Is Your Stole a Yoke?

Riding for Ride Solar

Did you ever have one of those weeks when you came across something repeatedly but in different formats? That happened to me lately with the word 'yoke'. First, I had the pleasure of attending a benefit ride that my son and his college roommate were in to raise funds for solar panels to be installed in a village in Haiti. The event was an hour from campus so it was a treat to have the time to get caught up while in the car taking the boys back to school. I don't know how we got talking about it, but my son started explaining Carrot Top Studio to his roommate. The roommate is a fine man of God who worships faithfully but in a setting where the ministry leaders do not wear stoles. So I added that those in ministry wear stoles as a symbol of leadership and the yoke of Christ that is taken on at ordination. This points back to the scripture:

Come unto me,

all ye that labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart: 

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 11: 28-30

And this fine young man quickly wondered, "then why don't they just wear yokes?" We all got a chuckle out of this as we individually conjured up Far Side cartoon images of pastors wearing the type of yoke that an animal does.

Find this on eBay this week!

Then, my yogi, before last week's practice, was sharing that the word yoga derives from sanskrit which literally means yoking or he yokes. This is akin to the Latin word jungere to join. There it is again....to join. Leaders in worship have joined in by saying that they will be slaves to Christ. In this thought string it is also interesting to note that the stole is reportedly the work-cloth that slaves wore around their necks.

Lastly, a recent devotional reading referenced Matthew 11:28. In the inspirational commentary the author told of seeing a farmer and his yoked oxen walking together....harmoniously. This was likened to God fitting us with a yoke equal only to our tasks and that he will always be walking alongside us.

When you go to 'stole up' for your next worship service maybe you will pause and think about why you wear the stole. In the studio as we design, stitch and ship we will be praying for you as you have answered the call to wear the yoke.

World Communion Sunday

This stole is sold here.

Do you celebrate World Communion Sunday with your congregation? Many denominations celebrate Communion on the first Sunday of October to promote Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation. Of course anytime we observe Communion we show our participation in the body of Christ. This makes me think of the scripture from 1 Corinthians 10:16-17...Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 

Marietta gets supplies organized for a day of dying silk.

With this in mind we've added a new stole to our Haiti collection using silk that is hand dyed by a group of women that run a small business to be able to further their education in LaCroix, Haiti. 


Whenever I have the opportunity of partaking in Communion outside my home congregation I am struck by the symbols of bread and wine and the gift of their universality. This hit me a little further away from home this summer when I was able to work in Haiti for a week. I thought you might enjoy the below photo of the LaCroix New Testament Mission choir helping us prepare our hearts for Communion with song as they sing around the table where the elements are prepared, covered and waiting. 

....and yes, that's a bottle of Purell hand sanitizer on the Communion table!

It's Back to (Sunday) School Time!

Visiting my childhood church with Mr. Carrot Top Studio

This week many congregations are beginning new Sunday School classes. It's an exciting time for all that are involved. Those that feel the call to teach are a blessing.This summer my family worshiped in the church that I grew up in. Afterward we walked the church hallways and many memories washed over me. They included sitting around tables exploring lessons, laughing, a feeling of comfort, learning how to use my first Bible, and interestingly a lot of mini-dramas acting out Bible stories --maybe my inner actress is wanting to still emerge!

An encouraging  read for parents (and clergy)!

I know that church and our faith aren't supposed to shut down in the more laid back days of summer, but I also recognize the reality of the renewal of the change of seasons. For us in the United States this means many adults and children swarm "back" to church at this time of year. There is much energy! And hopefully this also means children in worship. As a young parent I learned a lot by reading Parenting in the Pew and was greatly encouraged by those around me that were worshiping with older children. As an artist/educator I believe in the importance of including the visual in worship. Children today have shorter attention spans than generations past because everything moves much faster for them. I'm not saying worship needs to move 'quickly' but I do think including visuals and using colors and symbols and changing these throughout the seasons will help keep children engaged. Worship is a verb isn't it? It should be active.

Confirmation stole blanks-available in white and red.

Are you now brainstorming ways to include the visual? Carrot Top Studio liked this idea....one of our clients let us know that she'll be using our confirmation stole blanks to commission the church's teachers this coming Sunday. Lovely and symbolic, indeed. 

