St. Edward’s Episcopal Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, approached us with a heartfelt mission: to create a stained-glass window honoring their former pastor. The church initially envisioned a Tree of Life design—symbolizing growth, faith, and continuity within their congregation. During a Zoom meeting to explore ideas, their pastor shared a desire to incorporate Jesus in the Sea of Galilee. Drawing inspiration from both concepts, our designer, Maria, created a composition that gracefully blends the Tree of Life with the serene image of Jesus—an artistic expression of strength, renewal, and unwavering faith. In close collaboration with the church, Scottish Stained Glass carefully refined each detail to ensure the final design truly reflected their story and spiritual vision.

Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Type of Project: Custom Design & Fabrication
Glass Type: Hand-painted and leaded glass
Client Type: Episcopal Church

This installation featured approximately 20–24 individual panels designed to form one continuous, cohesive scene. Because of the complexity of the artwork and the scale of the layout, our team carefully planned each section to ensure the imagery transitioned seamlessly from panel to panel. Working within the church’s budget, we strategically reduced the amount of hand-painting and instead selected richly textured and vibrantly colored background glass to provide depth, movement, and visual richness. This approach allowed us to preserve the artistic integrity of the design while maintaining the high craftsmanship standards expected in a sacred space.

What truly set this project apart was the deep, collaborative partnership between the church and our design team. The integration of the Tree of Life with the image of Jesus in the Sea of Galilee created a unified composition that expresses hope, renewal, and spiritual unity—values that hold profound significance for the congregation. Despite the project’s complexity and scale, the final window emerged as a luminous, spiritually resonant focal point, enriching the sanctuary with beauty, warmth, and a powerful sense of presence.