Wesley Memorial United Methodist
Church
High Point, North Carolina
The windows of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church have been created in the manner of the stained glass of the 12th century epitomized in Chartres Cathedral, the holy of holies for all who admire stained glass, where the rich jeweled windows of sparkling blues and rubies provide a ministry of color that has inspired mankind for the past eight hundred years.
In fine stained glass the subject matter neither supersedes nor is completely dominated by the color and design. They function interdependently. Color and design beautify the building, creating an atmosphere that inspires the worship of God. Subject matter - the iconography - instructs the beholder. (Stained glass served the medieval congregations in place of books which were very rare in pre-printing-press days. Being generally illiterate, the people couldn't have read them in any case.)
The theme of the windows is salvation history. The story reaches back to the expulsion from Eden, continues through the high drama of the Scriptures, suggests certain gleams of glory in the life of the Church, and ends not with an ending but an implicit and unassailable confidence that the history continues until the cities of man become the City of God.
The story of Christ is based on His life as told in uncounted ways down the nearly 20 centuries since He lived on earth, suffered ignominious death on the cross and gloriously rose from the dead.
Stained glass played an extremely important role in telling the story of Christ down through the years. Color affects the design of the glass in the way the colors change as the sun progresses through the day. The relationship of the glass to the stone and setting are primary artistic concerns, but the greatest windows appeal to the intellect as well as the visual senses. This is true of the 30 windows in the Sanctuary of Wesley Memorial. They tell the old, old story, but in the telling they embody minute details that enrich and enhance Gospel truths. Therein is their great beauty.
The artistry in the stained glass of all the Sanctuary windows was designed by Marguerite Gaudin, who worked for the Willet Studio from 1931 until her death in 1991. The windows were assembled by the staff of the Willet Stained Glass Studios, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under the direction of Henry Lee Willet,
Sanctuary Floor Plan
The Sanctuary of Wesley Memorial is in the shape of a cross. In the days of the Cathedral builders, these cross-shaped churches were divided into various parts. The central portion, the long stem of the cross where the congregation sits, is called the Nave. The arms of the cross are called the Transepts, the top of the cross is called the Chancel or choir area.
There are four major windows. The Chancel window over the altar, the North window over the main entrance, the Prayer window in the West Transept and the Praise window in the East Transept.
The 10 windows in the Nave, are known as the "I Am" windows. The great three-lancet clerestories show the life and ministry of Christ not in chronological order, but each portraying an aspect of His Revelation as illustrated by one of the "I Am" sayings of Jesus.
To view each of these magnificent windows and discover the story it tells, click on the window listed below. Please use your Browser Back Arrow to return to this home page.
The Nave "I Am" Windows
Clerestory I
I am the MessiahClerestory II
I am come not to destroy but to fulfillClerestory III
I am the WayClerestory IV
I am the Light of the WorldClerestory V
I am the Vine, ye are the branchesClerestory VI
I am the DoorClerestory VII
I am the Son of GodClerestory VIII
I am the Bread of LifeClerestory IX
I am the Good ShepherdClerestory X
I am the Resurrection
For contact information regarding this web site.
