The Stained Glass
About Us > A Brief History
Page 5 - Stained Glass
The Sanctuary Windows
Of
St. Peter’s United Church
of Christ
Welcome to St. Peter’s united Church of Christ. Whether you
are visiting us for the first time, or are a member of the
congregation, we welcome you to worship with us and invite you to
participate in the many programs of the church. Worship is
the
main focus of our church week, and the sanctuary’s stained glass
windows greatly enhance our worship experience.
A Brief History:
The stained glass windows in the sanctuary were installed at three
different periods of the congregation’s history. The
current sanctuary was dedicated in 1924, although the congregation has
had a church building on this same property since 1876. There
are
only two sets of windows that date back to the 1924
sanctuary.
Those are the three windows over the altar, and the “Peter”
windows on the east wall. All other window panels contained
amber
stained glass, and remained that way until the next remodeling of the
sanctuary.
Most of the remaining “picture windows” were dedicated in
the remodeling project of 1961. Gifts from individuals,
families,
and the church school children added these new windows to the newly
remodeled sanctuary, in the same year the educational wing was
dedicated.
The last two windows to be installed are found on either side of the
choir loft, and celebrate the centennial of St. Peter’s
Church. These two windows are more “modern” and
“brighter”, and were dedicated in 1976.
A description of the windows follows, and it should be noted that all
biblical quotes in this text are from the Revised Standard Version of
the Bible. This written description follows the windows around the
sanctuary in a clockwise manner, beginning with the windows on the far
left-hand side of the east wall. All the stained glass
picture
windows in the sanctuary were made by craftsmen in Germany, and
imported to Elmhurst.
East Wall
(on the left as you
face the altar). The first set of four panels depicts the
events
in the life of the disciple John. These were installed in the
remodeling project of 1961.
Panel 1: The Last Supper. The Bible text cited is
John
14:27, and reads: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give
to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your
hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Jesus is
seated, and is foretelling his betrayal by Judas, and his denial by
Peter. Judas is seated, and is identified by the purse on his
girdle. John and Peter are the other two present.
The lamp
is a symbol of wisdom and revelation.
Panel 2: John caring for Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The
text is John 19:27, and reads: “Then he said to the
disciple ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour
the disciple took her to his own home.” John cared for Mary
following the crucifixion. Notice the three crosses of
Calvary in
the background. John is holding the hand of Mary, and this
symbolizes a familial tie.
Panel 3: The empty tomb. The text is John 20:3, and
reads: “Peter then came out with the other disciple and
they went toward the tomb.” John and Peter are here
pictured wondering at the empty tomb of Jesus. Notice the
burial
shroud on the shelf in the background.
Panel 4: The Revelation to St. John. The text is
Revelation
1:19, and reads: “Now write what you see, what is and what
is to take place hereafter.” The angel symbolizes the
revelation of the apocalypse to John. The eagle represents
courage. The quill and the book are the identifying symbols
of
the disciple John.
East Wall
(on the left as you
face the altar). The four panels to the right of the John
windows
depict events in the life of the disciple Peter. These four
panels were dedicated in 1924.
Panel 1: Peter’s Confession. The Bible text cited
is
Matthew 16:26, and it reads, “For what will it profit a man, if
he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall
a
man give in return for his life?” Peter confesses Jesus to
be “The Christ”. The keys are the identifying symbol
of the disciple Peter, and here denote Jesus giving Peter the special
insight into the Kingdom of God.
Panel 2: Peter’s lack of faith. The text is Matthew
14:30 and reads: “…but when he saw the wind, he was
afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save
me.’” Jesus here encourages Peter to come to him on
the water, and Peter’s lack of faith causes him to sink.
Panel 3: “Feed my lambs.” The text is John
21:15 and reads: “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus
said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more
than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know
that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my
lambs.’” This is the final appearance of the risen
Christ to his disciples. Jesus here asks Peter three times if
he
loves him. The sheep symbolize the people of God.
Panel 4: Peter’s sermon at Pentecost. The text is
Acts 2:32, and reads: “This Jesus God raised up, and of
that we are all witnesses.” This panel depicts the coming
of the Holy Spirit to the church on the day of Pentecost.
