Author: gracesyracuse

Grace’s Icon Mosaic

Our Icon Mosaic was completed by parishioners of Grace, with much love and detailed attention.

She was hung for all to see, just in time for Christmas!

icon mosaic

The goal was to create the mosaic, using many pieces of torn and cut paper, to create the beautiful image below:

Howard Thurman Mosaic

“What the word transmits through the ear, the painting silently shows through the image.”   – St Basil

Icons have been called prayers, hymns, and sermons in form and color. Throughout their enduring heritage, icons have evoked powerful religious experiences by creating a link between the human and the divine. In holding open space for a mystical encounter between the person before it and God, icons are recognized as instruments of miraculous intervention offering courage and strength in a world marked with tragedy and suffering. Ultimately icons provide joy as they remind us that we are deeply loved by God.

A fun fellowship event, the Grace Icon Mosaic project gave parishioners the chance to work together artistically, as way to connect us with the wonder of the Word becoming flesh to dwell within and among us.

This is how it came together…

grace mosaic 4

grace mosaic 3

grace mosaic 2

Grace mosaic 1

 

Grace Church Stands in Solidarity with our Muslim Sisters and Brothers

As Christians we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, including those of different nationalities and faiths. The members of Grace Episcopal Church, Syracuse, stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters, who, like us, are beloved children of God.

We reject the false rhetoric sweeping our country that denounces Islam as a religion of violence. We admonish those who use fear to target innocent and upstanding people in an attempt to marginalize and scapegoat them. Fear cannot be our guiding principle.

Remembering that Mary, Joseph and Jesus were themselves refugees; we welcome the resettlement of Syrian refugees of all faiths in our country.

We call on each and every person to become educated on the tenets of the Islamic faith, resist the temptation to make wholesale generalizations about Muslims, and to read the parable of The Good Samaritan in the Bible (Luke 10:25-37) and reflect on what Jesus Christ expects us to do.

(If you wish to see our Letter to the Editor on Syracuse.com, please click this link)