Sacred Symbols
at
irst ongregational hurch of Closter, NJ
(United Church of Christ)

©1997, 1998 John A. Mills

When we enter church to worship God, we experience the verbal and audial service of worship in its music, responses, and sermons. But our experience of worship can also be influenced by our sacred space. Much of the architecture, art, and layout of our sacred space can be given theological significance whether or not the architect or artist originally intended these meanings. In symbolic ways, our sacred space makes theological statements that enrich our worship.

The sacred space of First Congregational Church, Closter is laid out as illustrated in the following diagram. You may click on an area to explore it, or read on!

A worship area traditionally contains five liturgical spaces and four liturgical centers.

The five liturgical spaces are:

1. the congregational space located at the pews in the nave;
2. the movement space located in the narthex and in the aisles of the nave;
3. the choir space nominally located in the chancel;
4. the baptismal space located just in front of the chancel, in the nave below the pulpit; and
5. the sanctuary space located where the altar is.

The four liturgical centers are located as:

1. the baptismal font centered in the baptismal space;
2. the pulpit at the front of the chancel;
3. the presidential chairs (where the ministers sit) beside the pulpit; and
4. the altar located in the sanctuary space.

We begin our journey in the narthax. We are all born into the fallen, earthy world. We are reminded of this by the four pedal flowers on the doors. Each pedal points to a cardinal direction of the world, extending the Narthax to all the world, inviting us into the sacred found throughout God's good and diverse creation.

The narthex reminds us that the divine walks here in the profane world in other ways. The Trinity Window and a portrait of the historic Jesus dominate the space. Jesus was God Incarnate, a human who walked among us. He struggled mightily with human doubts and fears. This is symbolized by the painting of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (a chalk painting by Labriola 1984):

"Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." -- Mk 14:36 [NRSV]

The narthex is also a place of memory and memorial. The two great wars of the twentith century are memoralized here honoring the veterens who died in those wars.

Labriola

The nave presents a number of symbols.

• The carpeting is red. Red symbolizes the following:
  • The blood of the martyrs, those who have withstood evil in the "between time" and died for their faith.
  • The flames of Pentecost and hence the Holy Spirit and the founding of the Church. It is the Holy Spirit who fills our sails in the journey and the Church which captains the vessal.
  The Church Mystical, founded by Christ, headed by the Holy Spirit, and filled with saints and martyrs, is God's embassy in the secular world during the "between times". The red of the nave points us to the Church.
• There are seven full pews on each side of the center aisle. Seven is the number of completeness, symbolizing all that there is. The ship of the faithful has room for all who would board and follow Jesus to the New Jerusalem, heaven come to earth.
• A banner, raised by the Korean Gillbott Church, UCC, hangs in the nave. It is red and blue, and displays a dove, a flame, a crook, and an empty cross:
  • The red is Jesus, who was martyred.
  • The blue is Jesus, who is sovereign.
  • The dove is Jesus, our baptism.
  • The flame is Jesus, light of the world.
  • The crooks is Jesus, our Shepherd.
  • The empty cross is Jesus, our savior.

  At the bottom, is displayed the Korean for "Peace".

Our journey's goal is to enter heaven and come face to face with God in the divine sanctuary. When we step into the chancel, we symbolically step into heaven. The chancel is raised on three steps. Three symbolizes

• the Trinity;
• completeness of the Godhead;
• the three parts of Creation: heaven, earth, and hell; and
• the third day on which Jesus rose.

The positioning of the chancel has theological significance. The chancel is at the end of the nave, within the same structure. This symbolizes heaven come to earth as the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2). The chancel is opened only on one side at the end of the center aisle, an indication that the way to the Realm of God is straight and narrow. Yet, it is always there within our reach. Within the chancel, the altar and thus, God, is a focal point for our offerings, sacrifices, and services. Also within the chancel is the organ. Music is the Divine speaking to us. Out of the beautiful harmonies and notes, we feel the wonder of the Divine. Through the spoken word and musical harmonies, the Divine speaks to us who are in the nave and still in the world.