What Ever Does That Mean?, Part 2

What symbols make a connection to the Word for you during Ordinary Time? Continuing last week's blog post of defining a bit of what we do at Carrot Top Studio I thought we'd look at a few symbols that we might find in a worship space or on a stole or worship banner and figure out what they might mean. This group includes symbols for God:

All -seeing Eye. A Symbol of the omniscience of God (Ps. 33:18) The eye is shown within a rayed triangle.

Circle. This is an ancient symbol representing eternity and completeness because it has no beginning and no ending.

Creator's star. A six-pointed star, made from two equilateral triangles, symbolizing the Triune God. The six points are reminiscent of the six attributes of God: power, majesty, wisdom, love, mercy, and justice, and also of the six days of Creation.

Hand of God. A symbol of God the Father, the only symbol for God used during the first eight centuries of the church. The hand symbolizes God as creator and sustainer of all of creation, and comes from the many references to the "hand of God" in the Bible (e.g., Deut. 3:23-24, Ezra 8:21-23, 1 Pet. 5:6) The Hand may be shown in any of the following postures:

• reaching down from the clouds.
• descending from the clouds, and holding five tiny human beings, representative of being held in God's hand (Ps. 139:10).
• in the Latin form, reaching down from heaven in blessing, the two first fingers and thumb extended, and the other two bent to the palm. This image is superimposed over a three-rayed nimbus enclosed in a circle, a symbol of Deity.
• in the Greek form, with the hand pointing to heaven, the forefinger extended, the middle finger and little finger closed in a half-circle, and the thumbs crossing the ring finger. Reading right to left, this form spells ICXC or Jesus Christ in Greek.

In times when not everyone learned to read books, symbols were used as "the language" to tell the story of our faith. Therefore in literate societies today we have lost some of the knowledge of the meaning of these images. In the studio we're all for artistic interpretation but we also appreciate historical symbols and their meaning. Next week we'll explore a few more!

What Ever Does That Mean?

"What Ever Does That Mean?" is a phrase I often hear my teenagers and their friends rattle off. Sometimes they're being funny or flip but sometimes they really just don't understand. This phrase has made me wonder how often Carrot Top Studio writes a description of a stole and we use terminology familiar in an art studio that might need some further definition. Here are some of those terms defined:


Applique-a decorative design made of one material sewn over another. The gold cross on this Advent stole is appliqued onto the purple fabric base.

Machine embroidery-for our work this involves using a satin stitch (a tight zig zag stitch) around the edge of an appliqued symbol or image. This gives a finished edge and prevents the applique from fraying. The star on this Christmas stole has been finished with machine embroidery.

Machine free motion stitching-involves simultaneously running the machine and skillfully moving tightly hooped fabric under the needle in unison with the machine to create even stitches. We think of this as drawing with the machine needle instead of a pencil. A specific repetitive pattern could be followed (like quilters use) or it might be appropriate to be more free and abstract. The details in the crown of thorns on this Lent stole is an example of this type of detailing.

Hand painted-simply put....we're putting a brush in our hands and painting on the stole. This Easter stole depicts a little of our work.

Stamped with textile paint-stamping with a commercial or in studio created stamp can often add just the right detail or special accent to a stole. This ordination stole wasn't complete until the Trinity symbol of the fleur de lis was stamped on the hem.

Eyelash yarns-I often wonder if you think we've lost our mind when we write a description claiming that we've used these yarns. This yarn is a novelty item created for knitters. It looks furry or like a long string of eyelashes and adds a delightful bit of texture in just the right place on stoles such as on the stems of this ivy on this Ordinary Time stole. We stitch it onto the stole.

Variegated threads-last but not least we love using variegated threads. The way the thread has been dyed either subtly or boldly changing from one color to the next adds a wonderful bit of artistic interest. The cross on the back tip of this Communion stole was edged with variegated thread....dark on some edges then lighter on others.

We hope this tutorial is informative and if you're still saying "What ever does that mean?" that you won't hesitate to send us an email or give us a call to find out more.

"Looking At" Psalm 133

Continuing the thought from last week's blog post that visuals connected with worship don't always have to be stoles or worship banners here are two examples of art that could accompany worship. Psalm 133 is part of the lectionary for many worshipers this week. After I traveled to Haiti earlier this summer and lived in community for a week this is a theme I have thought of often since. Isn't it a beautiful how the Psalmist descriptively compares the living together in peace to that of the pleasantness of anointing with holy oil? I think you might also enjoy these two artistic interpretations....

