We are blessed with seven beautiful windows in our sanctuary. The windows were installed during a major renovation in October, 1967, and repaired in May, 1992. You are invited to meditate on each one to enjoy its beauty and receive its spiritual blessing.

The Life and Teachings of Jesus

The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1-40

Jesus was born to a humble maiden, Mary, who accepted the will of God for her life. God then called Joseph to be Jesus' earthly father. Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. The angels of heaven broke through the sky to the shepherds to announce his coming singing glory to God.

At the temple in Jerusalem, the prophet Simeon blessed Jesus as "a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of your people Israel." (Luke 2:32) God sent Jesus to be one of us and to live among and within us. He becomes king of our lives. We become his disciples.

Jesus in the Temple
Luke 2:41-52

Jesus, at the age of 12, goes with his parents and their neighbors in Nazareth to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When the feast is over, Jesus stayed behind to learn about God and the kingdom from the temple scholars. There Mary and Joseph found him and shared their anxious hearts with him. Jesus replied, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" At age 12, every Jewish male is celebrated with the bar mitzvah, meaning "Son of Command." He is now an adult responsible for his moral and religious studies. He takes his turn reading the Law and the prophets at the local synagogue.

We are called to grow in wisdom and the grace of God. Jesus shows us the way. We are open to receive him and respond by committing ourselves to living in accord with his way of love and grace.

Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5-7

and The colors in this window come alive in the late afternoon. Jesus too, goes outdoors to speak to the people. He speaks to them of what the kingdom of God will be like, stressing in Matthew 5:17 that "I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill them."

All that God has done and taught through the Old Testament is now come into its fullness in Jesus and his teachings. It is another way of living- God's way. We are taught how to pray, and how to seek his kingdom to bring peace, joy, and wholeness to our lives. We are to bear fruit for the kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus calls us to be his salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are to build our lives on the solid rock of these teachings.

Jesus and the Children
Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17

Many of us learned, as children, the chorus "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." Although there are only two children depicted, surely others are nearby.

In each of the above gospels, the story is inserted in a group of seemingly unconnected teachings. Mark 10:26 might provide a common link when the disciples ask Jesus, "Who then can be saved?"

In many places, children are passed as not very important. This is not true of Jesus or our church. Our children are deeply loved and we value them as persons of great worth. A baby comes to us directly from the will and presence of God. To be like a child is to be open to God, seeking and learning what it means to walk in the light of the Lord. We can be drawn to God's love and grace by walking with our children. Jesus blesses them, and he will bless all of us when we come to him.

Jesus the Master Storyteller
Mark 4:1-10; Matthew 13:1-23; Luke 8:4-15

"Listen! A farmer when out to sow his seed." So begins the parable of the sower. A parable disarms and wins people in their life situation. A story lingers in the mind like music and may bring salvation after many days.

Jesus was a master storyteller. He looked around and saw the kingdom in ordinary people. His stories encouraged people to live in the kingdom. Those who heard Jesus looked around them at the sower, a woman baking bread, a torn garment, a lost sheep, and much more. All of these are earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.

We are called not only to live the kingdom of God's love and grace but to sow seeds of love and grace among people around us. Jesus urges us to listen to God's direction in our lives. How often God speaks to us but we are too full of voices of the world to listen. Turn from the noise of the world. Listen to God's spirit within you. Be a seed that grows a hundred times! "Be a seed grown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop." (Mark 4:20) May we listen and hear, responding to his stories by living in the kingdom.

Jesus at Prayer
Matthew 14:22-23; Luke 6:12, 11:1-4; Mark 14:32-34

Jesus prayed many times in many different situations. After the hard press of the crowds, usually after a teaching about the kingdom or to help a needy person, Jesus would withdraw to a quiet place for prayer and meditation. Sometimes the disciples when with him, sometimes he went alone.

Jesus was the son of God. He was sent by God to care for people. Jesus was also in human form while living on earth. There were times when he was tired and exhausted, spiritually and physically. He needed to talk with God and feel His renewing love and spirit. So he drew apart from the people to pray.

Just how intense his prayers were is revealed in his prayer in Gethsemane when he faced betrayal, arrest and death. Mark states "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." Luke writes "His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."

We too, need to come to God in prayer. We need strength for the life to which God has called us. In times of distress and burnout we need the renewal of a time or night in prayer. Let go and listen to God's love and strength for us. May God bless you and lead you into his kingdom.

Jesus' Ascension
Luke 24:36-51

Why the leap from Jesus depicted at prayer to the ascension? There is no cross and no resurrection, yet the ascension was possible only because of these two. Certainly the cross and the resurrection are implied and affirmed by the ascension. Perhaps the artist simply ran out of windows!

The story of Jesus' ascension come from on writer, Luke. He records the ascension in the gospel and in Acts 1. In the Acts story, Jesus tells the disciples not to focus on setting dates but to accept God's authority in such matters. Jesus affirms that they will receive power through the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Jesus' life and teachings "to the ends of the earth."

As they watched Jesus ascend into heaven, two men appeared to them asking why they stood staring into the sky. Jesus would that same day return to them. Now they were to get back to living the kingdom taught by Jesus. They were to be his witnesses to all he said and did.
Two thousand years later, we are called by the Spirit to be witnesses in the world we live in. May the blessings of Jesus still be showered upon us! May we of Germantown Brick Church together receive the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill our calling. May our sanctuary remind us of Jesus and his way in the Kingdom of God on earth.