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Stained glass in St.
Andrew's:
Pictures of Christ B.C.
Click
each small picture to see a larger image.
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The
left hand window of the two at the east end of the south aisle
was made in two stages, and the upper and lower halves are in
different style.
At the top are two
small windows, showing two angels facing each other, holding a
scroll bearing the words 'As in Adam all die - so in Christ
shall all be made alive'. |
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Below, the nativity is depicted, across the whole width of the
window's three panels, showing the Christ Child in the manger
with the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, who is holding a staff which
bears a symbolic lily, and two shepherds.
All along the
bottom are the words 'To the glory of God and in memory of Maria
Withington who fell asleep 4th January 1885'. |
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The
lower half illustrates three stories in the Old Testament,
involving women who could be described as Mothers of Hope
foreshadowing the Incarnation.
On the left are
Adam and Eve with three children (one of whom is holding an
apple) the beginning of the human race, fallen but still loved
by God. The words in Genesis saying that the seed of Eve would
bruise or crush the serpent's head, were taken as a prophecy of
Christ who conquered the evil one. Along the bottom are the
words - 'Adam called his wife's name Eve because she was the
mother of all living'. |
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The
central panel shows Sarah, Abraham's wife, who in her old age
bore 'the child of promise' Isaac, the beginning of the chosen
people, among whom, in the fullness of time, Christ was born.
The starry sky above her is probably a reminder of God's promise
that Abraham's descendants should be as 'numerous as the stars
of Heaven. Underneath are the words 'Through faith Sarah herself
received strength to conceive seed'. |
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The
right hand panel is somewhat perplexing, but seems to be the
story of the birth of Samson. Angel of the Lord appeared to his
mother who, like Sarah, had had no children, and told her she
would bear a son who would 'begin to deliver Israel.' Later she
and her husband, Manoah, see the angel again, and they make an
offering to the Lord. When the angel ascends to Heaven in the
flame of the sacrifice, as the window shows, Manoah fears they
will die, because they have seen God. But his wife says the
words at the bottom of the panel: 'If the Lord were pleased to
kill us, He would not have shown us all these things'. The woman
and child portrayed are presumably Samson and his mother, though
at the time of the sacrifice he was not yet born. |
Considering the whole
window, we are reminded of St. Paul's words 'For whatsoever things were
written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through
patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope'.
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St. Andrew's
member Anne Hickox has produced a picture of the Nativity scene
in this window. The webmaster is grateful for permission to
reproduce this here. Please click for a larger image. |
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