Psalm 133, Ben Shahn

Ben Shahn's interpretation of this Psalm reminds me of two living together that outwardly appear to be different. But the dynamics of the illustrations around these 'birds' reflect the unity and joy of living in love and peace. This brings great delight, blessings and rewards for the now but ultimately scripture tells us that it will be for the forever. Ben Shan's art tends to have the sophistication of reducing an image to the simplest form to relayi the message. How does this relate to the message in Psalm 133?

Psalm 133, Mark Lawrence

Above we see a second interpretation of Psalm 133 by contemporary artist Mark Lawrence. The energy this artist has created in his depiction of unity is magnificent. The blessings definitely seem as infinite as the drops of dew as the Psalmist records. You can read more about Mark's work here. I find the artist's color palette to be interesting. As your eyes travel around the art work what types of emotions are conjured up? Do you feel a call to action to forgive one another as Christ taught us to do and strive harder for peace and unity? 


Using visuals can draw us closer to Scripture and help us grow in our faith. Just a reminder--if you use images such as the above to make a connection to the Word give credit where credit is due and if the images is contemporary then seek the artist's permission first. 

Integrating Faith with Art

stoles by Carrot Top Studio

Are you using visuals to enhance ministry, make connections to the Word of the Lord and encourage those around you to grow in their faith? Visuals can be woven into (no pun intended!) ministry in many different ways. If you are a traditionalist you might first think of the visuals of fiber art in worship such as in stoles, paraments and worship banners. Color and symbols --simple or complex--are great connectors to a message. Or maybe you lean towards worship that uses visuals on large screen projections or bold displays of color from creatively placed worship banners. That's just the beginning of the possibilities! Here's a little list of some additional ideas:

• include historical or contemporary works of art on worship bulletins or in your church newsletter that support what the message of the day or church year season is. If you do this it is customary to then give the artist and piece of work (name and title). If you seek contemporary images (i.e. from living artists) and don't have any within your congregation then approach a local art guild or look to the children or teens within your faith community.

The Sower, Vincent van Gogh

• likewise you can include this type of art in multimedia or large screen projections. Remember variety keeps people's attention and draws them into the message and if we only use one format of visual, such as only slick photography, we will be less likely to keep everyone focused.

• share art in Sunday School classes of all ages. All ages from the younger to the older/wiser set can examine a piece of art to start a conversation that relates to the Bible passage being studied. The art could be depicting the particular scripture or it could just be related to it. For example if you were examining the Parable of the Sower you might gather several different images of sowers to help you discuss the parable and associated metaphors. Textweek is a great online resource of such images. Additionally some libraries have art reproductions that can be lent and you might also have the gift of local artists that have work that could be borrowed (oh my wouldn't that be wonderful!)

• additionally there are wonderful children's books that use master works of art and lend you questions to discuss with the viewer. You might enjoy using any of the books from the Come Look With Me series by Gladys S. Blizzard. They are not based on Christian art but I have no doubt you can find a lot of artworks that relate to Biblical stories. Blizzard gives great background information on each piece and models interesting questions to ask the children to help guide a discussion one-on-one or in a small group.

The opportunities are endless! Don't neglect the connection.

What's On the BookShelf This Summer?

Do you have a shopping weakness? Thank you to those of you who answer "Carrot Top Studio stoles!" But I'm guessing there are a variety of responses in the crowd. My shopping fetish is for books and periodicals. When I say shopping I use the term lightly though because I imposed a rule for myself a decade ago when the bookcases were collapses under way too much weight....reading material from there on out was to come from the library unless it was something that I would read repeatedly. This is what's in my stack of summer reading that pertains to art and worship and the connection to our faith:

 

Scribbling in the Sand by Michael Card explores Biblical foundations of Christian creativity. You can listen to Mr. Card sing the song composed by this same name here.

Creative and Christian: Biblical Principles by Leen La Riviere can be read all at once, used as a devotional or a small group Bible study.

Water, Wind, Earth and Fire by Christine Valters Painter. A book of meditations, prayer, and readings all connected to nature and centered on St. Francis of Assisi's "The Canticle of the Creatures."

Art That Tells the Story by Christopher Brewer. Based on the Bible this just off the press title interlaces images, text, scripture, reflection and cultural artifacts.


So my "shopping" will hopefully help me strengthen my soul and deepen my heart for my passion and acknowledgement of the importance of the connection with art and faith. What books or visuals are widening your mind this season? 


....BTW I'm not always serious....just for the fun of it, I'm also getting caught up on my Harry Potter so I can see the last movie while it's on the big screen! 

A Bevy of Banners

The original design.

