First Presbyterian Church, Marianna, Florida
Lenten Luncheons Lent 2007
Reflections on the Cross of Jesus
by Huw Christopher, Pastor
Tuesday, April 3, 2007


The Cross in the Presbyterian Seal


Alyne Pitman shared the following poem she had written entitled, “What Does 
the Cross of Jesus Mean to Me?” 

For six weeks this year during the Season of Lent 
One hour each Tuesday has been time well spent. 
We=ve gathered each week for a tasty lunch 
With Christian friends, a very lively bunch! 
The soup and sandwiches were oh, so good, 
And a table was loaded with sweet finger food. 
Each week we sang an old favorite hymn B 
We all knew the words to most of them. 
Huw showed a banner of a different cross each week. 
He gave the history of the Latin, Jerusalem, Anchor and Greek. 
Then he told about the Celtic cross B I have this one. 
The cross we know best is the one where they crucified God=s Son. 
I never knew there could be so many, 
But my encyclopedia shows pictures of twenty! 

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Everyone knows the scriptures so well 
So I won=t attempt the story to tell. 
The world turned dark when Christ was crucified, 
While he hung on the cross three hours, then died. 
They buried God=s Son, and he lay there alone 
>Til the angel came and rolled away the stone. 
When the two Marys went to the tomb the third day 
They were frightened to see the stone rolled away. 
Hallelujah!! Christ is Risen! Was the loud proclamation B 
His crucifixion and resurrection B that=s our Easter celebration. 
Everyone has experienced sorrow and loss, 
But only God watched His Son be nailed to a cross. 
I always thank God in my daily prayer 
For all that I have and for his loving care. 
What does the cross of Jesus mean to me? 
It means faith, hope, joy and charity. 
It means all that I have comes from God above C 
He sacrificed His Son which shows me His love. 
And it=s this beautiful world, the gift of life, my friends, my dear family 
That=s what the cross of Jesus means to me. 

Hymn: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” Stanzas 1 and 3. 

Over the past five weeks of Lent we have looked at some of the forms that 
the cross has taken over the years, from probably the anchor cross as one of the 
oldest, though least familiar to most of us, to probably the most common form of 

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the Latin Cross. By no means have we looked at all of the forms that the cross has 
taken. But as we have looked at this sample we have remembered that while the 
cross has taken so many different forms the central message of each one has been 
that of the death of Jesus upon the cross. We have also remembered that as such 
even for non-Christians the cross in its various forms has been seen as the main 
symbol of the Christian faith. 

Today we turn our attention to what is probably one of the most recent forms 
of the cross. In 1983 the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was formed from the 
reunion of the main Presbyterian Churches in this country the United Presbyterian 
Church in the United States, often referred to as the Northern Presbyterian Church 
and the Presbyterian Church in the United States, generally known as the Southern 
Presbyterian Church. These churches had been separated since 1861. Our own 
church here in Marianna when it was formed in 1835 was part of The Presbyterian 
Church in the United States of America. After the division of the church it became 
part of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and some of those who had 
been preaching here became chaplains in the Army of the Confederate States. 
Since 1983 our church has been part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 

Two of the first committees appointed by the reunited church at the General 
Assembly in 1983 in Atlanta were asked to give expression to the life of the 
reunited Presbyterian Church. One was to develop a new brief statement of faith 
expressive of the faith of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) This statement of faith 
was adopted in 1991 as “The Brief Statement of Faith.” The second committee was 
asked to develop a new seal or symbol for the reunited church. Over the years 
each of the churches had developed their own symbol or seal. Many of us, though, 
were very familiar with the seal of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. 
This is the seal which some of you embroidered on the chairs in our sanctuary. 

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th 

Since 1985 and its adoption by the 197. 

General Assembly in Indianapolis we have 

become more familiar with the seal of the 

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is the 

seal on the flag in our sanctuary along 

with the American and Christian flags. 

The committee that developed this seal 
was given the task of developing one seal that 
was symbolic of our church’s heritage, identity, 
and mission in contemporary form. If you were 

given such an assignment what would you have designed? We are now very 
familiar with the design that the committee developed with the help of Malcolm 
Grear and Associates. 

As you have looked at this seal many of you I am sure have seen various 
symbols that have been incorporated into it. Unlike the seal of the Presbyterian 
Church in the United States central to our new seal very clearly is the cross. 
Although not so obvious the designers state that because of its association with the 
Presbyterian Church the Celtic Cross, which we considered last week, was chosen 
as the model for this contemporary form of the cross. The bottom part of the circle 
but not the complete circle of the Celtic Cross is evident in the design. It is stated 
that the choice of the cross as the dominant structural and theological element in 
the design was very deliberate because as we have come to see over the past few 
weeks the cross is the universal and most ecumenical symbol of the Christian 
church. For us as Christians the cross represents the love of God made most clear 
and visible to this world in the life and ministry of Jesus, and most of all in his 
death upon that cross for us. 

