Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. John's Lutheran Church

Studio Name: Potter's Stained Glass Emporium

City: Dowagiac

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 2006

Subject/Title of Window: IHS

Brief Description of Subject: The birth of Jesus
This was the third window which was constructed (No, they were not done in order around the church). The IHS symbol (the first three Greek letters in the name of Jesus) was the sandstone symbol. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

Since He was given the name “Jesus” even before He was born, the account of his birth in Bethlehem was selected for this window. Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger are depicted near a stable. “She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)

The shepherds were out in the fields that night and heard the message of the angel about His birth. “And there were shepherds living out in the field nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.” (Luke 2:8) The town of Bethlehem is pictured in the distance, and there were stars in the night sky.

The two symbols outside of the arch are the ways in which the Lord announced the birth of our Savior to the world. He sent an angel to the shepherds. “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” (Luke 2:9) A star also appeared that announced Jesus’ birth to the world. “We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2)
In the small window below, the wise men are depicted coming, for they came later to worship Him, finding him in a house.

Height: 70"

Width: 44"

Type of Glass and Technique: Opalescent Glass, Antique or Cathedral Glass, Lead Came, Copper Foil

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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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