BROOKFIELD UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
What do our stained Glass windows mean?
By Maryann Adams
October 29, 2023
As we celebrate new beginnings in this, our spiritual gathering place, I thought it might be a good time to revisit a sermon I did years ago, on the symbolism of the stained-glass images that surround us. Unitarians in 1912 when this church was built, were a Christian protestant church, and the symbols painted within the stained glass reflect our heritage in traditional religious thinking. But as with many icons, symbols can be reinterpreted and made personal and more current. We can still claim them as our own, even as we have developed into a more liberal free-thinking denomination.
The large back window that is framed in the gothic revival design of arches, shows us what our religious leaders of the time believed to be important truths. The crown, the dove, the book and the anchor. What did these mean?? What can they mean to us today? And the smaller side windows, which are dedicated in memory of our congregation’s ancestors, also evoke the symbols of our religious heritage. Oak leaves, roses, lilies, a sheaf of wheat, a lantern, grapes, acorns and even a pomegranate decorate and influence our physical and spiritual contemplation in this structure.
I hope there will be a lot of head turning as I talk about our windows. Please make yourselves comfortable and, I won’t take offence if you turn your backs on me as we learn more about the walls of glass around us. I will start with the back wall and the four icons that grace the four panels of glass and let in so much light to this sanctuary.
The Dove
Of all the symbols we will talk about today, the dove may be the most diverse in its definition. It is a beautiful white bird, a living, breathing creature. One’s first thought may be that it is just that. But it also has many other meanings within different religious texts. In the Old Testament of the Bible and in Hebrew scripture, think about the story of Noah and the Ark. The dove is a symbol of hope. It was a dove that brought back the sprig of greens to show that the waters were receding, and the plants of the earth were restored. It is also a dove that is shown above the heads of Christian saints in the New Testament that symbolizes the spirit of God in mankind.
Doves are also known to have lifelong partners, they work in unison to build their nests , to raise their young and are incredibly loyal to each other. So, another symbol of doves is interpreted with the concept of everlasting love, prosperity, fidelity and a happy home life. At weddings doves have been released by the bride and groom as a symbol of this new beginning.
The dove as also a symbol of peace. All religions hold peace keeping as a virtue. A person who is a pacifist is sometimes referred to as a dove (as opposed to a hawk, the symbol of war). We as UUs hold peace as a cornerstone of our religious tradition. Many of us are conscientious objectors, abhorrent of war and its tragedies and consequences. So, you see, there are many ideas that the Dove can mean. Peace, hope, spirituality and family devotion.
The Anchor
In the early Christian world, one of the many local jobs was to be a fisherman. There are numerous parables in the New Testament that allude to fish, fishing and boats. The anchor, which tethers the boat, holds it in place to keep it from being swept away by the currents, and thus is a symbol for strength and stability.
From ancient times, the Bible passage, Hebrews 6:19 reads, “we have this hope a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain.” The anchor is one of the oldest symbols in the early Christian church. It has been found in the first century cemetery of St. Priscilla, and in the second and third century epitaphs of the catacombs. An anchor as interpreted by St. Ambrose, can be considered a symbol of faith or hope in the spiritual life
I hold with the definition of an anchor as a symbol for the support of the congregation. We anchor each other in our spiritual quest.
As I was writing this, when I was initially thinking about this and researching it, I kept feeling that there was something that I was missing something, You know, that wisp of a thought that is just out of reach? Yeah, I know, now that I’m retired, that’s to be expected on a regular basis, BUT… I remembered! Our affirmation… “We nurture stability in our daily lives, as we reach out to the larger community. We, all of us, are the anchor.
The Crown
In researching this symbol, I found: A crown with 3 points as ours has, represents the Trinity of God, the father, son and holy spirit. It denotes royal lineage and the kingship of Jesus. For those of us who do not follow only the teachings of Christ, as king, we may need to use our interpretative senses. With the crown, one can see a circle… a continuous round thing… a circlet of precious metal, of beauty in its craftsmanship. Perhaps for us we can use the concept of unending beauty in all walks of life, and to juxtapose it as a reminder that we do not hold ourselves in rigid abeyance to a king, rather we explore and reach out and share our spirit in a democratic and caring manner.
