Self-Guided Tour: 7 The Sanctuary
We are in the “heart” of First Presbyterian Church—our sacred space—our sanct-uary. (Get it?)
You may already have visited the narthex and learned about the three-panel stained glass window. If not, please do so before you depart. And as you do so, notice how the windows’ many images feed our imaginations with countless glimpses of the Divine, inviting each individual to freely derive our own understanding of the Deity from those rich “hints” as opposed to being forced to accept one artist’s dominant but necessarily limited understanding of our God.
There’s so much more to appreciate here—above all, the magnificent Möller organ; but let’s start more simply. Notice the symbols of wheat and grapes in the side windows and ponder how appropriate they are for what is still a “farm community.” Notice the clear, pure light shining through those windows, as though answering our weekly “prayers for illumination.”
Ponder the placement of the baptismal font: central to our faith community, surrounding each recipient with the congregation’s love and care. Give some thought to the location of the communion table (NOT an altar!): recognizing God’s desire to dwell among us and feed us as we draw close to God. With the readily-portable communion table moved to the side, the wide chancel steps provide roomy risers capable of accommodating a large choir performing in intimate proximity to the audience.
Intimacy with God and one another was the theme of the 1999 major renovation of the sanctuary. The inward-slanting pews help us to connect with one another. And gone is the giant and imposing proscenium arch that originally seemed a barrier between nave and chancel, the mundane and the holy. Figure in the unity fostered by the brand-new projector and there’s no reason for anyone to feel alone or isolated.
