Stains of Glass
Written by: Collette Cottingham
Wntzar aka Casey stared up at the little white church. The church office was expecting her. Under the pretense of doing family history research and with a disguise fitting a character of this planet…she hoped to pull it off.
Wntzar was a pro at dress up. It was part of her gift to blend perfectly into any environment, even the language flowed effortlessly off her tongue. Her obstacle were Yahzrs spies.
She would know in the first few minutes of the conversation…
“Are you Casey?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“We don’t have many people who make appointments during the middle of the week or many appointments at all. Hello I am Pastor Inch.”
“Hello Pastor, your church is adorable. I can picture my relatives gathered here. Can you tell me about the church’s history?”
“Just a little from what I have read in the church’s records. I have only been here a little over a year.”
“Hey no worries, I am excited to look through the records.” Not a Yahzrs spy. These little churches have a tough time keeping Pastors. The Pastor’s are eager to find calls in larger communities. No one wants to pastor the desert.
“Leslie pulled the records for you to look through.”
Once inside she saw the wore wooden doors. The sun danced across the beautiful stain glass. “Can I go into the chapel?”
“Why of course, God’s house belongs to everyone.”
“Inside were eight small pews. Each pew was lined with hymnals, envelopes and pencils just like she imagined. The chapel was in a circle. Stained glass windows told the story of the church year, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. It was just as she had been told.
Casey turn to the man on the wooden cross hanging in the center of the alter, “I believe in one God, the father, the almighty, maker of heaven and all the earths, of all that is, seen and unseen.”
The sun caught her eyes and danced across the colors of the glass. Her mother was very happy here. The space was warm and inviting. “ I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the father.”
The words flowed from her lips. It was still here. After all this time. “Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven.”
“Casey, hi I am Leslie, I set those records out here for you to look at, no hurry, please take your time.”
“Thank you, I am admiring the splendor of the glass.”
“Awe yes, it dazzles this time of day.”
An Angel twinkled at Casey, “by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.” Power why does everyone yearn for it so? She began to thumb through the pages Leslie provided. Her mother’s family leaped from the page in a 3 D formation. Casey absorbed all the data. It might be useful someday.
The church bells began to chime. “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father.”
“Would you like some sun tea?”
Leslie had a natural sweetness about her. She would be a great teammate. “Sounds delightful, thank you. Are there any old photos?”
“Of course, the album’s are in the library, follow me.”
The library was more like a small room with books and dust. The sun made the dust shine. This dust had to line the lungs and intestines of everything in this area. It literally blanket everything. “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” And there it was a photo of her mother. Casey tried to act cool. She of course was looking for her aka family hiding the fact of her real family.
“Why am I here mother?” It was obvious these families were interconnected. Still she had no idea where it was, but it was here. Her mother was with her. The words of her mother’s past were bursting from her lips.“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the father and the son.”
Casey slipped on the cotton gloves. She brushed the dust off the photo. In that moment she was thankful for the dust. Next to her mother’s name was a small turtle drawing her heart fluttered with excitement.
Casey walked back to the fellowship hall. “With the father and the son he is worshiped and glorified.”
She began scanning the stain glass images, “he has spoken through the prophets.”
And there it was sleeping in the sun, a turtle dove. Casey swiped the dust from the window. It was a quick motion that cleaned the whole glass and removed the turtle dove she sought…mission complete.
