Meaningful Design of Our Stained Glass

The stained-glass windows were donated to Redeemer by members of the congregation. They were designed and crafted by Mark Anschutz, Resident Artist at Center for Liturgical Art at Concordia University, Seward Nebraska.

The north window, behind the altar, incorporates antique glass formerly in a church at Mitchell, Kansas.

The Holy Sacraments

The symbolism of the north window highlights two distinctive aspects of the Christian faith, the Holy Trinity and the Christian Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. The three persons of the Trinity are represented by both the brickwork and the two upper panels. The leaf in the upper east panel represents creation, and thus God the Father, Maker of heaven and earth; the brick cross represents God the Son and his death on the cross; and the dove in the upper west panel represents God the Holy Spirit, who appeared at Jesus’ baptism in the form of a dove.

The Holy Trinity

Messages at the Bottom

Beneath each Symbol for the Sacraments is a Bible quotation, which unfortunately is hidden by the required safety railing. Beneath the symbol for Holy Baptism is the phrase “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism”.

Beneath the symbol for Holy Communion are the words “This Do in Remembrance of Me”, as spoken by Christ at the Last Supper when he instituted this Sacrament.

At the bottom are two messages: “Do not be afraid” - is the message on the left. Mary was told this by the angel who came to announce that she would give birth to the Savior, Jesus. “Faith, Hope and Love” - is the message on the right. It is from 1 Corinthians 13:13 … “and the greatest of these is love.”

The south window, above the main entry, is built around the name of our congregation, Redeemer. These windows can also be seen through the cross-shaped window in the rear of the balcony.

The crown in the upper left corner (from the outside) symbolizes the kingship of Jesus as well as the crown of eternal life, promised to all believers on the Last Day.

The crown of thorns laid on top of a cross in the upper right reminds us of the passion, suffering, and death of Jesus who, by these actions, redeemed us from our sin, from death, and from the power of the devil.

The lilies in the bottom right are a traditional symbol of the resurrection of our Lord.

We are reminded that Jesus is the first fruit of the dead, meaning that just as He is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity, we too are promised that death is now defeated and we will be raised in glory on the last day as well.

They also remind us of the new life we have in Christ as we are baptized not only into His death but also into His resurrection.

The wheat in the bottom left depict the harvest field in which we now labor.

We remember the prayer Jesus teaches the Church to pray: that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into His field. As well as the parable of the Sower in which the Lord reminds us that it is the Word of God, planted into hearts and minds, that brings about faith.