Only God is Perfect....

 There appears to be an ongoing discussion about whether artists in some cultures add an imperfection to their work to demonstrate that only the divine creator is perfect, while human creation always falls short in some way.  

For example,  there is a long-standing tradition (myth?) of quilters (Amish or otherwise) placing a "humility block" in a patchwork quilt.  Others suggest that Native American weaving or Japanese pottery often contains a deliberate flaw for this reason (see this article on "The Art of Deliberate Imperfection" for more details and examples).  A similar claim is often made to explain irregularities in medieval illuminations

As a friend and fellow quilter once noted in response to this, it is all too easy to make mistakes in piecing, drawing, and writing -- It's already imperfect, without any need to add deliberate imperfections!

Which brings us to the beautiful Connick windows: are there errors or the equivalent of "humility blocks" in the artisan's work?  Here are a few discrepancies that members of the congregation have noted; whether they are deliberate or not is not something we can ever know, but I pass them on here as points of interest:

1.  The Misplaced Star. (Thanks to Rich Scheunenman for pointing this out!)

In the right lancet window at the front of the church, in the lower right side, you will notice a star that is out of place--it sits above, rather than below, the adjacent blue square.  

UPDATE:  I was informed (6/8/25) that this "error" was made by the individual who re-leaded this window in 1986.  The windows on the West end of the church were bowed, and they removed the windows to correct this problem.  In replacing the glass, the craftsman (who laid the whole window out on the basement floor!) incorrectly reversed these pieces.  So we are still reminded of man's imperfection, but it is not the "fault" of the original artisan.  Thanks to Melvin Olstad for this information.  Mr. Olstad is a good friend of the artisan who repaired the window.

2.  The Smiley Face.  (Thanks to Diane Hochhalter for identifying this!)

In the 9th window (panel 9a, The Garden of Gethsemene), there is a smiley face in the flower just behind Jesus' head.  Was it meant, or is this an example of a happy accident of decoration?

3. Inverted Installation of two windows in the Sacristy.  This would be the "fault" of the architect or installer, not the artist.  It may well have been the decision of the pastor at the time.

Since the Sacristy windows are set separately (not part of a single window), it was possible to mount them in the wrong order.  Connick Associates signed all their paired windows in the lower right corner of the RIGHT window.  In the Sacristy, however, the signature is in the lower right corner of the LEFT window, suggesting that the installer mixed up the two panels or it was decided after the windows were made to install Samuel on the left and David on the right.  Since both images look up (to the right), it is not clear which one should be on the left side without looking for the signature.

Lower right corner of the LEFT window.

Bottom of left window (Samuel), with signature visible in lower right corner.

Actual installation of the two windows, with Samuel on the left and David on the right.

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Apostles Window: St. Thomas

St. Thomas:  Blessed are they that have not
seen and yet have believed (John 20:29b)

 The last window on the East wall (farthest to the right) depicts St. Thomas, holding a carpenter's square.

The verse in the open book at his feet remind us of his best-known attribute -- doubting Thomas, who will not believe that Christ has risen until he sees Him in person.  To him, Christ says, 

"Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29).

Tradition holds that St. Thomas was a missionary to India, where he built many churches.  Therefore, he holds a carpenter's (or architect's) square, to represent his missionary work in Southern Asia.  

There are a number of stories about St. Thomas' ministry and martyrdom in India, as well as some writings, including an apocryphal Acts of St. Thomas and a collection of stories about Jesus' childhood (The Infancy Gospel of Thomas).

His tomb is said to be in Santhome Church in Chennai, India.

His feast day is December 21.

The cross depicted in many churches dedicated to St. Thomas use a "Nasrani" or St. Thomas cross (see image below).  This cross is an empty cross, symbolizing the resurrection.  

St Thomas Cross
Source:  Wikimedia Commons

The dove above the cross symbolizes the Holy Spirit, while the cross rests on a lotus-shaped bowl which could represent the menorah (from the Jewish faith) or a lotus (from the Buddhist tradition), suggesting that Jesus' empty cross (the resurrection) surmounts or replaces the older religious faiths of the community.