The Book
In many faiths, the book is a symbol for the bible. For us, today, I believe this symbolizes not only the old and New Testament but encompasses all truth and knowledge. If we are anything, Unitarian Universalists quest for and search for both spiritual and humanistic knowledge. We learn through reading, we remember through recording, we are able to pass on to our future… all of this… as evidenced via the symbol of a book. Today it might be an ebook, but the symbolism of education, exploration for answers continues to be an intrinsic need for us. Our own stained-glass book is not overly wrought, nor ornate in its depiction of a “Holy” book. It is simply drawn but must have had great value to our ancestors to place it as one of four symbols on the large glass wall of this church.
* * * * *
So, to summarize thus far:
We have the dove…. Symbolic Of the love of peace, of living beauty, of fidelity and hope.
We have the anchor – for strength and stability.
We have the book. to record our history, to convey knowledge, to show the worth of education.
And we have the crown, the circlet. To remember to appreciate beauty and the never-ending circle of our connection to each other in all walks of life.
Our church founders chose well in their symbols, and they have stood the test of time…
Now for the side walls:
Each of these four stained glass insets are beautifully wrought. They are a constant reminder to us of those founding parishioners of this church. Set in Glass and Set in Time, their names are remembered for the work they did for us, in stepping forward during a time when the congregation was without a physical home, for pushing through and getting things done. Some of the symbols are directly relevant to those being memorial windows, to remind us of the passage of time, of the life cycle…. So, let’s look at:
Oak leaves and acorns.
I personally love oak trees and in particular acorns. The pattern of the cap, the perfect little point on the tip of the acorn… I collect them, photograph them, craft with them. The acorn is the symbol of potential, the proverb we all know is, the story that one little acorn can be transformed over time into a might oak tree.
For millennia, the acorn has symbolized the potential for great power in a small but potent package. The kernel of anything is thought to be its most condensed and powerful essence, and nuts have been symbols of deep wisdom to many people throughout the ages.
I like to think of our stained-glass acorns as symbols of our potential and our youth.
We have and continue to do well by our children in establishing a welcoming environment for them, One where they can learn and grown into their full potential… And yes, they can be a little “nutty”…
The oak leaves frame many of our stained-glass insets. Oak leaves of course are linked to the oak tree, described as strong and virile and associated with both the Roman god Jupiter and the Celtic Druids. The oak was thought by the ancients to be the only tree that could consistently survive being hit by lighting: (I guess our previous church wasn’t built with oak)..
Perhaps the oak leaves on our windows are a protective symbol.
Wheat
In the Old Testament wheat and bread are symbols of the bounty of the earth.
Wheat and maize/corn are also the universal symbols for agriculture and harvest. Because wheat is sown, grown and harvested, it can signify the cycle of birth, life and death. Southwestern Native Americans regard the wheat germ as representative of man and the cosmos. Wheat is sacred as a fertility symbol to multiple gods and goddesses throughout many cultures including the Canaanites, the Greeks, Romans and Christians. In our windows, since they are memorial side windows, I believe the intent of the designer was to symbolize the life cycle.
Grapes
We often see clusters of grapes in stained glass. In the new testament, in the story of the Last Supper, Christ shared both wine and bread with his disciples, followers and friends. Grapes represent Jesus as the true vine, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.” (John 15: 1) It is also a universal symbol of friendship and of sharing.
Pomegranate
Now, will you look to the right at the reddish thing with gold bindings… do you know what this is? It’s a pomegranate. I find this the most intriguing of symbols.
The pomegranate has been used throughout history and in almost every religion as a symbol of humanity’s most fundamental beliefs and desires, including life and death, rebirth and eternal life, fertility and marriage, abundance and prosperity. Almost every aspect of the pomegranate has come to symbolize something… its shape, color, seeds, juice.
In the Old Testament God gave orders to Moses to pub embroidered pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet with golden bells between, at the bottom of the high priest’s blue rob (Exodus 28-33, 34). Aaron was to wear the robe when he ministered to the Lord in the Holy of Holies so he would not die.
