Quincy Community United Methodist Church - QCUMC Stained Glass Windows

QCUMC Stained Glass Windows

Back in January of 2012, Dr. Pastor Susan Jarek-Glidden (who holds a doctorate in Medieval Studies), gave a wonderful sermon series concerning stained glass windows, and wove in information about the lovely stained glass windows that adorn our own QCUMC.

We have all grown up with stained glass windows, but like so many, you probably never gave much thought about the origins, artistry, symbology or cultural heritage of stained glass windows. This is the "condensed" version of that sermon series, with photos of the stained glass windows of the QCUMC.

We hope that you can join us some Sunday morning during Service at 10:30 am on Sundays Our Gatherings , so that you too may appreciate stained glass windows as they were meant to be seen, with the sunlight streaming through them!

Faithfully Yours,

The QCUMC Community

Stained glass windows came into being during the Medieval Period (1066 - 1490 A.D.). During the period prior to 1150 A.D. churches were built in the Romanesque fashion. The walls were thick and built to support the weight of the building, so windows were very small (so as to not compromise the integrity of the structure). This meant the interior of structures built during this time were extremely dark. Only the rich could afford candles. Glass was also a rare commodity, with most window openings being covered by leather and/or wood to keep out the elements and insects.

By 1150 A.D. several new innovations in architecture and glass production occurred. The flying butteress architectual design allowed the weight of the structure to be removed from the walls of a building, so that the walls could be thinner, taller and window openings could be larger. Simultaneously, new techniques in the production of glass allowed glass to be produced in a marvelous array of colors (by adding metals) and with less imperfections.

Traditionally, Christians decorated churches with beautiful works of art (utillizing Christian symbols). Most people, with the exception of the clergy and some nobles, were illiterate and the art depicting various Christian symbols was used as a means of teaching. The symbolism conveyed meaning to all without the need for books , which were rare, hand copied, and extremenly expensive.

In 1150 A.D. at St. Denis Abbey (now known as St-Denis Basilica in a northern suburb of Paris, France), Abbott Suger decided to make over the Abbey. With all the new innovations in architecture and glass production, Abbott Suger decided what better way to honor God than by creating large windows of glass of many different colors that allowed a large amount of light into the interior of the Abbey. It was thought that God was best encountered in light. Upon entering the Abbey, people would be surrounded by God in the medium of light and they would be reminded of the Book of Revelations (God's Latern).

High Altar Windows at the QCUMC

Jesus is portrayed as the Good Shepard. The window to the left of Jesus is the Christogram IHS, which is a monogram for Jesus. Below Jesus' feet are the Greek letters Alpha and Omega that represent the begining and the end (first and last letters of the Greek alphabet). In the window panel on right is a Chi Rho that looks like a letter P in the middle of an X. The Chi Rho are the first two Greek letters in Khristos Christ.

Stained Glass Windows on the East and West of the QCUMC Sanctuary

The symbols in these two windows are muscial instruments. They are near the alter of the church, because that is where the choir resides and the music is created. In the first window, there are 2 horns and a piece of scripture in the background. The 2 horns represent the Old and New Testaments.

The next window contains a lyre. King David played the lyre, so it is reminescent of the oldest hymnal (The Songs of Solomon).

Dr. Pastor Jarek-Glidden focused on these panels of stained glass windows. The 3 windows on the left represent the Last Supper and the windows on the right symbolize Jesus' last night in Garden at Gethesmane.

The main theme of the 3 window panels on the left side are heavy on chalice symbolism. On either side of the chalice in this panel are the Greek symbols Alpha (the beginning) and the Omega (the end).

The main theme of this window is "The Last Supper". There are some unusual features in this window.

There are 11 not 12 Disciples depicted in this window (there are 6 on either side of Jesus with 4 rings/halos in back of the 6 figures). Judas is not present at the table. On the right side of Jesus is the figure of John. There is nothing written in the Gospel of John about the Passover Supper.

The bread and the chalice are not together. The loaf of bread is on the left hand side (by Jesus' hand) and the chalice is in the center of the table. This puts the chalice in alignment with the chalice in the window panel directly above it.

