The Web Log of Rev. Adrian Hanft, II

The Web Log of Rev. Adrian Hanft, II tag:www.stonesofscion.com,2007://1 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z Movable Type Publishing Platform 4.0 Queen Esther tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2006:/blog//1.855 2006-05-11T03:41:40Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Adrian Hanft http://www.beadesigngroup.com/blog/archives/2004/03/adrian_e_hanft_iii.php ]]> Hosea tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2006:/blog//1.856 2006-05-10T03:43:41Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Adrian Hanft http://www.beadesigngroup.com/blog/archives/2004/03/adrian_e_hanft_iii.php ]]> Daniel tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2006:/blog//1.857 2006-05-09T03:44:38Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Adrian Hanft http://www.beadesigngroup.com/blog/archives/2004/03/adrian_e_hanft_iii.php ]]> Job tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2005:/blog//1.854 2005-03-22T04:38:27Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Adrian Hanft http://www.beadesigngroup.com/blog/archives/2004/03/adrian_e_hanft_iii.php "JOB" White Wisconsin Granite (from a typical native "field stone" rounded by ancient glaciers) During a very difficult & painful time in his life, a man thousands of years ago named Job said these interesting words, "After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God." (Job 19:26) I chose this rounded , white, weathered Wisconsin boulder for carving Job to give the sense of a resolute firmness in view of a crumbling stone. Despite the fractured & decaying surface I wanted to give the hope of more. For a period of time Job's skin was afflicted with painful boils & he looked a mess. This, however, was the least of his problems as he struggled to make sense of what was happening to his life. It didn't make sense! Death & decay can seem all to real but there is more than meets the eye. Job saw beyond his suffering to a better day, a day of hope filled with wonder when he finally would see God with his very eyes.]]> Can You See The Dust? tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.769 2004-07-20T02:55:25Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Dust to dust. What does it take to shape a stone made of granite? Lots of dust. Using diamond blades and protective gear to minimize the ill effects, here is Pastor Adrian (me) working on the initial stages of a piece called Pirouette. The photo, taken by a guest to our home, gives just a little idea of the challenge of working in stone. Even with all of the protective equipment, it takes about a week to recover from the ill effects of the airborne particles that still get through the dust mask. If any reader has contact with an Occupational Safety Professional, an Industrial Hygienist or an Occupational Physician who has knowledge on how to avoid the hazards of granite dust, please let me know. My throat and upper lungs become very irritated using the respirators I have tried here in Northern Wisconsin. Nothing seems to filter it out completely.]]> Guardian tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.768 2004-07-17T15:17:46Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Look what popped up! Working on my backyard landscape project yesterday, (such projects always involve stones), low & behold one stone rose up to keep a watchful eye upon all the others. Interesting! Could it be a stone age security camera? a fossilized flower? petrified ancient technology? Who knows? It seems harmless enough. As Adam gave names to all of the animals, I'll call it "Guardian" unless YOU can come up with something better.]]> What Do You See? tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.767 2004-07-13T02:57:25Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Imagine being a pastor every Sunday morning looking out at the crowd. (Just try to imagine for one minute!) What do you see? Should (he or she) YOU expect to see some indication of life some change? Is it too much to hope for? If one were speaking to a pile of rocks (as in the picture above from my back yard) it would be rather ridiculous to expect any sort of response. Unchanged & unaffected by verbal stimulation, sound waves at the frequency of the human voice have no effect upon stone. Is the human heart really that hard? It very well may be the hardest substance on the face of this earth. Imagine that! Maybe if rocks bumped against each other a little more, change could happen. Wouldnt that be something? There is and ancient proverb that says, As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) What do you imagine could constructively cause such close contact (of people "bumping" against one another) if you were a pastor, looking out at the crowd? Let me hear from you. I'm working to see this happen on Sunday mornings.]]> A Column of Smoke & A Traveling Flame! tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.766 2004-07-06T22:48:33Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

After dinner with a friend and his wife last night, I learned a new trick! Something I never would have thought possible about smoke and fire. Now this wont revolutionize your life but it is kind of fun and safe! (Who could ask for anything more?) Notice on the picture above, the column of smoke! My friend Dan asked me after a dinner I had prepared of smoked beef brisket, if I had ever seen someone light a candle from 4 away? A perfectly natural question! (Maybe he was being polite because I had smoked my brisket just a little too much in the final 5 minutes of preparation.) He then proceeded to hold a lit match in the column of smoke and the flame then followed the smoke in mid-air till it reached the wick and relit the candle. Cool. Being two grown boys we then set off to see who could out do the other. So far the record seems to be about 6 inches. With a perfectly still (which is hard to accomplish) column of smoke and our wives as witnesses, we were able to light a candle from 6 away. Try it! Amaze your friends, and see if you can beat our record! Let me know and I will pass on to Dan that YOU now hold the worlds record! Right now it is (unofficially) me!]]> Ezekiel In "Real Life" tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.765 2004-06-27T02:16:00Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Ezekiel welcomed about 75 people to a party in Wisconsin this past week hosted by John and Nancy (I will delete their last name to preserve their privacy). I got to the party late because of a wedding rehearsal I was conducting for a couple to be married the following day. Bummer! (Not for the wedding, but for the party.) In addition to the 75 people, Ezekiel was joined by a sculpture in black granite called Daniel and a sculpture in white granite called Hosea. They (the sculptures) didnt eat much. The pea pods stuffed with lobster created by Nancy were great as was the (secret) punch created by John. Hosea was nearest the punch bowl, but with a spotlight specifically installed for Him, He remained quite sober all night long. Thanks John and Nancy for having us as your guests!]]> Pentecost Pete tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.764 2004-06-25T13:46:10Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

This may be a bit corny but I had to try it. This stone is a work in process where the top (as you can clearly see) has a tongue of fire actually burning. Jesus called Simon son of...