Pulpits

The situation of the pulpit and the lectern also have theological implications, expressing Congregational polity. The pulpit and lectern, set at equal heights, are each equally guarding the entrance to the chancel, each for the proclamation of the Word. Traditionally, the pulpit is used by the ordained preacher to proclaim the Word by interpretation and the lectern is used by the lay deacon to proclaim the Word by reading. But both are founded on the Word, symbolized by a bible on each of the pulpit and the lectern. In the Congregational tradition, the clergy is not set over the laity. The minister is called to a vocation as servant and teacher; the laity are also called to vocations of equal value. The situation of the pulpits symbolizes this polity.

Bible

Three bibles are opened in the chancel. An open bible is placed centrally on the altar emphasizing the importance of the Word. A bible is opened on each of the pulpit and the lecturn. The Word circumscribes all that is illuminated from heaven. Donald McCleod in Word and Sacrament describes the connected symbolism of the lectern, pulpit, and communion table as the lectern representing the Word read; the pulpit representing the Word explained; and the communion table representing the Word in action.

The bible on the lecturn was given when First Congregational Church was founded. It was presented by Mr. and Mrs. Frederic M. Turman of Brooklyn, NY on 8 December 1881. The pulpit bible was presented by Mary E. Baillie on Easter 1947.

The sanctuary and altar represent the presence of God. They are visible from the very entrance to the nave from the narthax.

The altar is illustrated in the following diagram. You may click on an area to explore it, or read on!

Sanctuary

Behind the altar and below the altar window is hung a red dorsal cloth. The dorsal cloth represents the curtain that was drawn in front of the holy of holies (i.e., the sanctuary and altar) in ancient Israel, so that only the high priest in the inner sanctum could see the holy of holies. In our Protestant tradition, God is not hidden from anyone. God's presence in the sanctuary is revealed to all of us in the priesthood of all believers. God's face in revealed in all of God's works. Therefore, the curtain is behind the holy of holies, revealing God through Jesus Christ to the faithful. In this church, it is also placed below the altar window, revealing that Eden is restored to us. The dorsal cloth is red. Red is symbolic of the blood shed by Jesus and the martyrs, and of the tongues of fire at Pentecost.

Altar/Communion Table

In the sanctuary sits the altar/communion table. The altar is the throne of God. The communion table is the festive table to which Jesus invites one and all. Sitting on the altar/communion table is a long gradine or retable, and a shorter one on top of it. A golden cross sits on the highest one between two candles on the lower gradine.

Cross

The cross sits on a three step base signifying faith, hope, and charity and the climb Jesus made to Calvary. The cross is empty (but see IHS) symbolizing that the murdered Jesus was raised from the dead. In the middle ages, the cross came to symbolize the universe, the upright and traverse of the cross were the height and breadth of the universe and their intersection where Jesus was (and is) was the unification and ultimate harmony of the universe.

The cross is golden, embossed with flowers and vines. Gold, a gift of the Magi, symbolizes Jesus' sovereignty. The flowers and vines on the cross symbolize the good creation. The cross was hewed out of a dead tree. But the cross is empty, because Jesus has been raised and new life is given to creation. The flowers and vines symbolize this new life in Jesus, Lord of the Creation.

Candles

The two candles on the altar signify the two natures of Christ:

• human and
• divine.

The candles also represent Jesus as the Light of the World.

IHS

At the transept of the cross and embossed on the altar is IHS. This symbol can mean either

• Jesus in Greek, , or
• Jesus, savior of humanity in Latin (IESUS HOMINUM SALVATOR), or
• in this sign (shalt thou conquer) in Latin (IN HOC SIGNO VINCES), or
• in this (cross) is salvation in Latin (IN HOC CRUCE SALUS).

Although, in our Protestant tradition we display an empty cross signifying the risen Christ, the IHS on the cross symbolizes the crucified Jesus. In this one symbol, we are reminded of the man Jesus who was crucified, the salvation proclaimed by him, and the promise of resurrection.

