The Altar Cross depicts high points from the life of the second
person of the Trinity, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It is the focal point of the church. Each of the five scenes
illustrates one of the honorific titles Jesus bears.
At the top of the cross, we see Christ the Judge sitting on
the judgment seat with the scales of Justice at his feet. He
is attended by angels heralding the resurrection to judgment.
The red cloak he wears guarantees that Justice will be tempered with
divine mercy (Apostles Creed, Second Article).
Directly beneath Christ the Judge, at the center of the cross,
is Christ the Victor. Jesus radiates power and serenity,
as with a simple flip of the wrist or twitch of an eye, He
snaps the bonds of death; so mighty is the Son of God.
The resurrection is the center of our cross and the center of our
faith (I Corinthians 15:12-26).
To the left of Christ the Victor, is Christ the Teacher. The
scene shows Jesus teaching the crowds in the Sermon on the Mount.
One of the most beloved parts of the Sermon on the Mount are the
Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Jesus taught wherever he went.
Sometimes he used stories (parables), sometimes he used
healings and exorcisms. But his intention was always to
communicate God's will to his people.
To the right of Christ the Victor, is Christ the Bread of Life.
Here we see Jesus presiding at the Last Supper. Looking to
the future, He institutes the Sacrament of the Altar,
Holy Communion, so that his followers will always have Him
with them. He gives himself as the Bread of Life to nourish and
strengthen his followers' relationship to him. Holy food
sustains a holy people and enables them to witness and serve in a
fallen world (Matthew 26:26-29).
The scene at the bottom of the cross is Christ, the Incarnate
Word. The baby Jesus is God made flesh; God born into
the world a human being. As the rest of the cross shows, this
baby has his work cut out for him. That work is nothing less
than the salvation of the world (Luke 2:1-20).
The five scenes on the cross are connected by swirling forms,
the holy wind, the Holy Spirit. When the cross is
illuminated with proper lighting, the shadows of two other
crosses appear. The thieves crucified on either side of Jesus
signify all of humanity; those who believe in and those who
reject Jesus as the Son of God, the Second Person of the
Trinity.
The Baptistry Panel
and Doors (Matthew 3:13-17)
The sanctuary is separated from the narthex by a series of glass panels and two
doors. Etched on the center panel, two doors and two side panels is the
scene of the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist is the tall figure pouring
water on Jesus' head. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove is hovering
above Jesus. The curving lines encompassing the scene symbolize divine
power pouring forth from the Holy Spirit. The water in which Jesus is
standing is the river Jordan. It flows across the two doors onto the side
panels. Whenever people pass through these doors, they symbolically
walk through Jordan and Jesus' baptism to the Promised Land on the other side.
The Creation Rose Window
The Creation Rose Window above the reredos depicts God's first act of creation,
the creation of light. God said, "Let there be light", and there was
light (Genesis 1:3). The window is a kaleidoscope of form and color;
a controlled explosion of form and color. It's symmetry depicts power just
beginning to bring order out of chaos. Starting with hot whites in the
center, the colors cool into yellows, oranges, reds, and
finally purples, greens and blues. The red circle indicates the divine
presence. Also visible throughout the window are hints of things that God
will be creating in the future: magnetic fields, solar winds,
rivers, fish, birds, flowers, depths of sky and sea. T
he window in its entirety is a symbol for God the Father, Creator of
everything, who, unlike his creation, is invisible.
The Holy Spirit Rose Window
The Holy Spirit Rose Window above the baptistry depicts the third person of the
Trinity present at Jesus’ baptism. “And the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove” (Luke 3:22a). The dove is shown descending.
The dove hovers in a protecting manner with wings outspread over all who are
baptized at the font below, over the congregation, and indeed over
all creation. The dove is white with accents of rose and mauve.
These colors communicate purity, love and commitment. The red
circle, as in the Creation Window, signifies the divine presence.
The other colors and forms behind the dove show that the Holy Spirit,
present at the beginning of everything, continues to permeate all of God’s
rich creation as he calls, gathers, and enlightens the whole Church.
The Pentecost Window
The Pentecost Window on the east side of the church depicts the arrival of the
Holy Spirit. "And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a
violent wind......Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,
and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them
ability (Acts 2:2-4).
