Image and Word: Reflections on the Stained Glass in the Paul W. Powell Chapel

3. A Sermon on the Leadership Stained Glass Window

19 3 A Sermon on the Leadership STained Glass Window # Between Security and Aspiration Exodus 5:1-2;Matthew 20:20-28 Joel Weaver David Garland informed us in his sermon that he doesn’t do windows. Well, we junior faculty members don’t really have a choice. In these difficult economic times at Baylor, “doing windows” is built into our contracts. So when they told me last spring that I was responsible for the window on leadership, I naturally assumed that I was responsible for cleaning it. Thus, you can imagine my surprise when I came to chapel a few weeks ago and discovered that I am responsible for preaching it! To be perfectly honest, I would really rather clean it. That, at least, I know how to do. But how in the world do you preach a window? If I were preaching an exegetical sermon on a specific biblical text, I would have a clear starting point. Methodologically, I would know how to Image and word 20 proceed. For example, I would be aware at the outset of certain pitfalls that are to be avoided, such as proof-texting and eisegesis. But are there counterparts to these when preaching windows? And what would they be called? I can imagine Todd Still, eyeing me intently, with his chin resting on his hand. He then turns to the person sitting next to him and says, “It has become patently apparent that this is nothing more than a blatant display of proof-paning, is it not?” And then I see David Garland, making his wellknown gesture of utter exasperation, all the while muttering , “I never thought I’d see the day when one of my former students would stoop so low as to resort to eiseglazing.” And of course there is Dennis Tucker. He says nothing, merely gazing upon me with a look of disappointment. It is amazing how smug someone can look when wearing a bow tie. By this point, it is clear that my imagination has gotten the best of me. I desperately need help. So I turned to one of the few people who actually has experience in preaching windows—Lai Ling Ngan. Her response was clear and concise: “I just went first so I could get it over with.” Not exactly the wisdom from the East I was looking for. Then I remembered our newest resource here at Truett, Joel Gregory , both a scholar and master practitioner of preaching. He proved to be kind, cordial, and collegial—just not helpful . Frankly, I was hoping for something more than “Just be thankful you didn’t get the window on counseling.” I was out of options. And then it hit me. I have an office here at Truett. I have a doctorate from Baylor, and that gives me license to pose as an authority on any number of matters. So, if there is no rulebook for preaching 21 leadership windows, I will just have to create one. And so I give you Weaver’s First Rule of Windows: The iconographic representation on a stained glass window takes precedence over any textual reference cited on said window. This rule is deemed to be in effect if the textual reference cannot be read clearly from the opposite side of the sanctuary. Note that the rule makes no mention of corrective eyewear , thereby allowing the practitioner to be either a strict or loose constructionist in its application. To put it simply—a picture is worth a thousand words. This is helpful, given the fact that our Old Testament passage , Exodus 5:1-3, gives us considerably less than that. In verse 1, Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh and say, “The Lord says, ‘Let my people go.’” In verse 2, Pharaoh says, “No.” And then in verse 3, Moses and Aaron say that the Hebrew people will settle for a three-day pass. And while our passage ends there, the narrative continues. Not only does Pharaoh deny their request, he goes so far as to intensify their labors. The series of exchanges with Pharaoh persists for several chapters, so what we have in Exodus 5:1-3 is merely a snapshot of confrontation. But when we look at the image, when we look at the pictorial representation of Moses and Aaron standing side by side, we cannot help but recall the earlier part of the narrative, the calling of Moses...