Thursday, September 13, 2007

Rembrandt: Ending Well?

This Sunday our artist for the Paint by the Spirit study is Rembrandt. He is considered to be one of the greatest painters in European history, and the greatest of the Dutch masters (having NOTHING to do with cigars). Rembrandt is an interesting study. In many ways, he is the opposite of Van Gogh: he never sought any connection with the church, and his art was extremely successful commercially.
But he lost everything in the end. He was left at his death with two paintings in his studio: Simeon with the Christ Child, and The Return of the Prodigal. He was living in poor conditions. He was buried in an unmarked grave. Had he lost everything, or had he lost everything except that which he really needed; that which he came to desire above wealth and success? Were the gifts of the grace and mercy of Christ his only possessions in his last hours?
The worship bulletin for Sunday is here.

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