A road trip
A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I decided to go on a mini road trip. There was a disc golf store he wanted to see and there was a church I wanted to photograph, Immanuel Lutheran in Terre Haute.
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church began in the mid 1800s. The current structure was built in 1885 in the Gothic Revival style and renovated and preserved faithfully ever since. The exterior features red-brown brick, bright red doors, a square tower with a spire, and a round turret that houses the spiral staircase that leads to the balcony.
As you enter the sanctuary, you're first greeted by the baptismal font, reminiscent of Lutherans' first practice in our faith- infant baptism.
If you turn to the right before heading in to find a pew. you notice the spiral staircase to the balcony. It's lit by small stained glass windows which cast an ethereal light onto the walls and steps.
The stained glass windows of Immanuel are vivid and cast soft, beautiful light on their surroundings. I was told that the plexiglass that used to protect them from the outside was recently removed and replaced. It had gotten dirty from the years and on the first Sunday that everyone saw the naked windows, it was breathtaking. They are now protected by a new covering of clear glass on the exterior of each window.
The apse features something I haven't seen much- a stained glass skylight directly above the reredos. The communion rail is made of dark wood and has chalice and cross cutouts. I love taking my time in a sanctuary as I discover each of these details one by one.
The congregants at Immanuel are truly lucky to have such a beautiful place to worship in and their care of the art of the place shows.