In those of the Jewish faith, the pomegranate represents righteousness, to the Christians, it means life and hope of eternal life and to the Chinese, wealth and many sons. It ever plays an important part of Greek Mythology in the story of Persephone. The story goes like this.
“When Persephone, Zeus’s daughter is kidnapped to the underworld by Hades (think evil villain), Demeter (think Mother Nature) is enraged and prevents the crops from growing. To restore the natural order, Zeus arranges his daughter’s release by negotiating a settlement between Demeter and Hades. But Hades has already given Persephone a pomegranate seed, and since she has eaten the food of the underworld, she is compelled to spend one- third of the year there with Hades and the other two-thirds of the year in the world above. (The Greeks thought of the year in terms of only three seasons – spring, summer and winter). This deal with the devil was always thought to explain the arrival of spring, which is when Persephone returns to earth. Her subsequent return to the underworld means the end of the growing season and the coming of winter, seen as the time of death. All because she ate a pomegranate seed in the underworld.
The White Lilies
Lilies are the symbol of purity and beauty. In the old Testament, lilies were used to symbolize God’s promise of resurrection after death. In religious artwork, lilies are often in the hands of angels, which reinforces the promise of life after death.
The Lantern
With the light of a lantern, you can see into the darkness. The lantern symbolizes wisdom and enlightenment. It is often pictured with a book, which reinforces that education leads to enlightenment.
Over the Altar Table.
This stained-glass panel shows grapes, the chalice and the Greek letters for Alpha and Omega. The Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, the Omega is the last. These are early Christian symbols which have been used extensively based on what Jesus says to John, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelations 22:13) Traditionally these two letters are the sign of Christ. The Chalice and host are also symbols of Christian theology. Having grown up as a Catholic, I will admit I found this stained-glass image difficult for me to view having left that denomination to embrace a much more liberal religious association. Now when I look up, I try to turn that white circle (a host) into a white hot flame. Like the King’s crown, it reminds me of what I have turned away from and what I have embraced.
Other UU’s have had to come to terms with the Christian history of their windows as well. Rev. Jim Sherblom at the UU First Parish in Brookline MA noted in his sermon on their stained-glass windows.
“Our windows do not constrain us to accept any theological propositions. Rather they remind us that religious speculation has a long history, while they simultaneously seek to inspire us to do our own speculating at the highest level of which we are capable.
So enjoy and remember the heritage of our church. As we go forward be filled with hope, love, learning, strength and stability.
May it be so.
The large back window that is framed in the gothic revival design of arches, shows us what our religious leaders of the time believed to be important truths. The crown, the dove, the book and the anchor. What did these mean?? What can they mean to us today? And the smaller side windows, which are dedicated in memory of our congregation’s ancestors, also evoke the symbols of our religious heritage. Oak leaves, roses, lilies, a sheaf of wheat, a lantern, grapes, acorns and even a pomegranate decorate and influence our physical and spiritual contemplation in this structure.
I hope there will be a lot of head turning as I talk about our windows. Please make yourselves comfortable and, I won’t take offence if you turn your backs on me as we learn more about the walls of glass around us. I will start with the back wall and the four icons that grace the four panels of glass and let in so much light to this sanctuary.
The Dove
Of all the symbols we will talk about today, the dove may be the most diverse in its definition. It is a beautiful white bird, a living, breathing creature. One’s first thought may be that it is just that. But it also has many other meanings within different religious texts. In the Old Testament of the Bible and in Hebrew scripture, think about the story of Noah and the Ark. The dove is a symbol of hope. It was a dove that brought back the sprig of greens to show that the waters were receding, and the plants of the earth were restored. It is also a dove that is shown above the heads of Christian saints in the New Testament that symbolizes the spirit of God in mankind.
Doves are also known to have lifelong partners, they work in unison to build their nests , to raise their young and are incredibly loyal to each other. So, another symbol of doves is interpreted with the concept of everlasting love, prosperity, fidelity and a happy home life. At weddings doves have been released by the bride and groom as a symbol of this new beginning.
The dove as also a symbol of peace. All religions hold peace keeping as a virtue. A person who is a pacifist is sometimes referred to as a dove (as opposed to a hawk, the symbol of war). We as UUs hold peace as a cornerstone of our religious tradition. Many of us are conscientious objectors, abhorrent of war and its tragedies and consequences. So, you see, there are many ideas that the Dove can mean. Peace, hope, spirituality and family devotion.
