Windows above Chancel and Altar from Left to Right
The Windows above the chancel and altar draw our attention to the gifts that God gives to us in the Divine Service each Sunday. The windows on each corner of the chancel wall represent our response to the gift of forgiveness and faith.
The Trumpets Window – The gift of worship and praise. God gives us faith to believe in and trust Jesus Christ as our only Savior from sin and death. Our response to His saving work is thanksgiving. The Psalmist writes, “Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!” (Psalm 150:3).
The Bible Window – The gift of God’s Word. The crimson page marker reminds us that the central message of the Bible is Christ’s blood shed on the cross to bring forgiveness and life to the world. We receive this message through the hearing of the Word of God. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
The Chalice and Host Window – The gift of the Sacrament of the Altar. The images of the cup (chalice) and wafer (host) remind us of the real presence of Jesus in Holy Communion. Jesus feeds us with His body and blood with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and to strengthen our faith in Him. “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
The Seashell and Water Window – The gift of Holy Baptism. As were seen on the catacomb walls where early Christians worshiped, the symbol of the seashell has been associated with baptism since the first centuries of the Christian church. Using a shell was simply a practical way to pour water on those being baptized. In Baptism, the name of the Triune God is placed on the one baptized; thus the three drops of water. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:3-5).
The Trinity Symbol Window – The gift of God Himself. The three interlocking circles represent the eternal nature of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The faithful, who gather each week in this place had the name of God spoken upon them when they were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Each service begins with the invocation, a calling upon the Name of our Triune God.
The Hands in Prayer Window – The gift of prayer. Among the many postures of prayer is that of hands held together at the fingertips. Prayer is our speaking to God in thanksgiving and with our requests for help in time of need. We speak because He has first spoken to us by His Son (Hebrews 1:2). We know that God the Father hears our prayers through Jesus and answers them in His mercy.