Hope Mennonite Church Mural

To create the “Life of Christ” mural, the symbols of Christ’s life and ministry were painted onto base coats of Advent blue, Lenten purple, Easter gold, and Ordinary Time green. The prophecy of the root of Jesse lies in the dark mystery of Advent, while the golden rays of Christmas beam down into the manger. A dove flies amidst droplets that both baptize and water the earth. Then droplets move into the purple of Lent, becoming grapes of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday. The cross rends the space between Lent and Easter carrying the palms of Passion Sunday and the thorns of Good Friday and proclaims the resurrection in a bold and glorious sunburst. The flames of Pentecost leap up, morphing into the Trinity knot, while above, the fruits of the Spirit are characterized in the trees and the wheat ready for harvest is evident in the green of Ordinary Time below. And then, the color begins to darken once more into the blue of Advent and the cycle of remembering and retelling, of moving and living begins again.

The “Life of Christ” mural was dedicated on Sunday morning, October 3, 2010, as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of Hope Mennonite Church. The mural is the work of artists Esther Kreider Eash, Joanna Pinkerton, and Leslie James.

The “Life of Christ” mural as it developed: