Community Invited to Experience Full-size Reproduction of "The Saint John's Bible"

As Christians around the world once again recognize Christ’s journey from cross to grave to resurrection, the public is invited to commemorate Holy Week and the miracle of Easter at Calvary Lutheran Church, 7520 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, Minn.

Special to this year’s Holy Week activities is a weeklong art show featuring a full-size reproduction of “The Saint John’s Bible,” the “Gospels & Acts” volume. The exhibit is free and open to the public on:

• Palm Sunday, March 20 - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Monday-Friday, March 21-25 - 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Saturday, March 26 - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Easter Sunday, March 27 - 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

Commissioned by Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minn., in 1998 under the artistic direction of renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson, the handwritten Bible was completed in 2011. Two teams—one headquartered at Saint John's Abbey in central Minnesota and the other based at Jackson's scriptorium in Monmouth, Wales—worked tirelessly for more than a decade on the book’s 1,130 pages and 160 illuminations. The Bible measures 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide when open.

Despite the advent of word processors and graphic design programs that make Bible duplication and modern-day illumination a breeze, those who contributed to “The Saint John’s Bible” used techniques predating the invention of the printing press in the 1400s. Like the industrious monks of that era, the artists used quills—goose quills for the main body of text, along with turkey and swan quills for heavier letterforms—on calfskin soaked, shaped and sanded into smooth paper-like surfaces. Ink was fashioned by mixing 19th Century Chinese ink sticks with distilled water in an ink stone. The illuminations are rich with gold leaf and thick natural pigments mixed with egg yolk and water to make the paint thicker than the black ink.

The whole project is comprised of the original handwritten Bible, 12 fine art, handwritten Apostles Edition versions and 299 Heritage Edition reprints. The original “Saint John’s Bible” is housed at Saint John’s University.

Calvary’s art show will also feature a vast array of works by artists of all ages, skill levels and media around the theme “Fascination with the Bible: The Word in Art Revealed.” Visit calvary.org/artshow for more details.

Easter worship services will be held on Sunday, March 27, at 6:30, 8, 9, 10 and 11 a.m.; a Spanish service will be held at 11:15 a.m. Holy Communion will be celebrated at the 6:30 a.m. service. A recorded broadcast of Calvary’s Easter service will air at 10 a.m. on AM980 KKMS.

Calvary youth will serve an Easter breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. The breakfast will include eggs, sausage, potatoes, fresh fruit and beverages, and will cost $7 for adults and $6 for children. Proceeds will benefit Calvary’s youth mission trips to Rapid City, S.D., and New Orleans, La., this summer.

Worship services will also be held on:

• Maundy Thursday, March 24, at noon, 5:30 and 7 p.m. (AM980 KKMS radio broadcast at 7:30 p.m.). Maundy Thursday will feature Holy Communion and, at the evening services, an original modern-day drama titled “Partaking of God’s Promise,” the final episode of Calvary’s “Cul de Sac” series. A free Community Meal will be served from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
• Good Friday, March 25, at noon, 5:30 and 7 p.m. (AM980 KKMS radio broadcast at 7:30 p.m.). A Spanish service will be held at 6:30 p.m.

For more details, visit calvary.org/Easter.

The mission of Calvary Lutheran Church is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Established in 1946, Calvary offers six weekly worship services and a wide variety of activities for children, youth and adults. For more information, visit calvary.org or call 763-545-5659.