Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. John's Episcopal Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Royal Oak

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1943

Subject/Title of Window: Rich Man and Lazarus/Prodigal's Son Return/Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Brief Description of Subject: This window was designed for this parish's Gothic styled Church which opened in 1926. Subsequently the congregation needed a larger church and replaced it with a modern styled church which opened in 1957, moving the stained glass to the new Church.

This is the fifth in a series of ten windows, consisting of three scenes each, covering the life of Christ, and were placed in chronological order in the narthex. All of the borders on the scenes feature geometrical patterns alternating with small scenes that is some cases relate to the larger scene they border.

Top Scene: Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. This parable is found in Luke 16:19 - 31. Pictured is Verses 19 - 21 --- " There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores," NIV.

Middle Scene: Parable of the Prodigal's Son is found in Luke 15:11 - 32. A man had two sons, the younger asked and received his father's inheritance. Then left and squandered it all. Destitute, he returned home and his father was overjoyed at his return. Depicted is Verses 22 - 29, '"the father said to his servants, ...'Bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine ... was lost and is found.' ... The older son became angry ... 'Look all these years I've been slaving for you and ... Yet you never gave me even a goat so I could celebrate with my friends,' " NIV. The father will go on to explain to the older son that he is always with him and everything he has is his, but we must celebrate as your brother was lost and is now found.

Bottom Scene: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector. This picture illustrates the parable found at Luke 18:9 - 14 --- "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God I thank you I am not like other men --- robbers, evildoers, adulterers --- or even like this tax collector' ... But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and prayed, 'God have mercy on me a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted,' " NIV.

According to Church records, this window was given in memory of R. Bruce Fleming by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Walls and dedicated Easter Day, 1943.

Inscriptions: To the glory of God and in loving memory of R. Bruce Fleming


Condition of Window: Good

Height: 78"

Width: 16.25"

Type of Glass and Technique: Lead Came

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