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Journey in Writing
Ray Waugh, Sr.
I am assuming that this is something Father
wrote and/or edited before he died.
Glass Chapel
Chapel Narthex
Foyer of Fellowship Hall
My recolection of Father and the
Methodists
Stop 1 - Glass Chapel [Allow
10 Minutes]
Have everyone sit down while you talk.
This lovely chapel is named for Mael Holt Glass, member of
a pioneer ranching family. The room seats 172 persons, including the choir. Members of the
Glass family donated the chapel, and it was completed in 1976.
Our Church is one of the oldest in West Texas. It was
organized August 23, 1885. Fortunately, a surviving letter from a rancher named J. H.
Barron to his bride-to-be mentions this event. The letter notes there were six in that
first congregation, and only one of them was a man.
While the Methodists were first to establish a congregation
in Midland, the Baptists were the first to build a structure. They kindly let the
sprinklers meet in their Church building until 1889 when we built a small frame building
in the 200 block of North Main, about one block South. In 1894, this same frame structure
was moved to the exact site where the Chapel now stands.
There has been steady growth of the Church since then. In
1907, a larger, brick Church was built on this same location. It served until the 1940's
when growth forced building of a larger Church on this same site. It was in Spanish Style
and was completed in 1943. Again, growth forced a change. So the present sanctuary was
built and completed in May, 1968. We will visit this last of the four sanctuaries as the
final stop on our tour.
In the 1980's, the Church confronted space shortages in its
Fellowship Hall, inadequate Church School, Music space, and othe needs. There began a
major construction job that spread over 3 years and required more than $3,000,000.00.
Presently, in 1992, the Church has about 2,150 members.
Let's look at some of the interesting things in this
beautiful room:
1. A special effort was made to link the Chapel with the
long Methodist heritage on this site. The pews are from the 1940's Church. So are the
Altar, the Kneeling Communion Rail, and other things.
2. Another like to the past we will see as we leave: the
Window linking the Chapel with its entry area or narthex. This window makes use of stained
glass from the 1907 Sanctuary. It is typical of the art glass of around the turn of the
century, with emphasis on plant motifs [acanthus leaves, in this case]. The glass is
opalescent, with pastel colors. This type of glass was most popular in the 1880-1920
Period.
We will be seeing gorgeous stained glass here and in the
Sanctuary. Perhaps some of you have been to Cathedrals in Europe and recall the brilliant
colors in the stained glass made during the Middle Ages. The art of making glass with such
vibrant colores was, believe it or not, totally lost from about 1500 to about 1863. It was
in this last year that an Englishman named Charles Winston, who was a lawyer and
archeologist, began chemical experiments to see if he could duplicat eh earlier colors.
The William Morris Company in England also did much experimenting. Gradually the old
techniques were re-discovered and even improved.
How does stained glass get its colors? During the
"lost period," glass makers tried to tint glass by painting it with transparent
paints. Today, clear glass is blown by skilled glassblowers into sylinders. These are
broken up, re-melted, and pressed to lie flat. The color comes from mixing impurities into
the molten glass.
You might think something tinted red would make a red area.
But we see these windows by transmitted light, so the impurities hold
back the unwanted colors permitting only the wanted hues to come through. For example,
yellows and orange usually are made with adding silver nitrate to the melted glass.
Look with me at the Center Window above the Altar. At the
left is a symbol of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. In the enter is a depiction of the
Hand of God. Athe right we see the Holy Spirit in the form of a descending Dove! The
smaller Jewel Windows show various types of Christian Crosses.
If you will walk with me...[pause to stand]..., we will
look at the needlepoint Kneelers that were handmade by women of the Church. Each
symbolizes one of the 12 disciples.
- You will find that for St. Peter, with his keys, his
inverted Cross, and the famous Rooster.
- Or Matthew, with his money bags from tax collecting.
- Judas is symbolized by the betrayal coins and the hangman's
noose.
Stop 2 - Chapel Narthex
[about 2 minutes]
Look for a moment at the stained glass window showing
Christ's Cross as the Rock of Ages. This Window as in the 1907 Sancturary, and was moved
to the 1940 Church, and then placed here later. It memorializes Cornelia Holt, sister of
Mabel Holt Glass. Note the pastel colors and how they contrast with the more brilliant
colors now in fashion.
As we walk down the corridors of the Church, you likely
will see wall banners that were done by creative people on the Banners and Stichers
Committee. These are changed at intervals, but their beauty always shows the fine designs
and notable needlework of those involved.
[Continue walking toward the foyer entrance to the
Fellowship Hall. Pause before ent4ering to let the group see the Memorial Garden at the
left, through the glass wall. [about 2 minutes]
This lovely Garden has been lovingly designed and
maintained through the gifts and service of the Boone Bible Class, a women's group in our
Church. The Memorial Tower contains "The Methodist Bell" from the 1887
Sanctuary, and was first placed in our 1889 Sanctuary. So the bell is over 100 years old.
Set into the bottom of the Tower is the Cornerstone from the 1907 Sanctuary. A bronze
plaque notes the role of the Boone Bible Class in building the Tower and Garden, and they
dedicate them to The Glory of God.
[Turn around, and lead the group intothe entry or foyer of
the Fellowship Hall. [Stop 3 on the map.]
Stop 3 -- Foyer
of Fellowship Hall [about 3 minutes]
The 13 Limited-Edition Lithographs framed here are by Rev.
Kenneth Wyatt of Tulia, Texas. He is still an ordained minister, but his service is in the
arts field.
The paintings show the 12 disciples plus Jesus. Models were
chosen because their faces suggested the faces of the originals. In some cases symbols
appear.
For instance, Andrew -- the fisherman -- is shown pulling
on a strong rope. Andrew is supposed to have been crucified by being tied with a rope to
an X-shaped Cross
There is one other Wyatt painting in this series, that one
showing the Apostle Paul. It is hung in the Church office.
You might want to take a minute or two to look at the
paintings and perhaps select your favorite.
[If asked, a book showing color reproductions of these
paintings and a description of how they came to be done is -- or was -- available from Y-8
Publishing Company, 310 Comanche Trail, Tulia, Texas 79088. Current Price is not known.]
My
Recollection of Father and the Methodists
- Father cherished his Midland Methodist friends, especially
one.
- He often spoke of them with delight.
- He shared with me about the goood times he had
fellowshipping with them.
- He was a Baptist, but that never deminished the specialness
of Bible Study in the Buddy Wood Class.
NOTE: Father's history begins with a Methodist church in Upper Arlington,
Ohio where his mother was a member all her life. Even though he was a Baptist with some
"beliefs that differed with the Methodist," his love for the people was never
deminished.
Updated Thursday, February 24, 2000
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