The Church of St John, Ainsdale
The Parish Church of Ainsdale, in the Diocese of Liverpool, Church of England
As
in the war memorial window to the left of this
(created by the same artist - Miss D Marion Grant), the hand in the central
pane represents God the Father but here Jesus is shown as the Good Shepherd.
The way the fingers are bent over symbolizes a blessing. On the door on the
wall of the celestial city are the words "I am the door" (John
10:9). The text wrapped round Jesus' shepherd's crook is: "The good
shepherd giveth up his life for the sheep" (John
10:11). On Jesus' cloak the symbol of three nails represents the Passion,
His suffering on and before Good Friday. At the bottom of the light, above the
word "Sacrifice" is a pelican which often represents Sacrifice because it was wrongly supposed to feed its
young with its own blood.
Click on the window to see a larger version (280k).
The panel to the left of Jesus shows Tabitha and her emblem, a doe (her name in Greek was Dorcas, meaning 'doe' - although some versions of the Bible translate it as Gazelle). The text above her reads: "This woman was full of good deeds" (Acts 9:36). This part of the Acts of the Apostles tells how Dorcas, who spent much of her time making clothes for the poor, fell ill and died. She was raised by St Peter. At the bottom of the panel is the word "Faith", above the word Faith are the letters IHS,
Hope Eternal is represented by St John the Evangelist (this church is dedicated to him) in the right panel. He is shown as a young man standing on the Greek island of Patmos (see Revelation 1:9). He is holding a chalice filled with poison which, according to legend, he was given to drink. However, on being blessed by him the wine became purified, the poison leaving the wine in the form of a serpent. The text above St John reads: "Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself" (1 John 3:3). Another symbol often associated with St John is the eagle shown perched behind him. The eagle represents 'the apostle whose spirit soared nearest to God'. At the bottom of the window is the word Hope below a Crown.
In the traceries are four figures each with a text -
The window was erected in memory of Robert Shaw, Church Warden and School Manager and his wife Annie Shaw a faithful Church worker by their daughter and her family in 1949. Robert Shaw was a prominent member of the local community, as well as his church related activities he was an Alderman on Southport Borough Council and had a provision shop in the village.
