Christianity and Industry

From 1967, in the center lancet, the hand of God sheds blessings. Below the hand of God, the figure of Christ shows the Christian the path to follow through his existence in the city. At the feet of Christ and the man are shown the contemporary city and a biblical city suggesting that we must follow the path established by Christ during the biblical times in our modern life. Various symbols of work crowd the border of this window. The oak wreath is a symbol of strength, the wheel with cogs is a symbol of industry; the lamp is a symbol of knowledge, the dividers are symbols of engineers, the shovel is a symbol of labor, the tractors are symbols of farming, the cash register is a symbol of commerce, the T-square is a symbol for precision, the hammer is for perseverance, and, the flask represents the application of research. The parable of the talents is also tucked in the side panels. Also made by Douglas Phillips. Dedicated to the memory of Leon Starcher by his wife, Frieda, and sons, William and James. Window description and historical information collected by Heidi Myers.

Reflections from church members

This window was dedicated to my grandfather Nelson Starcher by my grandma Frieda Starcher and his 2 sons, my dad Jim Starcher and my uncle Bill Starcher. I remember the dedication and how proud they were. When I go services I always sit by the window. It gives me comfort and memories. My great grandfather on my paternal side laid the corner stone to St John’s. Many good memories. -JSH

Christians are sometimes tempted to elevate the clergy as practicing "real Christianity," since its part of their job description. The logical conclusion is either "I need to become ordained if I want to be a real Christian" or "I'll put in my time on Sundays and the occasional weekday, and I'll let the pros handle the rest." It's garbage thinking on both fronts, and one of the reasons why I love this window is that it shows "ordinary Christians" serving the Kingdom of God in their everyday lives. We are all called to live out the gospel in whatever our occupation. -TK