The holy wind, depicted by warm rose and mauve waving forms that connect
the upper and lower sections of the window, has an immediate effect on the
disciples shown at the bottom. The tongues of fire set them ablaze with
enthusiasm for the mission; empowers them with communication and
organizational skills, courage and enlightenment. The increasing
presence of red in the disciples' clothing indicates their being permeated by
the Spirit. Their arrangement in a half circle indicates that they are
getting organized to carry out the divine will to evangelize the world.
The Ascension Window
The Ascension Window on the west side of the church depicts Jesus returning to
heaven, his work on earth completed. The disciples depicted at the bottom
of the window have just heard his final words. "But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth"
(Acts 1:8). Jesus is clothed in red, indicating the presence of
divinity. Red also reminds us of his promise to send the Holy Spirit.
The disciples are clothed in cool colors, and arranged haphazardly.
They have not yet been organized and empowered to carry out the great challenge
of witnessing to the world. But hints of that empowerment are visible.
The holy wind is beginning to move. The cool waving forms in the center of
the window that connect Jesus and the disciples indicate that something is going
to happen. God is about to stir things up. The promised Holy Spirit is not
far off and is eager to be unleashed on the world.
The Altar Cross depicts high points from the life of the second
person of the Trinity, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It is the focal point of the church. Each of the five scenes
illustrates one of the honorific titles Jesus bears.
The sanctuary is separated from the narthex by a series of glass panels and two
doors. Etched on the center panel, two doors and two side panels is the
scene of the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist is the tall figure pouring
water on Jesus' head. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove is hovering
above Jesus. The curving lines encompassing the scene symbolize divine
power pouring forth from the Holy Spirit. The water in which Jesus is
standing is the river Jordan. It flows across the two doors onto the side
panels. Whenever people pass through these doors, they symbolically
walk through Jordan and Jesus' baptism to the Promised Land on the other side.
The Creation Rose Window above the reredos depicts God's first act of creation,
the creation of light. God said, "Let there be light", and there was
light (Genesis 1:3). The window is a kaleidoscope of form and color;
a controlled explosion of form and color. It's symmetry depicts power just
beginning to bring order out of chaos. Starting with hot whites in the
center, the colors cool into yellows, oranges, reds, and
finally purples, greens and blues. The red circle indicates the divine
presence. Also visible throughout the window are hints of things that God
will be creating in the future: magnetic fields, solar winds,
rivers, fish, birds, flowers, depths of sky and sea. T
he window in its entirety is a symbol for God the Father, Creator of
everything, who, unlike his creation, is invisible.
The Holy Spirit Rose Window above the baptistry depicts the third person of the
Trinity present at Jesus’ baptism. “And the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove” (Luke 3:22a). The dove is shown descending.
The dove hovers in a protecting manner with wings outspread over all who are
baptized at the font below, over the congregation, and indeed over
all creation. The dove is white with accents of rose and mauve.
These colors communicate purity, love and commitment. The red
circle, as in the Creation Window, signifies the divine presence.
The other colors and forms behind the dove show that the Holy Spirit,
present at the beginning of everything, continues to permeate all of God’s
rich creation as he calls, gathers, and enlightens the whole Church.
The Pentecost Window on the east side of the church depicts the arrival of the
Holy Spirit. "And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a
violent wind......Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,
and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them
ability (Acts 2:2-4).
The Ascension Window on the west side of the church depicts Jesus returning to
heaven, his work on earth completed. The disciples depicted at the bottom
of the window have just heard his final words. "But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth"
(Acts 1:8). Jesus is clothed in red, indicating the presence of
divinity. Red also reminds us of his promise to send the Holy Spirit.
The disciples are clothed in cool colors, and arranged haphazardly.
They have not yet been organized and empowered to carry out the great challenge
of witnessing to the world. But hints of that empowerment are visible.
The holy wind is beginning to move. The cool waving forms in the center of
the window that connect Jesus and the disciples indicate that something is going
to happen. God is about to stir things up. The promised Holy Spirit is not
far off and is eager to be unleashed on the world.