Our Stained Glass Windows

Christmas

The Christmas windows are the firstwindows on the east and west side of the nave as one enters the church.

The Christmas season celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It lasts for twelve days and ends with Epiphany.

The burning bush appears to Moses in Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in aflame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. God's descending to man in a burning bush was paralleled with God's descending to man as a newborn child; thus the burning bush became a nativity symbol.

The angel playing a lyre is used as a symbol of praise and also represents the angel who appeared to the shepherds in the fields. The ox and ass by the manger are found in the prophesy of Isaiah 1:3 The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib. The shepherds' crooks remind us of the shepherds who went to see the child about whom the angels spoke, and also of Christ who called himself the Good

Shepherd. Poinsettias have traditionally come to symbolize Christmas and are used here for the decorative effect of their brilliant red leaves.

The color of Christmas is white. Dark blue and pale yellow are used to balance the white.

The Ansate Cross, or Looped Cross, is used in the openings. This form is an ancient Egyptian symbol denoting life. The Ansate Cross is the Prophetic Cross with an added loop on top, which transforms it into a symbol of life, thereby reminding us of the prophecies, which came true with the birth of Jesus.