The Anchor
In the early Christian world, one of the many local jobs was to be a fisherman. There are numerous parables in the New Testament that allude to fish, fishing and boats. The anchor, which tethers the boat, holds it in place to keep it from being swept away by the currents, and thus is a symbol for strength and stability.
From ancient times, the Bible passage, Hebrews 6:19 reads, “we have this hope a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain.” The anchor is one of the oldest symbols in the early Christian church. It has been found in the first century cemetery of St. Priscilla, and in the second and third century epitaphs of the catacombs. An anchor as interpreted by St. Ambrose, can be considered a symbol of faith or hope in the spiritual life
I hold with the definition of an anchor as a symbol for the support of the congregation. We anchor each other in our spiritual quest.
As I was writing this, when I was initially thinking about this and researching it, I kept feeling that there was something that I was missing something, You know, that wisp of a thought that is just out of reach? Yeah, I know, now that I’m retired, that’s to be expected on a regular basis, BUT… I remembered! Our affirmation… “We nurture stability in our daily lives, as we reach out to the larger community. We, all of us, are the anchor.
The Crown
In researching this symbol, I found: A crown with 3 points as ours has, represents the Trinity of God, the father, son and holy spirit. It denotes royal lineage and the kingship of Jesus. For those of us who do not follow only the teachings of Christ, as king, we may need to use our interpretative senses. With the crown, one can see a circle… a continuous round thing… a circlet of precious metal, of beauty in its craftsmanship. Perhaps for us we can use the concept of unending beauty in all walks of life, and to juxtapose it as a reminder that we do not hold ourselves in rigid abeyance to a king, rather we explore and reach out and share our spirit in a democratic and caring manner.
The Book
In many faiths, the book is a symbol for the bible. For us, today, I believe this symbolizes not only the old and New Testament but encompasses all truth and knowledge. If we are anything, Unitarian Universalists quest for and search for both spiritual and humanistic knowledge. We learn through reading, we remember through recording, we are able to pass on to our future… all of this… as evidenced via the symbol of a book. Today it might be an ebook, but the symbolism of education, exploration for answers continues to be an intrinsic need for us. Our own stained-glass book is not overly wrought, nor ornate in its depiction of a “Holy” book. It is simply drawn but must have had great value to our ancestors to place it as one of four symbols on the large glass wall of this church.
* * * * *
So, to summarize thus far:
We have the dove…. Symbolic Of the love of peace, of living beauty, of fidelity and hope.
We have the anchor – for strength and stability.
We have the book. to record our history, to convey knowledge, to show the worth of education.
And we have the crown, the circlet. To remember to appreciate beauty and the never-ending circle of our connection to each other in all walks of life.
Our church founders chose well in their symbols, and they have stood the test of time…
Now for the side walls:
Each of these four stained glass insets are beautifully wrought. They are a constant reminder to us of those founding parishioners of this church. Set in Glass and Set in Time, their names are remembered for the work they did for us, in stepping forward during a time when the congregation was without a physical home, for pushing through and getting things done. Some of the symbols are directly relevant to those being memorial windows, to remind us of the passage of time, of the life cycle…. So, let’s look at:
Oak leaves and acorns.
I personally love oak trees and in particular acorns. The pattern of the cap, the perfect little point on the tip of the acorn… I collect them, photograph them, craft with them. The acorn is the symbol of potential, the proverb we all know is, the story that one little acorn can be transformed over time into a might oak tree.
For millennia, the acorn has symbolized the potential for great power in a small but potent package. The kernel of anything is thought to be its most condensed and powerful essence, and nuts have been symbols of deep wisdom to many people throughout the ages.
I like to think of our stained-glass acorns as symbols of our potential and our youth.
We have and continue to do well by our children in establishing a welcoming environment for them, One where they can learn and grown into their full potential… And yes, they can be a little “nutty”…
The oak leaves frame many of our stained-glass insets. Oak leaves of course are linked to the oak tree, described as strong and virile and associated with both the Roman god Jupiter and the Celtic Druids. The oak was thought by the ancients to be the only tree that could consistently survive being hit by lighting: (I guess our previous church wasn’t built with oak)..
