Windows of
Zion Lutheran Church
Sandusky, Ohio
Elliptical Transoms
Stained glass elliptical transoms are located above the entrance doors
to Zion Lutheran Church. They denote the proud heritage of our faith.
Luther Seal or Rose Window
The Luther Seal or Luther Rose is a widely recognized symbol for
Lutheranism. Located in the balcony above the Reformation Window, Luther said
his seal was meant to be “expressive of his theology.” It contains the black cross of
sin, Christ’s red sacrificial heart, the white rose of faith, blue for hope in
anticipation of heavenly joy, and the endless band of gold in realization of that joy.
“Ein feste burg ist unser Gott” translates as “A mighty fortress is our God.” Next
to the window are the cross and crown symbolic of faith. The side windows depict
a font and a chalice surrounded by wheat and grapes. The font symbolizes the
Sacrament of Holy Baptism and chalice surrounded by wheat and grapes
symbolizes Holy Communion, also called the Sacrament of the Altar.
Von Gerichten Stained Glass Windows
The present building in which Zion worships dates from 1899. The
stained glass windows were crafted by the Von Gerichten Art Glass
Company in Columbus, Ohio. Two brothers, Theodore and Ludwig Von
Gerichten, immigrates from Germany, formed the company in 1891
naming it the Birmingham Art Glass Company in Cullman, Alabama. Two
years later the Von Gerichten brothers moved their company to Columbus,
Ohio and changed the name to Capital City Art Glass Company. In 1898
the Von Gerichten brothers again changed the name of the company, this
time giving it their own name: The Von Gerichten Art Glass Company. At
one time they claimed to be the largest art glass studio in the United States
with 100 employees. They were the winners of four gold medals at the St.
Louis Exposition in 1904 for stained glass windows. The Von Gerichten
Art Glass Company remained in existence until closing its doors in the late
1930s. During the time that the Von Gerichtens were in the art glass
business they created approximately 1,800 windows for approximately 850
churches in the United States. Although the Von Gerichten Art Glass
Company no longer exists, their stained glass windows in churches
throughout the United States reflect the master craftsmanship that was
clearly Von Gerichten.
Photography By: Catherine Lewis and Ken McFarlan
Narrative By: Michael Bailey and Laura Stellhorn
Reformation Window
The Reformation Window shows Martin Luther (center), Philip Melanchthon
(left), Johann Bugenhagen (back), and Caspar Cruciger (right) translating the Bible
into German. Philip Melanchthon was Luther’s close friend and co-worker. Along
with Luther, he is the primary founder of Lutheranism. Johann Bugenhagen was
pastor to Martin Luther at St. Mary's church in Wittenberg, Germany. Casper
Cruciger was a Professor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg and an
expert linguist. Within the side windows are an anchor and a cross/crown. The
anchor is symbolic of Christ as the anchor of Christian hope. The cross/crown
symbolizes the life of the Christian. In the world of suffering the Christian life is
represented by the cross while the crown represents our eternal reward.
Christ Praying in Gethsemane
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
503 Columbus Avenue
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
419-625-2112
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.zionsandusky.org
Christ Praying in Gethsemane (Matthew 26) holds a central place above
the altar at Zion Lutheran Church. The stream of light upon Jesus symbolizes
God’s presence with His son. Just beyond Jesus the disciples are shown asleep.
The scriptures say they could not stay awake while Jesus prayed. In the
background, Jerusalem is shown where his trial was held. Jesus was praying
that the cup of agony, shown above Jesus, might be taken from Him.
Mary Martha Window
The Mary Martha Window is the largest stained glass window at Zion
Lutheran Church. It illustrates the Luke 10 account of Jesus visiting in the
home of Mary and Martha in Bethany. Mary is shown sitting at the feet of
Jesus listening to what he was saying while Martha is distracted in preparing
the meal. There are numerous stained glass symbols within the Mary Martha
Window. Located along the bottom are a row of lilies that symbolize the
virgin birth, Easter and the resurrection. Above are found a sheaf of wheat
and grapes/chalice symbolizing Holy Communion. The stone tablet and
open Bible symbolize the Ten Commandments and the Word of God.
Christ the Good Shepherd
Jesus Knocking on the
Door of our Hearts
Christ the Good Shepherd (John 10) and Jesus Knocking on the Door
of our Hearts (Revelation 3) are located above the altar to the left and right
of the Gethsemane window. These two windows were originally located
above the organ/choir loft when the church was built and dedicated on
November 19, 1899. Renovations were undertaken in 1954 involving a new
organ/choir loft that necessitated the loss of this area for windows. The two
windows were relocated to their present location above the altar replacing
windows of St. John and St. Paul. Above these two windows are symbolic
stained glass windows depicting an eagle and a sword/Bible. These are in
their original locations. The eagle is located above the original location of St.
John and represents John’s Gospel which soars heavenward as on eagle’s
wings. The sword/Bible found above the original location of St. Paul
represents the “Sword of the Spirit.” The stained glass windows of St. John
and St. Paul were removed, crated, and stored upon the completion of the
renovations in 1954 for possible future use.
At the top of the Mary Martha Window an overlay of the letters IHS is
shown. This is a Christogram which is a combination of letters that denote
the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus. Within the side windows
are lilies and a dove. The lilies are again symbolic of the virgin birth, Easter,
and resurrection while the dove represents the Holy Spirit which descended
upon Jesus at His baptism. At the top of the two side windows are the first
and the last letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and omega, derived from the
statement of Jesus himself, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the
Last, the Beginning and the End”
St. John
St. Paul
The stained glass windows of St. John and St. Paul were originally
located above the altar on the left and right side of Christ Praying in
Gethsemane. With the renovations undertaken in 1954 involving a new
organ/choir loft, these two windows were removed, crated, and stored.
They were replaced with the stained glass windows of Christ the Good
Shepherd and Jesus Knocking on the Door of our Hearts which had been
over the old organ/choir loft area. The stained glass windows of St. John and
St. Paul were restored and installed in the balcony above the Gathering
Room as part of the renovations of the sanctuary in 1997. They were
restored by Winterich Studio of Cleveland, Ohio. St. John was one of the
Twelve Apostles of Jesus. The son of Zebedee and brother of James, John
was called to be an Apostle by our Lord in the first year of His public
ministry. He became the "beloved disciple" and the only one of the Twelve
who did not forsake the Savior in the hour of His passion. He stood
faithfully at the cross when the Savior made him the guardian of His mother.
The apostle John is shown in the stained glass window writing his Gospel
and letters to the Revelation seven churches. St. Paul was an early Christian
missionary and theologian, known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Born a Jew
and as a zealous Pharisee, he persecuted the first Christians until a vision of
Jesus converted him to Christianity. Paul’s ministry and religious views are
known largely from his letters, or epistles, within the New Testament. The
stained glass window of St. Paul is symbolic of him with a sword and open
book in reference to his Ephesians “Sword of the Spirit.”
St. John
St. Paul