Good. Good Friday

Good Friday- this is as dark as it gets, folks.  I took away most of the Lenten purple, added a lot of black, crosses, burlap (sackcloth) and rope that I chain stitched ( to represent our sin-bound souls) and the circles are gray paper ( the coins that Judas was paid for his betrayal). There are three spikes (made from styrofoam) in the lower right hand corner- a little hard to see in the photo. Sadness all around.....but we know what's coming!!!!

week six

this week I added some paper 'palms' and one cross in the middle as we anticipate Palm Sunday.....Here's an uncropped picture below so you can see just how big a space this is in :)  It's interesting to me, that's it's challenging to 'get it right' the first time...otherwise it creates extra trips up and down a long staircase on my old arthritic knees to lower and 'fix' it. It rarely is perfectly what I was shooting for......like the one palm on the lower left that is quite a bit lower than everything else. I have to be careful not to get TOO low, or it obstructs the screens on the projectors :) As is the case here, I've just decided to 'let it ride' and see if it's ok. I'll be able to preview it tonight at our last Lenten Service (Holden Evening Prayer....which is one of my personal faves!!!) and adjust it before Sunday if needed. On to Jerusalem we go.....

week five

This week, I added some darker fabrics, and some black ribbons. Plus some burlap ribbon. I want it to represent repentance, and the 'messiness' of our sinful lives- it's all kind of 'cattywhompus'- like we are :) 

week four

just a few adjustments :) i tied some things up that were hanging low, and added some darker fabric and ribbons......things are going to get progressively darker as we head forward to Good Friday. i have so much fun doing this- i know alot of folks don't even notice it.....but i do, and somehow i hope it points others to Jesus.  

week three

so this week, I kind of moved everything around a bit, and added some more purplely goodness. there's less 'swooping' than last week. funny, I always tell myself that "I'll make it smaller this time" but nope, I can't help myself, it seems :) it does inhabit a really big space way up in the ceiling....so..... in the weeks to follow, it will start getting progressively 'darker' in nature.....until the Holy Week influence when it almost makes me cry to put it together.....ah, the tender heart :) 

week two

thought I'd try a night picture and see if that helps.....not so much. I added a few strands of some thing called 'tree tape' that I found at the good will- it looks like crumpled brown paper bag ribbon- love it! And of course a few more purple ribbons and fabrics. I will try to get a better shot hopefully sometime soon. good grief. so embarrassed.

my favorite Parament......

Ash Wednesday

Well, this is my offering for Ash Wednesday and the first week of Lent. Seriously, I need to figure out how to photograph these things better! It's so much prettier in person. I am going to add to/change it a little each week as we go through the next 6 weeks. I think that this year I'm going to commit to 'adding' something rather than 'giving up' something......more random acts of kindness sounds good to me. Gettin' my ash in church tomorrow :)