Prayer (from the Lutheran Book of Worship):

Almighty and ever-living God, you have given great and precious promises to those who believe.  Grant us that perfect faith which overcomes all doubts, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Apostles Window: St. Matthew

The final two windows on the East wall of the Apostles Chapel are linked by their blue background.  Second from the right (South) is St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.

St. Matthew:  Let your light so shine
 before men that they may 
see your good works" (Matt 5:16)

St. Matthew carries the book of his gospel and holds a purse, suggesting his calling:

"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, Follow me.  And he rose and followed him" (Matt 9:9).

He is again described as "Matthew the tax collector" in Matthew 10:3, in the list of the 12 disciples.  

The purse, therefore, represents the work he abandoned to follow Jesus.  

Christian tradition from the early 2nd century identifies Matthew as the author of the gospel that bears his name, although some scholars today question this belief.  

Tradition also places Matthew as a missionary to Ethiopia; his tomb is located in the crypt of Salerno Cathedral in Southern Italy.

His feast day is September 21.

Prayer from the Lutheran Book of Worship:

Almighty God, your Son our Savior called a despised collector of taxes to become one of his apostles.  Help us, like Matthew, to respond to the transforming call of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Apostles Window: St. Paul

St. Paul:  "Blessed be God the 
Father of Mercies" (II Corinthians 1:3)

The fourth window from the left, paired with St. Peter in terms of color (a red background), presents St. Paul.  Although not one of the original twelve, St. Paul considered himself an apostle because he also saw Jesus in person on the road to Damascus, and he was commissioned by Jesus to preach to the Gentiles.  

Many of his letters begin, "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ..." (I Cor. 1:1), and he defines his "calling" in Galations 1:15-16: "But when it pleased God...to reveal his Son to me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles."  

The Lord similarly defines his calling in Acts 9:15:  "For he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel."

In the image medallion, Paul carries a sword, the symbol of his martyrdom:  he was beheaded in Rome by order of Nero, sometime between AD 64-68.  

According to legend, his head bounced three times, and a fountain sprang up each place the head touched.  The Church of St. Paul at the Three Fountains was built at the site of his martyrdom in the 5th century; today the three fountains are capped because of pollution, but are still visible.

Therefore, Paul also carries a book (which reminds us of his many letters in the Bible) with the three fountains depicted on its cover.

St. Paul has two celebrations in the Church calendar: 

 (1) The Conversion of St. Paul, celebrated January 25 

(2) The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles, celebrated June 29

Prayer (from the Lutheran Book of Worship):

Lord God, through the preaching of your apostle Paul, you established one Church from among the nations.  ... [W]e pray that we may follow his example and be witnesses to the truth in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Apostles Window: St. Peter

St. Peter:  "The word of the Lord 
endureth forever" (I Peter 1:25).

The third window from the left presents St. Peter, holder of the keys to heaven.  The key is depicted in the center of the panel, quite large and topped with a cross, which reminds us that salvation (and heaven) comes to us through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

The keys of heaven are granted to Peter because of his recognition (confession) that Jesus is "the Christ, the son of the Living God."  Jesus says of him, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven..." (Matt 16:16-19).

Peter is among the first of the disciples called by Jesus, and he figures prominently in both the gospels and the first part of Acts as leader of the the apostles and the new Christian faith.  Peter disappears from the biblical account after Acts 15, except for several comments in I Corinthians that suggest he travelled to and taught in Corinth, possibly with a wife (see I Cor 9:15).  

Tradition places him in Rome during Nero's rule, claiming he was crucified, head downward, in about 64 AD.  In 1950 bones of a 60 year old male from the first century were found beneath the altar in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which Pope Paul VI identified as St. Peter's in 1968.

Although not all scholars agree, St. Peter is traditionally viewed as the author of two epistles bearing his name.

St. Peter has two feast days in the Church calendar:  

(1) The Confession of St. Peter, on January 18  

(2) The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles, on June 29

Prayer (from the Lutheran Book of Worship):

Almighty God, you inspired Simon Peter to confess Jesus as the Messiah and Son of the living God.  Keep your Church firm on the rock of this faith, that in unity and peace it may proclaim one truth and follow one Lord, your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Apostles Window: St. James (the greater)

 

St. James the Greater:  
"Every good gift is from above" James 1:17

The second window, paired with the first in terms of color (blue), is of St. James the Greater, so named to differentiate him from the other James who was also an apostle.  It might be that he was older, taller, or became a disciple earlier than the other James; it does not mean he was in any way better.  

