I took the following photographs tonight at St. Simeon Skete in Taylorsville, Kentucky. The sun was dropping behind the clouds, slipping into position to set for the night. It was time for Vespers. Consistently, evening after evening, here at the skete, the setting sun and rising moon manage to amaze us with a spectacular view.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth. -Psalm 19:1-6
Revelation 4:1
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:
| Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! … Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! … |
| … Selah His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. … His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise. … |
| Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights |
above. … Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! …
| He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe … |
| The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. … |
Photographs by Vicki Hicks
©2011 VHicks; NHA