The baptismal space is located just in front of the chancel, in the nave below the pulpit. It is focused around the baptismal font and is in concentric ellipses with the minister and the candidate in the innermost ellipse, then the family of the candidate(s) in the next ellipse, and then the congregation in the outermost ellipse.

Traditionally, a baptismal font would be in the narthex, symbolizing the transition from pagan to Christian, but it was moved to the front of the nave, primarily so that all of the faithful remember their baptisms and may participant in new candidates' baptisms.

The baptismal font is eight sided. God created the universe in six days and rested on the seven. Seven is the number of completeness and of being finished. However, with Jesus' resurrection, God began a new creation. The resurrection is the eighth day of creation and the faithful are baptized on it. Hence, the eight sided baptismal font.

The Reformers rejected the sacrificial nature of the Roman Catholic worship and viewed the Eucharist as a time either when Jesus is present with us or when we especially remember Jesus. Thus the altar became a communion table, not where we sacrificed Jesus, but where we share a meal with him. Thus the "altar" is not fastened to the wall, but movable like a table, which indeed it is. Its presence in the center of the sanctuary within the chancel reminds us that God's inner sanctum is open to us and offers us the fellowship and nourishment of divine love and grace.

During communion services, a table is moved to the front of the nave, at the foot of the steps to the chancel. This is different than the "altar". By placing it in the nave among the people, God's supper comes to us, to the earth.

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God ... -- Rev. 21:2 [NRSV]

The First Congregational Church is blessed with beautiful, expressive stained glass windows. There are three sets:

1. The Altar Window
2. The Life of Jesus Windows
3. The Trinity Window

The altar window dominates the sacred space. It represents Eden Restored. The life of Jesus windows are on either side of the nave and trace the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection. The Trinity window dominates the narthax.

The altar window is a depiction of the Garden of Eden restored to us.

The original art for the window was most probably done by Mrs. Margaret Overbeck and then copied from the original by Katherine Lamb [Tate]. Henrik [Vandeburgt, the artist] seems to recall doing this window in the mid 1950's. The window is in the Romanesque style which emphasized a harmony of blues and red. ...

In the lower right of the middle pane, the window is signed: Lamb Studios Tenafly, NJ. This window was donated and probably partially designed by nationally prominent and local sculptor, Robert Baillie. The Closter, NJ Historical Society notes that "[t]he tri-partite windows, with their rich definition of color and light, presents the highest level of the art of Frederick Lambs' creations."

Eden is "in the east" The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge grow in Eden. These are depicted in the right and left panes. The four branches of the Edenic river water the garden. They are Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates (Gen. 2:10-14), flowing on all three panes. The Garden is illustrated in the many vines and flowers throughout. A third tree is shown in the central pane: the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. Thus, the Garden prefigures Gethsemene. Humanity was cast out of the Garden for trying to be God. But we were led back to Edenic paradise by God becoming Human, dying and being raised.

Mine is the sunlight!
  Mine is the morning
Born of the one light
  Eden saw play!
Praise with elation,
  Praise every morning,
God's recreation
  Of the new day!
-- Eleanor Farjeon

From the Pilgrim Hymnal, copyright © 1958 by the Pilgrim Press, Inc.; #38 Morning Has Broken.

The altar window is shown below. It is in three parts:

1. the central cross,
2. the tree of life on the left,
3. the tree of knowledge on the right.

You may click on the image to explore different symbols, or read on!

Cross (reprise)

We have already discussed the altar cross. In the center pane, the cross dominates Eden. This is a new tree in Eden. Defining the width and breadth of Paradise, it represents Jesus' willingness to stand against evil to show us the way back to God. Jesus, the New Adam, leads us back into Eden.

Down the cross are various emblems of Jesus and his disciples. At the bottom it sits on a rock out of which flow the waters of Eden. This rock appears to be weeping the Edenic waters. Salvation is as strong and sure as a rock and as nourishing as water in a desert.

