Windows into heaven Week 2- Carroll UMC

Windows into heaven

Week 2- Carroll UMC

This is our second week on the windows in the church. Last week we talked about what I have come to call the “eternity window.”

 This week we move to what I call the “Promise window.”

Look at our windows here. In what shape are our windows designed? How many of you have noticed that each of the windows along the side is in an angel?  See it?  What is an angel? An angel is a messenger. These beautiful angels bring us a message.  Now the angels are collected into groups of how many?  3? What did I say last week about 3? When we see three of anything in a church the first thought should be trinity. These angels are bringing us a message from the divine triunity- who was, is and always will be.

 Each angel has different message, but I have tried to see an overarching theme in each set of three.  I call this window the “promise window.” Technically maybe it should be the covenant window, but covenants and contracts are so legal and technical. In terms of our relationship to God, I think promise is the best word. There are three promises in this window.

 Let’s start with the 10 commandments in the middle.  These would represent the Mosaic covenant or promise.  In Exodus chapter 19, God promised Moses

 

The promise is twofold:

•            Keep my commandments and you will be my treasured possession.

•            And Keep the commandments and you shall be a priestly nation.

In chapter 20 God lays out the 10 commandments they are to follow if they want to be God’s treasured possession and a priestly nation.

Now, I didn’t notice until this week that there is a little greenery behind the tablet. I could not find anything about the combination of those symbols. But look closely isn’t the vine in the shape of the cross?  And when we see vines in stain glass it usually depicts the true vine through whom all life comes. New life comes to us, the branches, through Jesus, the vine.

 

•            Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live Proverbs 4:4

•            Keep my commandments and live Proverbs 7:2

•            If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments. Matthew 19:17

I think the combination of the commandments and the living cross is a great way to of speak of the promise of life for those who are faithfully obedient.

Much more could be said about the message of the central angel, but today I want to focus more on the other two.

 Right-hand angel shows a boat and a bird. What do you suppose that is about? I know that the Sunday school Children have been studying this.  I wonder if we have someone who has listed very carefully in Sunday School and could come help me with this window.

I’ll just ask a few questions and see if you can help us.

•            What do you see in that window? (ark)

•            Who is in the ark? (Noah and animals)

•            I know that Noah built the ark, but can you tell us why?

o            Because God commanded him

o            In order to Stay out of the flood waters

•            Do you know why there was a flood?  (It was because people were very sinful.) We might say that means they didn’t live by God’s commandments. To be fair, Noah lived long before God gave people the 10 commandments. They should have known, however, that when people lie, steal, cheat, and kill that makes God very sad… maybe even a little mad, but not scary mad. God is mad enough, though that God decided to give the world a good cleaning.  Noah as the one good man in the world who did not need to be cleaned, so he was instructed to build an ark.

Does anyone see another ark in our sanctuary? First, take just the sanctuary… then cut off the floor so you have just the walls and roof. Now flip it over and see if it will float?  If it wouldn’t float, it looks like it could. 

•            Now, what else do you see there? (Dove)

•            What was the dove for? (So, Noah knew when it as safe to get off the boat.)

 There is one other part of the story that is missing.  Do you know what?  The rainbow. What did the rainbow mean? God would never destroy the earth by flood again. And God made a promise.  God said

You did a great job… can I ask you one last trick question and a knock knock joke? …Knock knock!... who’s there? Noah…. Noah who?

You Noah lot about Noah and the ark, don’t you?  Thanks for helping

             

 So, there’s one last angel in this window.

That is the angel of the baptism with the promise of eternal life. 

Today is Baptism of our Lord Sunday so we read the story of Jesus’ baptism.  It Is Baptism of Marlee Sunday.  And it is a day for us all to remember that we were baptized and be thankful.

Baptism was first an act of repentance and cleansing and second, affirming whose they were.

And Jesus baptism adds one more thing.  In Jesus baptism, it was not all about him. The dove came down and the voice spoke this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.  In his baptism, God named him and claimed Jesus as his own.

Now notice the flowers?  As always, a vine in stained glass makes us think of the vine that brings life to the branches. But there is more here. Besides being the second appearance of the vine in these three windows this is a specific kind of plant.

This is a lotus plant and flowers. Lotus flowers grow in the mud and muck of the bottom of shallow lakes. They grow from the ugliness of the bottom until finally emerging into the light where its leaves float on the surface of the pond and it blooms.

Our world is rooted in the muck of sin. We are mired in the muck of sin.

God used an ark to save Noah from the mud and muck of the flood.

God carved the commandments on the hearts of his people when he still had the mud of Egyptian slavery and the muck the red sea on their feet.

God Saved us once and for all from the muck of our sin by drawing us to the mystery ad miracle of baptism.

We need to be cleansed… we need the miracle and mystery that is baptism.

•            The miracle is that God has created a way to raise us from the muck and mire of sin and make us clean.

•            The Mystery of baptism is that in this mighty act of redemption God speaks to you.  God speaks to me.  God speaks to anyone who will submit to the mysterious miraculous waters.  just as God spoke at Jesus’ baptism,

•            In that Mystery, God speaks again to claim us and names us as God’s own.  God places his brand on our foreheads and says to all creation this one is mine… this is my child… this one loves me back. 

•            This one is special.

It seems that often with God’s promise, God gives a sign. The Rainbow of hope for Noah, the heavy stone tablets of the law. In Jesus’ Baptism, it was the dove and the voice from heaven. In our baptism, God gives us a sign.  Kind of like a brand that tells the world that this one belongs to God.   A reminder to us that God knows us, claims us and names us as beloved children.

 I don’t know about you, but I need reminders all the time. Just ask Sherri or my wife. But especially I need to be remined that God has adopted me, cleaned me up, and staked his claim on my life.

I don’t know what God’s brand looks like, but I think a rainbow is as likely as anything. 

A rainbow-reminder that no matter how hard it is, no matter how much temptation we may face, no matter how much we may fall to sin. When the clouds part God’s rainbow is a reminder to God of God promise to never leave us and never forsake us. And it is a reminder to us of God’s goodness, God’s faithfulness, and God’s grace.

May this baptism renewal be a celebration of all that God is to us and all we can be in God.

 Come remember you are baptized and be thankful.