This is part 2 of 4 in Light Through Glass, a series on the stained glass windows of Epiphany Parish.
Inside the nave, eight tall windows, each approximately fourteen feet high, line the walls. They were placed and designed to tell the story of Christianity, and to invite you into it.
The Window of Relationship (The Trinity Window)
“O Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, One God.” — Te Deum
The first window you encounter on your right as you enter the nave depicts the Holy Trinity: the dove of the Holy Spirit at the top, the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) below, and the hand of the Father reaching down, as at Jesus’ baptism. From the relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit flows an abundance of love that spills into the world. This window asks: What are my relationships like? How do I share the love of God?
The Window of Suffering (The Crucifixion Window)
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” — Luke 23:34
Jesus on the cross, with the beloved disciple and Mary at his feet. This window does not ask you to stand apart from the scene; it asks you to bring your own suffering into it. Where have you known pain? Whom do you need to forgive? The crucifixion is not only about Jesus. It is about every person who has ever suffered, and the radical possibility of forgiveness.
The Window of Baptism
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” — Matthew 3:17
Jesus stands in the River Jordan as John the Baptist, shell in hand, baptizes him. This window calls you to remember your own baptism, whether you entered the waters as an infant carried by a community of promise, or as an adult choosing to follow Jesus yourself. It names the truth that you were claimed before you fully understood what being claimed would mean.
The Window of Formation (Jesus and the Children)
“Suffer the little children and forbid them not to come unto me.” — Matthew 19:14 (KJV)
Seven children stand around Jesus, and one is held in his arms: eight in all, the biblical number of fullness and completion. This window calls to mind your own formation in faith, the songs learned, the prayers memorized, the community that shaped you. It also calls forward your duty to raise up the next generation in the life of the church, to be for others what others once were for you.
The Window of Resurrection
“I am the resurrection and the life.” — John 11:25
Uniquely among the eight windows, this one does not reflect your life back upon you. It shows you where you are going. The resurrected Christ, adorned with the fleur-de-lis (symbol of the Trinity, life, and purity), gazes outward. Flanking him are two figures, perhaps the angels at the tomb, perhaps Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. This is the window of hope: you can hate God, reject God, even kill God, and God comes back, always, to be in relationship with you.
The Window of Gifts and Joy (The Wedding at Cana)
“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana.” — John 2:11
Jesus at the wedding in Cana, turning water into wine as his mother looks on, the great stone jars visible, the steward and the married couple present. This window holds two invitations: to reflect on the commitments you have made in your closest relationships, and to consider what gifts God has placed in your hands. Jesus used his gifts in the context of celebration and community. What are your gifts, and where are you being called to use them?
The Window of Service (The Good Samaritan)
“The Samaritan had compassion and took care of him.” — Luke 10:33
At the top of this window stands a man in a blue robe, holding a cup of water and wearing a crown. He looks like Jesus, and that is the point: the Good Samaritan, not even a Jew, is honored with the image of Christ. The priest and the Levite who walked past are visible above. The donkey that carried the wounded man away is there too. This window asks: Are you the one who stops? Are you willing to be surprised by where holiness appears?
The Window of Transfiguration
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:3
Jesus with his hands raised, transfigured on the mount, surrounded by nineteen people. The number is not a biblical one, and that is the point: nineteen means there are things about Jesus and the Kingdom of God that remain just beyond our understanding, always inviting us further in. This window is a window of your own transformation, your own most glorious self, the “blessed” life of the Beatitudes made visible.
Adapted from Light Through Glass: A Guide to the Stained Glass Windows of Epiphany Parish, by the Rev. Doyt Conn, Rector.