Parkwood Presbyterian Church: Symbols at Parkwood

Symbols in our sanctuary

(a) pulpit falls

There are two "pulpit falls" in Parkwood's sanctuary. Up until April 11, 1999 the pulpit was graced with a fall depicting two hands holding up the Word of God, an open book with the

Alpha and Omega on the two pages. God said to John in Revelation 1: 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

The second pulpit fall, created in early 1999 by the "Quilters for Christ" group led by Lori Cameron, is a burning bush. It currently graces the pulpit, while the other fall has been moved to the lectern. The burning bush, long a symbol of the Presbyterian church, is based on the scripture from Exodus 3:2 "There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up."

(a) the tapestry

In 1976 a group of local artists under the direction of the late Ray Burrell produced a tapestry that was given a central place in the sanctuary, on the wall behind the platform. The tapestry was damaged somewhat around the time of expansion in 1996, and was removed for repair and cleaning. When this was complete, the tapestry was rehung on the back wall of the sanctuary.

The central symbol of the work is the cross, central to our faith. Secondary symbols include the burning bush, the Chi-Rho, the lamp, the loaves and fish, the Alpha and Omega and the palm branches.

See above for explanations of the burning bush and the Alpha and Omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet).

Chi and Rho are the first two letters of "Christos" in the Greek alphabet. "Christos" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "Messiah." This Hebrew word means "the annointed one" and was a title given to the Jewish kings. When the Greek writers of the New Testament called Jesus of Nazareth "Christos," they meant that he was the new Messiah or king exspected by the Jewish prophets.

The lamp is in reference to the scripture verse in Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

The loaves and fish are from the famous episode in Matthew 14 where Jesus fed the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish.

The palm branches are a reference to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem found in John 12: 13 when the people "...took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"