Beautification of
Sanctuary
our
Dedicated October 17, 2010
His
Light
Shines
in our Hearts
Let this whole building be dedicated to Jesus!
that we might more fully…
KNOW Jesus Christ as Savior,
GROW in loving service to God and each other,
GO into our community and the world with the good news
of forgiveness.
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ositioned on a hill, it was an unforgettable sight, often bringing people to tears.
Years were dedicated to planning, gathering offerings, amassing materials. The result
was breathtaking.
It should have been. Working in shifts, 183,000 workers labored seven -and-a-half years
to build Solomon's temple. A staggering 4,000 tons of gold and 38,000 tons of silver were
lavished on this sanctuary. How impossible for any pilgrim to fathom it! Mouths dropped
open to mimic wide-open eyes. What brilliant beauty gleaming in the sun! Truly, it
shouted to all: "We worship a glorious God." And it was a building that God sanctified,
for the glory of the LORD filled his temple on that awesome day of dedication.
At the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed, “But will God really dwell on earth? The
heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have
built. Yet give attention to your servant's prayer
and his plea for mercy, 0 LORD my God. Hear the
cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in
your presence this day. May your eyes be open
toward this temple night and day, this place of
which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,‘ so
that you will hear the prayer your servant prays
toward this place.... Hear from heaven, your
dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.”
If Solomon prayed such a prayer on dedication
day, can we do any less? How thankful we are for our church, a beautiful sanctuary in
which we can exhibit the worth of knowing Christ Jesus as our Savior. We praise the
Trinity, whose presence we acknowledge even in our altar, ambo baptism font and
mantel. We lift up our hearts in gratitude for the resources to engage this serious
business of representing God well, on the dedicated leadership to make it happen, and
for the extraordinary craftsmanship in all aspects of the remodeling. This building pro claims to all: "We worship a glorious God."
Join me in praying what Solomon prayed: "Lord Almighty, please keep this building a
place where your saving Name is clearly proclaimed in mu sic and message. Pour out your
Spirit so that here God's people may unburden their hearts and find rest for their souls.
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Please use the gospel heard and seen here to nurture faith and to e xcite the faith-filled to
carry your saving Name to every place under heaven."
Pastor Wagner
The Glory
of
God
in the
Face
of
Christ
All you need to do to see God working all things according to his plan is step inside our
newly renovated sanctuary. Providing the resources we needed through a foundational
grant, the beautification project began to take shape in the Spring of 2010. By summer
contractors were engaged and lined up on an aggressive schedule. Not only did they do
their work exceptionally well, but right on time so that we can dedicate this chapel to his
glory. The transformation of our worship center has been amazing!
God’s timing is perfect! When our original parents catapulted over the edge into sin, he
arrived with the promise of a savior. Scripture then declares, “When the time had fully
come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem ...” us! He kept his
promise, conquering sin and the grave. As Paul says in 2 Cor. 4:5 -6, “For we do not
preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord. For God made his light shine in our hearts to
give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” True Gospel
ministry shows us the face of Christ.
Featuring an altar built by Avignon Studios (Pastor Nat han Pope), the artwork of Melanie
Pope Schuette and stained glass by Enterprise Art Glass Works, the beautification project
was wrapped around the concept, “Let us see the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
The sanctuary at Our Savior serves as a testimony. It is a symbol of the gift that was freely given by Christ, who became the sacrificial and triumphant Lamb (1 Jo. 2:2, 4:10; Rev.
7:9-17). It is a reminder of God’s grace to us — redemption through his blood (Col. 1:1314)! It is a place of meeting our Lord and receiving his unconditional love.
On this special dedication weekend, let us all raise our voices, joining the angels, the
saints who have gone before, and the generations yet to come:
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“Shout for joy to the Lord ... worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.”
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The Beauty
of
God’s Love
Every palace has its court,
as every church has its
chancel. In the palace court
An Explanation of the Chancel
the monarch ruled; it was the
Furniture & Artwork
visible seat of power. So too
the chancel represents the
Rev. Nathan Pope, Church Artisan
King of kings and Lord of
Pastor Wagner, Mr. Hering
lords, that special "room" in
every church and chapel
where God's law and gospel define his will. Here is where every piece of furnishing plays a part in
visualizing the beauty of God's love for poor, miserable sinners and his pursuit of their salvation
through his Son.
The ambo is a combination pulpit-lectern. Like
all the chancel furnishings, it is constructed of
quartersawn white oak, with a handrubbed linseed oil finish. The ambo wears a Norman
chevron (zigzag) frieze beneath the hand rest,
unifying its look with that of the altar and the
altarpiece, where this pattern also appears. The
chevron pattern is a repetition of the equilateral
triangle, one of the pre-eminent symbols of the
Trinity. The large triangles of the chevron
friezes are quartersawn red oak, while the
corresponding smaller triangles are white oak.
