blooming in the desert N


A rose


o one foresaw the blooming of a rose when Living Water Lutheran Church’s courtyard


fountain stopped fl owing. For many years, the fountain’s refresh- ing sight and sound had welcomed the desert-dwelling faithful—


snowbirds and visitors—to worship in Scottsdale, Ariz. Despite repairs, the dry fountain presented a quan-


dary, particularly for a church named Living Water. But soon the removal of the fountain paved the way


for a visual expression of Lutheran theology, a majestic tile mosaic of the Luther Rose. As Mark Rossman, pastor, explained to the congrega- tion, Martin Luther used the rose to teach confi rmation


28 www.thelutheran.org


Ceramic artist Scott Donars spreads grout prior to installing the fourth rose petal. The fi ve petals, which consist of a host of tiles, are assembled in his studio. After gently sliding each into position, he and his son Matthew peel off the sheet of clear adhesive-backed fi lm holding the tiles in place.


Photos by Richard Wehr


nearly fi ve centuries ago. T e rose expresses the theol- ogy and faith that inspired the Reformation, and the mosaic was dedicated on Reformation Sunday. T e mosaic had taken on a life of its own as Rossman


and the liturgical arts committee collaborated with local ceramist Scott Donars to replicate the color scheme prescribed by Luther. It consists of 3,193 handmade tiles of diff erent shapes


and sizes. Various hands, large and small, were involved in its creation. One Sunday morning, children and youth brushed glaze on hundreds of hand-cut pieces of clay for the sky-blue portion of the mosaic. Like snowfl akes, no two shapes are identical. Several children made tracings of tiles they painted in order to search for them later in the completed mosaic.


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