Jesus is usually depicted wearing red (the color of matrydom) and white (the color of resurrection), however in this panel and this panel alone, he is wearing only blue. The other stained glass windows on this side of the church, have Jesus wearing white and blue (except in the depiction of the Crucifixion and Burial, in which he is wearing white).

The blue that Jesus wears is reminiscent of Chartres blue. There are blue glass panels at Chartres Cathedral that no one has ever been able to duplicate. The blue glass at Chartres Cathedral is considered so precious-rare, the panels were temporarily removed during WWII to keep them safe from harm. Dr. Pastor Jarek-Glidden believes that the window artist is using the color blue to make Jesus really stand out in this particular window.

There is a lamp hanging above Jesus' head. The lamp is a symbol of knowledge and is used to symbolize Jesus as "the light of the world".

In this bottom left-hand panel, there would appear to be roman numerals (99 on the left and 90 on the right), but this does not make sense in the context of these windows. It is actually a specific Greek Christograph (Jesus' monogram if you will). It is a way of representing Jesus' name. IC represents "Jesus Christ" and XC represents Christ in Majesty. Traditionally in Greek Orthodox Churches, there are pictures of Jesus holding up 2 fingers together in blessing (Christ in Majesty). The 2 fingers represent the 2 natures and the 3 bent fingers touching represent the Trinity. Therefore, these Greek letters symbolize "Jesus Christ, Ruler".

This bottom right-hand panel appears to be a variation of the Jerusalem Cross (since the events in these windows have occurred in Jerusalem). Because the Jerusalem Cross in this panel is not complete, it gives it the appearance of 4 nails (which ties it in to the panel above it).

This panel shows Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The account of Jesus in Gethsemane occurs in the Gospel of Luke.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus prays to God to "Take this cup from me" and the angels are said to have ministered to him. Directly above Jesus is an angel bearing what appears to be a cup in his hands (see below).

To the left of Jesus is a hill with 3 Roman crosses, which appears to foreshadow his crucifixion. Directly below the crosses are greenery (in order of appearance): green leaves curling, grapes, brambles/thorns and then a waterfall. The waterfall under the brambles is the image of the water of life (the new convenant).

In this top right-hand panel is a lamb with a halo. Behind the lamb is a flag with a red cross. This lamb is called a "Pascal Lamb" or "Lamb of God". The flag with the red cross represents the crucifixion. It ties into the foreshadowing of Jesus' Crucifixion, which is depicted in the panel below.

Today's sermon involved the 3 panels on the right hand side of this window.

In the top most panel, there is a ball with a cross on it. This is a symbol that the monarchs of England hold on their coronaton day. It is called an orb (latin - orbis). It symbolizes that the monarch holds the world in his/her hand. The cross above it represents that Jesus rules the world.

The middle panel comes from the story of the Passion of Christ. Traditionally Jesus wears a red robe ("King of the Jews"), but in this panel he is wearing a blue robe (continuing the artist use of blue with respect to Jesus) and a crown of thorns (below).

The Roman solidier is an odd picture. He is a common soldier and yet, he is wearing purple (the Roman color of prestige) and a breast plate/armor (symbolizing aggression/going to war).

The top left panel shows a picture of water being poured. The theme of this window is Pontius Pilate washing his hands of Jesus' crucifixition. It immediately relates to the window panel below it, showing Pontius Pilate sitting in judgement of Jesus (below).

This window panel (below) is based on the story in the book of Matthew. Jesus stands in judgement before Pontius Pilate. There are many things wrong with this panel.

Jesus has been wearing blue in many of the stained glass panels on this side of the church, but in this one Pontius Pilate is wearing blue. Traditionally, Pontius Pilate would be wearing a white toga. It symbolizes a transfer in power from Jesus to Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate was a cruel regional governor for the Roman Empire that did not want to be in the outskirts of the Roman Empire.

There is a Roman soldier standing behind Jesus that is wearing purple. Purple is the color of prestige in Rome, because of how difficult it is to create the dye and yet, a plain Roman soldier (not even a Centurion) is wearing it. The Roman Soldier is holding a banner that has the intials SPQR (Senatus Populus Que Romanus - The Senate and the People of Rome). The banner is a way of letting the people in the region know that the Romans rule. Basically, this window symbolizes arrogance, cruelty and aggression - all that is wrong with the Roman occupation of the region.