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As the designers of this seal began to experiment with the basic lines and 
shapes of the cross so they began to see in the horizontal section the contour of a 
book and the two center lines of the cross became seen as the representation of an 
open book. As such, of course, it became a reminder of the way in which the 
Bible, as the Book of the Church, has played such an important role in all 
Protestant Churches and as such in our Presbyterian tradition. For us as 
Presbyterians we come to know the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, who has 
become flesh and dwelt among us through the written word of the Bible. This is 
the source book for our faith. Where-else after all do we turn to hear the stories of 
Jesus, and to hear of God’s love for us seen as Christ dies for us on the cross? 

Beneath the image of the book is the appearance of that which holds the 
book. Traditionally in the church this has been called the lectern or, even more 
commonly, the pulpit. As such, of course, it reminds us of the important role of 
preaching in Presbyterian worship. This preaching is seen as being based on the 
reading and interpretation of the book of the Church, the Bible. 

One of the things that the new Presbyterian seal shares in common with the 
seal of the former Presbyterian Church in the United States is, of course, the 
descending dove at the top. This symbol has been used down through the centuries 
for the Holy Spirit as it reminds us of that Spirit that descended upon Jesus at this 
baptism by John in the Jordan in the form of a dove. As such, of course, it reminds 
us of the Holy Spirit as God’s gift to each of us in our baptisms. As the dove 
descends now upon the book representing the Bible it reminds us of the way in 
which we affirm that the Holy Spirit was at work inspiring the writing of the Bible, 
and is still at work in our lives helping us to interpret the message of the Bible for 
our own day. As such we claim that the role of the Holy Spirit is not only 
important in the life of the preacher who proclaims the word, but also in the lives 

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of those who hear the word so that it may become meaningful and effective in their 
lives. 

The more general identification of the dove as the symbol of peace reminds 
us as we reflected last Sunday that God was seeking to bring peace to our lives and 
to the life of the whole world through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus 
Christ. We know the assurance of that gift of peace in our lives through the work 
of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. 

The interesting thing, of course, in the dove on this Presbyterian seal is to 
see the way in which the body of the dove has been designed in the form of a fish. 
While in recent years this symbol has once again become quite common in 
Christian circles it actually represents along with the anchor cross one of the 
earliest symbols used by Christians. Both of these symbols are frequently found 
on the walls and tombs of the early catacombs in Rome. Like the anchor cross it 
was a secret symbol used by Christians in times of persecution. It is not clear why 
the fish was chosen, but later the Greek word for fish, ichthys, was seen as an 
acronym for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. The first letter of each of these 
words in Greek spelled out the Greek word, ichthys, which means fish. As such, of 
course, the fish symbol is a very basic affirmation of our faith of which we are 
reminded by its inclusion in the body of the dove. It is by the power of the Holy 
Spirit at work within us that we are inspired to make such a profession of faith. 

The flames at the bottom of the seal are, of course, also a reminder of the 
Holy Spirit, as we remember that on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared 
to the disciples as flames of fire. They also speak to us of the call of God to Moses 
through the burning bush. This was also pictured in another way in the shape of 
the bush in the earlier seal of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. 

The design of the flames is deliberately in the form of an implied triangle 
thus reminding us of the fact that as Presbyterians we share a common faith with 

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all Christians who believe in the One God made known to us as Father, Son and 
Holy Spirit. This unity with other Christians is also seen in the way in which the 
half circle of the Celtic cross in the center of the seal gives the appearance both of 
a font for holding the water for baptism, and also the cup or chalice that holds the 
wine that we share together in communion. 

Some of you may have seen other symbols as you have looked at this 
Presbyterian seal and certainly there are many others that people have seen over 
the years. Unlike our earlier seal, though, this present one clearly points us to the 
central place of the cross in our faith as Presbyterians and as Christians. As such, 
of course, this recently developed seal stands in the tradition of those other crosses 
we have considered, and others which we have not had the time to consider this 
Lent, in focusing our attention on that to which Lent leads us, and which we 
remember especially as we celebrate this Holy Week, the death of Jesus for us 
upon the cross. A spiritual out of the African-American tradition invites us to 
remember that it was for us that he hung and died there as it invites us to think 
whether we were there when they crucified our Lord. 

Hymn “Were You There?” Stanzas 1 and 2 

Prayer: 

Gracious God, as we have moved through Lent this year we thank you for the way 
in which we have been able to focus our attention on the cross where Jesus died for 
us. As we continue to celebrate the events of this Holy Week may we come to 
experience again the wonder of your love seen for us in his death in new and more 
meaningful ways and then have the assurance of that love confirmed as we 
celebrate his resurrection on Easter Day, for we ask these things in the name of 
Jesus. Amen. 

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