St. John's Stained Glass Windows
The stained glass windows in St. John’s Church were designed by Cathey Coverly, Ernie Orfil and Donna Swanson and crafted by Frank Small. They were created in the years following the opening the new church building in 1997.
SIX DAYS OF CREATION
These six windows depict God’s creation of the universe. They are located above the nave in the celestory windows. The depictions begin at the right back of the church and move forward, then go to the back of the left side and continue forward.
The First Day was given in Thanksgiving for Carl Ferguson as project manager for the construction of our church by the people of St. John’s.
The Second Day was given in thanksgiving for Timothy Stutler as chair of St. John’s Building Committee by the people of St. John’s.
The Third Day was given in memory of Wilma Standley by Dan and Connie Wemple.
The Fourth Day was given by Duane and Priscilla Bergstrom in memory of loved ones.
The Fifth Day was given by Kate Richiger in memory of Frances Guest.
The Sixth Day was given by Dave and Marge Julien in memory of Mary Julien and Erwin E. Hobbs.
EAST ROSE WINDOW
This window, above the altar, depicts images of the Holy Eucharist. In the design are chalices and wafers blended together to create a beautiful and serene atmosphere. This window was given in thanksgiving by William and Faye Cory.
WEST ROSE WINDOW
This window is referred to as the baptism window. It reflects its light on the baptismal font and it depicts the Holy Spirit descending at baptism. This window was given in memory of Bill and Marion Dunn.
VISION OF MARY
These three windows, over the altar in the small chapel, are to be seen as one piece. The angel Gabriel can be seen coming to Mary. Only Mary’s hands and halo can be seen. On one side is her vision of the birth of Jesus and on the other side is her vision of Jesus’ death. These windows were given in memory of Frances n. Kahn by Gladys Jukich.
MARY AND MARTHA
The two small windows on the north and south sides of the altar depict all women, especially Mary and Martha, Jesus’ friends. The north window depicts service and the south window depicts prayer. The “service” window was given in thanksgiving for Alice Rankin Howard by her son, Robert. The “prayer” window was given by Colin and Leoni Radford and family in appreciation for St. John’s Church.
UPPER WINDOWS AT CHURCH CROSSING
These eight windows depict various concepts and ideas.
On the north side above the organ is a depiction of glorious music offered to God. Pipes and sound waves can be seen. This window was given by the Altar Guild in honor of the Rev. Michael Kaehr.
Moving counterclockwise, the next window also depicts music with musical notations and the word “Alleluia.” This window was given by the people of St. John’s to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Cheryl Seppala as organist of St. John’s Church.
The third window in this sequence depicts the hope of the resurrection and was given by John and Judy Butcher in memory of loved ones.
The fourth window was inspired by the words of the hymn “Morning Has Broken” – “like the first morning, blackbird has spoken.” It was given in memory of Wilfred G. Richardson.
The south side, above the chapel, moving clockwise, begins with the “Marriage Window” depicting the marriages of three clergy persons from St. John’s, the Rev. Michael Kaehr, the Rev. George Keith and the Rev. James Grosso. This window was given by the Women of St. John’s.
The next window is called the “Love Window,” depicting agape – the love Christians have for each other. This window was given in memory of Carl and Venoa Jackson.
The third window is “The Star of Bethlehem” symbolized by a starfish. Note the jewel in the center. This window was given by Nancy Painter in memory of Myrta Thomson Painter.
The last window in this section is the “Scout Window” representing the Gift of Scouting. It was given in memory of W.E. Malaney.
THE CHILDREN’S WINDOW
This large window in the narthex was designed with the help of the children of St. John’s. Many children participated by submitting ideas for this window. This window has not yet been offered as a memorial or commemoration.
RESURRECTION
This window, behind the choir, depicts the resurrection of Christ. Much symbolism is in this piece including the darkness of the tomb and the cosmic nature of Christ’s resurrection. Under the main window are smaller windows of lilies, another symbol of the resurrection. This window was given by Frank and Flora Small in memory of Johnny Jennings and Ruth Small.