Käthe Kollwitz
Born to a middle-class family of Christian dissidents in Königsberg, East Prussia, Käthe Ida Schmidt was fortunate to have a liberal-minded father who encouraged her talent. Although women were barred from studying at the Academy, Schmidt began private art lessons with a copper engraver in 1881. Her education continued at the Schools for Women Artists in Berlin and Munich, from 1885 to 1889. Two years after completing her training in Munich, Schmidt married Dr. Karl Kollwitz and moved to Berlin, where her husband built a practice chiefly serving the poor. In her art, Käthe Kollwitz, too, occupied herself with the plight of those less fortunate.
Kollwitz’s work was grounded in the physical, spiritual, and social realities of life. Such symbols as she used (most notably the skeleton to represent death) served to underscore her understanding of human existence as it is. She recorded moments as small as a child learning to walk and as momentous as war or revolution. Even when picturing the incarnation, that most heavenly of earthly events, she showed the miracle taking place in a tangible human setting. Käthe Kollwitz’s imagery is more politically engaged. The daughter of a trained lawyer who chose to work as a builder rather than practice within the Prussian legal system, she spent her life depicting the plight of the poor and protesting the ravages of war. In her first great print series, A Weavers’ Rebellion (1897–98), she chronicled the causes, progression, and bloody aftermath of the 1844 revolt of Silesian home weavers against their employers. The series begins with Poverty (1894), where a family of weavers gathers around the deathbed of an infant, and concludes with The End (1897), where the bodies of slain revolutionaries are being laid out on the floor of a weaver’s cabin. In both of these dimly lit interiors, the looms and other apparatus of the weavers’ trade stand as ominous reminders of the weavers’ plight.
The artist’s haunting images from the interwar period chronicle the hunger and misery then seen in Germany and elsewhere. The 1919 woodcut Memorial to Karl Liebknecht honors the murdered Spartacist leader (whom Kollwitz admired, despite differing political views), the 1921 poster Help Russia, created for the Internationale Arbeiterhilfe, highlights Russian strife, and the War cycle of 1921-22 examines war’s civilian cost. Overtly anti-war works, such as the iconic poster Never Again War!, spur their viewers to action.1
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/2rd5kjp3
I am the bread of life, says the Lord;
whoever comes to me will not hunger
and whoever believes in me will not thirst. John 6
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires, known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Music: https://tinyurl.com/mb6h9xfa
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia!
HYMN: Christopher Idle ©
Tune: O quanta qualia https://tinyurl.com/wbrmcyav
1 Here from all nations, all tongues, and all peoples,
countless the crowd but their voices are one.
Vast is the sight and majestic their singing:
“God has the vict’ry: he reigns from the throne!”
2 These have come out of the great tribulation;
now they may stand in the presence of God,
serving their Lord day and night in his temple,
ransomed and cleansed by the Lamb’s precious blood.
3 Gone is their thirst and no more shall they hunger;
God is their shelter, his pow’r at their side.
Sun shall not pain them, no burning will torture;
Jesus the Lamb is their shepherd and guide.
4 He will go with them to clear living water
flowing from springs which his mercy supplies.
Gone is their grief, and their trials are over;
God wipes away ev’ry tear from their eyes.
5 Blessing and glory and wisdom and power
be to the Savior again and again.
Might and thanksgiving and honor forever
be to our God: Alleluia! Amen.
PSALMS
Psalm 104 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/uaqp2t4)
1 Praise the Lord, O my soul *
O Lord my God, thou art become exceeding glorious;
thou art clothed with majesty and honour.
2 Thou deckest thyself with light as it were with a garment *
and spreadest out the heavens like a curtain.
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters *
and maketh the clouds his chariot,
and walketh upon the wings of the wind.
4 He maketh his angels spirits *
and his ministers a flaming fire.
5 He laid the foundations of the earth *
that it never should move at any time.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep like as with a garment *
the waters stand in the hills.
7 At thy rebuke they flee *
at the voice of thy thunder they are afraid.
8 They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath *
even unto the place which thou hast appointed for them.
9 Thou hast set them their bounds which they shall not pass *
neither turn again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the rivers *
which run among the hills.
11 All beasts of the field drink thereof *
and the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 Beside them shall the fowls of the air have their habitation *
and sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from above *
the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
14 He bringeth forth grass for the cattle *
and green herb for the service of men;
15 That he may bring food out of the earth,
and wine that maketh glad the heart of man *
and oil to make him a cheerful countenance,
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
16 The trees of the Lord also are full of sap *
even the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted;
17 Wherein the birds make their nests *
and the fir-trees are a dwelling for the stork.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats *
and so are the stony rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for certain seasons *
and the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness that it may be night *
wherein all the beasts of the forest do move.
21 The lions roaring after their prey *
do seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, and they get them away together *
and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour *
until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works *
in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is the great and wide sea also *
wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan *
whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.
27 These wait all upon thee *
that thou mayest give them meat in due season.
28 When thou givest it them they gather it *
and when thou openest thy hand they are filled with good.
29 When thou hidest thy face they are troubled *
when thou takest away their breath they die,
and are turned again to their dust.
30 When thou lettest thy breath go forth they shall be made *
and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
31 The glorious Majesty of the Lord shall endure for ever *
the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 The earth shall tremble at the look of him *
if he do but touch the hills, they shall smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
34 And so shall my words please him *
my joy shall be in the Lord.
35 As for sinners, they shall be consumed out of the earth,
and the ungodly shall come to an end *
praise thou the Lord, O my soul, praise the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 104 (LSB Tone J: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-104-LSB.mp3)
1Bless the LORD, O my soul!*
O LORD my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,*
2 covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent.
3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;*
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
4 he makes his messengers winds,*
his ministers a flaming fire.
