Title: "A Window on Advent"
Text: Isaiah 11:1-10 and John 6:35
The Advent Window at
Trinity Presbyterian Church
For those of us who are relatively new here at Trinity, a bit of history may help us better to appreciate these wonderful windows. And for those of you who have been here for at least fifteen years, a little reminder of what happened back in 1990 may jump start your memories.
During that Centennial Year of celebrations in 1990, this series of six leaded, stained glass windows was added to the sanctuary. The windows surround us with grand visions of the Christian year. Look around and you will notice that each window offers a major and a minor theme. The major theme is located in the upper two-thirds of each window, where we see one of the seasons of the Christian year -- beginning with Advent in the middle of the north wall and then east along the north wall to the Christmas window. Then, turn to the south wall where, from back to front, you encounter in turn the windows for Epiphany, Lent/Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost.
The minor theme of each window, appropriately placed in the lower portion, represents one of the "I am" statements of Christ, as they are found in the Gospel of John. These "I am" statements are intended to highlight important features of the liturgical season they underscore. The only variation in the minor theme is in the Pentecost window, where the symbol of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) denomination is displayed, instead of another "I am" passage from the Gospel of John.
These wonderful windows were designed, fabricated, and installed by John Kebrle of Dallas, who joined his father's studio (established in 1920) in 1948 and later (1980-1982) served as president of the Stained Glass Association of America. His work is found in many churches in Texas and beyond. In the early 1990s, he was responsible for restoring and re-installing the stained glass windows at NorthPark Presbyterian Church in north Dallas. What may surprise you is that Kebrle has a global reputation based not only on his church windows, but also from his work on the stained glass windows at Hard Rock Cafes around the world.
Now, join me in turning our attention to the Advent window on the north wall. The major theme of this window symbolizes the message of the prophet Isaiah that a Messiah, an Anointed One, would come to the people of God. The window brings forth two of these prophecies: in the middle, we see a tree stump with a new tree emerging from it; at the top, we see the images of the lion and the lamb dwelling together. Shifting our attention to the lower third of the window, we encounter a shock of wheat and loaves for bread. These representations evoke the window’s minor theme: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35).
In this window, we encounter three images brought into juxtaposition for Advent: the tree branch growing from the stump, the lion and the lamb, and the shock of wheat and the bread. We could stop right here – and simply spend the next few minutes silently contemplating the beauty of the window. Instead, let us consider the effect that the artist has created by bringing together these three elements – two from the prophet Isaiah and the third from the Gospel of John – to represent the spirit of Advent.
First, look again at the tree stump and the green tree growing freshly from it. Now, look even more closely at the stump. Can you see that it appears to have been sliced cleanly all the way across? This stump has not just fallen down from the depredations of internal rot or an infestation of pests. Nor does it appear to have been uprooted by a great wind or any other natural force. The only explanation is for the tree to have been cut down by strong and violent external human forces.
Now, reflect back to ancient times, remembering that the people of Israel had been invaded and conquered by the powerful armies of the Assyrians in the 8th century B.C., and later had been driven into exile by the Babylonians in the 6th century B.C. In this context, as you continue to gaze at the window, listen again to the first two verses from our Old Testament lectionary lesson, where the prophet Isaiah told his listeners:
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:1-2).
In the view of the prophet, God promises to bring forth new growth from the devastation that has brought down the people of Israel. The new growth emerging from this violent confrontation will represent a new opportunity for the people of God. But what kind of "opportunity" will the Messiah bring? The prophet provides some important clues by describing the Messiah as being righteous and faithful.
The new leader of God’s people will establish justice by going beyond surface appearances to the underlying reality of social and economic inequities. Listen again to the words of the prophet as you contemplate the image of the new tree growing out of the old stump:
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins (Isaiah 11:3-5).
Now, move your eye up to the image of the lion and the lamb at the top of the window. As you look at the image, listen again to the words of the prophet:
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall puts its hand on the adder’s den (Isaiah 11:6-8).
According to Isaiah, the coming of the Messiah will usher in a time of peace so universal that the lion will no longer attack the lamb, nor will the lamb fear the lion. Violence will give way to peace; enemies and opposites will come together in a new community. The result will be a kingdom where peace will reign and all will dwell in harmony.
Finally, let your gaze descend to the lower third of the window, where we encounter the "minor theme" presented by the artist. As we look upon the shock of wheat and loaves of bread, listen to these words from the Gospel of John:
I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35).
The shock of wheat and the loaves of bread are a witness to the basic hunger of humanity for nourishment -- spiritual as well as physical. The bread also symbolizes for the church the Last Supper and the expectation of ongoing participation in the life of Christ through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper – which we always celebrate here on the first Sunday of Advent.
Having now considered all three images and the texts that inspired them, can we find a way to bring them together? Is there a single theme that connects "the stump and the tree" with "the lion and the lamb" and with "the wheat shock and the loaves of bread"? We need only go to the final two verses of this morning’s Old Testament lectionary lesson to find an answer.
Listen for a final time to the prophet Isaiah:
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious (Isaiah 11:9-10).
Do you hear what I hear in the prophet’s message? In these verses, we are told that God’s people "will not hurt or destroy…" This I take to mean that those who hear God’s word through the prophet will not act as external forces cutting down peoples anywhere in God’s wide world. Nor will we attack the weak or deprive the vulnerable of the justice due to all God’s peoples. As the Messiah becomes a signal calling to all the nations, the kingdom of peace will come into this world. When this peaceable kingdom is proclaimed, we shall transform our basic resources – like the shocks of wheat so abundant in our land – into food to feed the peoples of the world, especially the weak and the vulnerable.
In the vision of the prophet Isaiah, the coming Messiah will bring forth a new world. In this new world, new ways will grow out of old ways, peace will replace war, and raw materials will be transformed to feed the hungry, the weak, and the poor.
For us, here at Trinity, the season of Advent is a time to anticipate the Coming of Christ and our feasting with him at the Messianic banquet. But it also is a time for us to contemplate working together toward peace on earth and justice for all peoples, here in our neighborhood and in every place throughout God’s world.
This is a grand vision: God’s word spoken through an ancient prophet, expressed through leaded, stained glass by a modern artist, and brought to life by a community of faithful believers committed to righteousness for all peoples. Together, building on the work of the prophet and the artist, we can offer our neighbors and this world a very special gift – "A Window on Advent." Amen.