Pentecost and Advent Antependia
Vancouver, B.C.
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This design was honored with an award in the February 2003 issue of Ministry and Liturgy Pentecost Antependia (2000)
Oakridge United Church is an exciting church to create a design of Pentecost for. It is a community ripe with the Spirit moving amongst it through ecumenical worship, world music, and a congregation of many diverse peoples and communities. We all know the dramatic story of Pentecost from Acts 2 . All are filled with the Holy Spirit, and speak in foreign tongues, yet understand each other by the power of God. The two most significant symbols to come out of this story are the flames of fire and the Holy Spirit, often depicted in the form of a dove. All three sections of the set, pulpit, lectern, and communion table frontal, are meant as a whole to give the feeling of the winds of Pentecost through the flames and the dove depicted on the right hand piece. Of the brightest, yellow tinged flames, there are seven. This illustrates the seven gifts of the Spirit first referred to in Isaiah 11; 2-3. They are wisdom, understanding, council, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord, and joy in God's presence. Seven gifts, but one Spirit. The brightly coloured circles you will see throughout all three pieces illustrate two things. Firstly, there are nine circles. When Paul is describing to the Galations (5;22-23) how to walk by the Spirit, he describes nine fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Further, in 1 Corinthians (12;4-11) he also describes nine varieties of work or service practiced by Christians. Nine fruits, one Spirit. One body, many parts. The second reason for illustrating several multicoloured circles is to symbolize many different peoples. Oakridge is a community of communities, a place open to diversity. Many tongues, one speech, one language of faith. One God, interlinking, interwoven, invariably part of the same body. The most obvious symbol is the center cross: a Cross Crosslet, made up of four Latin Crosses. It suggests the four corners of the earth: north, south, east and west. It symbolizes the Holy Spirit being on the entire earth, a part of us all, receivable in all eras and times. It is the symbol for God being the centre of all the above mentioned symbols.
Advent Antependia (1999)
The most exciting thing about Advent is how much scripture there is from all over the Bible describing the incredible events which are now our history, but which were prophesied, foretold, and described in actuality time and time again. God told us and told us and told us we would have a day in Christ and we didn't and sometimes still don't believe it. You would have thought we'd gotten the point. When we reflect on such scripture as Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 9: 2, Malachi 4: 2, Isaiah 11:1, Zachariah 3:8, Isaiah 35:1-2 Isaiah 40: 3-5, and John 1:23, we see how much they are intertwined. They speak of a new energy, an urgentness for people to understand and embrace the Love of God and the potential for God's world. This is the wind of change I have portrayed in this design. There is a sense of anticipation, openness, longing and a desire for change. But there is a peacefulness as well. The antependia is three pieces but , you will notice, divided in four. This symbolizes the four parents and stories which bring us to the birth of Christ: Abraham and Sarah, Old testament forbearers; the Prophets who symbolize hope and promise; John the baptist who tells us that the day is almost here; and of course, Mary, who shows us what ultimate openness is all about. The four separate pieces also represent the four Sundays of Advent. The left hand piece reminds us of the Prophets' imagery and excitement at the coming of the Lord. The desert shall bloom and this wilderness shall become a highway. In this piece I see the earth moving, the sky moving, the desert grasses dancing toward the heavens and new possibilities. The communion table left hand piece illustrates the Messianic Rose. This symbolizes the blooming of the desert in the coming of the glory of God. The rose also means love and shows that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that we may have eternal life. In the rose we know that not only did God send Jesus in infinite love for us, but we know the blood of Christ's death and how this gives the birth meaning.
The communion table right hand pieces shows a road, indicating a journey, Not only does this illlustrate the journey from Advent throughout to Christmas as well as the journey of Mary and Joseph, but also the journey we are on from day to day as Christians. The Prophets not only speak words of Christ to come in our midst, they speak of the world in God's love. Yes, there will be a child born for us to be called Prince of Peace, but this is also the day when the lion will lie down with the lamb, the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped, the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. These are the days we still journey toward. This is THE journey for us. We can celebrate and re-live the birth story of Christ, but this is the Christmas that must live in each of us each day. This same piece illustrates the valleys rising to become a plain and the mountains made low to become a highway for our God. The right hand antependia piece is, of course, the branch of Jesus, known as the Jesse tree. This is part of the prophesies as well, showing the lineage of Jesus' family. Interesting to note that Matthew begins by telling us this lineage and in verse 17 says "Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David (Jesse's son), fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ." There are also some roots here to indicate the rootedness of this lineage.
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