5He set the earth on its foundations,*
so that it should never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;*
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled;*
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down*
to the place that you appointed for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass,*
so that they might not again cover the earth.
10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;*
they flow between the hills;
11 they give drink to every beast of the field;*
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;*
they sing among the branches.
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains;*
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,*
that he may bring forth food from the earth
15 and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine*
and bread to strengthen man’s heart.
16The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,*
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests;*
the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;*
the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons;*
the sun knows its time for setting.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,*
when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar for their prey,*
seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away*
and lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work*
and to his labor until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;*
the earth is full of your creatures.
25Here is the sea, great and wide,*
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships,*
and Leviathan, which you formed to | play in it.
27 These all | look to you,*
to give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;*
when you open your hand,
they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed;*
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your Spirit,
they are created,*
and you renew the face | of the ground.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;*
may the LORD rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles,*
who touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;*
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,*
for I rejoice | in the LORD.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more!*
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son* and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the be ginning,* is now, and will be forever. Amen.
PRAYER
God of everlasting love,
through your Word you made all things
in heaven and on earth;
you have opened to us the path from death to life.
Listen to the song of the universe,
the hymn of resurrection sung by your church,
and give us your blessing;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
I myself made the earth,
and created humans upon it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens.
I commanded all their forces.
I have a right to awaken Cyrus;
I will smooth all his paths.
He will build my city
and set my exiles free,
not for a price and not for a bribe,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
The Lord says:
Egypt will grow weary, Cush will be sold,
and the tall Sabeans will cross over to you.
They will be yours, and after you they will go.
In chains they will come;
to you they will bow down.
They will plead with you:
“Truly God is with you;
there’s no other, no other God.”
Surely you are a god who hides himself,
Israel’s God and savior.
They will all be shamed and disgraced;
the makers of idols will end up disgraced together.
Israel has been saved by the Lord of everlasting salvation.
You won’t be shamed,
and you won’t be disgraced forever and always.
For this is what the Lord said, who created the heavens,
who is God,
who formed the earth and made it,
who established it,
who didn’t create it a wasteland but formed it as a habitation:
I, the Lord, and none other!
I didn’t speak in secret
or in some land of darkness;
I didn’t say to the offspring of Jacob,
“Seek me in chaos.”
I am the Lord, the one who speaks truth,
who announces what is correct.
HYMN: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette ©
Tune: Alsace https://tinyurl.com/2emzdy3b
1 When hands reach out and fingers trace
the beauty of a loved one’s face,
we thank you, God, that love relies
on gifts of grace not seen with eyes.
2 When fingers spell and signs express
our prayer and praise and thankfulness,
we thank you, God, that hands can sing;
you bless the silent songs we bring.
3 When broken bodies will not mend,
we thank you, God, for Christ our friend.
In him, our healing can begin:
he welcomes all the wounded in.
4 And when the ways we learn and grow
are not the ways that others know,
we thank you, God, that we have learned
your love’s a gift, and never earned.
5 Your Spirit gives us diff’ring ways
to serve you well and offer praise.
When all are joined as one, we’ll be
your able, strong community.
After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. They cried out with a loud voice:
“Victory belongs to our God
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
All the angels stood in a circle around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory
and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might
be to our God forever and always. Amen.”
Then one of the elders said to me, “Who are these people wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
Then he said to me, “These people have come out of great hardship. They have washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. This is the reason they are before God’s throne. They worship him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. They won’t hunger or thirst anymore. No sun or scorching heat will beat down on them, because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
HYMN: Katharina von Schlegel; trans. Jane Borthwick
Tune: Finlandia https://tinyurl.com/49ht5cb9
1 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
2 Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
3 Be still, my soul; when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the veil of tears,
then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
from His own fullness all He takes away.
4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake realized that only one boat had been there. They knew Jesus hadn’t gone with his disciples, but that the disciples had gone alone. Some boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they had eaten the bread over which the Lord had given thanks. When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you that you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate all the food you wanted. Don’t work for the food that doesn’t last but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One will give you. God the Father has confirmed him as his agent to give life.”
They asked, “What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?” Jesus replied, “This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent.”
CANTICLE Revelation 5:12-14 (LBW)
(John Ylsivaker ELW Setting 8: https://tinyurl.com/r4t5bzze)
Refrain:
This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia.
1 Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength,
and honor, blessing, and glory are his. [Refrain]
2 Sing with all the people of God,
and join in the hymn of all creation.
Blessing, honor, glory, and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen. [Refrain]
THE PRAYERS BCW
O Christ, in your resurrection,
the heavens and the earth rejoice.
Alleluia!
By your resurrection you broke open the gates of hell,
and destroyed sin and death.
Keep us victorious over sin.
By your resurrection you raised the dead,
and brought us from death to life.
Guide us in the way of eternal life.
By your resurrection you confounded your guards and executioners,
and filled the disciples with joy.
Give us joy in your service.
By your resurrection you proclaimed good news to the women and apostles,
and brought salvation to the whole world.
Direct our lives as your new creation.
(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)ELW
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Gentle mothering God,
help us to look at life with the eyes of a child,
that, like Käthe Kollwitz,
we may voices the sufferings of people,
the sufferings that never end
and are as big as mountains,
and then place our hope in Jesus,
who has shown us the new life to be found in love. Amen.2
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
1 Adapted from a blog post by Victoria Emily Jones https://artandtheology.org/tag/kathe-kollwitz/ and a biographical sketch at https://kallirresearch.org/bio-kathe-kollwitz/
2 Stephen T. Benner, 2022; using two quotations by Kollwitz.
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional-language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern versions of Psalms 100 and 101 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are chanted by Ryland Angel. The modern versions of Psalms 98 and 99 are from Lutheran Service Book and are from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg.
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2024 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
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