STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

I confess I am a fan of stained glass windows. When I first walked into the sanctuary of my church and saw the three large magnificent windows portraying Jesus Christ, I was captivated by their beauty and silently promised they would always remain a part of the architecture.

Not everyone shares my love of stained glass. In the culture, "stained glass" is sometimes used a perjorative regarding the church. In this context it means stale ritual, empty past, irrelevance to real life in the real world. They refer to a dominant piece of church architecture that they believe hides the meaningless faith practiced inside the building.

I'd hate to start tearing out stained glass windows, but as a thoughtful and concerned Christian--I would prefer that the stained glass referred to the beauty of my faith. Most traditional churches need to ask themselves the question, "Do we practice a faith that is real and that provides real life answers for people in the real world today?"