Trinity's Rose Window

*Trinity's Rose Window* The Maude Bilbro Morgan Rose Window
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	The Rose window, some fifteen feet in diameter, which is over the front entrance of Trinity, contains symbols indicative of some of the fundamental ideas and attitudes of Christianity and of that great group of saints, the Twelve Apostles. who founded the church and helped spread the gospel over the world.
St. Peter	At the top of the window in the 12:00 o'clock position is the circle containing the symbol of St. Peter. A medallion at the center of the circle contains two keys crossed like an "X." Present also is an inverted cross. The keys recall Peter's great confession and the Lord's reply concerning the Keys to the Kingdom. The inverted cross recalls the tradition that Peter requested to be crucified head downward, because he felt unworthy to die as his Master had died.
St. James the Greater	Next to St. Peter's symbol, in the clock-wise direction, is that of St. James the Greater. His medallion contains his most common symbol, three escallop shells. The shells signify pilgrimage and recall the missionary journeys of this saint.
St. John	St. John, whose symbol is next, is said to be the only apostle to die a natural death. Many attempts were made upon his life, however. One of the attempts related by early church writers was by means of a poisoned chalice. It is depicted on the Apostle's medallion by a chalice out of which is issuing a serpent.
St. Andrew	The fourth symbol is that of St. Andrew. It will be remembered that St. Andrew was St. Peter's brother, and that it was he who led the impetuous Simon Peter to the Master. A well authenticated legend tells us that St. Andrew was crucified in Greece on a cross shaped like an "X" while preaching the gospel. This form of the cross has since been known as St. Andrew's Cross.
St. Phillip	The medallion of St. Phillip contains a slender, floriate cross and two loaves of bread. The latter articles refer to St. Phillip's reply to the Master when asked about the feeding of the multitude (John 6:7).
St. James the Less	St. James the Less, according to tradition, when ninety-six years of age, was taken to the top of the temple and pushed from it. He was not killed but struggled to his knees praying the Lord to forgive his enemies. The enraged Jews stoned him to death and his brains were dashed out with a fuller's club. After his death, his body was sawn asunder. The saw on his medallion symbolizes this savage act.
St. Thomas	St. Thomas--The Doubting Thomas of St. John's Gospel--labored in India. His symbol is the carpenter's square because of the tradition that he erected a church building with his own hands at Malipur in East India. He is the patron saint of builders.
St. Bartholomew	The symbol used for St. Bartholomew, thought to be the same apostle as the Nathanael of St. John's gospel, is the flaying knife. Hyppolytus, one of the Greek Fathers, states that St. Bartholomew was flayed, crucified, and his body decapitated with a scimitar.
St. Matthew	The ninth medallion is that of St. Matthew. When shown as one of the Twelve Apostles rathr than as one of the four evangelists, St. Matthew is commonly symbolized by means of three money bags. These refer to his original occupation as a publican or tax gatherer.
St. Jude	St. Jude, called also Lebbeus and Thaddeus, was a tireless missionary. One of his common symbols is a sailboat with a cross-shaped mast, signifying his many journeys. In the Trinity Rose window, a simpler symbol, a boat hook, recalls his work.
St. Simon	St. Simon, the traditional companion of St. Jude on many journeys, is symbolized by a fish because he was a great fisher of men through the power of the Gospel.
St. Matthias	St. Matthias, the apostle who was chosen to succeed Judas (Acts 1:12-26) is symbolized in the place of the traitor. He is said to have been stoned and beheaded. A battle ax appears on his medallion.
The Center Medallion
	The center medallion symbolizes much of the Gospel which the Twelve Apostles preached and for which eleven of them died violent deaths. A Latin cross symbolizes Christian Love. The palm branch is a symbol of the Christian faith in immortality. The Anchor, one of the very oldest of Christian symbols, signifies Hope. It is a disguised cross and was much used as a sign of recognition during the early Christian persecutions. Around these symbols is a light amber scroll on which appears the words "Faith, Hope and Charity." Lest it be thought strange that St. Paul--not one of the Twelve but "an apostle--as of one born out of due time," was not symbolized, these three great Christian beliefs emphasized by Paul in 1Corinthians 13, might be considered symbolic of this greatest of Christian missionaries.
The Donation
	This crowning glory of Trinity United Methodist Church was given in memory of Mrs. Maude Bilbro Morgan, teacher of the Maude Morgan Bible Class by the Class of 1949. Ed Morgan, a current member of Trinity, is the son of Mrs. Maude Morgan.