In 2007, before I was assigned to shepherd this congregation, a fund was established to produce and install a stained-glass window as a memorial to the saints of Bonsack United Methodist Church who are now a part of the Church Triumphant.  Over the years the fund has grown, and unfortunately, over the past year it has grown considerably because of multiple deaths of some of the great saints of the Church.  As that fund has grown, so has the interested in completing the project, and over the past few months we moved forward, contracted with a company, and earlier this week the window was installed.
    The window enhances our worship space considerably, and it is both a fitting backdrop to the cross while also giving a beautiful focal point to connect us with God.  But this window is about more than just beautification of our worship space, it is also a reminder of the beauty and color that these saints, upon whose memory the funding came, brought to the world and our lives.
    At memorial services and funerals, a common practice is to share stories of the lives of those who died.  Sometimes those stories are touching and at other times they are comical.  Often they encapsulate who that person was, but always the intent of the story telling in this setting is to share where Christ was revealed in their living.  It is a means of remembering, giving thanks, and celebrating the life and love of those who shaped our lives.
    The window that has been installed tells the story of Holy Week.  At the bottom is a palm branch, the symbol of Christ’s entrance as humble King, and that symbol points toward the nails and crown, reminding us of Christ’s suffering and death.  But death will not be defeated, for trumpeting Easter Lilies move our eyes upward to the Hope and assurance of Resurrection.  We follow the path to the light of the Sun, the symbol of God’s source of light and life, and overarching the whole work of art is the dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit, which is with us always.  This window is a visual reminder of the story of life.  It reveals the Kingly nature of the faith and embraces the suffering, but all points toward the Hope and assurance of God’s presence and life with us now, and forever.

    In chapter 11 of John’s Gospel one can find the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead.  Jesus shows up four days after Lazarus’ death, and quite frankly his sisters are a bit bewildered and angry at Jesus for taking so long.  They say, “If you’d only been here, he’s be alive!”  As they converse Jesus assures them that Lazarus will rise again, and in the ultimate proclamation tells them, “I am the resurrection and I am life, and those who believe in me, yet shall they live. If they believe in me, they will never die.”  Jesus then proves it, and Lazarus, bound in graveclothes, walks out of the tomb.
    Here is a visual reminder, even proclamation, that indeed Jesus is the Resurrection and life, and when those who believe live into our faith, then life comes.  Resurrection is made real.  Death is defeated, and those who are bound by so much, are released.  They are freed to live true life, life that reveals to the world, the hope that they have been given.


    Just as this window is a visual reminder of our story, when I think back on the lives of those honored and remembered through this work of art, I envision a visual reminder of their story.  In them God’s story was lived out and shared, and the Hope of Resurrection was revealed to many, including me.
    Thank God for such visual reminders.  May we remember, and may we too reveal Christ to all who cross our path.

Who are the saints that have shaped your life?  Are you a visual reminder of Hope and Resurrection to the world?