Holy Spirit Windows
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Left hand window:
The Holy Spirit symbolised as a Dove hovers over a landscape at dusk, Leaves blown from autumn trees remind us that the Holy Spirit can also be experienced as a ‘rushing wind’, which then lead our eye down to the fast-flowing river (Holy Spirit as water). A boat awaits us, a traditional symbol of the church, in which the faithful are carried to safe harbour. The final element in the left hand window is the dandelion clock, reminding us of two things - that time passing is a reality of life, and yet it is the dying of the dandelion clock that allows the seeds to be released, so that new life continues. Right hand window: At the top, ordanance survey lines from a map of Skiddaw Fell have been realised as clouds lit by the fire of Brother Sun (Holy Spirit as Fire). Skiddaw was a favourite place for the donor's family. Shepherds' trees stretch up from a pastoral landscape, in reference to the farming roots of the Parish of Berkhamstead. A detail from a watercolour painted by the person in whom memory the windows have been commissioned is included as a rocky form against which two figures are framed. A woman embraces another person clearly in distress. She represents the Holy Spirit as Comforter. A winding path leads up from the bottom of the window, reminding us that our own lives can often seem challenging. We can discern fossil shapes in this path, reminding us of the timeless story of creation. At the bottom of this window is the agapanthus, Maureen’s favourite flower. Sunnyside Church, Berkhamstead, St Albans |
Detail from the left window, Holy Spirt as Dove, and Sister Moon
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Detail from the right hand window, of Holy Spirit as Comforter
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Detail from the left hand window, of the boat (representing the church) and the dandelion clock.
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