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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. John Lutheran Church

Studio Name: City Glass Specialty Inc.

City: Rochester

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1982

Subject/Title of Window: The Messiah at Jacob’s Well

Brief Description of Subject: This aisle window is also known as "Jesus Talks With A Samaritan Woman," and is covered in John 4:1 - 44. Samaritans to Judeans would be considered heretics --- they both use the Pentateuch and believe in the coming of the Messiah but their worship practices are quite different. Jesus was passing through Samaria and he stopped at Jacob's well. When a Samaritan woman came to get water, Jesus asked her for a drink. She was shocked as she knew if he received the drink, Judeans would consider him unclean. This leads to a conversation about "living water" as opposed to well water. Jesus told her "Everyone who drinks this water [well water] will be thirsty, but whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (Verses 13 - 14)
 
Later, while in Jerusalem, Jesus will declare this "living water" as the Holy Spirit. John 7: 37 -39: "Jesus ... said... 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures has said, streams of water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believe in him would later receive [Baptism]. Up to this time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."
 
In the right lancet is a font, possibly meant to be a baptismal font, flowing with living water topped with the Chi Rho Cross all encased in an oval. Chi Rho, the Greek letters "X" and "P," is a Christogram, as these are the first two letters in the spelling of Christ "XPICTOC." Another Chrystogram is seen in the ventilator ---the Greek letters "IHC," the first three letters of the spelling of Jesus "IHCOYC."
 
The pen and ink sketch was submitted to the Church by the maker for final approval or any changes they may want before the construction of the window. The Church approved the sketch on 12/27, indicating no changes needed.
 
The maker has signed the window at the bottom "City Glass Specialty 1982."

Height: 10'

Width: 8’8”

Type of Glass and Technique: Slab or Faceted Glass (Dalle de Verre)

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All images in the Index are either born-digital photographs of windows or buildings or are scans of slides, prints, or other published sources. These images have been provided by volunteers and the quality of the material varies widely.

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