The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas houses what is said to be the world's largest stained glass window. Installed in 2017, the 100 by 40 foot window shows Jesus surrounded by historic figures and scenes from the Bible. See if you can spot Susanna Wesley and Rosa Parks alongside Daniel and Adam and Eve.
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Script:
(Leawood Kansas)
Cory Ryan, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection: "The light flies through and the colors drown out everything."
It's one of the largest stained glass windows in the world. One hundred feet wide by 37 feet tall, its glow illuminates the sanctuary of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.
Montera Juraschek, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection: "I feel like when I walk in that Jesus is just giving me a hug."
Jennifer Ross, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection: "Not only is the window beautiful, it's a Biblical history lesson."
The panels feature over 100 figures, and tell the story of Scripture from beginning to end. Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton explains how the window brings the Bible to life.
The Rev. Adam Hamilton, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection: "The Bible begins in a garden, it ends in a garden, and in between there is a garden of redemption. There are trees on either end that bookend the window just like they do in the Bible. Every Sunday when I preach in here, there is something I can point to that ties into the message or the Gospel."
Cory Ryan: "Art can not only reflect God's glory but really bring it into focus, in a way that touches our emotions."
Montera Juraschek: "The window not only teaches the Biblical history, but it also teaches the history of The United Methodist Church. And because of this window my children know who Susanna Wesley is."
Cory Ryan: "So we have kids that have gotten the pamphlet and have looked up the obscure names, folks like Francis Asbury and they'll know exactly who that person is and point right at him."
Larry Van Sickle, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection: "Every week, every day, people are coming in just to see the window, not just from our immediate metropolitan area but across the United States and the world."
The Rev. Adam Hamilton: "As we were designing the building we thought we would either have a large tile mosaic or a stained glass window. In the end we decided stained glass. What we thought is we were trying to capture the One who is the light of the world using light as the medium for painting would be appropriate. I asked the artists, I said, 'How long will this last?' They said 'Well, we don't know, we would guess 1,000 years.' That's what excites me about the window, I guess...I feel like long after all of us are gone, people will walk into this room and they'll still hear Jesus speaking and hear him say, 'Now go out and live the Gospel, heal the world, make disciples, so that the kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.'"
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For information on viewing the stained glass window, contact The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, at 13720 Roe Ave, Leawood, KS 66224, phone: 913-897-0120.
Hear more about what United Methodists believe from Church of the Resurrection lead pastor and founder, the Rev. Adam Hamilton.
Check out Seven sites every United Methodist should see for more ideas of places to visit.
This video was produced by United Methodist Communications in Nashville, TN.
Media contact is Fran Walsh, 615-742-5458.
This video was first posted on March 14, 2018.
