The Story in Our Stained Glass Windows

The Story of Christ and the Church
in the Stained Glass Windows
Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church
Fairview, Oregon

most recently presented September 4, 2005
by Rev. Cynthia O'Brien

NOTE: You can print out this guide and take your own self-guided tour of the windows. Visit the church any weekday during office hours (we close at noon on Fridays) or on Sunday morning.

St. Augustine said, “Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” Of course he was speaking about our lives as examples of the transforming power of the good news.

We have a story that is good news for the world, a story of hope in the midst of uncertainty, a story of peace in a time of tragic conflict.
Today I hope to tell you the good news in such a way that you’ll be reminded of it every time you step into this sanctuary, and in such a way that you’ll be able to easily explain it to someone else.

From early times artists used translucent glass set in plaster to form a design and give a sparkling effect when placed against the light. During the 10th century, windows began to be used to tell a story or describe an event. In times when very few people could read the Bible for themselves, art and church windows in particular became a big part of the Christian education of the common people. Medieval church windows were called the Biblia Pauperum, or, “The Poor Man’s Bible,” because they told Bible stories in a way that everyone could understand.

Nearly everyone who comes into church here can read, although there will always be some who can’t, including small children. But everybody who can see can gain something from this art.

Like those medieval windows, our window tells a story – our story – of the Christian faith and the Christian church. This design is unique to our church. It was generated by a group of thoughtful church members who wanted to reflect the values and interests of Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church. It has not been reproduced anywhere else. But it speaks to more than just the members of our congregation. It is admired by people who come here for weddings, baptisms, funerals and other special occasions. Because it is symbolic, it crosses barriers of language and culture.

Walk with me, and let’s look with fresh eyes.

The Story of the North Windows
Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church
Fairview, Oregon


I. The North West Section. God’s gift of love to us.
Running through all the windows is the RIVER. Imagery of water runs through the entire Bible, beginning in Genesis
(Gen 1:1-2 NIV) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
God gave water in the wilderness.
(Num 20:11 NIV) Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

Also running through all the windows is the VINE. The vine is a symbol of how we are connected to Christ. Jesus said,
(John 15:5 NIV) "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

God loved us so much that he gave us Jesus.
The SWORD is the word of God.
(Heb 4:12 NIV) For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Its yellow rays pierce, expose and bring light to everything.
God’s word cuts through darkness and everything that is wrong, bringing light and truth. Jesus is the Word. He is truth and light.

(John 1:1-18 NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} He was with God in the beginning. {4} In him was life, and that life was the light of men. {5} The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

{9} The true light that gives light to every one was coming into the world. {14} The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. {18} No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

The sword points directly to the MANGER where light and truth broke into our world.
(Luke 2:16 NIV) So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

(Phil 2:5-8 NIV) Christ Jesus, being in very nature God, made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. {8} And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself

One of the rays pierces a VASE which is an early church symbol for the virgin birth.
(Mat 1:23 NIV) "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."
The Word of God pierces Mary but does not break the vase. She remains a virgin, and is a vessel for the birth of the son of God. But there will be pain in her life:
(Luke 2:35 NIV) And a sword will pierce your soul.

The ADULT CHRIST wears red symbolizing royalty.
And Jesus grew in stature and in wisdom and in favor with God and with people.

The RIVER continues here. Jesus is the bringer of living water.
(John 4:10 NIV) Jesus answered the woman at the well, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

The TRANSFIGURATION of Christ. (Panel 3)
(Luke 9:28-31 NIV) As Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightening,.. in glorious splendor.
His deity is revealed, his divine essence depicted here by the red gem stones.

THE CRUCIFIXION. The red on the cross reminds us of Christ’s blood shed for us.
The RIVER continues here: When Jesus is on the cross and a soldier pierces his side with a spear, water flows out.
(John 19:34 NIV) one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

The WHEAT and the SEED rolling off the cross remind us that Jesus said,
(John 12:23-25 NIV) "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. {24} I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. {25} The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

II. The North Section: Jesus Overcomes Death
Watch the SEED falling from the cross, signifying death.

Panel 2. The empty TOMB, with the stone rolled away in panel 3.
(Mat 28:2 NIV) an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.

