REFLECTING THE LUTHERAN HERITAGE The Seven

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EFLECTING THE LUTHERAN HERITAGE:
The Seven Windows at Church of the Reformation, Lutheran, Affton, Missouri
by Alicia von Stamwitz; photographs by Richard Potts
Photographer: Richard Potts, © 2014
Luther’s Rose
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The Stained Glass Quarterly
Shortly after Rev. David Pelsue
was installed as the fourth pastor of the
Church of the Reformation, Lutheran,
in Affton, Missouri, he began researching stained glass studios in the area. He
and his congregation hoped to mark the
church’s 50th anniversary by commissioning custom windows for the north
wall of the nave.
“The nave of the church was clear
glass,” Rev. Pelsue said, “which is a little unusual for a Lutheran church.
Along the top perimeter of the church
by the roofline, we do have a series of 3'
x 3' windows, but those have just simple
geometric patterns—rectangles and
squares of plain and colored glass.”
One day, when Rev. Pelsue was
returning from a pastoral visit, he spotted Preston Art Glass Studio. He went in
and looked around, and he immediately
liked what he saw. He discussed his
plans with Dale Preston, the owner.
“Dale’s studio was a good fit. I told him
what I wanted to do, he gave me his
card, and that was it! The rest is history.”
Even now, ten years later, Rev.
Pelsue’s voice rises with excitement as
he describes the process of designing
the windows. He and an elder from the
congregation named Mark Bliese
worked with Preston Art Glass designer Carol Wright, brainstorming and
passing drawings back and forth. He
wanted contemporary designs that
would blend with the church’s modern
architecture and complement the existing upper windows.
The first window, Luther’s Rose,
was dedicated on April 25, 2004, at the
church’s 50th-anniversary festivities.
Over the course of the next five years,
six additional windows were fabricated
and installed by Preston Art Glass
Studio. These six windows depict the
chief tenets of Luther’s Small
Catechism: The Ten Commandments,
The Apostles’ Creed, The Lord’s Prayer,
Baptism, The Office of the Keys, and
The Lord’s Supper. Each window measures 33'' x 55'' and features a background of German New Antique glass,
which ties together the series and creates a sense of flow.
Rev. Pelsue notes that the windows
enhance worship, and they serve as a
creative teaching aid. “I’ve brought
confirmation and catechism classes in
here, and we look at the windows
together. I ask questions and use the
symbolism to actually teach the catechism, so that when these young people
are in worship and they look at them,
they can get a little catechetical review.”
Photographs of the windows are
featured in several church brochures
and on the parish website. They are an
effective “visual catechism,” reminding
all in the congregation of their Lutheran
roots and common beliefs. “In fact,”
Rev. Pelsue concludes, “there’s been
some talk recently among some members of the congregation about adding
more custom windows.”
Photographer: Richard Potts, © 2014
Window 1: Luther’s Rose*
Martin Luther’s coat of arms, a
black cross upon a red heart, is the
symbol of the Lutheran Church.
Behind it is a five-petaled white rose
on a field of blue, surrounded by a
golden circle. The cross stands for the
suffering sacrifice of Jesus. The red
heart represents the faith of the believer, a faith that produces peace and
comfort, indicated by the white rose.
Faith marks the beginning of heavenly
joy, indicated by the field of blue and
the golden ring of eternity.
The Latin scripts of mottos from
the Reformation era are etched beneath
Luther’s coat of arms on this window:
Solus Christus (Christ Alone is the
The Ten Commandments
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53
author & finisher of our salvation); Sola
Gratia and Sola Fide (We are saved by
God’s Grace Alone, through Faith in
Christ
Alone);
and
Sola
Scriptura (Scripture Alone is the source
of all we believe, teach, and confess).
Window 2: The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments are
depicted as Roman numerals on two
stone tablets. They are divided as Jesus
summarized them in Matthew 22:35-40.
The light of God’s revelation beams
down on and through the stone tablets
from above, where the Holy Trinity is
symbolized by a triangle, superimposed
with a trefoil and triquetra. In the background is Mount Sinai, where God gave
the commandments to Moses to give to
the people.
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The Stained Glass Quarterly
Photographer: Richard Potts, © 2014
The Apostles’ Creed
Window 3: The Apostles’ Creed
This window depicts the second of
the six chief parts in Luther’s Small
Catechism, namely the Apostles’ Creed.
In the center are the Holy Scriptures
from which the Creed is drawn as a
summary of the Christian faith. The
Creed is denoted as a leaf of green on
which is written the Latin word credo
(from which we get the word “creed”),
which means “I believe.”
Above is a trefoil symbol of the
Holy Trinity, which is outlined in the
Creed. Superimposed over the trefoil
are three circles in which we see symbols of the Godhead: a hand emanating
from a sky of blue, representing the creative and blessing hand of God the
Father; a lamb holding a flag of victory
on a field of royal purple, symbolizing
our victorious and reigning Savior, the
Son of God; and a descending Dove on
a Pentecost red backdrop, reminding all
of Pentecost and the descent of the Holy
Spirit.
Window 4: The Lord’s Prayer
This is the prayer our Lord taught
his disciples. It is recorded in Luke 11
and Matthew 6. Near the bottom, the
introductory words, “Our Father, who
art in heaven,” encircle the arc of the
globe, which is resting on Baptismal
waters and crowned with praying hands.
This is to depict the Church at prayer.
