Stained Glass and a Party

One of our friends held a party in a village hall to celebrate a 'significant' birthday.

There was guitar playing from a pair of  outstanding professionals, singing by the birthday girl accompanied by the guitarists, dancing, and much  food and drink.  Some flavour of the occasion may be gleaned from these photographs,,,

Before the party started, we took another good friend of ours who was also invited to the party to look round St Mary's Church in Iffley.
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There is some fine stained glass in the windows, of this 12th century church, one example of which is the subject of today's photograph.  Most notable of all are the two windows in the Baptistery installed in 1995 and 2012 depicting the Tree of Life, the one in the context of Christ’s birth, the other reflecting the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. The South window, by John Piper installed in 1995, shows the Tree of Life, with birds and beasts announcing Christ’s Nativity in Latin, which may be made to sound like the noises these animals make naturally, e.g. Christus natus est has the same rhythm as Cocka-doodle-doo, and Ubi Ubi sounds like the hooting of an owl, while the lamb’s Baa-aa-aa becomes Beth- le-hem. The North window, by Roger Wagner and installed in 2012, depicts the Tree of Life in full blossom, with Christ crucified, but in the glory of the coming Resurrection. From beneath the Tree flows the River of Paradise apparently towards the baptistery font, the waters of which when blessed are symbolically from that River. Sheep representing Christ’s flock shelter under the branches.