Churches, Oklahoma City

Overall, the interior of the First Lutheran is a study in contrast. The ceiling and walls are creamy. The altar is dark. The windows are nearly uniform. Besides the altar, which by itself is no special wonder, I found a painting in the entrance foyer (near the secretary's office) to be the most startling object in the church. Painted by one of the congregation, it depicts a perfect likeness of the exterior of the church (as seen in my tip above) with the Christ sweeping his hand over the Gothic towers in benediction.

The single most becoming object in the sanctuary's interior is the altar. Altogether the nave is simple, if not plain. The mellow tone of its interior is scarcely improved by the lighting from the stained glass windows, which appear uniform in design from a distance. To gain admittance, ring the bell at the functional entrance on the south side. The secretary will see to your needs.

Another early church on Robinson Avenue, which gained the reputation of "Church Row" in the first quarter of the last century, is the First Lutheran Church, like St Joseph's farther south a temple in Gothic style. The "church" (i.e. its people) was founded here in 1902, but building did not begin on this structure until 1911. On April 22, 1913 -- the first '89ers Day following its grand opening -- a century chest was buried at the site, to be opened April 22, 2013.

If you never make it to Oklahoma City, your life will not necessarily be less enriched, but if you do come here and miss the interior of St Joseph's Cathedral, you can thank yourself for missing the best stained glass in the city.

Mass is presented every weekday at noon at St Joseph's Cathedral, so visitors can stop by as early as 10:30 to see the reconstructed nave with its splendid ivory vaulting, and the renewed stained glass windows that line either side of the nave. Provided you do not interfere or distract the faithful who might have come to pray, you can discreetly move through the interior with a tripod.

On the other hand, there are some windows with Biblical depictions that have that etched effect so vital to real stained glass. Emblems and icons can be found aplenty in the drab interior of the "old" (i.e. rebuilt) sanctuary, but there is a grand and profound charm in the representation of the Christ shepherding his flock.

As usual, the stained glass windows of the First United Methodist Church (specifically the rose windows) are more dynamic when viewed from the outside, especially after dark, than they appear from the interior. Like many churches and businesses in the downtown area, the tragic events of April 1995 led to an infusion of federal rebuilding dollars, leading the church not only to reconstruct its lost windows, but to expand manifold the original house of worship.

For the chapel (i.e. the other portion of the First Baptist Church to boast stained glass), you'll have to con a church official to walk you through the basement cafeteria and into a smaller, rectangular chamber. The chapel has no especial character or design in itself, but its 1950s era stained glass windows are better Biblical storytellers than the golden orbs in the main sanctuary.