Main Entrance Symbols at First Lutheran Church
MANUS DEI
Directly over the center mullion you see the Manus Dei. Manus Dei translates as "The Hand of God" and this symbol is one of the comparatively few symbols of God the Father. The scriptural reference is Psalm 98: "Oh sing unto the Lord a new song for He hath done marvelous things. His right hand and His holy arm hath gotten him the victory." The thumb and two extended fingers symbolize the Holy Trinity. The two closed fingers denote the divine and human natures of Christ. The rays of light indicate Deity. This same symbol also appears in the left upper panel of the Reredos.
ALPHA and OMEGA
Just above the entrance arch you see five symbols. The the far left is the Alpha, and to the far right is the Omega. These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
These letters are normally used in conjunction with some other symbol or symbols to give added meaning. On the entrance arch, they are shown with the cross, and recall the words of Christ, as found in Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
THE ANCHOR
The second symbol from the left is shown within a quatrefoil. The Anchor is the symbol of our Lord, the Anchor of the soul - our only hope for salvation. The circle about this and other symbols always signifies eternal life or eternity.
SIX POINTED STAR WITH CROSS
The Six Pointed Star is the symbol of creation. The Greek cross within the star connects the story from the Creation to the Fall and Redemption. When this symbol is used on a larger scale, such as in a large stained glass window, you would most likely see this circumscription (in Latin): "Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory."
THE MYSTIC ROSE
This conventionalized form of the rose refers to the prophecy of Isaiah: "The desert shall blossom as a rose at the coming of His Kingdom of Righteousness." When shown with a quatrefoil, as in this case, it also becomes the symbol of the Ascension at which time Christ gave the command "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." The rose, in less conventionalized form and not in connection with any other symbol, is representative of the Nativity and Christmas.
Every time we pass through this portal we are reminded of the blessings of the Father and Creator, the Supreme Sacrifice of Christ for our redemption, the Regeneration of the Holy Spirit, our Supreme Hope through the resurrection, and our duty of Evangelism from the time of Ascension.
THE ENTRY WAY
Inside the main entrance are twelve steps leading upward to the north entrance of the Narthex.
To the right of the upper landing of the steps is a window displaying the Martin Luther Coat of Arms. It was Luther who placed the bible before the people to read in their own language. The steps and symbol should bring to mind the Lutheran tradition which tells us about the time when Martin Luther was climbing the steps, called the Scala Sancta, of the Lateran Church at Rome. As he knelt on those steps to say the usual prayers, and to try to bring his soul to a state of peace with his God, there came to him the words of St. Paul: "The just shall live by faith." It is this passage of scripture that has become one of the fundamental doctrines of the Lutheran Faith.
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