Recently, a number of family and friends visited St. Philip the Deacon, and almost to a person, they all asked “What are all the stained glass windows around the sanctuary? Do they mean something?”

If you’ve been in our sanctuary, you know that the 24 panels of stained glass that encircle the sanctuary are hard to miss. But because the designs are so abstract, the images don’t explain themselves. Without descriptions, it is hard to recognize that the artwork actually retells the entire Biblical story visually.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll post each of the images here, with short descriptions of them. You can also find all of the images and descriptions here.

The first image is called “Creation,” and the description follows:

Genesis 1:1-2 – “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.”

This window is divided by a bar that symbolizes the first moment of creation. The streaky glass in the circles was chosen for its organic movement to symbolize the initial chaos of the universe. Once the movement is set into motion, the universe is a deep, empty blue. The red is symbolic of the spirit hovering over the water.

Question: When you think of new beginnings or creation in your life, what comes to mind?

• #Bible in Stained Glass
• #Creation
• #St. Philip the Deacon Sanctuary