Deborah and a Scroll Under the Palms
Powell Brothers &Sons - 1999
In Loving Memory of Paulie T. Raymond
From Bob and Louise Taylor
DESCRIPTION: Deborah sits reflectively considering a scroll, symbolic of her role as judge and community leader. The smaller medallion above Deborah contains two crossed palms, Christian symbols for victory and rejoicing and, in a secular sense also represent Key West. As with the other three Powell windows inside the chancel, the handmade, imported glass contributes to this rich and vibrant window.
THE STORY: The story of Deborah is told twice: in Judges 4, in prose; in Judges 5, in poetry. From the latter comes The Song of Deborah, one of the most literary pieces in the Bible. Deborah was a poet and a judge of Israel, the only woman to hold that office. Under her guidance, Barak conquered Sisera and delivered Israel from the oppression of the Canaanite King Jabin. As depicted in the window in St. Paul's, "she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment." (Judges 4:5)
MEMORIAL: Paulette (Paulie) Claire Taylor Raymond (1949-1994) was born in Wakefield, Rhode Island, the middle daughter of Louise and Bob Taylor. She received a degree in Journalism from Michigan State University. She married Ray Raymond and they had one daughter, Colleen Louisa. Paulie was a columnist and Lifestyle section editor for the Key West Citizen, demonstrating a talent for discovering unusual facts about extraordinary and ordinary folks. Paulie charitably assisted Literacy Volunteers, Helpline, The Salvation Army's board and KWAMI.
The donors, Louise and Bob Taylor, felt that in her brief life their daughter Paulie's literary and charitable contributions exemplified Deborah's life of justice and scholarship. Zacchaeus Climbing the Sycamore Tree (Window #119), on the north wall of the chancel directly opposite Deborah, was given in memory of Bob Taylor, Paulie's father. The loving thread between the two is Louise Stroune McClanahan Taylor, mother to one, wife to the other.
Source: The Golden Cockerel: The Art, Symbolism & History of the Stained Glass Windows, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Key West, Florida by Winifred Shine Fryzel.
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