Subscribe To First Press!

Sanctuary
Symbolism

Lectern: oil lamp

Pulpit: Manus Dei or hand of God

Pulpit: Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)

Pulpit: flames of the Holy Spirit

Baptismal font: descending dove

Baptismal font: scallop shell

Communion table: cross

Parapet: star

Parapet: cross with cup

Parapet: butterfly

Parapet: ship

Pew: torch

Pew: lily

Pew: harp

Pew: wheat

Sanctuary: grapevine

Sanctuary Symbolism

Visitors to our sanctuary probably become aware rather quickly that it is replete with Christian symbolism, from the large cross at the center of the chancel, to the images in the beautiful old stained–glass windows, to the carvings on the pews and lectern. But even those who have grown up in First Presbyterian Church often don’t have a firm idea of what these symbols signify, or why the sanctuary was designed as it was.

Fortunately, a former pastor of First Presbyterian, Dr. James Sprunt, researched the topic of Christian architectural symbolism, spent some time looking closely at the architectural and decorative symbols in our own sanctuary, and did some thinking on the topic of sanctuary symbolism. The result was the sermon "The Symbolism of the Sanctuary," which he preached on June 17, 1956 and also published as a pamphlet for our reference. The following is a paraphrase of that sermon.

The use of visual symbolism is hardly a practice unique to FPC. The Christian Church has used symbolism almost from its beginnings, reaching an apex in the Middle Ages, with the great cathedrals of Europe. While those cathedrals contained images to convey spiritual messages to their mostly illiterate congregations, today’s churches also use symbolism as an aid to worship.

First of all, the arrangement of our chancel (the front part of the sanctuary, where the pastors sit) is itself symbolic. The architect chose to place the pulpit on one side, the lectern on the other, and the communion table in the center, under the central cross. Of course, there is no altar here, in keeping with the Reformed tradition that holds that Christ’s sacrifice was made once and for all, eliminating the need for any further sacrifice.

The table–centered arrangement may seem unusual, but it is in fact an older design than the pulpit–centered church. The very earliest Christian worship was still rooted in the synagogue, with its readings, prayer, and praise, but the unique addition in the Christian church was the Eucharist, with celebration of the Lord’s Supper being a part of every worship service. Thus in the oldest churches, the table is central. The table was later placed below the pulpit to aid in the serving of communion by church elders. Also much later, the pulpit became central as the Puritans stressed sermons and teaching in worship.

It was John Calvin’s intention to return to the ancient form and practice of the church, so the table–centered chancel is more in keeping with Calvinist ideals, with a corresponding deemphasis on the role of the pastor. In our chancel, the focal point is not the pastor, but the open Bible, which rests on the Table of God’s presence. A lectern is to one side, where the Word of God may be read, and a pulpit is on the other side, from which the Word may be expounded.

The next and most prominent symbol to notice is, of course, the large cross in the center of the chancel. The cross, surely the most important Christian symbol, speaks of our redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Our cross is referred to as "the cross in glory," with the sun’s rays behind it transforming a grim symbol of death into a thing of glory. The rayed cross speaks of how the risen Christ is forever triumphant over death.

In the center of the cross are the letters "IHS," a monogram for Christ. Like the older Greek form "IHC," it is the first three letters of the Greek word for "Jesus." The four ends of the cross are emblazoned with the traditional symbols of the four Gospels (symbols derived from the four "living creatures" mentioned in the Book of Revelation): Matthew (the winged man), Mark (the winged lion), Luke (the winged ox), and John (the eagle). And the central shaft of the cross bears an image of the Tree of Life, a reminder to us of the everlasting life gained for us by Christ’s sacrifice.

The two stained–glass windows in our chancel announce the importance of God’s Word as revealed to us in the Bible. The window on the left represents the Old Testament, with Moses at the top and the Pentateuch (Ten Commandments) in his arms. Below the image of Moses are the following medallions, representing the major components of the Old Testament: Saul being anointed by Samuel as the first King of Israel, to represent the historical books of the Old Testament; David, the shepherd and singer, to represent the poetical books; the commissioning of Isaiah by the seraphim with a coal from the altar, to represent the major prophets; and the visions of Amos, to represent the 12 books of the minor prophets. The window on the right represents the New Testament, with the figure of Jesus Christ at the top. The medallions in this window depict the following: Peter preaching at Pentecost, to represent the Acts of the Apostles; Paul receiving the call at Macedonia, to represent Paul’s letters; James writing his letter to the Hebrew Christians, to represent the general epistles of the New Testament; and the risen and enthroned Christ, surrounded by the four living creatures of the Apocalypse, to represent the matter of the Revelation.

The lectern at the right of the chancel is used for Scripture readings and bears on its base an open book with a lamp, reminding us of the passage from the 119th Psalm, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." On the left of the chancel, the pulpit, which is used for sermons, has three projecting sides, which bear the symbols of the Trinity: the Manus Dei (hand of God), which reminds us of God’s creative power as well as His mercy and love; the Agnus Dei (lamb of God), the symbol of Christ, which reminds us that we were "redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish"; and the flames of fire, associated with the inspirational quality of the Holy Spirit and the tongues of fire that touched the Apostles at Pentecost.

Appropriately, the Baptismal font in the chancel displays another symbol of the Holy Spirit, for we believe that the sacrament of baptism is itself a symbol of our inward cleansing from sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. This time, the symbol is the descending dove, which appeared during Jesus’s own baptism by John the Baptist. The cleansing water of the Spirit during a baptism is also symbolized by the scallop shell on the other side of the baptismal font. In Christian iconography, John the Baptist was often depicted as pouring water from a scallop shell.

On the front of the central communion table is a cross because as Paul instructed us, "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again." The table is also carved with roses, symbols of Jesus who, as Isaiah predicted, would "make the desert blossom as the rose." The panels under the chancel windows depict other sacramental symbols: wheat, representing the bread of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and a grapevine, representing the shed blood of Christ’s sacrifice.

Across the chancel parapet is a series of symbols that tell the story of the Gospel. From left to right, you see the following visual emblems:

• A scroll with the Greek letters Mu, Alpha, and Omega: the pre–existence and prophecy of Christ, who is the beginning, continuation, and end of all things
• The Christmas rose, the emblem of the nativity of Jesus
• The five–pointed star, ancient symbol of the Epiphany (the revelation of Christ’s identity as the son of God to the magi)
• The cup and the cross, representing Christ’s passion
• The butterfly, symbol of the Resurrection
• The burning torch, which stands for the Great Commission, when our Lord handed on the torch of the Gospel to His followers
• A ship, proclaiming the missionary history of the church

At the ends of each pew in the sanctuary are carvings of five alternating symbols:

• Wheat--Represents the hunger of the heart that would feed upon the Bread of Life, and the nourishment that God brings
• Olive--Represents the grace of our Lord, who gives peace to sinners. The olive tree is a biblical symbol of Israel. Two big branches grow out of the same trunk, symbolizing Judaism and Christianity, which both developed out of the Tribe of Israel.
• Lily--Represents Christ's resurrection and the hope it brings
• Harp--Represents the praise of God
• Torch--Represents the dedication of the worshipper to set forth in obedience to Christ.

Across the parapet and in several other places is a vine motif, symbolizing the community of Christians and Christ himself, who said, "I am the Vine, and you are the branches." And we could also say that our sanctuary and its many emblems from Scripture and from the earliest Christian traditions unites us as a community of faith and reminds us what we believe and practice together in this place.