Remembering Memorial Day

Memorial Day

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”—John 15:13

 This week, we celebrated Memorial Day. It is an American holiday observed to honor and remember members of our armed services who died in battle. The observance on the last Monday of May began after the Civil War and officially became a federal holiday in 1971. As I see all the flags on graves at Arlington Cemetery, I am suddenly and profoundly moved. I have heard that the observance began with women placing flowers on the graves of more than 600,000 soldiers who died on both sides of the Civil War.

My husband and I have had parents and grandparents in our family who served in both great wars, and my husband served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. We have not known of any family members being injured or dying. 

I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a friend or family member during a military action. This is a noble sacrifice for our country. The sacrifice of the one who died is also a sacrifice for those left behind, who will long for their presence for the rest of their lives. I say prayers for those who died and for those whose lives were changed by their absence.

Sacrifice is not a word I like to dwell on in my life. Yet whenever I visit the National Cathedral, I try to find the stained-glass window honoring the Dorchester Chaplains: Lieutenants George Fox (Methodist), Alexander Goode (Jewish), Clark Poling (Reformed), and John Washington (Roman Catholic). They were chaplains aboard the U.S. transport ship Dorchester on a mission to Greenland in 1943, with 900 men, when a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the vessel. The chaplains organized the evacuation, directed men into lifeboats, and handed out life jackets. When there were no more jackets, the chaplains gave their own to other sailors. The last image of the rescued men was the chaplains on the deck, linking arms and praying.

For the rest of my life, I hope to remember at least one person and their family on each Memorial Day who died in the war. In addition, I would love to hear the stories of those you remember who impacted your lives.

We must continue to remember the high cost of war and these tremendous losses.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

This past pandemic was a time to remember how our lives, work, friends, and family changed after the sacrifice each of us made to stay healthy, a greater sacrifice for some and much more for others.

Watercolor Painting: A Quest

                                   Watercolor Painting: A Quest

                              Guest Writer and Artist: Ken Fellows

               Years ago, I developed an interest in watercolor art. Trying on my own, I wanted to paint more than anything, and I did.

     I’ve now been painting for over 25 years. Before I started painting, I was a radiologist who spent nearly 40 years contemplating black-and-white images. My gray-scale discrimination is pretty good, and perhaps that’s why my paintings feature the effects of lighting (a doctor colleague observed at one of my shows: “Well, Ken, I see you’re still dealing in shadows.”) 

Interpreting X-ray images requires subconsciously rejecting what is unimportant or extraneous and focusing on the unusual, the variant, and the arresting. The same holds true for painting. When I paint, I strive to isolate the essential and defining elements of a scene, leaving out the mundane or distracting. Art teachers instruct that what is left out of a painting is as important as what is included. Sometimes, deciding what to leave out can be difficult; it complicates the pursuit of every new piece of art.

     A revered local artist, Dewitt Hardy, was my favorite teacher. He was a master watercolorist. His criticism of my work was that my paintings were often “too graphic.” Others have observed, not always admiringly, that “your work looks like a photo.” I offer no defense, even if my style is unintentional.

     I often use personal photos as references for a painting, but I’ve studied and sketched most scenes on-site before attempting the final rendition. Photos are only helpful when I’m back in my studio, to recall the ambient light and shadows. Everything else – the objects, shapes, proportions, and colors – is a candidate for exclusion or change.

     Whatever viewers think of my work, if it’s in a show, it has already passed my severest critics—my artist/wife Kristin; my photographer/daughter Hannah; and my grandchild Ella (who invariably recommends, “Grandpa, not enough color”). They have discerning eyes and good judgment. If they disapprove, the public never gets to see the work. More than 70 of my paintings have been invited to public shows. I’ve been very fortunate to find this a gratifying ‘2nd act’ in my life. Even though many of my paintings have sold, I’ve never kept track of how many. It’s also been a pleasure to gift a number to friends, family members, and fellow artists. Like most artists, I live with the fact that after I’m gone, a number of my creations will eventually be relegated to scrap piles. 

     The real joy and contentment I derive from my painting come from the satisfaction it provides and the mindfulness and contentment the process creates. Most painting sessions are as mentally beneficial as the best times of meditating or the hours spent with good friends and loved ones.

How fortunate I’ve been to stumble upon the joys and rewards of painting with watercolors.

Ken Fellows

Joanna Seibert joannaseibert.com

Catherine Marshall: The Helper, An Introduction to the Holy Spirit

Catherine Marshall: The Helper

“When we try it on our own, we are seeking to usurp the Helper’s place. Attempting in the flesh to convict another of sin results in wreckage—defensiveness, anger, estrangement, loss of self-worth, defeatism, and depression—whereas when the Spirit does this corrective work, it is ‘good’ hurt, the kind that leaves no damage, never plunges us into despair or hopelessness, and is always healing in the end.”—Catherine Marshall in The Helper (Chosen Books, 1978), pp. 214-215.

Almost fifty years ago, when our medical practice at Children’s Hospital was just starting, my husband and I were not as busy, so we could go downtown for lunch and perhaps browse Cokesbury Bookstore before returning to the hospital. 

One day, I saw a book by Catherine Marshall, titled The Helper, on the front sales table for $2. I remembered she had written A Man Called Peter about her husband, a Scottish immigrant who became the chaplain of the United States Senate but died prematurely. I particularly loved the movie, so I could not resist the bargain. I paid the two dollars, and it changed my life.

I did not understand the Holy Spirit. Then, suddenly, I was presented with a part of God I could relate to—one who was always with me. However, I had great difficulty relating to God, the Father, and Jesus. One was a kind older man with a beard in the sky, and the other was a television evangelist flipping through the Bible who wanted to save me. 

For years, I held on to the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Helper, always beside me, guiding me whenever I chose. This sustained me for a long time until I could develop a deeper relationship with the other two members of the Trinity.

I am constantly amazed by how God, the Holy Spirit, works: a Presbyterian minister’s daughter I would never meet, who grew up in Keyser, West Virginia, with my father, the son of the Methodist minister in the area; a slow time in our practice; a Methodist bookstore; a bargain table; a New York Times bestseller; a movie; and two dollars.

My favorite story by Catherine Marshall was about answered prayer. She prayed for patience, and God gave her the slowest possible housekeeper. I wept upon hearing of Catherine Marshall’s death at age sixty-eight on March 18th, 1983, just before Holy Week.

Thank you for supporting our camp and conference center, Camp Mitchell, on top of Petit Jean Mountain, by purchasing this book from the daily series of writings for the liturgical year, A Daily Spiritual Rx for Ordinary Time: Readings from Pentecost to Advent. All proceeds from book sales benefit Camp Mitchell. If you enjoy this book, please take a moment to write a brief recommendation on its Amazon page at https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Spiritual-Ordinary-Time-Pentecost/dp/B08JLTZYGH/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=joanna+seibert+books&qid=1621104335&sr=8-1

 More thank-yous than we can say!!!

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/