Finally, Pontius Pilate did not find Jesus guilty of heresy. Instead, Jesus is found guilty of being a traitor (the words on this panel ask "Art thou King of the Jews"). Pontius Pilate washes his hands (the panel above) to symbolize that he is washing his hands of the matter and yet, Jesus could not be crucified unless Pilate passed judgement.

This panel is below the panel of Jesus being judged by Pontius Pilate. The prominent feature of the window are the letters IHS (greek In hoc signo vinces - "In this sign").

At the battle of Milvian Bridge, which was an important route over the Tiber River (October 28, 312 AD), the Emperor Constantine I was marching with his armies he looked up at the sun and saw a vision a cross of light above it with the words In Hoc Signo Vinces - a loose translation being "in this sign you shall conquer". The following night Jesus came to him in a dream and told him to carry his sign into battle, so Constantine put IHS on the standards that the soldiers carried into battle and a cross/Chi Rho (greek letters symbolizing Jesus) was placed on their shields.

Constantine I won and became the first Christian Emperor of Rome. The result of Constantine I's victory was that it became legal to practice Christianity openly. By placing the IHS panel, beneath the panel of Jesus standing in judgement before Pontius Pilate, the artist is making a statement that "you may win the battle, but we will win the war". (next picture)

This next picture represents the catnine tails that were used to whip Jesus. In this particular picture, there are 2 Roman flagellum (a type of whip with a handle with leather strips attached). The Roman flagellum was a a horrible instrument. The tips of the leather had weights made of metal balls at the end and sharp objects imbedded in the leather. When used, the weighed metal balls would cause welts and the sharp objects in the leather would tear at the flesh. To whip a person with a flagellum was considered torture enough. To whip Jesus and then crucify him was a particularly horrendous punishment and may explain why he died so quickly on the cross (it usually took 2 - 3 days).

Dr. Pastor Jarek-Glidden pointed out what appears to be a symbolic symmetry involving panels on opposite sides of this window. The basin that Pontius Pilate washes his hands of the death of Jesus in is diagonally across from the panel with the Roman flagellum. Thus symbolizing judgement and torture. In the other diagonal panels, there is the IHS /In Hoc Signo Vinces and an orb/symbol of the world, which symbolizes victory and reigning over the world. Dr. Pastor Jarek-Glidden pointed out that this diagonal symmetry in both directions appear to make a St. Andrew's Cross (an x shaped cross).

This week's homework was to answer the following questions: 1) What's missing?; 2) What's unusual about the panel of Jesus carrying the cross; and 3) What's going on with the angel panel?

The main theme of the top most left corner panel is the Crown of Thorns.

However, the Crown of Thorns is missing from both of the center panels. The Crown of Thorns was a mockery of Jesus being "King of the Jews" (of which he was accused of treason). The previous window (with the Crown of Thorns) is a political statement by the artist.

What is the real kingdom? The artist removes the Crown of Thorns to highlight that the true Kingdom is the Kingdom of Heaven. This political statement is made by the removal of the Crown of Thorns (a mockery of this world's Kingdom).

What is unusual about this panel of Jesus carrying the cross? In the panel, Jesus is wearing a robe. Jesus is usually portrayed as wearing a loin cloth. Also, during crucifixions, the main support beam was left at the place where the crucifixion was to occur and the cross beam was carried to the site of execution. It would be impossible for the entire crucifix to be carried.

Another unusual feature of this panel is that Mary accompanies Jesus while he carries the cross. This does not occur in any of the Gospels. It is a station of the cross, which is found in Catholic Churches.

Mary is wearing a blue robe. During the Middle Ages, paints had to be made. Certain paints were more expensive than others. Aqua Marine which is traditionally associated with Mary during the Middle Ages is extremely expensive to make and it was used as a visual cue.

Also Mary inherited something from the pagan peoples that predate Christianity and Judaism. She is associated with the Great Mother worship, in that the Great Mother was worshiped as the Queen of Heaven. This is a title was passed on to Mary during the Middle Ages.