The Altar of Revelation
The altar stands as a monument to God; this is the focal point of worship, its centerpiece. Wood
and stone make up the altar in our sanctuary
just like the altars familiar to Luther and the
reformers. The cut stone, was quarried at
Buechel Quarry in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The
white oak came from Kettle Moraine Hardwoods
in Hartford. This historic formula of material
tells a story, the wood recalling the cross (Gal.
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6:14, Eph. 2:14-17) and the stone pointing to Christ our Rock (Eph. 2:19-22, 1 Pet. 2:4-10).
Now, take a closer look. The design of the altar reflects our Lutheran emphasis on Word &
Sacraments:
 the Cup & Bread (LORD’S SUPPER)
 the Bible with a clear focus on the cross
 the Shell & Water (BAPTISM)
These three symbols are mosaics attached to the front of the altar to continually remind us of the
Means of Grace.
The symbol of Jesus as the triumphant Lamb adorns the top of the altar. It is carefully
crafted as an original mosaic out of specially selected woods: the Lamb is curly maple,
the field behind him is red oak, the outline is paduak and the cross is blood -wood.
Throughout the distant triumph song of Revelation, the Lamb
leads his people into victory. He sits on the throne and
receives the worship of all, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was
slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!” Rev. 5:12 Twenty-nine
times the book of Revelation speaks of the Lamb as the
center and object of our worship, “For the Lamb at the center
of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to
springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear
from their eyes.” This we remember as we come before his
altar to receive his very body and blood for the
strengthening of our faith.
Four Greek crosses in South American blood-wood appear in the
corners of the altar. These signify the “horns” of the original altar
of burnt offering and altar of incense in the tabernac le and temple.
There is a fifth cross, flying valiantly in the flag above the lamb.
Look again. Sacred geometry and numerology appear on the mensa; shapes and numbers
tell the story of salvation. The Lamb, placed in a field of red oak is framed by a mandorla.
The almond-shaped mandorla, made of South American bloodwood and African wenge, is
created by two intersecting circles, recalling our Lord's two natures —how two worlds,
divine and human, converge in his person. On either side of the Lamb are ten sma ll red
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squares of bloodwood, set within larger oak squares. The red squares represent the Ten
Commandments, the four sides of the squares stand for the earth's population, and the
triangles ringing the squares are the Trinity. So God's Son shed his blood in atonement for
all sins committed against God and man. Inspect the grain of the red squares. Find the
three with vertical grain symbolizing our duty to God, and the other seven with horizontal
grain recalling our duty to each other.
The Altarpiece
In our sanctuary, the altarpiece is a trio of
paintings called a triptych. The triptych
has doors that close over the main
painting. When closed, usually during
Lent, the doors display a wood mosaic of
end-grain oak, the crown of thorns. When
open, three paintings show our Lord as
the One who fulfills God’s promise.
 On the left hand panel you see the
classic nativity, Mary and Joseph
and the baby Jesus in the manger. Note the rich symbolism of the lamb resting
beside the manger.
 In the central panel, the resurrected Lord Jesus is recognized by Mary Magdalene
in front of the tomb on that first Easter morning.
 And in the right-hand painting, the Magi are attracted to Bethlehem by the bright
star and the compelling prophecies of his birth.
Woven into all three paintings are three sub-themes: the moment of discovery, the
attraction of God’s Son, and faith.
Discovery: Mary hears Jesus’ voice and turns to look at him,
discovering through her tears that he is not dead but alive! Mary and
Joseph find the promises of God fulfilled in their (and his) first born
son. The Magi see the goal of their journey on the horizon as the star
leads them to the birthplace of the King, Bethlehem, just as the
prophet (Micah 5:2) had said.
Attraction: In the left-hand panel, Jesus is wrapped in “swaddling
cloths” and laid in a “manger” to be admired and pondered by his
parents. In the right-hand panel, God draws the foreigners to his Prince of Peace to
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worship and offer him treasures. And in the main painting, Jesus shows Mary that even
though her sins and the cross put him in the grave he had
conquered it for her.
Faith: Mary, the handmaiden selected by God to be his “mother”
and Joseph a man of faith adore the child whom God has sent.
Mary, overwhelmed with a contrast of emotions, lets go of her
grief as she sees and believes in the resurrection. The Magi
pursue the star to its resting place to find their hope renewed and
their lives reinvigorated by the Anointed One.
The paintings, all by Melanie Pope Schuette, are o il on canvas. Live
models were used, ranging from a private detective to a waitress
to family members of the artist.
The Baptismal Font
Our new font stands in front near the altar because of the
importance of this sacred act. It’s sacred because throug h the
simple water connected with his Word and promise, God
works a miracle in the heart of a person, young or old. In
Baptism we are cleansed from the control of the sinful nature
as the Lord creates faith in our hearts. By Baptism we are brought into t he family of God.
