Subject: Font
Inscription: “Be Born Of Water And Of The Spirit”
Dedication: From Victoria StevensWallace
Maker/Date: Charles Hogeman, 1908
Description – Verse is from John 3:5
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Other references
Baptized in water- Jesus instructed the Apostles to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28: 19)
The Holy Spirit was promised to all, even those far off, who repent and are baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. (Acts 2: 38, 39)
Baptized in the Holy Spirit- John the Baptist told all that came out to be baptized of Him that Jesus would baptize them all with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Luke 3: 16)
Paul said that we allwere baptized by or with one Spirit into the one body. (1 Corinthians 12: 11)
Techniques – The Wallace windows use similar glass around a center symbols arranged in five rows of stone with the central theme in the middle. Surrounding the symbol are two concentric circles of stones. Within each row are different shapes of glass. The effect is traditional without any special treatment of the glass or painting
Symbol – Fonts. Baptism fonts can be either immersion or non-immersion
Non-immersion fonts have a pedestral with a holder for a basin of water. The materials vary greatly consisting of carved and sculpted , , or . The shape can vary. Many are eight-sided as a reminder of the “new creation” and as a connection to the practice of , which traditionally occurs on the eighth day. Some are three-sided as a reminder of the Holy : Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The earliest baptismal fonts were designed for full immersion, and were often cross-shaped with steps (usually three, for the Trinity) leading down into them. Often such baptismal pools were located in a separate building, called a , near the entrance of the church. As became more common, fonts became smaller. Denominations which believe only in tend to use the term “baptismal font” to refer to immersion tanks dedicated for that purpose, however in the Roman Catholic tradition a baptismal font differs from an immersion.
Upper Subject: Ark
Inscription: “Be Received Into The Ark Of Christ’s Church”
Description – This verse is from the 1789 Prayer book
“We beseech thee, for thine infinite mercies, that thou wilt mercifully look upon this Child; wash him and sanctify him with the Holy Ghost; that he, being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the ark of Christ’s Church; and being steadfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may so pass the waves of this troublesome world, that finally he may come to the land of everlasting life, there to reign with thee, world without end; through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.”
Symbol – Ark.
The Ark was the sign of God that God would be with man until the establishment of the new covenant
- Genesis 6:8-18 – sheltering covenant, protection from the storm in Noah’s Ark
- Hebrews 11:7 – a shelter for the righteousness of God. Noah by faith became heir to the righteousness of God
- Exodus 25:10-28 – God provided Moses with the directions for the ark of the covenant. It was a purified receptacle for the written law of God by which man would be judged, a witness unto Man of the presence of God and the covenant
- Jeremiah 3:16-17 – New covenant would be manifested by Jesus in the shed blood and resurrection. New vessel found in the heart of man. Holy Spirit is the witness we have of the new covenant carried wherever we go.