Peter
is giving his testimony to the resurrection, and gaining converts to
the faith. The dove represents the descending Holy Spirit,
and
Peter is dressed in red to symbolize that the Spirit is with
him.
The other men pictured are not yet Christians, but will soon convert.
South Wall /
Above Altar These three panels (Peter, Jesus, John) were
dedicated as part of the “new” sanctuary in 1924.
Left Panel: St. Peter. Notice the keys, which serve
to
identify the disciple. This panel is to Jesus’ right hand
side, to symbolize Peter’s authority.
Center Panel: The Lord Jesus. The outstretched arm
symbolizes Christ bidding us welcome. The star over
Christ’s head represents God’s presence with Christ.
Right Panel: St. John. The disciple is again
identified by the quill and book.
West Wall /
Choir Loft
The two older panels in the center are from 1961. The two
“brighter” windows on the sides of the choir loft were
dedicated in 1976.
Panel 1: Centennial window (1 of 2). Commissioned
and
installed on the 100th anniversary of the St. Peter’s
congregation. Symbolism includes: The cross of
Christ; the
worship life of the church. (windows); the presence of God
(cloud/nimbus); God’s covenant with humanity (rainbow); love of
neighbor (touching hands); and, stewardship of God’s creation
(trees).
Panel 2: 1961. The boy Jesus. Both panel 2 and 3
(the
infant Jesus) were gifts to the congregation from the children of St.
Peter’s Church.
Panel 3: 1961. The infant Jesus with his mother, Mary, as an
adoring child looks on. This symbolizes the children’s love
of Jesus. Notice the cross on the right side. This
serves
to foreshadow the crucifixion.
Panel 4: 1976 centennial window. Symbolism
includes:
the cross of Christ; the worship life of the church (windows);
Christ’s victory over death (cross of Calvary); Christ as King of
Kings (crown); and, the presence of the Holy Spirit (descending dove).
West Wall
The panels on
the west wall depict events in the life of Jesus. These eight
panels were dedicated in the project of 1961.
Panel 1: The birth of Jesus (in the manger). The
Bible text
cited is Luke 2:7, and it reads: “And she gave birth to her
first-born son and wrapped him in the swaddling cloths, and laid him in
a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
As Mary and Joseph look on, a shaft of light from above symbolizes
God’s presence. The angel proclaims, “Gloria in
excelsis Deo”, which means “Glory to God in the
highest”.
Panel 2: The baptism of Jesus. The Bible text is
Mark
1:9-11, and reads: “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of
Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he
came
up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the
Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven,
‘Thou art my beloved son; with thee I am well
pleased.’” Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan
River. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit’s presence at
the baptism.
Panel 3: People bring children to Jesus, so he might bless
them. The text is Mark 10:13-16, and it reads: “And
they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the
disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it he was
indignant,
and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me, do not hinder
them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to
you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not
enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them,
laying his hands upon them.”
Panel 4: Jesus the healer. The text is Matthew
4:23, and it
reads: “And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every
disease and every infirmity among the people.”
Panel 5: Jesus the preacher. Jesus is depicted here
preaching from a boat, and teaching the crowds at the Sea of
Galilee. The text is Mark 4:1, and it reads: “Again
he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd
gathered
about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the
whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.”
Panel 6: In the Pharisee’s house. The text is Luke
7:37-38, and it reads: “and behold, a woman of the city,
who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the
Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and
standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet
with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed
his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”
Panel 7: The crucifixion of Jesus. The text is John
19:17-19, and it reads: “So they took Jesus and he went
out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of the skull,
which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him,
and
with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between
them.” The women are here pictured ready to take the body
of Jesus away, in order to prepare it for burial. Symbolism
includes: the darkening of the sky (the frowning sun); the
Roman
charge is on a placard at the top of the cross (INRI), and stands for
“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”
Panel 8: The resurrection. The text is Matthew
28:1-6, and
portions read: “But the angel said to the women, ‘Do
not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was
crucified.
He is not here, for he has risen.’” Christ is here
shown holding a victory banner, which symbolizes his victory over
earthly powers (presence of both a Roman and a temple guard).
Text written by Rev. Richard G. Wolf
March 24, 1992
Elmhurst, Illinois