Last month I took a trip to Arkansas. An old friend of mine let me know that her church had a conference called “Abide”. Several years ago they started having a church wide discipleship weekend where they have a speaker come and lead sessions then staff lead the breakouts. I am always up for an adventure and one to see my friend after 12 years was an excellent reason.
The church is First Baptist Jonesboro. Classic old school sanctuary with stained glass windows. I LOVE stained glass windows. I was delighted to find stained glass in almost every exterior window in the church that was the original building.
Why am I writing about it? Because in the sanctuary glass windows I found something different than what I expected.
Moses and the 10 Commandments
We all know Moses and the 10 Commandments story- there were even 2 sets of tablets (You can go to Exodus to check out the backstory if needed). The stained glass window verse was one that most people would not attach to the Old Testament or OT Story.
“As Your Father is Merciful” Luke 6:36 Is not a verse we would think of God in the Old Testament because many recall his anger- fire and brimstone… However the Old Testament time and again show The Father’s mercy- his care for a people who time and again show their pride, longing to return to old things, making their own choices. God is a merciful God in sustaining his stubborn people throughout the Old Testament and then providing a Savior Messiah in Jesus.
This one is a bit harder to see but it has “There shall be one fold.” John 10:16 with Jesus walking sheep out of the sheep pen.
When we mention sheep in the bible/church context I think most of us think of ourselves. Sheep in need of a shepherd, making foolish choices, being lead and cared for by the Father. This verse and this window points to the BODY- all the sheep together, not us as individuals.
The conference we went to was a study on Philippians and throughout the weekend the context was the whole body of Christ as foremost and us as individuals in it. The focus was the body- the church- our family. Over and again Paul challenges the churches (and the individuals in it). I kept looking at this window and was challenged to continue to think of myself in the context of serving others in the body of Christ- the community and family He has given me. Not just the local church that I am in but the Global body of Christ- all believers. Too often we have a microscopic view of God’s word and our takeaway is only about ourselves.
Jesus came to unite all believers- to take down the dividing walls so that we can all be in the fold. His prayers point over and again to this and are echoed throughout the New Testament writers. I can’t help but think of “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1
This is the other sheep window “For He Careth For Thee” 1 Peter 5:7
Someone asked me the other day why I like Stained Glass windows the other day- Other than they are pretty? Was my answer. But the deeper symbolic answer is that they take individual pieces of glass, scored and broken then assembled together to make the window. The windows all remind me that they are just a glimpse of what the actual scene would look like… an echo of the beauty of the original which reminds me of course of the verse from Corinthians “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
There is a longing in me for heaven and the stained glass windows I see somehow stir this longing in me. I cannot imagine the beauty that is there- In Him and the actual setting of heaven. The beautiful things I see here- sunsets, sunrises, flowers, stars and all the other things day to day just remind me that they are just a glimpse of things to come. These stained glass windows helped remind me that when I do get to heaven it won’t be alone, but with all the other family members throughout time as we surround the throne in worship.
Side note to the windows here- the church folks at FBC Jonesboro were a delight. They were encouraging, friendly and helpful. Maybe it was just because they are Southern, because we all know Southern people are a different kind of people, but I think it was just because they Love Jesus and love people well.
For posterity here is updated view of one of my original #Village members. Torie and I met in 2001 at camp in TN. She is one of the best I know. It was a joy to get to have one of my oldest and newer (12 years new lol) Village peeps meet.
Thankful for how he does Care for us and shows us Mercy daily, even when we don’t even see it.
Be His.
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