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Jesus at the Sea of Galilee

After various stages of belief and disbelief, the disciples have seen for themselves the risen Jesus. They are left to ponder, especially Peter, "What does it all mean?" Once again they meet at the Sea of Galilee where Jesus has prepared a meal for them. He extends to Peter an opportunity to reconcile as he asks, "Simon Peter, do you love me?" (30 min.)

MUSIC to enhance your experience of ENCOUNTERS

"Do you love me?" This question restores Jesus and Peter to right relationship.  It is at the heart of any love relationship and putting it into words is a remarkable and freeing thing.

 Do You Love Me? from Fiddler

Let yourself join with Peter in the sweet refrain of this love song to Jesus.

 My Jesus I Love Thee - Anthem


Art to enhance your experience of Encounters

"Christ at the Sea of Galilee,” c. 1575/1580,

Was painted in the Late Renaissance by the Italian, Jacopo Robusti, also known as Tintoretto (1518-1594). There is an eerie quality to this picture that captures both the dynamic forces of nature and the surreal presence of the Risen Christ. Clouds billow, racing before an unseen wind that fills the sail and bends the mast. Waves roil, crest, and clash in splintered light on a canvas that seems to flicker and move before us.

In the very center of the scene, six men strain at controlling their boat—Tintoretto is faithful to the biblical account in his numbering of those present. And Peter has one leg over the gunwales of the boat ready to launch himself into the sea. He is turned, full-figured toward the outstretched arm of the Risen Lord. The figure of Jesus in the foreground as he stands on solid earth, is in marked contrast to the vaulting, unsettled seas before him. He stands tall and straight, his back to us as he reaches toward his friends before him. His body has a kind of haze about it and seems almost transparent, an effect Tintoretto achieved by stroking white pigment over the canvas with a dry brush.

Tintoretto is considered a Mannerist painter. His style shows characteristic focus on light and motion as well as a felt tension within the composition itself. The work of Tintoretto was influential on El Greco during his time in Italy. This particular painting, in fact, was at one time mistakenly attributed to El Greco.

As has been our invitation all along, how might you have chosen to depict this scene?   I had always pictured Jesus’ appearance at the Sea of Galilee as happening on a calm and beautiful morning, quite unlike the storm of Tintoretto. Living as I have, in the Pacific Northwest, my scene might include mountains and cedars. And that would be good and to the point, for it would be familiar—as was the Sea of Galilee to Jesus and his friends.

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WHY THESE WOMEN: Four Stories You Need to Read Before You Read the Story of Jesus

In WHY THESE WOMEN, you are invited to consider that we are missing something in skipping over the four women in the opening of Matthew’s Gospel, their names, and their stories—something critical to the full appreciation and understanding of the Gospel which follows.

What if we took seriously the anomalous presence of four women in the all-male lineup of ancestors that opens the New Testament? What if we read their colorful stories for more than the titillation they contain but probed them with sacred questions and expectation?

We might see these women as examples of those for whom he came, women who suffer injustice, then and now. Their stories serve as evidence of our failure to notice; their placement redirects us toward addressing that exclusion with all that it implies.

We might find hope that the God who planted their stories within the great larger Story provides purpose and meaning for our stories as well. We might even find that we read the Jesus story that follows somewhat differently, changed by what we have read.

If you do not yet have a copy of Kathleen's latest book, you may purchase it through Amazon. Click below to take a look:

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Home Again

I was off the grid for over a week as I took a cruise vacation with my hubby.  Newsletters had been scheduled ahead but I did not have internet for that time. Back home now but have no comments to draw from this week. I look forward to hearing from you now that I am back in action. You can reach me at Contact Kathleen.