The words, “Lord, teach us to
pray,” etched on the right side, is the
request that prompted the Lord to give
us this prayer. Above, parting the
clouds, is the Holy Trinity depicted by
an interlaced triquetra inside a silver circle of beveled glass. Light streams
down to show that God hears and
answers our prayers for the sake of
Christ.
Photographer: Richard Potts, © 2014
Window 5: Baptism
The two crosses near the top of the
window remind us of the baptismal
liturgy: “Receive the sign of the holy
cross both upon your forehead and upon
your heart to mark you as one redeemed
by Christ the crucified.” The descending dove with the nimbus is the oldest
symbol for the Holy Spirit. The nimbus
is called a tri-radiant patee. Notice that
the rays of light shine down from the
Holy Spirit, reminding us that God’s
gift of grace comes from Him to us.
The escallop shell is a traditional
symbol for baptism. The three drops of
water coming off the shell remind us
that we are baptized “in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19). Water flows
generously from the shell, to drown the
old Adam. The red streaks in the water
remind us of the blood of Christ Jesus,
shed for us to wash us clean and bring
us newness of life. The ark, in the lower
left corner, is a symbol of the Christian
The Lord’s Prayer
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Church. When God sent the flood, eight
believers were saved by means of the
ark. Peter makes the connection
between the ark and baptism in his first
letter.
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The Stained Glass Quarterly
Photographer: Richard Potts, © 2014
Baptism
Window 6: Confession and the Office
of the Keys
In the center of the window is the
cross of Christ on which our Savior suffered and died to purchase our forgiveness and salvation. The keys overlay the
cross to show this special authority,
which Christ has given His Church on
earth to forgive the sins of the repentant
and withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant.
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Window 7: The Lord’s Supper
Two intersecting circles reflect the
Sacrament of the Altar. In the bottom
circle, wheat and grapes are the source
of the unleavened bread and the wine,
which are depicted above by a chalice
and host. The middle field is the white
linen of the altar. The blood-red cross on
the host and the rays of God’s glory
draw us to Christ’s words, “This is my
body which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of Me... This cup is the
new testament in My blood, which is
shed for you, for the forgiveness of
sins.” Luther explains this sacrament in
these words, “It is the true body and
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the
bread and wine, instituted by Christ
Himself for us Christians to eat and to
drink.”
About Preston Art Glass Studio
From a young age, owner Dale
Preston was exposed to the beauty of
stained glass. “I grew up in an old house
with a lot of stained glass, so I always
had an appreciation for it. Then my parents took a beginner class and taught me
Confession and the Office of the Keys
The Stained Glass Quarterly
Photographer: Richard Potts, © 2014
the process of making stained glass windows. For 15 years, while I worked full
time in other employment, stained glass
was a hobby. I’d take side jobs doing
some stained glass repairs or creating
new windows. But it was so rewarding,
I eventually realized that this is what I
wanted to focus on for the rest of my
life. I was inspired and encouraged by
two people in particular: Hank Griffith
and Linda Fiehler, who ran Mithra
Glassworks in my neighborhood. In
1995, I started Preston Art Glass
Studio.”
In the early years of the studio,
Dale and his wife Gwyn had eight children at home. “The kids were always in
the mix,” Dale says. “They kind of grew
up with the business.” His four eldest
children all worked with him in the studio, learning to cut glass, solder, and
cement windows. Some worked with
Dale full time during the summers.
Two of Dale’s sons, Jacob and
Elias, work in the studio today. “I’m so
pleased that they are here,” Dale says.
“They’ve picked up many aspects of the
business and are excellent craftsmen.”
Carol Wright, a talented artist, and
Jonathan Woodard, wonderfully skilled
at fabricating windows, complete the
staff.
“I’m just the one that pulls it all
together,” Dale says. He is a savvy
businessman, though, having determined long ago that it was important
to have more than one income stream
to keep the business going in a fickle
economy.
“We have been able to survive
because we have four income streams.
We mainly do residential windows —
new and repairs. But we also do some
new church windows and church repair
work. We have installed protective storm
coverings over church windows that are
seven stories high. In addition, the studio
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Photographer: Richard Potts, © 2014
The Lord’s Supper
is a retail shop where we teach classes to
hobbyists and sell supplies. It’s a nice
mix, what we have here. When people
walk in, they’re walking into a working
studio. I think that is very attractive and
interesting to people. They can get the
feel of a studio, meet the staff, and choose
their own glass for custom windows or
class projects. It is very rewarding as we,
our clients, and our students all grow in a
deeper appreciation of art and stained
glass.”
When asked if he has any regrets,
Dale is quick to answer. “No. The ebb
and flow of the economy can be challenging. Some years I do great; some
years I do not do as well. Also, as a studio
owner, I’ve had to wear many, many hats.
That can be difficult too. I got into the
business because I enjoy making stained
glass windows — it’s my love and my
passion. And yet I’ve done less and less
of that over the years because I’ve had to
step forward to run the business.”
Still, Dale considers himself blessed.
He is living his dream, and he finds
meaning in his work. “Stained glass has
an enduring quality. What we’re making
now will be in existence centuries from
now, inspiring other people and, I hope,
blessing people.”
His advice for other studio owners
and artisans? “Follow your heart. Start
small. Take one step at a time. Try to
please people as you go along. That’s
how my business has grown; we’ve
always tried to really please our customers.”
You can find Preston Art Glass
Studio on the Internet at: www.prestonartglass.com.
*Author’s note: The detailed descriptions of the
seven commissioned windows have been
adapted from the church’s website, and
they are presented here with Rev. Pelsue’s
permission.
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