HISTORY: The Church was complete in 1913 after arrival of the Moravians in Calgary in 1902, who built it. The Lutherans were 1 block away in a small church and the congregations exchanged space in 1945, thus being St. Matthew Lutheran church. St. M. was originally titled Jehovah Lutheran church until renaming due to the confusing context of Jehovah Witnesses. The church is the largest building in Bridgeland and the only remaining Lutheran church in the community. There were Lutheran churches in the earlier days as the community was named Germantown or Bridgeland and the Lutheran faith was tied to the German people originally.
3 ROSES: The rose is considered by many to be the most beautiful and fragrant of flowers and, because of this, the rose became a symbol of Mary, the Mother of God. The rose also has been used as a symbol for Jesus. The Glastonbury Rose is a symbol for both Mary and the Infant Jesus.
The 3 ROSES within the circle? Symbolize the Triune God. Father, Son and Holy Ghost. They also symbolize the 3 Solas (Sola Gratia=by Grace alone, Sola Fide=through faith alone and Sola Scriptura=in Scripture alone) which were defined in the Reformation by Martin Luther.
HOLY BLUE WATER SYMBOL: Holy Baptism is one of the Lutheran’s 3 Sacraments (which are Baptism, Lord’s Supper and Absolution) . It is symbolized in the “blue drop” of water, the key tangible action of being baptised with Water located on the North altar, South and West windows. The 3 roses in the “drop” symbolize our Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
**** The Fruit,vine, grapes, green leaves and Yellow glass are in the centre of the tall window which are a vivid reminder, when we come down from the altar rail having received Holy Communion of what our faith represents. Each time we come away from the Altar, renewed we receive further energy of Eternal life from the beautiful reminder of the symbols in the windows as we go back to our pews.
FRUIT AND VINE, PURPLE GRAPES, GREEN LEAVES: Grapes twisted on vine growing to the sky: Grapes are the symbol of Wine and the Holy Supper sacrament of wine which is the blood of Christ, representing His sacrifice for us.
YELLOW GLASS: The color symbolizes the Holy Supper sacrament of Bread, Christ’s Body sacrificed for us for eternal life.
FLEUR DE LIS: Is a Triune symbol for (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) seen in the flowers on the windows on the North, South and West locations. It can also symbolize Faith, wisdom and chivalry, which are Christian symbols. Saints, Lilies (Easter flower), royalty for our King, heraldry as a Royal Standard, a Lily among the thorns, and up to the 13th century was a symbol for Jesus Christ. The symbol can also represent a dove descending which is the Holy Ghost.
CROWNS: At the top of the gothic windows on the west wall in the visitor gallery level symbolize our King, Jesus Christ at the “head” of the window and of the Church.
Simple Symbols are part of the Lutheran faith, unlike the Catholic symbols in churches which are much more elaborate, detailed and complex. We believe in the focus being on the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the 2 or 3?? Sacraments (Baptism,Lord’s Supper and Absolution)and God’s Word.
GOTHIC ARCHES: Throughout the church in the woodwork, there are many arches in the altar rail and windows prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in s The arches symbolize ………………..
A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed arch at its top.[1] It acquired the “lancet” name from its resemblance to a lance.[2] Instances of this architectural element are typical of Gothic church edifices of the earliest period. Lancet windows may occur singly, or paired under a single moulding, or grouped in an odd number with the tallest window at the centre.
The lancet window first appeared in the early French Gothic period (c. 1140–1200), and later in the English period of Gothic architecture (1200–1275). So common was the lancet window feature that this era is sometimes known as the “Lancet Period.”
The term lancet window is properly applied to windows of austere form, without tracery. Paired windows were sometimes surmounted by a simple opening such as a quatrefoil cut in plate tracery. This form gave way to the more ornate, multi-light traceried window.
Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings.
In Europe, stained glass continued to be produced; the style evolved from the Gothic to the Classical, which is well represented in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, despite the rise of Protestantism.