Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: First United Methodist Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Birmingham

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1968

Subject/Title of Window: Symbols of Faith

Brief Description of Subject: This window is located in the north entrance door. The eight rectangles feature aspects of a United Methodist Church.

Harp: Symbol of praise --- Psalm 33:2, "Praise the Lord with the harp." Songs of praise are an integral part of Christian worship.

Bible with Cross: Psalm 33:4, "For the word of the Lord is right and true." Methodism is a Scripture based Faith. Readings from scripture are an integral part of Christian worship.

Cross and Flame: Logo of the United Methodist Church which formed in 1968 from the merging of the Methodist Church with the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The cross is a symbol of a Christian Church. The flames symbolize the Holy Spirit --- from Acts 2:3 - 4, "tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit." There are two flames to reference this Church was formed from a merger.

Dove and Olive Branch: The Dove of Peace from the story of the Great Flood, Genesis 8:11. From Discipleship Ministries June 19, 2010: "United Methodists, along with other people of faith and prayer, are stewards of God's Shalom. We may disagree about ways to achieve peace, but together we are followers of the Prince of Peace."

Chalice surrounded by grapes (wine), grape leaves, and stalks of wheat (bread): Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Instituted by Christ at the Last Supper --- the Lord took bread and wine and blessed it and said, "Do this in remembrance of me." Paul's message in 1 Corinthians 11: 26, " For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

Ten Commandments: The Old Covenant. Given to Moses on Mount Sinai, it laid down the obligations that the Israelites must obey in return for God's blessings.

Dove, scallop shell and three drops of water: Baptism. The Sacrament of Baptism was instituted by Christ at the Great Commission --- Matthew 28:19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit whose gifts are bestowed at Baptism. The scallop shell is an instrument used to pour water and the three drops of water symbolize the Trinity.

A cross fronted by two interlocking rings with flames from oil lamps perched on water: The Cana Cross. The interlocking rings and cross symbolize that marriage is a partnership with Christ. The flames of the oil lamps symbolize the burning love of the couple. The oil lamps sitting on water comes from the Song of Songs 8:6-7, "Love is as strong as death... It burns like a blazing fire, like a might flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it."

Height: 33"

Width: 60"

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.

If you have any questions, additions or corrections, or think you can provide better images and are willing to share them, please contact donald20@msu.edu