Perhaps the oak leaves on our windows are a protective symbol.
Wheat
In the Old Testament wheat and bread are symbols of the bounty of the earth.
Wheat and maize/corn are also the universal symbols for agriculture and harvest. Because wheat is sown, grown and harvested, it can signify the cycle of birth, life and death. Southwestern Native Americans regard the wheat germ as representative of man and the cosmos. Wheat is sacred as a fertility symbol to multiple gods and goddesses throughout many cultures including the Canaanites, the Greeks, Romans and Christians. In our windows, since they are memorial side windows, I believe the intent of the designer was to symbolize the life cycle.
Grapes
We often see clusters of grapes in stained glass. In the new testament, in the story of the Last Supper, Christ shared both wine and bread with his disciples, followers and friends. Grapes represent Jesus as the true vine, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.” (John 15: 1) It is also a universal symbol of friendship and of sharing.
Pomegranate
Now, will you look to the right at the reddish thing with gold bindings… do you know what this is? It’s a pomegranate. I find this the most intriguing of symbols.
The pomegranate has been used throughout history and in almost every religion as a symbol of humanity’s most fundamental beliefs and desires, including life and death, rebirth and eternal life, fertility and marriage, abundance and prosperity. Almost every aspect of the pomegranate has come to symbolize something… its shape, color, seeds, juice.
In the Old Testament God gave orders to Moses to pub embroidered pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet with golden bells between, at the bottom of the high priest’s blue rob (Exodus 28-33, 34). Aaron was to wear the robe when he ministered to the Lord in the Holy of Holies so he would not die.
In those of the Jewish faith, the pomegranate represents righteousness, to the Christians, it means life and hope of eternal life and to the Chinese, wealth and many sons. It ever plays an important part of Greek Mythology in the story of Persephone. The story goes like this.
“When Persephone, Zeus’s daughter is kidnapped to the underworld by Hades (think evil villain), Demeter (think Mother Nature) is enraged and prevents the crops from growing. To restore the natural order, Zeus arranges his daughter’s release by negotiating a settlement between Demeter and Hades. But Hades has already given Persephone a pomegranate seed, and since she has eaten the food of the underworld, she is compelled to spend one- third of the year there with Hades and the other two-thirds of the year in the world above. (The Greeks thought of the year in terms of only three seasons – spring, summer and winter). This deal with the devil was always thought to explain the arrival of spring, which is when Persephone returns to earth. Her subsequent return to the underworld means the end of the growing season and the coming of winter, seen as the time of death. All because she ate a pomegranate seed in the underworld.
The White Lilies
Lilies are the symbol of purity and beauty. In the old Testament, lilies were used to symbolize God’s promise of resurrection after death. In religious artwork, lilies are often in the hands of angels, which reinforces the promise of life after death.
The Lantern
With the light of a lantern, you can see into the darkness. The lantern symbolizes wisdom and enlightenment. It is often pictured with a book, which reinforces that education leads to enlightenment.
Over the Altar Table.
This stained-glass panel shows grapes, the chalice and the Greek letters for Alpha and Omega. The Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, the Omega is the last. These are early Christian symbols which have been used extensively based on what Jesus says to John, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelations 22:13) Traditionally these two letters are the sign of Christ. The Chalice and host are also symbols of Christian theology. Having grown up as a Catholic, I will admit I found this stained-glass image difficult for me to view having left that denomination to embrace a much more liberal religious association. Now when I look up, I try to turn that white circle (a host) into a white hot flame. Like the King’s crown, it reminds me of what I have turned away from and what I have embraced.
Other UU’s have had to come to terms with the Christian history of their windows as well. Rev. Jim Sherblom at the UU First Parish in Brookline MA noted in his sermon on their stained-glass windows.
“Our windows do not constrain us to accept any theological propositions. Rather they remind us that religious speculation has a long history, while they simultaneously seek to inspire us to do our own speculating at the highest level of which we are capable.
So enjoy and remember the heritage of our church. As we go forward be filled with hope, love, learning, strength and stability.
May it be so.
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