From Our Stained Glass

The stained glass windows in First Church Perth Amboy are magnificent.  There is no other way that I can describe them.  Part of the power of preaching there each Sunday is that I get to see them.  It is in a way that the congregation does not, as they are tilted in the direction of the pulpit and the preacher.

This detail is especially powerful.  "I Give Thee My Heart Lord Eagerly and Sincerely."  This phrase answers a question that I have been struggling to answer for a number of weeks.  What does it mean to worship?  I have been stuck in trying to find an abstract, academic answer for what is an intimate, personal act. 

The image at the center, a burning heart being offered up, coupled with this motto, is the personal seal of John Calvin, whose theology, missions, and church structure are central to the structure and mission of the Presbyterian Church.  According to an article in Christianity Today, searchable by title "John Calvin: Did You Know?", this is "to signify his willingness to sacrifice all to the service of the Lord."

Wrapping around the image of the burning heart offered up is are the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, drawn from the book of Revelation where Jesus said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End."

I had no idea what this was until I began to look into it.  It is so much more than simply John Calvin, founder of the Theological movement known as Calvinism.  It is the centerpiece of one man's devotion to his Lord.  May it be our inspiration as well.