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BANNERSHere at First Congregational Church of Battle Creek, we are proud to have a collection of beautiful banners to display throughout the liturgical year. These banners are carefully hand crafted works of art that serve to enhance our worship space. These banners help focus our attention on our worship themes for a particular period of time. They call our attention away from the busyness of our life and helps our minds to center on God's presence with us.Advent Banners The first in our banner collection were introduced at the beginning of Advent in 1995. First and foremost, these banners initiated the change of the liturgical color of Advent in our service to midnight blue, instead of the traditional purple. This color change helps us to distinguish this season of "spiritual anticipation" from the purple used during Lent, which is the time of "spiritual preparation". In the first banner we see the familiar, brilliant gold star, over Bethlehem to remind us where this season of Advent began. In the second banner, serves to remind us that the same brilliant gold star still shines over us today here at First Congregational Church. These banners were designed and presented to the Church by Malisa McQuiston. In keeping with the change of the liturgical color for Advent, two minister's stoles, a Communion table cover and Chapel paraments were commissioned, depicting the brilliant gold star on the midnight blue background. Banners for Ordinary Time In September of 2000, the Worship and Fine Arts Committee, presented new worship banners for the Sanctuary to fill the season from Pentecost to Advent. The concept and design for the banners were created by Dee Seymour combined with the talents of textile artist Carolyn Tolliver. The background and design of the banners reflect the pattern in our Sanctuary windows. These worship banners were given by Vernon and Virginia Potts in memory of their parents, Mr. & Mrs. Russell J. Potts and Reverend & Mrs. H.G. Schuessler. "The Tree of Life" in the first banner represents the Church's growth. The tree is growing from the "Word" of God, deeply rooted in the Bible. The leaves are stylized praying hands reaching up to the heavens in prayer. The tree is twisted and knurled from its struggle to grow like our church and Christianity. The roots run deep through the Bible representing the roots of our church in the word of God. The second banner, "Communion", is representative of sacraments of communion with the grapes, chalice and bread. The original idea for this banner comes from John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit because apart from me you can do nothing." The grapevine is strong and heavy with fruit and reflects a similar shape to the tree with roots represented by the yarn at the bottom similar to the tree. Lenten Banners - information is forthcoming Epiphany Banner The newest banner to our collection was unveiled on January 8, 2006, and was designed and created by Jeanne Kruizenga Fitzgerald. This banner was purchased by Memorial Funds designated for the purchase of Sanctuary Banners: The Ruth & Clyde Fleisher Memorial Fund and the Kenneth B. Puls Memorial Fund. This banner celebrates Epiphany, and also The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Epiphany recalls the Wise Men arriving at the manger in Bethlehem; Baptism celebrates Jesus' encounter with John the Baptist at the river Jodan. The green background of the banner, is a swirling, flowing movement. It reminds us of the water moving in the Jordan River. The swirling water washes us in baptism, whether we are submerged in water, have water poured on us, or have water sprinkled on us. The star in the middle of the banner represents God and Jesus. The star is encircled by a loop, with the ends trailing off to each side. It forms a vertical Christian fish symbol, the early sign of the church and a symbol of identification for members. Jesus is at the center of the church and at the center of each member's life. Both up and down from the circle which is the body of the fish, there are trailing ends which begin another half-finished circle to the edge of the banner. If the lines are extended in either direction, the figure "8" would be found. Turn that "8" on its side, and it becomes the mathematical symbol for infinity. The banner reminds us that God is at the center of creation and at the center of each of our own life's flow. The open ends of the top and bottom half-circles remind us that God is bigger than we can know, and God's process moves in all directions, of which there is no end. The lower points of the star are extended to place the star at the top of an "A: frame, representing the stable or manger where Jesus was born. At the lower left side of the "A" there is an actual A formed by the central figure and the end of one fish tail. God says in Revelations, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." There is no Omega on the banner because there is no end, however, God is the beginning of all things, and baptism is our beginning in faith. |
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