Crook

Upon the cross is a shepherd's crook. The shepherd's crook symbolizes the watchfulness, patience, and protection given by ordinary labor. Moses was a shepherd whose crook God used to show the Divine power (Ex 4:2-4). Shepherds' nightly watch brings them close to the transcendent. And so Jesus' birth was announced to shepherds one starry and divine night. Jesus declares that he is our shepherd (Jn 10). We, his faithful sheep, are at the foot of the cross. Jesus watches over us and protects us.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ...
-- Psalm 23

Our return to Eden is a return to the Shepherd's fold. We have strayed and now the Good Shepherd opens the gate and leads us back in.

The Four Evangelists

The letters "A", "L", "O", and "E" represent the four evangelists. The four evangelists are our navigators who map out the journey from the earth to heaven.

• A is for Angel, the winged man, representing Matthew.

  The winged man represents Matthew because his Gospel narrative traces Jesus' human genealogy.
  

  From Symbols of the Church, copyright © 1959

• L is for Lion representing Mark,

  because his Gospel narrative begins with, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness", and this suggests the roar of a lion.
  

  From Symbols of the Church, copyright © 1959

• O is for Ox, the animal of sacrifice, representing Luke,

  since Luke stresses the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
  

  From Symbols of the Church, copyright © 1959

• E is for Eagle, the sign of divinity, representing John.

  The high-soaring eagle is the emblem of John because in his narrative he rises to loftiest heights in dealing with the mind of Christ.
  

  From Symbols of the Church, copyright © 1959

These four creatures occur in Ezek 1:5-14 and Rev. 4:7 around the throne of God:

Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.
-- Rev. 4:6b-7 [NRSV]

The four creatures are also symbolic of four events in the life of Christ:

• the Nativity (angel or man),
• Jesus' sacrificial Death (ox),
• the Resurrection (lion), and
• the Ascension (eagle).

The letters for the four evangelist spell out aloe. Aloe was a perfume made from eaglewood or sandalwood used for embalming. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus for burial and Nicodemus brought aloe:

Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.
-- Jn 19:39-40

Aloe, like other words in the bible, can be subjected to numeric analysis (Gematria). It symbolizes the ultimate expectation of the divine order and perfection arising out of the disorder of the crucifixion under the ultimate judgement of the Divine. Aloe is meant to embalm the dead Jesus in a last rite of sorrow at the chaos and disorder of a world that crucified a beloved and compassionate human. Instead it perfumes a body that will be raised as a confirmation and consummation of the divine order and perfection. God's ultimate judgement on the world is not vengence or punishment, but salvation's grace and love.

Alpha and Omega

The first symbol on the cross Alpha and Omega, representing the beginnign and the end, and all in between:

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
-- Rev. 1:8 [NRSV]

The Alpha and Omega are enscribed on a bible, the Word of God. The Word, who is the Cosmic Christ, is at the beginning...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
-- Jn 1:1

... and at the end.

"And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
-- Mat. 28:20

Chi-Rho is the monogram for Christ and is overlay on a cross forming Constantine's labarum:

Labarum (Chi - Rho) is the name by which the military standard adopted by Constantine the Great after his celebrated vision (Lactantius, "De mortibus persecutorum", 44), was known in antiquity. The original labarum, designed under the emperor's direction on the day subsequent to the appearance of the "cross of light", is described by Eusebius (Vita Constant., I:26) as "a long spear, overlaid with gold", which with a transverse bar formed the figure of a cross. "On the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones, and within this the symbol of the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of the initial letters, the letter X intersection P at the centre." These two letters formed what is known as the monogram of Constantine, so called -- not because it was the invention of this emperor, for it had been a familiar Christian symbol prior to his conversion -- but because of the great popularity it enjoyed from the date of its appearance on the imperial standards. From the cross-bar of the spear, was suspended a purple banner with the Greek inscription TOUTO NIKA -- i. e. conquer by this (sign), usually rendered in Latin "In hoc signo vinces" (in this sign thou shalt conquer). ... The term labarum, which is of uncertain derivation, was probably familiar in the Roman army from the reign of Hadrian.
--MAURICE M. HASSETT
--Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler

From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright © 1913 by the Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright © 1996 by New Advent, Inc.

