Mae Runions

Liturgical Hangings

West Point Grey United Church, Vancouver B.C., 1995 & 1996

Advent Hangings, 1995

These Advent hangings were given in memory of long time member, Milton Webster. I appreciated Marilyn Harrison as the liaison person who worked with me.

Advent is the season of waiting and preparing for the comings of Christ: His Incarnation, His Second Coming, and His coming now into our lives. The imagery I used is based on 3 ancient hymns: Mary’s song, the Magnificat, Zechariah’s (father of John the Baptist) song, the Benedictus and a 6^th century hymn,’Creator of the stars of night, Thy people’s everlasting light, Jesus Redeemer of us all, Hear thou thy servants when they call.'

I also included the crown, symbolizing the kingship of Jesus – his kingdom in hearts now and his future cosmic reign. There are angels and trumpets to announce the comings of Christ in his birth and in his second coming. The human figures suggest waiting and watching down through the ages.

Lenten Hangings, 1996

My reflections in working these designs centered in the Passion of Christ and his suffering on both a human and cosmic scale. God as Human was carrying the sins of the world. All orders of creation shuddered with grief; God, humans, the created universe, and the angels wept as evil did it’s worst to foil God’s plan for a new creation.

Some Scripture passages and themes have moved me, especially in their musical setting of part II of Handel’s Messiah:

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Is. 53:7; John 1:29

"He was despised and rejected by others, a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised and we held him of no account." Is. 53:3

"Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases…..but he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed." Is. 53: 4, 5

"Insults have broken my heart so that I am in despair; I looked for pity but there was none, and for comforters but I found none." Psalm 69:20

"Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow which was brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger." Lam. 1:12

"Let all God’s angels worship him." Heb.1: 6

This is the God who loves us and we love and seek to serve, a God of suffering; there is a cross at God’s heart which carries all the great grief and sorrow of the world. Thanks be to God.