An Anchor is represented in the bottom left hand panel (below). In Paul's letters, Paul writes that the greatest virtues are Faith, Hope & Love and the greatest of these is love. Faith is symbolized by a cross, Hope is symbolized by an anchor and Love is symbolized by a heart. This window symbolizes hope in the face of certain death/crucifixion.

In the top most right hand panel is a depiction of an angel (below). This is an angel of death and it occurs above the panel depicting the crucifixion. Unlike the angel in the previous window panels (compare it to the angel in the next picture that waits upon Jesus in Gethesmane), this angel has a white face, white wings and it is wearing a shroud.

This angel could also be a reference to the depiction of spirits done during the Middle Ages. There was an art convention used during the Middle Ages concerning the correct way to die, and this was conveyed in art as a soul ascending into heaven.

Notice (in the picture below) this angel has a flesh colored face, white flowing robe and golden wings.

The panel depicting the crucifix is odd (below). This was taken from the Gospel of John, which is the only place where Mary is placed at the foot of the cross during crucifixion. St. John the Evangelist stands on the other side of the Cross.

Jesus' hands are not where you would expect them to be during a crucifixion. Instead they are placed as if in a blessing. Jesus is facing his mother. Also, his loin cloth is purple (the color of royalty).

Below this panel is a panel with a cross that looks like a T (a Tao Cross) with a P on the top. This is a Chi Rho Cross and is the symbol of resurrection.

Dr. Pastor Jarek-Glidden discussed this series of 6 panels of stained glass. The major theme of these panels is the burial of Jesus and his resurrection.

In the top left panel, Jesus' shroud is draped over a brown cross. A corpse during Jesus' time was wrapped around a corpse during burial. The previous stained glass panels had Jesus carrying a green cross (please see the caption of the next picture). Whereas green represents renewal, rebirth and new life, the brown of this cross combined with Jesus' shroud emphasize his death.

Why did the artist make the cross green in this panel (see below)? Green is the color used by the kingdoms during ordinary time (the time between Holy days). Green represents renewal, rebirth and new life. It is the artist way of hinting at what is coming.

In the bottom left panel is a jar of spices and oils used to annoint Jesus when he was placed in the Sepulchre. Jesus was buried in a rush. It is ritually unclean to touch a corpse on the Sabbath. A person would have to ritually clean themselves before the Sabbath.

In the top right panel is a phoenix rising from the ashes. The phoenix of Greek myth lived a long life span, sing it's song, burn, and rise again from the ashes of the fire. This panel symbolizes the time of Lent (from Ash Wednesday through Easter) which is a time of ashes to fire.

In the middle left panel is Jesus' resurrection. Jesus is carrying a banner (the traditional symbol of Easter).

Please note that he is standing on roman soldiers. Whereas in previous panels the roman soldiers wore purple (the color of royalty and carrying a banner with the letters SPQR (Senatus Populus Que Romanus - The Senate and the People of Rome), these soldiers are no longer wearing purple or carrying the banner (please see the next picture to note the difference in how the roman soldiers are portrayed). This is the artist's representation that this Kingdom is not of this Earth.

There is a Roman soldier standing behind Jesus that is wearing purple (see above). Purple is the color of prestige in Rome, because of how difficult it is to create the dye and yet, a plain Roman soldier (not even a Centurion) is wearing it. The Roman Soldier is holding a banner that has the intials SPQR (Senatus Populus Que Romanus - The Senate and the People of Rome). The banner is a way of letting the people in the region know that the Romans rule. Basically, this window symbolizes arrogance, cruelty and aggression - all that is wrong with the Roman occupation of the region.

In the bottom right panel is a sprout of the pomegrante (below). Pomegrantes have red seeds and the juice of these seeds looks like blood. Seeds are the symbol of new life.

What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle?

A disciple is a follower of Jesus. An apostle has to satisfy 3 elements in order to be considered an apostle: had an encounter with the Risen Christ; received a command from the Risen Christ to spread the good word; and spread the good word.

Which is the only apostle that was present during the crucifixtion, the burial and the resurrection? The answer is: Mary Magdalene (below).

Mary Magdalene is the apostle to the apostles. She was told by the Risen Christ to preach to the other apostles and yet she is considered a sinner and former prostitute. Why?