We have already seen IHS on the altar. Here in Eden, the Savior stands before us.

Sheep

At the foot of the cross, drinking of the waters of Eden, are six sheep or lambs, three on each side. These sheep are the faithful followers of Jesus who have followed him into Paradise.

Six is the number of incompleteness; one less than completeness (7). Many of the faithful are with Jesus, but there are yet more to be found.

"If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?"
-- Mt. 18:12 [NRSV]

The waters flowing from the rock of Jesus are the grace of Jesus which the lambs or faithful drink since they are life giving waters. These waters quench Eden eternally.

"Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."
-- Jn 4:13-14 [NRSV]

Four rivers flow in the Garden. They flow through lands of plenty (Gen. 2:10-14).

1. Pishon flows around Havilah where there is gold, bdellium, and onyx. Some scholars suggest this river is the Indus or Ganges and hence Havilah is India.
2. Gihon flows around Cush. Some scholars suggest this river is the Nile and Cush is Egypt.
3. Tigris flows east of Assyria.
4. Euphrates

These rivers baptize all of the earth. Salvation and the promised Paradise nourishes and quenches the world.

The Tree of Knowledge

Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
-- Gen 2:9 [NRSV]

The tree is depicted with a snake and apple, recalling the temptation of Eve and Adam by the snake to partake of the fruit of the tree. The snake represents the the seduction of evil in the world and the apple the fruits of evil, that look sweet, but are rotten within.

The Tree of Life

"See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever."
-- Gen. 3:22 [NRSV]

The tree of life is the second of the two main trees in the garden of Eden. It bestows immortality on those who eat from it. John sees the tree of life in the New Jerusalem:

On either side of the river, is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
-- Rev. 22:2 [NRSV]

We cannot attain immortality by our own efforts, but when God comes down to us in the New Jerusalem and we are restored to Eden, we will partake of immortality.

The following letter, dated October 28, 1985, was written about the life of Jesus windows by Mark Liebowitz of the Wilmark Studios:

Concerning the iconography of the stained glass windows, Hendrik and I believe that the original intent was to represent the childhood of Jesus in the east side windows, and his adult life on the west side.

We suggest that the east side should have the existing Nativity window followed by the Flight Into Egypt. (A theme with a special relevance to our current world refugee problems). The third window could depict The Finding of the Boy Jesus in the temple by Mary and Joseph. Or, instead, this window could show the Boy Jesus as a carpenter.

The west side could have, after the Palm Sunday window, the Last Supper, followed by Jesus in Gethsemane.

In actuality, the east side is not limited to Jesus' boyhood, but includes his ministry. The west side represents Passion Week. The window before the Resurrection is the Crucifixion. Jesus in Gethsemane is displayed in the Narthex.

The Christmas Window

The Christmas Window illustrates the birth of Christ. Mary, Joseph, and a single shepherd surround the baby Jesus. The star of Bethlehem shines at the top.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
-- Lk 2:7 [NRSV]

This window was designed by Hendrik J. Vandeburgt and painted by Karole Kissack for the Lamb Studios.

The Flight Into Egypt Window

The Flight Window illustrates the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt when Herod the Great ordered the slaughter of the innocents. Mary and the baby Jesus are riding on a donkey, with Joseph leading. Joseph carries a staff with a bag (containing the gifts of the Magi?). This is all that they have. Like other refugees, they are poor and desperate.

Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.
-- Mt. 2:14-15 [NRSV]

This window was donated by the Stitch and Chatter in 1986.

The Good Samaritan Window

The Good Samaritan Window illustrates the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It shows two scenes from the story. In the foreground we see the Samaritan offering nurture to the traveller who has been accosted on his journey. In the background, we see the Samaritan leading his donkey with the bandaged traveller aboard.

