2013 Holiday Home Tour
A supplement to Lincoln Daily News.com Page 43
The large window at the front of the church
is 28 feet high. It is fully encased in stone.
The three circles at the top carry the
symbols of the Godhead: Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
Below are the symbols of the four
evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Each man holds a book:
Matthew’s book is closed, meaning Jesus
had fulfilled the law, which was Matthew’s
message to the Jews.
Mark’s book is beginning to be opened,
showing the opening door to the Gentiles.
Luke’s book is opened wide, symbolizing that
he would put the life of Christ in an orderly
account.
John is still writing in his book, symbolizing
his desire to write more.
Just above each Gospel writer are images
of a man, lion, ox and eagle. Many church
historians recognize these four “cherubim”
of Revelation 4:7 as corresponding with
the four Gospels. Over the smaller circles
are three large circles representing the
attributes of God that are essential to our
worship: The great hand coming down from
heaven represents our access to the power
of God; the dove represents our invitation
to encounter the Spirit of God; and at the
top, Jesus, the Lamb of God, is flying the
banner of salvation over his head as he sits
on an altar of sacrifice.
Pastor Otto suggested that many Sundays
as he looks at the four men watching over
him, he thinks they are watching over worship
“to make sure the story is told accurately.”
These beautiful windows are meant to
enhance worship for those for attend
services, and understanding their story
augments the worship experience.
The stress of time has caused the windows
to buckle and weaken. Repair of the
windows is scheduled to take place in the
spring of 2014. It is estimated that the cost
to clean and reglaze the windows will be
$50,000. This is only a limited repair, and
more extensive work will need to be done
in the future to maintain the beauty and
integrity of the windows
