PART 3
Stained Glass windows
Emmanuel Baptist Church
1881-2017
Anytime we enter our Sanctuary, with its magnificent stained glass windows, a sermon is already in progress. The very name of our church proclaims our message: Emmanuel, God with us.
A brief history: Emmanuel Baptist church has been in Alexandria, Louisiana for 136 years. On September 6, 1881, 12 Charter members formed the first Southern Baptist Church in this area. Our original name was the Alexandria-Pineville Baptist Church and we were located on Second Street in Pineville. In 1893, after a series of revival meetings in the court
house in Alexandria, they convened in business meeting and changed the name from
Alexandria-Pineville Baptist Church to Emmanuel Baptist. They also
purchased the property on 4th and Jackson in Alexandria, thanks to G.W.
Bolton, a founding member.
In 1896-97, the church with its 140 members moved to a new building in
Alexandria on the corner of Jackson and Fourth.
In 1916,the Sanctuary burned. The congregation
met in Rapides Opera House for services (this would be the late Paramount
Theater to those that remember it)
In 1918, the Educational/Sanctuary
was completed and dedicated. This is the current three story educational building that we are in the process of renovating.
The Sanctuary was on
the 2nd floor with a 3 sided balcony. I remember looking up above the balcony and seeing the beautiful yellow glass transom windows above the third floor. The baptistery was on the first and the members would walk down stairs when people were being baptised.
The present
Sanctuary building, with these magnificant stained glass windows, was completed and dedicated on September 10, 1950. I was seven years old.
Dr. Franklin Seglar was the pastor. Dr. G. Kernie Keagan and Dr.
Carl A. DeVane, former pastors participated in the service.
If you read my first two blogs on these windows then you learned of the history of stained glass in my first blog. In the second one we also discovered that in Gothic cathedrals, stained glass was
correctly called the “Bible of the Poor”. Many of the poor were
unable to read so the colors, pictures, symbols and lines had meaning
and taught them the scripture. I also gave a list of symbols to look for. Hopefully, you may remember some of these colors and symbols that are found in our windows.
Today, I want to look at the other lower level windows, on the West.
These are considered the Easter windows
Let's look at the first window away from the altar
"I am the Good shepherd and I know my sheep.”
Visible symbols of note:
snow bells (top left): new beginnings and hope
sheaves of wheat (upper left): communion
The Holy Bible is at the center
of this window. It is a symbol of Christian faith.
gourd (top right): symbolizes the resurrection
grape cluster (upper right): the blood of Christ as in the Eucharist.
The second window from the altar
"Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
Jesus praying at Gethsemane that this 'cup' be removed, “Not my will but thine be done.” (note cup in God's hands. This is another great example where the use of silver stain was used). Here,it is a symbol of death.
Visible symbols of note:
cluster of three flowers (top left): Trinity
cup and plate (upper left) : lord's supper
lily (top right): purity
cross (upper right): God's suffering
The Holy Bible is at the center
of this window. It is a symbol of Christian faith.
flowers (beneath Jesus): peace, purity
The third window from the altar
"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit"
Crucifixion of Jesus Visible symbols of note:
white flower,I think it is an iris. (top left) : Mary's sorrow at Christ's passion.
triptych with 6 pointed star in center (upper left): the Star of David. 6 pointed star,
the star of Creation. The 6 points stand for the six days of creation.
It also represents the 6 attributes of God: power, wisdom, majesty,
love, mercy and justice. Some refer to it as the Jewish star.
oak leaf (top right): Jesus' cross was said to be made from oak. Victory over death.
broken chain (upper right): Symbolizes Christ's hand reaching from heaven breaking the chains of death.
There is no Bible in the center of this window, instead there is a banner with INRI Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
The fourth window
"He is not here: for he has risen."
Visible symbols of note:
5 point white flower (top left): symbol associated with Christianity. Also purity.
The Holy Bible is at the center
of this window. It is a symbol of Christian faith.
pomegranate with seeds showing (upper left): The
fullness of Christ's suffering. The resurrection of hope and eternal
life. The many seeds represent the many believers in Christ (the
church). It also symbolizes resurrection and power over death.
single white flower (top right): purity and innocence
crown with palm branches (upper right): The martyrs victory in passing through torments to the blessed life in heaven.
The final window closest to the altar
"He was parted from them and carried up into heaven."
Visible symbols of note:
white rose (top left): innocence and spiritual love
alpha (upper left): beginning
single palm branch (top right): victory
omega (upper right): end
I am the beginning and the end.
This window is also one without a Bible at the center of the scene. On the Advent windows we have this symbol on all five windows. On the Easter windows there are only three.
I hope you are getting some insight into these historically significant windows from the Jacoby glass company. I do not have decent pictures of our upper windows, yet, but hope to do so. We still have these to discuss and the Rose and baptistry window. In particular, I would like to share the WMU window on the upper level, west, that no one ever sees, since it was an add on for symmetry. I will be able to have a clear picture of that window.
Till next time.
© Nippy Blair 2015. Posts and pictures on this blog cannot be copied, downloaded, printed, or used without the permission of the blog owner, Nippy Blair.
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