Recognize any of these? Of course you do! You know exactly what each image signifies, and you know this without reading any words at all. This is the power of a sign or symbol, it conveys a message or idea without needing any elaboration. This Sunday we are going to talk about the signs and symbols we see in church; some of them are so familiar that we don’t think twice about them because we know exactly what they mean, while others are so familiar that we don’t notice them any more, even if we aren’t completely certain of their significance.
The occasion for this is the dedication of the United Church’s new pulpit cloths. Let’s be honest: when was the last time you thought about the cloths (they’re really bookmarks) on the lectern and pulpit? And yet we see them every week, and we might even notice when they change colors. I’ve asked around, and no one seems to know when the current cloths were first used, but everyone agrees it’s been a long time, and they have been showing their age for quite a while. At a recent meeting the Deacons had a discussion about them and decided it was time to refresh the sanctuary and replace the pulpit cloths. we’ll be talking about their colors and symbolism this weekend, and hope you will join us for this special occasion.
Here are the links to Sunday’s bulletin and service: