Faith United Methodist Church Sanctuary Window - F,4
As you enter the narthex entrance to the sanctuary at Faith United Methodist Church, this is the fourth window from the back on the left side of the sanctuary, and is designated for this journey as window F,4.
All of the windows at Faith United Methodist Church have the same main structure. The information about the cut glass surrounding the central eight-pointed star is in the text just below. If you wish to skip this part and just read about the star and the symbol contained therein, CLICK HERE. Otherwise, read on.
The glass at Faith United Methodist Church is a mixture of cut and hand stained glass. The hand-staining, however, is much more for accent and detail purposes meant to accentuate the stained color of the cut class used in the design of the window.
We will begin our journey from the frame edge of the window and work our way in to center. We are drawn to the first row of cut glass made of blues and red that remind us of our connection with Heaven through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Themes of Hope, Sincerity and Piety in the blue cut glass bring us to the reality that without the great love of God in the gift of his son Jesus, our hope would be lost and our journey futile.
The main body of the window is full of pastel colors of pink, green, yellow, blue and orange cut glass affording us the view of a rainbow in all it's splendor as the light floods through and fills the sanctuary with a heavenly show. This rainbow of light reminds us of the union between humanity and God and God's covenant with us for all time. There are also interspersed wedges of cut glass that are Blue, Red and Yellow. Reminding us that the unity and covenant of God are powerful and accessible to us, bringing us hope through the blood of Christ.
Surrounding the center symbol is a ring of red glass that reminds us that our journey through life through the blood of Christ is what enables us to truly experience each of the gifts depicted at the center of the window. The blue background reminds us of hope, sincerity and piety. The shape of the center focal point at first glance seems to be a diamond. If we look closer, however, we will see that in fact it forms an eight pointed star. This is a special star representing for us a symbol in itself of Regeneration and Holy Baptism. Through each of these symbols in the sanctuary at Faith United Methodist Church, we are invited into a journey of regeneration and reminded of the holy family that we are adopted into through our baptism.
The center symbol for this this window is a combination of three symbols. The Chalice, Grapes on the Vine, and Wheat. The Chalice is the foremost symbol and portrays for us most importantly the Eucharist, or Holy Communion. We are reminded of the cup of Christ and the Blessed Sacrament that Jesus himself ordained as he shared this blessed meal with his closest friends and followers. The Grapes are in general a symbol of the Eucharist, however we have more specifically a Cluster of Grapes on a running vine. This is used to give us a picture of Christ at the center and us, his followers, the vine. Grapes on the Vine is also used to portray the Unified Church. The wheat paired with the Grapes and the chalice give us the complete picture of the Eucharist by presenting the body of Christ. We are reminded of the unifying power of the Communion Table. We are reminded that for the church to truly become one, we must first become one in Christ Jesus.
I end by giving thanks for the Willing Workers Class. I give thanks for the faith of the members of this class who gave and dedicated this window. The dark yellow cut glass, hand stained in black, reminds us of the Gates of Heaven that await all those who are called God's good and faithful servants.
May God bless and keep you along the way, and shine his colorful light all around you!
RevMoll
(Much of the information on the symbolism in this blog was taken and adapted from the book "Church Symbolism, An Explanation of the More Important Symbols of the Old and New Testament, The Primitive, The Medieval and the Modern Church," by F. R. Webber, Copyright 1938, J.H. Hansen, The Central Lithograph Co., Cleveland, OH)
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