another opportunity to spend time with the image of a faithful member of the family that is the Body of Christ.