The Stained Glass Windows of Saint Mark

The Dispute in the Temple

“And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.” Luke 2:46-47

In Memory of Mrs. Alice Scott Chandler, 1842—1905

The account of the Passover pilgrimage of the Holy Family to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve years old is the only recorded event from the childhood of Jesus and appears in the Gospel according to Saint Luke (2:41-52). Without his parents’ knowledge, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem at the end of the feast. Mary and Joseph discovered his absence after a day’s journey and three days later “they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”

Of special interest in this window is the use of an architectural setting, employing columns and arches, which gives perspective to the composition of the scene. Heavy shading and deep shadows emphasize the central figure of the white-robed Boy Jesus. The amazed teachers, their faces giving evidence of intense interest and engaging attention, surround him. Detailed care is given in this window to the execution of faces, with the group of three on the right being a superb example of facial artistry. The use of a nimbus around the head of Jesus is sometimes omitted, as in this window. In the left distance, a man is showing Mary the way to her son. The Mother is clothed in the traditional blue of the Madonna.

The medallion at the top of the window is the ihs symbol meaning “Jesus.” It is composed of the Greek letters, iota, eta, sigma, the first three letters of the word for Jesus. These are not Roman letters and the explanations that they represent the words “in his steps” or the Latin “in hoc signo” ("by this sign") are totally mistaken.

This window was made in 1909. It was given by the women of the church as a grateful memorial to Mrs. Chandler.

Mrs. Alice Scott Chandler, a native of Virginia, came to Atlanta with her husband Timothy in the late 1890’s. She became Head of Washington Seminary and continued in this position until her death in 1905. Her nephew and niece, L. D. Scott and Miss Emma Scott, became co-principals of Washington Seminary, which almost fifty years later united with North Avenue Presbyterian School and formed Westminster Schools. Mr. and Mrs. Chandler, Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Miss Emma Scott, and Miss Bessie Chandler were members of Merritts Avenue Methodist Church and were largely responsible for the success of forming and building the new Saint Mark Church. Many of the school staff also were active members of the church.