Celebrating 500 years on Reformation Day

A Mighty Fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. The words to this hymn by Martin Luther have encouraged Christians for almost 500 years. The lyrics are based on Psalm 46 which begins, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
As Pam and I designed this towel we felt that a castle represented a strong fortress, a shelter of protection from the storms of life.  This is a castle in Switzerland (Chillon Castle in Montreux) where I visited this summer.  Pam painted the castle and mountain scene in pastels and I did the lettering in a blackletter calligraphy hand.  The design elements are my rendition of some of the murals and woodworking details from inside the castle and the manuscript style is a nod to the medieval time period of both the castle and the hymn.