How do you create 30+ banners that will be shared as gifts for sister churches more than 8000 miles away from your own? Carrot Top Studio was approached by the Malawi Partnership from Pittsburgh Presbytery with just such a prospect. The challenges included designing a visual message that represented both Pittsburgh, PA and Malawi, Africa, creating many identical banners that would travel easily, and doing the project as financially frugally as possible...all in six months!


First, our studio designed the banner as seen at right. The official description is: The Holy Spirit (the dove) and our faith in God (the Bible and cross) bridge the partnership between the church in Malawi (baobab tree) and in Pittsburgh (three rivers) as we work together to be mutually encouraged by each other's faith (Roman's 1:12). The bridge and the rivers together also make the shape of a sun. Artistically the sun can be used to represent the 'son' who died for us all.

Mass production!

It was agreed that the most frugal way to create the banners was in the tradition of an old fashioned quilting bee. Carrot Top Studio was able to then step out of the project and turn it over to very capable hands. A lead seamstress was identified and the word went out to sewers in the community of the Pittsburgh Presbytery. One of the wonderful things about this gathering was that it allowed people that are passionate about this partnership but weren't planning to travel to have a creative way to participate and be supportive. Why else should churches create in community?

• sharing a common interest and goal allows everyone to be accomplished in the project,
• the work atmosphere promotes creativity and Christian fellowship,
• everyone brings their unique talents and abilities and this fosters a positive learning environment.

The banners needed to not take up much suitcase space or weight. As you can see here their 3 x 5' size folded into a neat little package!

The partnership travelers have now traveled half way around the world and back home again to Pittsburgh. I am just starting to learn their stories of what it was like to be mutually encouraged as we all walk together in faith. And there are now banners in the partnership churches....a visual reminder of friendships and our faith to be used when the people in Malawi gather together to draw closer to God in worship.  

a detail....with scripture in Chichewa and English

Presentation of a banner in Malawi

So why do we share all of this? Because sometimes banners (or even a single banner) seem like too big or scary of a project. Let this example of one person having an idea and networking with others that had specific talents show you how a goal can be well met. I write this to encourage you!

*an interesting fact...when the Malawians visit Pittsburgh they are enthralled by the vast amount of bridges this city has....so it was doubly fun to use the 'bridging' theme in this design!*

Ordinary Time Greens

Swiss chard and chives are just some of the
'shades of green' growing  in my garden.

We're in the midst of the season after Pentecost--also known as Ordinary Time. It's the longest period of the church year and because it emphasizes Christian life it allows for an immense amount of symbols and visuals in worship. This is a time of growth. Where our studio is located in Pennsylvania we are in the midst of the growing season in the garden. Our raspberries are coming in, the small tomatoes are red, the larger tomatoes are heading toward their full size and there is an endless array of green all about. As we see the gardens and the produce at the farmer's market change  we have an appreciation of why the liturgical color for this season is green. It is a season of growth, new life and building up of the church, and therefore a time of hope.

See the entire picture of this stole here.

Ordinary Time certainly doesn't need to be 'ordinary'. How can you celebrate the mystery of Christ during this time? We saw this green batik fabric that has been dyed on a soft pima cotton and knew it was perfect for Ordinary Time....so many greens within the one piece of cloth! We've turned it into a stole embellished with a tree of life cross--a symbol told of in Genesis and the Book of Revelations. Using this cross also causes us to think of John Calvin's description of the tree being a symbol and memorial of the life received from God. What do you see and how do you embrace this time of growth?

Color and Symbols in Haiti

It is almost overwhelming to think about my recent eight days at the LaCroix New Testament Mission in Haiti and what I might pick and chose to share about. Given that Carrot Top Studio focuses on colors and symbols and how these can make a visual connection in worship and ministry I've decided that is how I'll share a little of my experience.

Inside the church

Carvings on chancel railing

We arrived in LaCroix late on Saturday so Sunday morning worship was our first introduction to this wonderful community.  Worshipers were full of boisterous singing and joyful body motions. Communion was shared and I gave thanks that as Christians we all share the symbols of the bread and cup. The worship space was embellished with bright colored flower garlands hanging from the ceilings. And the chancel railing was decorated with wood carvings of a plant that I interpreted as either a symbol for growth and life or maybe the Trinity because of it's three leaves. We joined the tradition of this culture of covering our head during worship.

