Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: First Presbyterian Church

City: Pontiac

Window Shape: 6 (gothic arched, more than 2 vertical sections)

Date of Window: 1923

Subject/Title of Window: Supper at Emmaus

Brief Description of Subject: This window is located above the altar in the Chancel. A building addition blocks all sunlight. It is now artificially lit by fluorescent lighting.

The Supper at Emmaus is from the story known as "On the Road to Emmaus," which is found in Luke:13 - 35. On Easter Sunday two disciples were going to Emmaus from Jerusalem. They were joined by a stranger who asked them why they were downcast. They did not recognize the stranger as the resurrected Christ. They said their prophet had been crucified and died. They mentioned some women had gone to the tomb and found his body gone. The stranger then quoted scripture that the messiah had to suffer these things before entering his glory. Arriving at Emmaus, they invited the stranger to eat with them. "When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight' Verses 30 -31 RSV.

The window depicts this supper at Emmaus. White lilies (Easter Lilies), the symbol of the Resurrection are seen beside each of the disciples. Lit candles are seen at the feet of Christ, symbolizing "I am the light of the world" John 8:12 RSV.

Two angels flanking Christ symbolize the New Covenant --- In Exodus 25, God told the Israelites to built an Ark to hold the tablets of the Commandments (Covenant). They were then to make two cherubim and place them on the lid facing each other and looking down at the cover. When the Temple was built, the Ark was placed in a small room called the "Holy of Holies," hidden by a curtain. It is were God would appear. Once a year the High Priest was allowed to enter to sprinkle the blood of goats and lambs on the lid for the forgiveness of sin. This lid is known as the "mercy seat." At Jesus' death this curtain was torn asunder --- marking the end of the covenant. The New Covenant is found in Hebrews 9:11 - 14. The belief that Jesus shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins and that he is the Lord in the order of Melchizedek, the High Priest. In this window, the two cherubim are looking down at Jesus --- the New Covenant and it is His blood that is on the "mercy seat".

An insurance estimator for this window, wrote in a December 11,1997 letter: "Glass figures and scenes, a combination of hand blown antique and rolled Cathedral. Background glass rolled Cathedral. [Window dates] circa 1920 - 1923 Artist: In the manner of Detroit Stained Glass."

Inscriptions: In loving memory of Deacon Francis Smith by his niece Harriet E. North


Height: ~11'

Width: 9'

The MSGC is a constantly evolving database. Not all the data that has been collected by volunteers has been sorted and entered. Not every building has been completely documented.

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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