By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
As we continue to wrestle with the news out of Ukraine, our hearts are heavy and burdened. That there would be a Russian air strike on a maternity and children’s hospital is barbaric. As you cry out to God, you might want to pray alongside some pictures of a photographer who is currently in Ukraine. He manages to capture moments of beauty in the midst of these bleak scenes.
Or you can use my dad’s winter painting of a stream that flows in stark surroundings. Let your eye wander and settle as you ask God to help you notice something in the painting or in your heart. You could ponder the words of Jesus, which he shares with his friends after they shared their last supper together:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In fact, you may wish to read the whole of John 16.
May God strengthen our hearts to believe that what he says is true. And may his peace break out all around the world.
By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
Our thoughts turn to those in Ukraine, and those who have left their beloved country, as we hear continued news of war. And we are hearing of resistance from many in Russia too.
We cry:
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
I offer this painting of my dad’s as a prayer prompt as we intercede for all those struck by war and conflict. What’s pictured is actually a slice of Prague, not Kyiv, but perhaps considering the Velvet Revolution may spur our prayers.
You might want to join many Ukrainians who are praying through Psalm 31. Here’s a video Bible Society has put out, which I find moving:
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction,[b] and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends— those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead. 18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. 20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege. 22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
In the typical fashion of island weather, I’m sitting here enjoying the sunbeams streaming into my study. But this morning I walked to the gym in pelting, cold rain. It was a bit miserable, the experience at least woke me up.
I love this painting of Paris in the rain by my dad. He says it’s a large canvas and as it met with my mother’s approval, it hangs in their kitchen. I find it so evocative.
Might you use it as a springboard for prayer? Here are a few verses from Scripture (the NIV) you could ponder as you pray:
Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)
“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it. (Isaiah 45:8)
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10–11)
Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.
Psalm 147:7–8
Photos on social media of all of that snow in the States sparks memories of tromping joyfully in the freshly fallen wonder of it all. The snowfall comes with challenges too—such as power outages. That’s life, isn’t it; glory and beauty and challenge and hardship, all wrapped up together.
Why not take a few moments to ponder some words from the Psalms and use my dad’s painting as a way to pray? Let your eye fall where it will as you ask God to lead you in prayer. Turn over the words from Scripture in your mind and heart. Rest and know that the God who set the world into being loves you.
[Image: By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved. A watercolor of blues, whites, and black featuring evergreen trees and swirls of clouds.]
I invite you to spend some time praying with my dad’s painting, which he entitled, “Winter’s Day.” Yes, he lives in Minnesota where they enjoy scenes just like this. I miss the sunshine gleaming on the snow, the sound of the crunch under your boots, the brightness of everything covered in white.
Mind you, I noticed some buds on the trees today on my sunny walk and noticed some daffodils shooting up, and that made me glad…
Back to the painting. You could ponder a verse from Psalm 51, the song David cries out to God in repentance:
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7, NIV)
Spend some time asking God to reveal any sins that you could be freed from through confessing them to God. Receive his forgiveness and revel in being made whiter than snow.
[Image: By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved. A group of evergreen trees in wintertime, with snow on the ground and the sun creating evocative reflections.]
As we move toward Christmas, we can become overwhelmed with plans and carol concerts and baking and shopping and wondering whether or not to host that Christmas meal in these pandemic times. We can overlook the reason for all of this activity – Jesus being born.
Why not stop for a few moments and ponder the earthly vessel who hosted his earlier life, Mary? I love this painting of my dad’s – one similar to it appears in Celebrating Christmas. To be honest, I can’t remember why we chose that one over this one just now – you’ll have to check out the book to compare the differences!
You can use this painting as a prompt for prayer. Spend some time asking God to speak to you, perhaps reading through the story in Luke’s gospel of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary with God’s special invitation. You could open your heart to any invitations God might have for you – perhaps to collaborate with him on a new project or perhaps simply to spend some time enjoying each other’s presence.
May we like Mary respond to God, saying, “Be it done unto me according to your word.”
To buy a copy of Celebrating Christmas, see purchase options here.
[Image – painting by Leo Boucher. Used with permission. All rights reserved.}
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. Isaiah 40:8, NIV
For a mini-retreat, take a few moments to ponder the passage from Isaiah’s prophecy and consider my dad’s wonderful painting of the pampas grass and evergreen tree.
Grass withers and flowers fall – take in the beauty of the grass with the autumnal colors mixed in, situated next to the evergreen tree. How might the evergreen tree symbolize God’s enduring word?
Perhaps you’re feeling burdened with many cares and complaints. Think also of Jesus’ loving admonition in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:26–30, NIV) related to the grass of the field:
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”
Give Jesus your burdens and remember that God loves you so much more than even the beautiful things he’s created.
[Painting by Leo Boucher. Shared with permission; all rights reserved.]
By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
Take a mini-retreat and center yourself in God as you gaze at this painting by my dad, Leo Boucher. Ask God through the Holy Spirit to lead you in a few moments of prayer and wonder. You might want to ponder these lines from the Psalms:
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy (Psalm 96:11–12, NIV).
How is God leading you in prayer through the experience of pondering his word as aided by a painting?
By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
At this time of the year, I love thinking about spending time in the upper Midwest, when the color of trees rival those in New England. I sense a crisp feeling in the air and take in the slanted sunlight while enjoying the crunch of a Honeycrisp apple. How good is God!
Whether or not we’re surrounded with beauty in our physical setting, we can take a mini-retreat and pray with this lovely painting by my dad using the practice of visio divina (sacred seeing).
Start by welcoming God to join you in this practice through his Spirit. Ask him to help you calm your mind and your heart to receive him.
Gaze at the painting for a few moments, slowly and with care. Notice what your eye settles on, spending a few moments there. What captures your attention?
As you interact with the painting, ask God to speak to you. Might he be whispering to you in his still, small voice? Sending you a refrain of a song? A text from Scripture?
Respond to God through prayers of praise, adoration, intercession, petition, and so on. You may have moved away from the images in the painting, or not. That’s fine – follow the Spirit. Rest in God’s presence, giving thanks for his love and light.
As you draw the exercise to a close, you might want to note in a journal any insights you received or impressions you had.
By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
It feels fitting to be offering this prayer exercise while sitting outside in the sunshine while upstairs in my study my daughter enjoys an art lesson with my dad via video chat. Feel the sun warm your toes and the breeze gently float around you, and picture yourself somewhere where it’s not too hot and not too cool. Where the clouds pass over the sun, dampening the temperature a bit. Where you hear the cry of the blackbird in the distance.
Use my dad’s painting of a combine harvesting in late summer as a jumping point for prayer. Follow the Spirit where he leads. You might want to ponder seeds and growth in the kingdom of God from this parable of Jesus:
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26–29, NIV).
Bonus to come—Sharon Garlough Brown leads us in lectio divina on this Scripture passage in a video interview I will post in September!