The Haitians we encountered were some of the happiest people I have ever been around. They move through their day with much laughter and singing. The colors that surrounded us everywhere we went--inside and out--reflected this happiness. They were bright, light, and vivacious. Pink houses, turquoise classrooms, peach colored school uniforms and on and on. This bus that transported us from Port Au Prince is a perfect example! 

Joyful colors can affect a mood...who wouldn't smile getting onto this bus!

I spent the majority of the week helping to paint a teaching mural in the children's chapel. It was 9' x 17' and started with the birth of Jesus and through eight vignettes it shared the highlights of Christ's time on earth. It is bordered with the message of Pentecost. The Pentecostal people were painted with many familiar faces....some Haitian and some American missionaries.Planning for this project we always intended for the Haitians to paint alongside of this...we never wanted it to be the American's mural. What was overwhelmingly exciting was how eager the children and youth were to work. It didn't take long on our first day for children to gather in between their school classes and to realize that they could paint too! We were able to identify a dozen artists aged 9-20 to work alongside us. At times their stamina was greater than ours as our bodies adapted to the intense heat.  We were also occasionally challenged to paint in almost darkness as the sky was covered with clouds during afternoon rainstorms. Learning color words and artistic terms in each other's language was fun--although the children were much better at this then we were! And, when a gecko rested on my foot while we were painting on that first day I knew the adventure had only just begun and it didnt' stop all week. The zeal for this project was contagious with the children, the missionaries and the many adults in the community that were constantly in and out of the chapel as the work progressed. I'm still tearing up at the memory of hearing young and old tell the stories of the New Testament and ask questions as the images were transformed on the wall.

Billy and Modestin were happy to help

The finished mural

I remain grateful for those of you that waited for orders to be shipped while we closed our small business to take this trip. Thank you also for your prayers. I have never felt such peace, contentment and joy as I did last week. This enabled our team to work together as a Christian community to complete our projects. I KNOW this was the power of prayer!


If you'd like to read my 16 year old daughter's account of our week and see a few more pictures you may click on these links.... Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

Marking a Special Day

How do you mark a special day? There are times of marking major moments and those of celebrating smaller events. Through our worship we count the days of the liturgical calendar pausing occasionally to celebrate a special day. Do you consider the elements of these celebrations? Celebration and ceremony doesn't just happen. It takes creativity, leadership, community, a message of the moment (or theme). God has gifted us with cycles: the liturgical calendar, the seasons of nature, the celebration of growth and life. We can look backward at where we were and forward to where we want to be as we grow. It's all a part of being willing to be transformed.

View of the design table as we contemplate a new stole design.

In my family we often mark a special day, event or milestone with the use of the red plate that is embellished with the words, "You Are Special Today." This requires a meal so that person can enjoy the use of the plate. Celebrations and ceremony often provide nourishment for our bodies and it's also nourishing to come together as community and/or family.This makes me think of last year when Carrot Top Studio was looking for ideas to expand their ministry stole collection. A client posted to our Facebook page, "how about a communion stole that helps people connect to communion as the joyful feast of the people of God." This week marks our 6th anniversary of officially being in business (woo hoo!). So we thought it was only fitting to take on this design challenge because we are so thankful that we can celebrate Communion and the thought of Communion being a 'joyful feast' is enthralling. I'm off to stitch....but, you should be watching our Facebook page tomorrow and Friday for details of our anniversary celebration! And we'll of course let you see the Communion stole as soon as it's finished.

Confirmation Stole Blanks

How they came to be... Many years ago I was approached by my home church to create stoles for our confirmands. Many sewers came together to pray for and create those first 30+ stoles. And I found that the process of exploring spiritual gifts and embellishing the stoles was a lot of fun...even for the kids that said, "I can't draw." The icing on the cake was the worship service that blessed the confirmands and led them to begin their next phase in their faith journey. The students came forward with their parents and the pastor laid the stole around their neck and prayed for them one by one. The Carrot Top Studio confirmation stole blanks have since been offered in our online store to enhance the confirmation process. Some churches purchase them (in red or white) to be used as is, but the original idea was that the stole blank would be used for students to embellish on their own. Following the FREE tip sheet on our website or the purchased curriculum youth leaders have used fabric paint, iron on appliqué,  embroidery and other techniques to personalize these waist length stoles as symbols of the students call to their unique walk with the Lord.

