Wilkerson Pass, South Park, Colorado
The critical role of clouds.
The enemy of landscape photographers is a cloudless sky. Even one puffy cloud will add interest to a photograph. There is nothing more boring than pure blue sky; at least in pictures. Take out the clouds in this picture and the horizon becomes indistinct, the aspen lose their appeal and it becomes more difficult to determine depth.
Yet my guess is that most of you were not drawn first to the clouds. You might have noticed the aspen, the hills or the treeless patches of land that make up South Park but not the clouds.
John the Baptist understood his role. "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30 ESV
When John comes on the scene in the gospels crowds flock to him, listen to him and are baptized by him. But his role changes the moment that Jesus walks out of the Jordon River dripping from the water of his baptism. John knew that his role, his purpose, was to point to Jesus. Though John baptized with water, he pointed to the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John played a critical role in Jesus' ministry.
The Church plays a critical role in Jesus' ministry today. Our role is not to point to ourselves but to the manifold color of God's grace in Christ in a broken, sin-filled world. More important than people seeing us is that they see Jesus.
Take the clouds out of the picture and I delete it from my hard drive. Take the Church out of the world and there is no one pointing to Christ.
The Church plays a critical role in society.
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012 Douglas P. Brauner. ARR.
The enemy of landscape photographers is a cloudless sky. Even one puffy cloud will add interest to a photograph. There is nothing more boring than pure blue sky; at least in pictures. Take out the clouds in this picture and the horizon becomes indistinct, the aspen lose their appeal and it becomes more difficult to determine depth.
Yet my guess is that most of you were not drawn first to the clouds. You might have noticed the aspen, the hills or the treeless patches of land that make up South Park but not the clouds.
John the Baptist understood his role. "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30 ESV
When John comes on the scene in the gospels crowds flock to him, listen to him and are baptized by him. But his role changes the moment that Jesus walks out of the Jordon River dripping from the water of his baptism. John knew that his role, his purpose, was to point to Jesus. Though John baptized with water, he pointed to the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John played a critical role in Jesus' ministry.
The Church plays a critical role in Jesus' ministry today. Our role is not to point to ourselves but to the manifold color of God's grace in Christ in a broken, sin-filled world. More important than people seeing us is that they see Jesus.
Take the clouds out of the picture and I delete it from my hard drive. Take the Church out of the world and there is no one pointing to Christ.
The Church plays a critical role in society.
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012 Douglas P. Brauner. ARR.
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