This James is the brother of John, a son of Zebedee, famously called by Jesus to leave boat and father behind to become a "fisher of men."  Tradition says his mother is Mary Salome, sister to Jesus' mother, making him one of Jesus' cousins.  Jesus nicknamed him (and his brother John) "sons of thunder" because of their enthusiastic partisanship.

James was martyred in Jerusalem in AD 44, the first of the apostles to face martyrdom.  One tradition says that he had traveled to Spain prior to his martyrdom, and his followers took his body back to Spain; another tradition says that his followers took his body in a rudderless boat, and they buried his body when the boat reached land, again in Spain, in Galicia.

His remains were discovered in the 9th century, and a church was built there, the destination of many pilgrims over the centuries to come.  

Therefore, James wears a pilgrim's hat with a scallop shell on the brim, the badge of a  pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela.  He carries a pilgrim's staff with a hook at the tip to hang a water gourd, the medieval version of today's water bottle.

The pilgrimage to his grave site became one of the most popular pilgrimages in Western Europe, beginning in the 9th century.  Called "The Way of St. James," the pilgrimage still draws travelers today.  In 2018, 327,378 pilgrims registered as having completed the final 62 mile walk.

James is the patron saint of Spain; his feast day is July 25 in the church calendar.

The text used for this panel, "Every good gift is from above," comes from the Epistle of St. James.  Bible scholars indicate that James the Greater is not the author of this letter; it's much more likely that another James (perhaps James the Lesser, or James, the brother of Jesus) wrote it.  One good reason to make this assumption is the fact that James the Greater was martyred so early in the life of the church, and scholars believe that this letter was written later than AD 44.  

The use of the passage from James 1:17 underlines for me the confusion among scholars and various writers regarding which James is which; a passage from one of the gospels regarding James the brother of John and son of Zebedee might have been a safer, more accurate choice.

Prayer (from the Lutheran Book of Worship):

O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the name of Jesus Christ.  Pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service which is the true mark of authority among your people.  Amen.

Apostles Window: St. John the Evangelist

St. John the Evangelist:
 "Love one another, for love is of God" (I John 4:7).

The first window on the east wall, moving left to right, depicts St. John, Apostle and Evangelist.  

Following the tradition of medieval art, he is depicted as a beardless youth; tradition calls him the youngest disciple, but some suggest that the appearance of an androgynous nature helped make him more relatable to women.

According to Christian tradition (which apparently many scholars disagree with today), he was John, the "beloved" apostle, author of the gospel of John, three letters, and Revelation.  

He, along with Peter and James, were the leaders of the early church in Jerusalem.  He is said to be the only apostle to escape martyrdom, being exiled to Patmos in about AD 95, where he wrote the book of Revelation.  He died in Ephesus sometime after AD 98, and a church (now a mosque) was erected over his burial site.

In this window he is presented with his traditional symbols of the chalice and serpent:  this represents an apocryphal story that John was challenged to drink from a poisoned cup to demonstrate his faith; when he blessed the cup, the poison rose from the cup in the form of a serpent.

Much of John's writings focus on God's love -- the memorable John 3:16 is one such example ("For God so loved the world, that He gave his only son...").  Another example is the text presented on this panel:   "Love one another, for love is of God" (I John 4:7)

St. John's Feast Day is celebrated on December 27 in the church calendar.

A 2nd century apocryphal book, The Acts of John, was the resource for many legends about St. John as depicted in medieval art and literature.  This book, for example, records the poisoned chalice incident described above.  There are some later legends about St. John, as well, including one that Edward the Confessor (11th century English king) gave a poor pilgrim a valuable ring, and the pilgrim then turned out to be St. John.  The incident is commemorated in a stained glass window in the Church of St. Edward the Confessor (Westcott Barton, England).  In this representation, St. John also holds the serpent and chalice, and maintains his youthful appearance.

Prayer (from the Lutheran Book of Worship):

Merciful Lord, let the brightness of your light shine on your Church, so that all of us, instructed by the teachings of John, your apostle and evangelist, may walk in the light of your truth and attain eternal life.  Amen.