This past weekend I went to an awesome wedding in Houston (yay Seann and Elizabeth!). While I was there I saw several churches. One took my breath away. It had just been remodeled, and the windows were unbelievable. I don't even know what you'd call this type of design, but there were pieces of brightly colored glass in different shapes and sizes. They were usually arranged in images, but sometimes they were just collage-like. The glass pieces were put into a dark sand looking concrete. The contrast between the bright pieces and the dark setting was gorgeous. I was admittedly a little jealous because one of these windows probably cost more than the yearly budget of my three churches combined. But that's Texas!
Then it occurred to me how little natural light actually comes into that sanctuary. Of course, that's likely part of the plan considering they have HD screens which look best with minimal light. But it really reminded me how much I enjoy churches that barely need lights on Sunday morning. So I think churches that are considering a face-lift should definitely scrap the stained or colored glass in favor of natural light.
Obviously a church would want to capture the maximum light without overheating the sanctuary and maxing out the air conditioner. But using clear glass in strategic places would offer much more light while using much less energy. And if you've got a great seat, maybe you get to look at creation while you worship the Creator of it all.
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2 comments:
Your right -- natural light has an amazing impact on the worship experience. Just the other day, I saw a lovely sanctuary where the clear windows had some sort of film on the glass. The result: translucent light gets through, but the congregation is not distracted by what was outside the sanctuary.
I just joined a church which has one round, stained glass window over the altar and the rest of the windows are clear glass. The one window captures more attention and serves as a visual point of meditation. The natural light helps me feel closer to nature and therefore to God. It also makes hymns and prayers feel different when you mention the light of the world and you feel the light!
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