CREEDE HINSHAW: Time-passer: Stained-glass window Top 10

One can do many things in church to forestall boredom. Some of us count things, others create puzzles on church bulletins, text friends or check out Facebook. Here’s a suggestion I suspect you’ve never tried: Make a list of the Top Ten stained-glass windows you’d like depicted in your synagogue or church. The only caveat is that these windows must be of themes you’ve never previously seen depicted.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Elijah and the Soggy Bonfire Contest (1 Kings 18): This dramatic story describes how a courageous prophet of God defeats 450 pagan prophets in an ancient “burning man festival” designed to prove that Israel’s God was superior to the god Baal. Before calling on divine fire, Elijah has his pile of wood soaked with water. What an opportunity for artistic license!

Jesus Drawing in the Dirt (John 8): The story of the woman caught in the act of adultery and hauled before Jesus is one of the most beloved stories in the gospel, yet I’ve never seen a window showing him drawing in the dirt and confounding the self-righteous, stone-casting authorities.

The Demoniac Clothed and in his Right Mind in a Cemetery (Mark 5): This chapter describes a man possessed with a thousand demons. He was so strong that nobody could keep him shackled and so out of control that he ran around the cemetery naked. When Jesus healed him, the townspeople found the man calm, clothed and in his right mind, a herd of pigs the new host for the demons. What a depiction this would make!

Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28): I suspect this theme has been depicted many times, but I have never seen it. I’d like to see depicted those angels ascending and descending that heavenly ladder from the very gate of heaven while a desperate Jacob slept alone in the wilderness. Considering that Jesus made reference to this story makes it even more appropriate for the church.

The Book of Revelation: I’ve not limited this window to a single theme or chapter. A glass artist could fill an entire church with themes comforting, terrifying or both from this last book of the Christian Bible. Think of the throne of God, the seven churches of Asia, the plagues and quakes, the overthrow of Satan, the lake of fire, the streets paved with gold, the tree with leaves for the healing of the nations … this book would be a paradise (or a conundrum) for the artist.

Moses in the Bulrushes (Exodus 2): With such a wealth of Mosaic themes available (the parting of the Sea of Reeds, delivering the Ten Commandments, standing before the burning bush, the manna in the wilderness, etc.) it’s possible that the salvation of the baby Moses may have been overlooked. This window could be a welcome relief to the more dramatic windows I’ve described above.

Hundreds of other Biblical stories could make great stained-glass windows. The book of Genesis alone has enough stories to fill any number of churches or synagogues. What stories would be on your list?

Contact Creede Hinshaw at [email protected].