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The Baptism Window

This window was dedicated to the Glory of God and in memory of Vivian Sumner Lawrence (1859-1927), and Mary Frances Wright Lawrence (1859-1930).

The theme of this, the second window, is "Fulfil all Righteousness"; the scripture that informs it is Matthew 3:15, the verse in which Jesus says to John the Baptist, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."

Main Scene:
John the Baptist, wearing animal skins and bearing a banner that reads, "Ecce Agnus Dei" - Latin for "Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:29) - baptizes Jesus in the River Jordan.

Vignette:
Depicts Philip's baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch, the first Christian convert outside the geographical confines of Jesus' ministry.

Upper Roundel:
Portrays the descending dove, the representative of divine blessing as described in John 1:32, source of the symbolic connection we draw between the dove and the Holy Spirit.

Lower Roundel:
Features a lamb with the banner of Christ. When such a banner is carried or flown, it signifies victory; this roundel, therefore, portrays Christ, the lamb, as victorious.

Diamonds:
Moving clockwise, from bottom left to bottom right, we see:

1. a descending dove, again representative of the Holy Spirit
   
2. the mantle of John the Baptist
   
3. a combination of the cross and the Greek letter X, or Chi, the first letter in "Christos"; for, only when we understand the inseparability of Christ and the cross can we truly begin to see the full measure of God's love
   
4. a fish; for, just as fish cannot live outside water, neither can we live outside the sacrifice of Christ as embodied by baptism; also, early Christian art and literature used the fish as their chief symbol for Jesus: the five Greek letters forming the word "fish," ICTUS, stood for "Jesus / Christ / God's /Son /Savior"
   
5. Maltese crosses, symbols of sacrifice
   
6. a fountain of living water, symbolic of the soul's cleansing upon baptism
   
7. an anchor cross, a symbol of Christian hope particularly appropriate to the water motif of this window
   
8. the heart-shaped leaves of the almond plant, a symbol of divine approval or favor such as that granted when the "voice from heaven," upon Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3:17, said, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."

Next Window:
​The Sermon on the Mount Window