"But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity."
-- Lk 10:33 [NRSV]

This window was given in loving memory of Myrtle E. Kreek. It was designed by Hendrik J. Vandeburgt and manufactured by Wilmark Studios of Pearl River, NY in 1991.

The Preaching Window

The Preaching Window shows Jesus preaching surrounded by four disciples. If you look closely at the glass, one disciple on the right is a woman in high heels. And one disciple on the left is a man in a suit and tie. These very modern people are listening to Jesus preach, for example, the Sermon on the Mount.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
-- Mt. 5:1 [NRSV]

This conflation of the ancient with the modern illustrates that Jesus still walks among us. Jesus taught along the dusty roads of Judea. Today Jesus teaches in the suburbs and inner cities. Modern people, men and women, can be disciples of Jesus Christ.

This window was probably designed by Margarette Overbeck and painted by Karole Kissack for the Lamb Studios.

The Palm Sunday Window

This window illustrates Jesus entry into Jerusalem. He is on a donkey surrounded by the crowd. One in front is laying his cloak on the ground before Jesus. In the distance is a fortified gate. The aura around Jesus is prominant.

Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.
-- Lk 19:35-36 [NRSV]

This window was given in loving memory of Alma Serven in 1984. It was designed by Hendrik J. Vandeburgt and manufactured by Wilmark Studios of Pearl River, NY.

The Last Supper Window

This window illustrates the establishment of the sacrament of Holy Communion at the Last Supper. Jesus lifts a plain grail at the head of a table on which sits a plate of bread. Around the table sit His disciples.

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
-- Mt. 26:26 [NRSV]

Judas is shown with the 60 pieces of silver at his feet as he takes off his sandals. The other disciples sit discoursing with Jesus.

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ... "For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves."
-- Lk. 22:24,27 [NRSV]

The window was done by Hendrik J. Vandeburgt and given in loving memory of Lester and Vera Allen in 1997 by Beverly Myles and her children Roy and Bonnie.

The Crucifixion Window

This window illustrates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at the moment of his death. The nails are shown in the palm of his hands, not in the more medically correct wrists. Jesus' head is fallen in death and his ribs show, giving us a sense of his suffering state. In the background, the storm clouds have gathered and lightning has struck the temple. Two Roman soldiers stand looking up at Jesus.

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon ... Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last ... At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split ... Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"
-- Mt 27:45-50 [NRSV]

Mary Magdalene is weeping at the feet of Jesus. Mary, Mother of Jesus in blue, the traditional garment of Mary, and her sister stand looking up at Jesus. Other disciples, including the Beloved Disciple, are not shown.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
-- Jn 19:25b [NRSV]

The window was done by Hendrik J. Vandeburgt of the Wilmark Studios and given in praise of God by Thomas Kang in 1998 for the Gillbott Korean Church.

The Easter Window

This window depicts the risen Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. From Jesus shines the divine light and the Marys kneel in awe.

Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.
-- Mt. 28:9 [NRSV]

This window was given in loving memory of Robert P. Lewis and Family.

This window was probably designed by Margarette Overbeck and painted by Karole Kissack for the Lamb Studios.

The Trinity Window symbolizes the Trinity in three panels:

• The illuminated hand extending from a cloud is God, the Father.

  This is the oldest symbol of God the Father. It is found in scenes of the Baptism of Christ where the hand of the Father reaches down from a cloud in blessing over the Son. ... By this symbol the power of God is emphasized. Usually the hand is accomapnied by rays of light which are sometimes in the form of a three-rayed nimbus.

  From symbols of Church Seasons & Days, copyright © 1977 by Morehouse-Barlow Co., Inc.

• The XP (Chi-Rho) is Christ, the son.
• The descending dove is the Holy Spirit.

  As a Christian symbol [the dove] is of very frequent occurrence in ancient ecclesiastical art.