This is the natural entrance into God’s presence and his power, “He saved us through the
washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)
The font is made of quartersawn white oak, with a decorative copper basin. The Trinity theme,
seen in the triangles, ties it to the altar and to the new reality which is spoken over each of us, “I
baptize you (name) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
The Furniture
We asked Avignon Studios to produce all our altar furniture with the same wood and
finish so that it might blend with our new altar, triptych, ambo, and font. The chairs are
designed with a pastor in mind, offering places for the books he carries as he conducts
services. The stands exhibit the same style of construction as they support flowers to
beautify the chancel and the receptacle for individual cups. The hymnboards, banner
stand, Advent wreath, kneeler and movable lectern all blend together in service to the
Lord just like the original furniture of the temple.
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Cross and Platform
The main cross at the front of the chancel was lengthened by
about 18 inches to fit the architecture. White oak fills the
inset to blend with the chancel furniture. The platform was
extended by 30 inches to accommodate a free standing altar
and to offer room for the pastor and altar assistants to
distribute the Lord’s Supper. The steps have been finished
with white quartersawn oak and the tile warmly and elegantly
finishes the focal point of our worship: all eyes and all activity
are drawn to the altar. There God meets man, delivers him
from death and brings him life.
Stained Glass
Another way in which we beautifully “see the glory of God in the face of Christ” is in our
stained glass windows. Dark bronze aluminum frames house eight window panels which
consist of stained glass, lead and zinc. Each side of the sanctuary displays a scenic
panoramic view with Christ as its focal point.
On the north side we see Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew
4:25 – 7:29), where Jesus “saw the crowds, went up on a
mountainside and sat down” to teach. And, of course, “when Jesus
had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his
teaching.” As we sit at the feet of Jesus in our place of worship, let
us listen with awe, learn of his love and leave his house compelled
by his grace to lives worthy of the calling we have received .
Because it is God’s Word that we hear in our sanctuary, we join
King David, who said, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us
go to the house of the Lord.’”
The windows on the south side show Jesus with children (Matthew
19, Mark 10 and Luke 18). Our Lord clearly demonstrates his love
for young ones when he responded to his disciples, “Let the little
children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of
God belongs to such as these… And he took the children in his arms,
put his hands on them and blessed them.” Our Savior congregation
has always placed a priority on the Christian education of its
children. These windows serve as a strong reminder to this special
emphasis and ministry.
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Enterprise Art Glass Works designed and developed our windows to create our desired
Scriptural focus. They used rich colors, textures and hand painting to generate these
beautiful windows. The glass used for our windows originated from around the globe. To
reach the desired character for the various applications, Enterprise used glass from European
countries including England, France and Germany. In addition, they used glass from Oregon,
New York, Indiana and other places. In addition, Enterprise tapped into the talents of
numerous artists to optimize the detail work for various aspects of the windows (sky, ground,
clothing, facial features…). We are grateful to have assembled such a creative, determined,
and talented team to enhance our worship with images of our Lord Jesus that we’ll never
forget.
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Before…
After…
Artist Melanie Pope Schuette finishes her labor of love at church!
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Contractors
Avignon Art Studios
Melanie Schuette Enterprises
Enterprise Art Glass Works
Building Specialists
Accurate One Finish Carpentry
CAZ Finish Carpentry
Elegant Estates
Handeland Flooring
Home Perfect Co.
Larry’s Upholstery
MCR Services LLC, and Mainstage Theatrical
Supply
Ollerman Tile
Sherwin Williams
Valoe Plastering
Altar furnishings: altar, ambo (pulpit), baptismal font,
triptych cabinet, chancel chairs, hymn boards, flower
stands, communion baskets, wedding kneeler, portable
lectern, banner stand, advent wreath stand; plus
additional finish wood for chancel area
Triptych centerpiece art panel + 8 seasonal panels
Eight stained glass windows with dark bronze aluminum
frames; picturing two scenic views (Jesus’ Sermon on the
Mount and Jesus and the Children)
Balcony prep work for block staining
Chancel cross modification
Chancel oak steps installation
Sanctuary painting
Carpet for sanctuary, narthex and adjoining rooms, entry
way, stairway and landings
Chancel platform extension
Pews reupholstered, chancel chairs and wedding kneeler
cushions covered
Additional lighting for chancel area and above the stained
glass windows; light dimming capability; conduit, boxes
and circuits to accommodate lighting upgrades
Porcelain tile and wall base for chancel area
Paint source
Stucco application to sanctuary block walls
OUR SAVIOR EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL
(Wisconsin Synod)
1332 Arrowhead Rd.
Grafton, Wisconsin 53024
Church: 262-377-6363
School: 262-377-7780
Website: www.oursaviorgrafton.org
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For
we do not preach ourselves,
but Jesus Christ as Lord.
For God made his light shine in our
hearts
to give us the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God
in the face of Christ.
2 Cor. 4:5-6
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