UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

The Saint John's Bible

Moment of Beauty With The Saint John’s Bible: Fulfillment of Creation

As the academic year draws to a close, enjoy this final installment from The Saint John’s Bible, Fulfillment of Creation, from Romans 8. Bits of computer code, football plays, galaxies viewed through the Hubble Telescope and calligraphy are among the images artist Thomas Ingmire uses to communicate the idea that humanity participates in the ongoing work of creation with the Divine. Music for this 2-minute oasis is provided by Tyler Lawrence ’24, and PFA faculty member Susan McDaniel. See you in September with weekly glimpses into this great UP treasure.

Moment of Beauty with The Saint John’s Bible: Loaves and Fishes

This week, enjoy Donald Jackson’s lustrous illumination of ABUNDANCE so profound that the images spill over onto two pages, telling the story of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes. The music in this 2-minute pause is provided by Tyler Lawrence ’24, and Susan McDaniel, Performing and Fine Arts. Allow yourself to sit, breathe and BE.

Moment of Beauty with The Saint John’s Bible: Elisha and the Six Miracles

This week, spend 2 minutes beholding Elisha and the Six Miracles (story in 2 Kings 4-6). Donald Jackson and Aidan Hart’s lustrous illumination. Music is provided by Tyler Lawrence ’24 and Susan McDaniel, Department of Music. These weekly moments of beauty provide an oasis in which you need only breathe, behold and BE.

“The Resurrection” from The Saint John’s Bible

This week we offer you a seasonal glimpse into The Saint John’s Bible’s “The Resurrection” illumination as a chance for Visio Divina. In this 15-minute experience of “sacred seeing,” you’ll be guided to sit, breathe and BE as you are taken through a scripture passage and Donald Jackson’s image of Mary of Magdala greeting the Risen Christ.

Visio Divina With The Saint John’s Bible: The Crucifixion

As the Church enters its Holy Week, you’re invited to take some time—about 15 minutes—wherever you are, to enter imaginatively into the illumination of The Crucifixion from The Saint John’s Bible and hear the story of Jesus’s path to the death that would set the world free. This is Visio Divina—sacred seeing—an ancient form of contemplative prayer that requires only your presence. Allow yourself some quiet space to relax into gentle music, sacred words and lustrous image in this guided video experience.

The Saint John’s Bible: Time With Suffering Servant

As Lent draws to a close and Easter nears, the weekly glimpses into The Saint John’s Bible will be longer than usual—about 15 minutes each—and will offer viewers a chance to engage in Visio Divina (“sacred seeing”), a venerable form of guided contemplative prayer that requires only your quiet presence. This week, behold the image and hear the text of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant.

Moment of (Sobering) Beauty: Ezekiel’s Valley of the Dry Bones

This week’s glimpse into The Saint John’s Bible is artist Donald Jackson’s re-imagining of the Valley of Dry Bones in the prophet Ezekiel’s vision. Notice the allusions to extermination of the planet (abandoned cars, oil spills) and its people (genocides in the Shoah and Rwanda). Musician Tyler Lawrence ’24, provides the haunting soundtrack.

Moment of (Disturbing) Beauty with The Saint John’s Bible: Suffering Servant

This week’s illumination is the haunting Suffering Servant from Isaiah. The image is inspired by the “Door of No Return” at Elmina Castle on the coast of Ghana, from which enslaved people were packed onto ships bound for America in the horrific Middle Passage of the transatlantic slave trade. The contemplative music in this 2-minute video is provided by Tyler Lawrence ’24.