The Seven Windows at Church of the Reformation, Lutheran, Affton

EFLECTING THE UTHERAN ERITAGE TheR Seven Windows at Church of theL Reformation, Lutheran,H Affton, Missouri: by Alicia von Stamwitz; photographs by Richard Potts Shortly after Rev. David Pelsue was installed as the fourth pastor of the Church of the Reformation, Lutheran, in Affton, Missouri, he began research- ing stained glass studios in the area. He and his congregation hoped to mark the church’s 50th anniversary by commis- sioning custom windows for the north wall of the nave. “The nave of the church was clear glass,” Rev. Pelsue said, “which is a little unusual for a Lutheran church. Along the top perimeter of the church by the roofline, we do have a series of 3' x 3' windows, but those have just simple geometric patterns—rectangles and squares of plain and colored glass.” One day, when Rev. Pelsue was returning from a pastoral visit, he spot- ted Preston Art Glass Studio. He went in and looked around, and he immediately liked what he saw. He discussed his plans with Dale Preston, the owner. “Dale’s studio was a good fit. I told him what I wanted to do, he gave me his card, and that was it! The rest is histo- ry.” Even now, ten years later, Rev. Pelsue’s voice rises with excitement as he describes the process of designing the windows. He and an elder from the congregation named Mark Bliese worked with Preston Art Glass design- er Carol Wright, brainstorming and passing drawings back and forth. He wanted contemporary designs that Photographer: Richard Photographer: Potts, Richard © 2014 would blend with the church’s modern architecture and complement the exist- ing upper windows. The first window, Luther’s Rose, was dedicated on April 25, 2004, at the church’s 50th-anniversary festivities. Over the course of the next five years, Luther’s Rose six additional windows were fabricated and installed by Preston Art Glass Studio. These six windows depict the chief tenets of Luther’s Small 52 The Stained Glass Quarterly Catechism: The Ten Commandments, The Apostles’ Creed, The Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, The Office of the Keys, and The Lord’s Supper. Each window meas- ures 33'' x 55'' and features a back- ground of German New Antique glass, which ties together the series and cre- ates a sense of flow. Rev. Pelsue notes that the windows enhance worship, and they serve as a creative teaching aid. “I’ve brought confirmation and catechism classes in here, and we look at the windows together. I ask questions and use the symbolism to actually teach the catechism, so that when these young people are in worship and they look at them, they can get a little catechetical review.” Photographs of the windows are featured in several church brochures and on the parish website. They are an effective “visual catechism,” reminding all in the congregation of their Lutheran roots and common beliefs. “In fact,” Rev. Pelsue concludes, “there’s been some talk recently among some mem- bers of the congregation about adding more custom windows.” Window 1: Luther’s Rose* Martin Luther’s coat of arms, a black cross upon a red heart, is the symbol of the Lutheran Church. Behind it is a five-petaled white rose on a field of blue, surrounded by a golden circle. The cross stands for the suffering sacrifice of Jesus. The red heart represents the faith of the believ- Photographer: Potts, Richard © 2014 er, a faith that produces peace and comfort, indicated by the white rose. Faith marks the beginning of heavenly joy, indicated by the field of blue and the golden ring of eternity. The Latin scripts of mottos from the Reformation era are etched beneath Luther’s coat of arms on this window: The Ten Commandments Solus Christus (Christ Alone is the The Stained Glass Quarterly 53 author & finisher of our salvation); Sola Gratia and Sola Fide (We are saved by God’s Grace Alone, through Faith in Christ Alone); and Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone is the source of all we believe, teach, and confess). Window 2: The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments are depicted as Roman numerals on two stone tablets. They are divided as Jesus summarized them in Matthew 22:35-40. The light of God’s revelation beams down on and through the stone tablets from above, where the Holy Trinity is symbolized by a triangle, superimposed with a trefoil and triquetra. In the back- ground is Mount Sinai, where God gave the commandments to Moses to give to the people. Window 3: The Apostles’ Creed This window depicts the second of the six chief parts in Luther’s Small Catechism, namely the Apostles’ Creed. In the center are the Holy Scriptures from which the Creed is drawn as a summary of the Christian faith. The Creed is denoted as a leaf of green on which is written the Latin word credo (from which we get the word “creed”), which means “I believe.” Above is a trefoil symbol of the Holy Trinity, which is outlined in the Creed. Superimposed over the trefoil are three circles in which we see sym- bols of the Godhead: a hand emanating Photographer: Richard Photographer: Potts, Richard © 2014 from a sky of blue, representing the creative and blessing hand of God the Father; a lamb holding a flag of victory on a field of royal purple, symbolizing our victorious and reigning Savior, the Son of God; and a descending Dove on a Pentecost red backdrop, reminding all The Apostles’ Creed of Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit. 54 The Stained Glass Quarterly Window 4: The Lord’s Prayer This is the prayer our Lord taught his disciples. It is recorded in Luke 11 and Matthew 6. Near the bottom, the introductory words, “Our Father, who art in heaven,” encircle the arc of the globe, which is resting on Baptismal waters and crowned with praying hands. This is to depict the Church at prayer. The words, “Lord, teach us to pray,” etched on the right side, is the request that prompted the Lord to give us this prayer. Above, parting the clouds, is the Holy Trinity depicted by an interlaced triquetra inside a silver circle of beveled glass. Light streams down to show that God hears and answers our prayers for the sake of Christ. Window 5: Baptism The two crosses near the top of the window remind us of the baptismal liturgy: “Receive the sign of the holy cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.” The descending dove with the nimbus is the oldest symbol for the Holy Spirit. The nimbus is called a tri-radiant patee. Notice that the rays of light shine down from the Photographer: Potts, Richard © 2014 Holy Spirit, reminding us that God’s gift of grace comes from Him to us. The escallop shell is a traditional symbol for baptism. The three drops of water coming off the shell remind us that we are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy The Lord’s Prayer Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19). Water flows generously from the shell, to drown the old Adam. The red streaks in the water remind us of the blood of Christ Jesus, shed for us to wash us clean and bring us newness of life. The ark, in the lower left corner, is a symbol of the Christian The Stained Glass Quarterly 55 Church. When God sent the flood, eight believers were saved by means of the ark. Peter makes the connection between the ark and baptism in his first letter. Window 6: Confession and the Office of the Keys In the center of the window is the cross of Christ on which our Savior suf- fered and died to purchase our forgiveness and salvation. The keys overlay the cross to show this special authority, which Christ has given His Church on earth to forgive the sins of the repentant and withhold forgiveness from the unre- pentant. Window 7: The Lord’s Supper Two intersecting circles reflect the Sacrament of the Altar. In the bottom circle, wheat and grapes are the source of the unleavened bread and the wine, which are depicted above by a chalice and host. The middle field is the white linen of the altar. The blood-red cross on the host and the rays of God’s glory draw us to Christ’s words, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me... This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” Luther explains this sacrament in Photographer: Richard Photographer: Potts, Richard © 2014 these words, “It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink.” Baptism About Preston Art Glass Studio From a young age, owner Dale Preston was exposed to the beauty of stained glass. “I grew up in an old house with a lot of stained glass, so I always had an appreciation for it. Then my par- ents took a beginner class and taught me 56 The Stained Glass Quarterly the process of making stained glass windows. For 15 years, while I worked full time in other employment, stained glass was a hobby. I’d take side jobs doing some stained glass repairs or creating new windows. But it was so rewarding, I eventually realized that this is what I wanted to focus on for the rest of my life.

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