The YELLOW LIGHT is the power of God which raised Jesus from the grave. The SWALLOWS are another early church symbol of resurrection life. The SEED from the cross falls, dies, and then bursts into new life. Jesus has conquered death.

The RIVER now meets the blue waters of baptism. As Christ died and was raised, so in our baptism we share in Christ’s death and in the promise of being raised up with him.
(Rom 6:4-5 NIV) We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life… We will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Next to the tomb are large GRAPES, with a wine DECANTER, another symbol of Christ’s blood shed for us.

A heavenly and earthly scene in one. The RAINBOW reminds us of God’s promises. Worship in heaven is taking place along with worship on earth as the church gathers around the COMMUNION TABLE to celebrate Christ’s presence with his church, as Christ himself gives us nourishment for our souls. This is Christ, again in red, presiding at his table with the BREAD and CUP. The gem stones again symbolize his deity.

The communion table is parallel with the burial stone. This is an image from the Eastern Orthodox church: the tomb of sacrifice becomes the table of communion. Communion celebrates Christ overcoming death. Now he calls us also from death to life.

Here is pentecostal FIRE symbolizing the birth of the church and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2: The believers were praying, and then the Spirit came and rested upon each of them, looking like tongues of fire.

III. North East Section – Jesus sends us out in mission

God has given us a precious gift in Jesus Christ, and Christ has overcome death. Now he invites us to be the church, and this panel describes the life and mission of the church.

This faith is so important, it’s even worth dying for. The early church was characterized by martyrdom, in other words, believers being killed for their faith. The three brown stones are for the first martyr, Stephen, in Acts 7.
Stephen said "Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." {57} At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him…While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Here is the gray ALTAR.
(Rev 6:9-11 NIV) When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. {10} They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" {11} Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
The ALTAR with the SWORD reminds us of the church suffering through the centuries until Christ’s return. Even now, in many parts of the world, Christians are dying for their faith.

But even in this time when God’s kingdom is not completely realized, we do not lose heart. Here the grape vine becomes a PALM BRANCH which is a symbol of triumph and victory.
(John 12:12-13 NIV) The great crowd heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. {13} They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

In Panels 3-5 we find the mission of the church. At the top of the windows are fields of golden wheat, representing the many people and nations who do not know God.
(Luke 10:2 NIV) Jesus told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Jesus called his church to “Go, make disciples of all nations.” Matt 28. The waters remind us of the disciples who fished at the shore, and the green NET of Jesus calling the disciples. It reminds us to evangelize the world, as Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of men. From now on, you will fish for people.” Matthew 13:47

The TOWEL and BASIN and PITCHER OF WATER. Jesus used these to wash his disciples’ feet at the Last Supper, to show them the extent of his love. So we are called to serve one another in Christian love. An important defense of Christianity has always been that they loved each other so completely.

The story doesn’t end here. The waters continues all the way to heaven:
(Rev 22:1-2 NIV) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb {2} down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Healing waters flow from the throne of God in that great day, when the Kingdom of God has been fully realized. John writes about it in the Revelation:

(Rev 21:1-5 NIV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. {2} I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. {3} And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. {4} He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." {5} He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

This is the story of how much God loves us, how Christ overcame death, how we are called to life with him and the hope of glory. That Christ is
The Light in the darkness
The Eternal Word
The living water
The Seed that grows
The Resurrection and the Life
The host at the great communion

And that the church is based on
The foundation of Christ
The courage of the martyrs
The assurance of victory.

Our mision is to go forth into the world to proclaim this good news, to gather others in, to love and serve one another even as Christ loves and serves us.
to the glory of God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

April 2, 2000