  • As a symbol of the Holy Spirit it appears especially in representations of the baptism of Our Lord (Matt., iii, 16) and of Pentecost. ...
  • As a symbol of martyrdom it indicated the action of the Holy Spirit in bestowal of the fortitude necessary for the endurance of suffering.
  • As a symbol of the Church, the agent through which the Holy Spirit works on earth. ...

  -- ARTHUR S. BARNES
  -- Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler

  From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright © 1913 by the Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright © 1996 by New Advent, Inc.

This window was given in loving memory of Louis Crowford.

This analysis is based on E. W. Bullinger's Number In Scripture. Please, note that Bullinger, like a lot of practitioners of Gematria, endow the significances of the numbers with Divine origin. Yet the significances are dependent on both the language, the numeric system, and Judeo-Christian tradition. In another language or another numeric system, or in another tradition, the significances would change. Therefore, this analysis is not God-made, but human-made and serves only as a way to associate aloe with metaphoric and poetic meaning using an ancient method.

Aloe is a Greek word. In Greek, each letter is assigned a number (the Greek numeral system was not based on Arabic numerals, but on letters of the Greek alphabet). The word Aloe (alpha, lambda, omicron, eta) is equivalent to 109:

Now, 109 = 10x10 + 3x3. It therefore intensely carries the significance of 10 and 3. Ten is the number signifying the perfection of the Divine order, being the base of our common numbering system.

• There are Ten Commandments.
• We are called to tithe 10%.
• Ten plagues were visited on Egypt.
• There are ten lost tribes of Israel.

Three signifies divine perfection.

• It is the number of the Trinity.
• God's attributes are three: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.
• Time is in three parts: past, present, and future.
• There are three gifts of grace: faith, hope, and love.

Further, 109 is the 29th prime and therefore intensely carries the significance of 29.

Now, 29=20+9. 20 signifies expectation. It is one short of 21, which is seven tripled. Seven signifies Divine completion. Thus, 20 being short of Divine completion thrice, is the number of expectation. Twenty is a period of waiting.

Nine is the last digit. The sum of its factors (3x3) is six (3+3). Six is the number of incompleteness, the last act before consumation or completeness (whose number is seven). Therefore, nine signifies final judgement.

The sum of the digits of 29 (2+9) is eleven. Eleven is one more than 10, the number of Divine order and one less than 12, the number of Divine government. Therefore it signifies disorder.

Thus, we could associate with aloe, an embalming substance at Jesus' burial, the symbolic notion of the ultimate expectation of the divine order and perfection arising out of the disorder of the crucifixion under the ultimate judgement of the Divine.

The Closter, NJ Historical Society says this about the Lamb Studios:

The Lamb Studios, founded in New York City in 1857, occupy an important place in the history of American stained glass. The generations of the Lamb craftsman were the first firm in the U.S. to formulate the concept of relgious artwork as a speciality. In the period before the Civil War their studios played a major role in bringing English Gothic revival ideals and a higher standard of artistic craftsmanship to church art and design in the United States.

The key to their success was to create original designs and then employ the finest European and American craftpersons to execute the designs. ... Frederick lamb, a talented family member, joined the firm in 1885 ... From 1885 to 1922 he designed the windows for some 2,000 commissions: more than any other stained glass artist of this period. In 1900 he won two gold metals at the Paris International Exposition, beating the studios of Louis Tiffany and John LaFarge.

During the Depression the other large New York glass studios such as Tiffany and Gorham folded, but the Lamb's survived by moving the Studios to Tenafly in 1935... Later they moved to Northvale [NJ] and finally to Spring Valley, N.Y. Between its beginning in 1857 to about 1980, the Lamb Studios completed over 6,700 stained glass commissions, including works in every state and many foreign countries.

Generally the Lamb family and studios did not sign their works before World War II. The altar window in the Congregational Church is a rare exception. The reasons for this were two-fold: the generations of Lamb family craftsmen were very religious and they were fond of invoking the concept of a spirit in service to God in their work, and secondly their creative approach to producing their masterpieces was rooted in the medieval guild system.

The artisans of the Wilmark Studios at one time worked for the Lamb Studios.