Meet Laura! We'd like to introduce you to the charming seamstress behind your confirmation stole blanks. Laura is a young women with an easy smile who has been sewing for years. She is living in Pittsburgh as her first venture away from the home she grew up in. In addition to sewing the confirmation stole blanks this dynamo packs her time with a full time job, an apprenticeship with a tailor, activity in her church and an occasional mission trip abroad! When Laura and I decided to give this sewing deal a try I shared my steps for successful construction and then added that I tried to say a prayer for the confirmands as I was sewing. I didn't know Laura well at this point but when I saw her eyes twinkle at this thought I felt confident that this would all work out in a lovely way...because I knew she understood where I was coming from. Laura is working hard at honing her skills in hopes that she will someday work behind the scenes in theater.


Still need to purchase your confirmation stole blanks? Send us an email telling us: 

1. how many stoles you'll need 
2. red stoles or white
3. your name
4. your shipping address

We'll confirm your order, inform you of the shipping/handling fee for Priority mail and arrange for payment via Paypal or a paper invoice.

Peace

Peace Be Still, He Qi

Last week I had the pleasure of attending an informal gallery talk by Dr. He Qi. He spoke about studying Jesus' ministry and all that he taught. This artist sees the common theme of peace throughout the earthly life of Christ. After growing up and surviving the Cultural Revolution in China the artist has devoted the message of his artwork to that of peace while telling the stories of the Old and New Testaments through his unique visual interpretation.

The message of the gallery talk has not left me this week as I've watched and listened to a lot of disharmony and distress unfold in the news worldwide. I have said it before and will say it again....the artist in my sometimes has to work through these things by creating. In the studio, this batik fabric spoke to me and new stole design unfolded. Peaceful, calming colors of mint green, pale pink, and peach are embellished by dragonflies and butterflies. These creatures, both symbols of the Resurrection,  are flitting serenely across the lovely variegated, dyed fabric. Thinking about the scripture: For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, Ephesians 2:14, we accented the border with "peace" translated into several different languages...shalom (Hebrew), mir (Czechoslovakian), rahu (Estonian), paix (French), asti (Kurdish), pace (Romanian), satta (Jamaican), beke (Hungarian), nala (Lozi). 

Signing off, praying for world peace, that the walls may come down.

**This stole is part of our peace and healing collection. You can see it on the website here.

The Easter Season Continues--Didn't the Frogs Tell You?

Many people honored the highest day in the church year this past Sunday by dressing our absolutely best. Here I am pictured one Easter many, many years ago. Dressing in our most excellent way emphasizes how special the celebration of the Resurrection is. I have been thinking and reading on keeping the Easter season alive and special...recognizing it and living it. Reading, thinking and pondering like this can lead us in unique creative directions. I never would have guessed we'd connect frogs to Easter but we were inspired to create this stole.

This stole may be purchased on our website here.

Psalm 100 is the theme of this stole. Thanks to Ruth Boling's description of frogs as a Christian symbol we thoroughly enjoyed creating this design. In her book Come Worship With Me she writes: During dry months, many frogs hide under leaves or in soil to stay moist. When the rain returns, the frogs reappear just as suddenly as Jesus reappeared from death. Have you ever heard the "peepers" in early spring? These frogs sing like choirs of tiny angels.

This stole is on our website here and it's also at a special price on eBay this week here (shhhh! don't tell your colleagues or they might bid against you!)


Isn't it wonderful that Easter is not a one day holiday? 

Emergence from Lent to Easter

Purchase this stole here.

Flowers, products of the earth, suggest the cycle of life, death and resurrection in the round of the seasons. Flowers, springing from seed, suggest perpetual rebirth, and promise of fulfillment. In Christian symbolism the essence of the flower--it's growing characteristics, its shape, color, its scent--coordinate to make a unified whole.


In the region that I live in we use a lot of flowers that grow from bulbs to decorate our Easter worship spaces. Bulbed flowers remind us of the Resurrection as the glorious flower emerges from the seemingly dead bulb (the grave). This was our inspiration for the stole at left which can be purchased on the Carrot Top Studio website a similar version will list on eBay beginning April 7th here. 


The lily is the most typical flower associated with Easter symbolism. It has long been a symbol of purity, innocence and immortality and is the major botanical symbol of Mary. Often called the "white-robed apostles of hope," lilies were reportedly found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ's agony. Lore says that the beautiful white lilies sprung up where drops of Christ's sweat fell to the ground in his final hours.


As we emerge from Lent and prepare to celebrate the Easter season and you see a worship space 'decorated' with flowers think of the symbolism and let the visual image draw you closer to the joy and hope of the Resurrection.