Chancel Window

The theme of the window in the Chancel presents the Holy Trinity with the focal point the victory over death of the Son of God. God the Father is represented by the creative Hand at the top of the leftmost lancet, the Holy Spirit by the descending dove in top of the right lancet, with the risen Son in the center of the rose.

The extreme left lancet, beginning at the bottom, depicts the fall of man and the expulsion from the garden. Next above is Abraham entertaining the three heavenly visitors who assured him he would father a child, setting on its way that notable race all members of which are proudly the children of Abraham. Next come Moses receiving the tablets with the Law written thereon, and at the top, under the tracery, Isaiah's figure of the suffering servant treading out the grapes in the winepress.

The second of the four lancets contains pre-crucifixion scenes as follows (beginning at the bottom): Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the last supper with His disciples on the night of His arrest, our Lord before Pilate, and His shameful treatment at the brutal hands of the Roman soldiers.

The great chancel cross is, of course, the chief and universal symbol of our Christian faith.

The rose window represents Jesus coming forth from the empty tomb. He bears aloft the banner symbolizing the victory of life over sin and death. The margin of the circle is quartered to contain four scenes associated with the Resurrection: First, the women greeted at the empty tomb by the angel; next, Mary Magdalene before Christ in the garden; then, Thomas making his confession of faith in the truth of the Resurrection; and finally, the Lord sharing supper with the two travelers at Emmaus. Thus the symbols of the crucifixion and Resurrection combine at the focus of the congregation's attention to proclaim the central truth of the Gospel.

The two lancets under the symbol of the descending dove contain scenes from the book of Acts. The lancet closer to the center contains four scenes in which Peter figures. Beginning at the top, the first is the scene at Pentecost when the faithful, under the tongues of fire, receive the Holy Spirit. Then, presaging the growth of the infant church, Peter and John lay their hands on new converts at Samaria. Next below, Peter and John heal the crippled man at the beautiful gate. At the bottom, the angel frees Peter from prison.

 The lancet at the far right is devoted to four events in the life of the apostle Paul. First (beginning at the top), his dramatic defense before Herod Agrippa, an address which still, even in translation, is a moving oration. Then comes his conversion on the Damascus road. We should remember:  To that event he ever afterward looked as his authoritative revelation.

The baptism of Lydia next following represents the spread of the church far westward. At the bottom of the lancet, Paul, the worn and weathered servant of Christ, in prison now, his travels over, has nothing better to do with his time than dictate letters to the churches he loves - and thus to write a good portion of the New Testament.

 

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