Seeing Jesus Through John
by Shelley Walters

At the front entrance of Saint John’s, a stained-glass eagle greets churchgoers with wings upstretched. I wonder if, like me, you've passed the eagle again and again without even noticing it. Amongst the other stained-glass symbols, like crosses, doves, and angels, this bird of prey might seem like an odd one out. But the eagle is a symbol for the gospel writer of John, our church’s namesake. Shortly after forming, members of our church took a vote on a new name. The decision to become Saint John’s was at the urging of Mrs. Chas L. Jones who pleaded, “Saint John was the apostle of brotherly love and isn’t that what we want our church to be… the church of brotherly love?” (A Mind to Work by Lucille Hickerson Jones, a history of Saint John's written for its 20th birthday in 1968.) 

With our namesake, came the eagle. This majestic bird has been chosen for centuries as an emblem for many countries, sports teams, and companies because of its strength and ability to fly high. John the gospel writer bears the symbol because of the bird’s assumed wisdom, tender care of its young, and (my personal favorite) the fact that the eagle stares straight into the sun.

This summer, we are taking a long look at the Gospel of John, a book with deep symbolism that guides us to take a vivid view of the Divine. We began our series, Unlike Any Other: Jesus Through the Eyes of John, this past Sunday, and as I continue to explore the uniqueness of John’s gospel, I’m struck by how directly John sees Jesus’s divine presence and action. It is as if he is staring straight at the sun.

The way John describes Jesus' identity is one-of-a-kind, unlike any of the other gospels’ portrayals. Through these four weeks, we'll focus on distinct attributes of Jesus through John's gospel, including “the Word made flesh,” the miracles of Jesus in John, the "I Am" sayings, and the Risen Christ.

I’d encourage you to peruse this gospel on your own, especially if it would be your first time to read it through in its entirety. Let yourself ask questions; let the concepts ruminate in your head and resonate in your heart.

 End-of-Summer Worship Series Continues
Unlike Any Other: Jesus Through the Eyes of John 

During the season of Lent and Easter, we focused on Jesus' farewell, death, and resurrection in the gospel of John. And there is so much more! The way John describes Jesus' identity is one-of-a-kind. We'll focus on these distinct attributes of Jesus through John's gospel at the end of summer.

Click here to watch last week’s service, “Word, Light, and Flesh,” the first of this worship series.

August 4 - Rev. Randy Knighten preaches on the Miracles of John from John 6: 1-14.
August 11 - Rev. Hilary Marchbanks preaches on the "I Am" Sayings from Exodus 3:1-14.
August 18 - Hilary preaches on The Risen Christ from John 20:24-29. This is Blessing of the Backpacks Sunday!