This may be a bit corny but I had to try it. This stone is a work in process where the top (as you can clearly see) has a tongue of fire actually burning. Jesus called Simon son of John Cephas which, when translated, is Peter. Both Cephas & Peter mean rock. I certainly have much work left to do on this rock before it is finished, but you get the idea. By the way, Peter addressed a crowd of people 2,000 years ago after tongues of fire separated and came to rest on all of the disciples who had gathered on Pentecost. Corny or not, stone and fire, Pete and Pentecost might have something more to say to us today. For your information, Pete only burns for about two hours until he needs to be refilled.]]> Pieta tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.763 2004-06-25T04:26:51Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

I am currently working on a pieta, which is Mary, the mother, grieving over Jesus after the crucifixion. These two stones have been interesting to work on as separate parts of the same sculpture. The picture does not show it well, but the horizontal head of Christ is red granite. Mary is obviously black granite. With the boulders off to their left looking on in my outdoor studio I thought this picture might be of interest for those following my work.]]> Tears, Kisses, & Perfume tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.762 2004-06-25T03:07:29Z 2007-01-28T02:48:11Z

Tears, kisses, and a beautiful jar of expensive perfume! In your day-to-day everyday life what do words like tears, kisses and expensive perfume or cologne bring to mind? Could it describe the Fathers Day some of you experienced two weekends ago? For those men who were able to return from Iraq and be with their families it probably does! In Luke chapter 7 tears, kisses and expensive perfume were EVIDENCE of love displayed by someone who received Gods loving forgiveness. These overflowing acts of love went far beyond the minimal gestures of hospitality that a simple Thank You card might do in our day. The woman identified in this Gospel lesson, as one who had lived a sinful life, was most likely a prostitute. It appears that she had heard Jesus preach and in repentance determined to lead a new life. Out of overflowing love and deep gratitude for the forgiveness of sins He had poured out upon her, she publicly expressed her thankfulness in ways clearly seen by all. Her love for Jesus was evidence of her forgiveness, but not the basis for it. So says the footnote in my Bible. Jesus did not think that her tears, kisses and perfume were odd. In fact, He defended her behavior by pointing out that those who have been forgiven little love little, while those who have been forgiven much express a much greater love for Him. Loving God is not a contest to see who can love Him more! It is not a matter of outdoing one another in expressions of love to Jesus. But, there clearly is some observable "evidence". Once we receive the assurance by faith that our sins have been forgiven, gestures of love for Jesus are as natural as breathing. With the woman in this Gospel lesson, we cannot stop kissing the feet of Jesus. May the Lord make it so in your life and mine! Through the power of His Spirit may He lead us to repentance and deeper in love with Him. Amen! The "More Later!" I promised tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.761 2004-04-15T16:26:47Z 2007-01-28T02:48:11Z

Some stones, it seems, are more open to change than people! For that reason granite was a good medium to carve for me as a pastor. The Ezekiel sculpture you see in my April 9th posting was carved with a diamond masonry blade, a large chisel and a heavy hammer. The face was then polished using diamond abrasives through 8 grits from 70 to 3500. The point of the sculpture explores the reality & depth of thinking people are willing to engage in. Henry Moore has said, If you think you know something, you stop learning any more about it. This is a profound statement about life, education, faith, God, the world in which we live, art, each other & ourselves. In Ezekiels day many centuries ago (593-586 B.C.), he was confronted with people who were not willing to listen anymore. They were stubborn, hardened and obstinate. They had formed their opinions and most likely had stopped learning. So, Ezekiel creatively presented what he wanted them to hear in a variety of artistic ways. He became more hard headed about informing people of the things he was learning as he listened carefully and took to heart all that God said. Tell me, what are you listening to? In what areas of your life have you stopped learning anything more? In what ways do you, as Henry Moore asserted, think you know something? Some stones, it seems, are more open to change than people! How willing are you to change your thinking about God and His love for you through His son Jesus? Think about it and let me hear from you today! -Pastor Adrian Hard Headed People tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.760 2004-04-10T03:41:09Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Me and Ezekiel Taking a break from work I relaxed and carved this granite stone thinking of Ezekiel the prophet. God told him that he would make his forehead like the hardest stone. He was to speak to people who...

Adrian Hanft http://www.beadesigngroup.com/blog/archives/2004/03/adrian_e_hanft_iii.php Taking a break from work I relaxed and carved this granite stone thinking of Ezekiel the prophet. God told him that he would make his forehead like the hardest stone. He was to speak to people who were hardened and obstinate. So, I thought, "Why not try to carve and let a stone speak?" More later!]]> Blog Photos tag:www.adrianhanft.com,2004:/blog//1.759 2004-04-06T03:44:30Z 2007-07-18T04:03:24Z

Here are a couple of the photos that I used for this site. Here is the photo taken by Heather Hanft that I used in the header: Here is the photo that I loosely based the background pattern on:...

Adrian Hanft http://www.beadesigngroup.com/blog/archives/2004/03/adrian_e_hanft_iii.php Here is the photo that I loosely based the background pattern on:

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