The Vine, The Sword, and the Trowel

What a Stained Glass Window in Texas Says About the Election of a Pope and Why Every Christian Should Care about Church Leaders

Stained Glass at Christ Church Anglican Cathedral in Plano, Texas

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The Vine, the Sword, and the Trowel

What a Stained Glass Window in Texas Says About the Election of a Pope

Between the stories I’ve been sharing about the founding and growth of Christ Church in Plano, it seems fitting to pause for a moment and reflect on a global event that reminds us who we are—and why bishops matter.

On May 7, cardinals from around the world will gather in Rome for a “conclave,” the Latin term meaning with a key. In the ancient tradition of the Church, and against all sensible fire codes, they will be locked in until a decision is made: the election of the next pope.

While the pope is the bishop of Rome and leader of the global Roman Catholic Church, which has 1.7 billion members, his role still echoes something vital for those of us in the Anglican tradition. The office of a bishop is about more than hierarchy or vestments. It’s about unity, courage, and faithfulness to the mission of Christ.

And oddly enough, that’s what I see every time I look at a stained glass window in our chapel.

A Window into the Church

The Story of the Chapel of Christ Church is a Miracle Story

Years ago, my Fran and I designed a rose window for Christ Church. It’s located in our chapel. But it also speaks. It’s a theological window, not just a beautiful one.

Around the circumference of that window are vines, woven together in a circle. They are rooted in John 15, where Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” The imagery is clear and powerful: the Church is not a loose federation of communities. It is a living organism. Our life flows from Christ. Our unity comes from our shared connection to Him.

And guarding that unity is the call of a bishop.

In the Anglican Ordinal—the service in our Book of Common Prayer that ordains bishops—the bishop is charged to “guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church.” In other words, to keep us together, connected to Christ and one another.

That’s no small task.

Church history has not been kind to bishops on this front. We are a fractured family, often more defined by what separates us than what unites us. But if we are to have any hope of bearing fruit, we must remain in the Vine—and cling to each other.

That’s what makes this papal conclave important. Not just for Catholics, but for all Christians. The bishop of Rome will set a tone—not just for doctrine and discipline—but for unity.

The Sword and the Trowel

But unity alone is not enough. That’s why our chapel window includes two more symbols: a sword and a trowel.

They come from Nehemiah 4. As the people of Israel began rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, they did so under threat. Each worker, Nehemiah writes, held a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other.

One to build.
One to defend.

That’s the work of the Church. And it’s the sacred calling of every bishop.

Remarkably, Jesus used the themes of building and battling when I described the duty of every Christian who would follow Him. Remember? In Luke 14 he uses two images, two metaphors to describe the duties of every Christian

—Suppose a builder wants to build…
—Suppose a king wants to go to war…

Here is the text of what Jesus said:

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? —Luke 14:28-32

Build. Battle. That is what every Christian must do.

Do you see that this idea is the role and function of everyone? Keeping unity. Staying together. And Building something and fighting for something.

Unity. Building. Battling.

If you’re married, it’s what you do every day to stay together, build a future, and battle for the sake of your marriage. That is the sacred duty of every family: Unity. Build. Battle.

If you wonder what is going on in our country—and every country these days—the same applies. Strive for unity. Build and battle.

Jesus even mentioned this to his disciples when describing the church. Remember? (I’ll paraphrase Matthew 16:13-20)

Peter, I am going to build my church on your faith, your confession of faith, what you just said about who is the Son of God. And the gates of hell will not prevail against it in our battle to be the church.

Every true leader of the Church must be willing to do both. To build and to battle.

To build the Church—patiently, brick by brick, generation by generation. And to battle—against false teaching, spiritual apathy, and every assault that would erode the Gospel.

That’s why the symbols in staing glass chapel window aren’t decorative—they’re declarative. They remind us what we are:

a people grafted into the Vine,
unified in Christ,
tasked with building His Kingdom
and defending its truth.

Why The Pope’s Election Matters

So why should we care about the election of a new pope?

Because the Church is the longest-lasting, ever-renewing, ever-reforming movement the world has ever known. Businesses rise and fall. Nations come and go. Even the oldest family-run company in the world—a furniture maker in Italy—has only been around for 700 years.

But the Church? The Church has endured for 2,000 years.

Your local church—your neighborhood community of believers—is on the front edge of that movement. And the bishop of Rome, for better or worse, is often its most visible representative to the rest of the world.

His leadership will influence how the Church engages with poverty, justice, and culture. It will shape conversations about faith, identity, and mission. And, most importantly, it will either build up or chip away at the unity of the people of God.

So yes, the conclave matters. And the stained glass window in a chapel in Plano matters too.

Because both point to the same thing: the Church belongs to Christ. He is the Vine. We are the branches. And until He returns, our calling is clear—

To build. To battle. And to stay together.

☩

Grace and peace,

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The Anglican is the Substack newsletter for LeaderWorks, where I share insights, encouragement, and practical tools for clergy and lay Christians. I’m also an author of over a dozen books available on Amazon.

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If you’d like to know more about the church year, the seasons of the liturgical calendar, and the great themes of the life of Christ, consider picking up a copy of The Ten Ways to Preach the Church Year.