In Luke 7:36 - 8:3 there are 2 different stories. The story in Luke 7 concerns an unknown prostitute that uses her hair to clean and annoit Jesus' feet with perfumed oil. In Luke chapter 8, we learn of Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Suzanna. Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Suzanna were powerful women that funded Jesus' ministry.

In 591, Gregory the Great (Pope) preached a sermon that suggested that the unknown prostitute in Luke 7 was Mary Magdalene, and thereby labeled, her from that moment on, as a prostitute and sinner. This libel has continued to our present time.

High Alter Stained Glass Windows from the Atlantic Methodist Church saved from destruction and displayed at the QCUMC

This group of windows came to us from the high altar of the Atlantic Methodist Church (below). They were created in the mid 1900's in the style known as "Neo-Gothic" as is evidenced by the steeple designs at the top & bottom of each panel. The Neo-Gothic style is the re-imagined ideal of the Middle Ages by the Victorians.

The Victorians' vision of knights were that they were chivalrous and women were mild, meek & in need of protection. However, the history of the Middle Ages does not support this. Most knights were mercenaries and the women were tough. In the Middle Ages women lead armies (Joan of Arc), were historians, artists, apothecaries, and started guilds.

Also, the Victorians portrayed Jesus as European , with blue eyes and long hair. Jesus was Jewish and would have looked more Middle Eastern than European. Jewish men during Jesus' time did not wear their hair past their ear lobes and would have considered long hair to be effeminate.

The artist that created this group of stained glass windows used minimal details within the design of the windows themselves. From left to right the windows start off green and pastoral, but heading to the right the panels become more desolate (the trees in the right hand panel do not have any leaves). This could depict a change in the seasons, or a change in the time of day (in the left panel the sky is mostly blue, but as you progress to the right, the sky has more purple in it, like what would be seen at dawn/twilight).

The left hand panel is from the Gospel of John (also known as the "I am Gospel"). In this panel, Jesus is shown as a shepherd (the Latin word for shepherd is "pastor") and is wearing white (the color or Resurrection) and red (the color of Passion). He is carrying a shepherd's crook, which looks like a Bishop's crozier.

The right panel depicts the parable of the "Sower of Seeds". The seeds are not falling on stone (on ground where they can not grow), but on the grass (fertile ground). The thorns in this panel could represent that which could choke out the fertile seeds. Jesus' fingers look odd as he is sowing the seeds. His fingers are in the position of a traditional blessing (2 fingers represent the Divine and the 3rd finger the Holy Trinity).

The center panel is from the Book of Revelations. This could be a way to highlight the difference between the Gospel of John (left panel) and the Synoptic Gospels (the right panel that could represent the 3 Gospels that have parables not found in the Gospel of John). Jesus is carrying a lantern, which is the symbol of wisdom (from the wisdom literature of the Old Testament). Also, Jesus is wearing the traditional colors of white (representing Resurrection), red (representing the Passion) and a blue sash. Under Jesus' golden crown is a crown of thorns.

If you look carefully at the crown that Jesus wears in the center panel, there is a crown of thorns woven throughout of the golden crown (pictured above).

Jesus is in the left panel with a latern which symbolizes knowledge at the closed door (from the Book of Revelations). Jesus is wearing white (color of the Resurrection) and red (color of the Passion). We know it is Jesus, because the halo contains little crosses (which is common depiction of Jesus vs that of a Saint).

Vandalism at the QCUMC 2014

Sadly on 7/31/2014, it was discovered that vandals had broken into the QCUMC and damaged some of the stained glassed windows:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/07/31/quincy-church-vandalized/Njjr8assUrFiDiwmlwkrOK/story.html

Thanks to our friends in Quincy and the South Shore Community, the QCUMC stained glass windows that were damaged were restored!

Posted 8/3/2014 on Facebook:

We would like to thank our wonderful friends who boarded up our broken windows and the lovely "stained glass" roses from Mantis Flower shop. Also, we have received many thoughtful emails and phone calls of support. As upsetting as this whole incident has been, we are truly blessed for all the loving support that we have received from the community. God bless you all and we will remember you in our thoughts and prayers in the coming days!