Looking at the Episcopal Church. William Sydnor

      GREEK

      Maltese cross: This cross was worn by the Knights of St. John or Knights Hospitallers of Malta as early as the eleventh century.

      St. Andrew's cross: St. Andrew is said to have died on this kind of cross.

      MALTESE

      ST. ANDREW'S (Saltire)

      Canterbury cross: This cross is a copy of one made perhaps in Kent in the eighth century. Derived from the Alisee Patee, it appears on the coat of arms of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

      CANTERBURY

      Crucifix: A representation of our Lord hanging on the cross is called a crucifix. In some cases he is shown clothed in royal garments—Christ the king or Christus Rex who reigns in glory. The figure, however, is most often depicted in the attitude of suffering.

      CHRIST THE KING CRUCIFIX (Christus Rex)

      Presiding Bishop's cross: The distinctive cross of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is pictured on the opposite page.

       Head of the Primate's Staff of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

      Calvary cross: It is supposed to be the actual form of the cross on which our Lord was crucified. The base symbolizes the hill of Calvary on which the crucifixion took place.

      Celtic cross: This cross was used by the Celtic Christians of Britain, Scotland, and Ireland. It is called also the Ionic cross.

      GRADED (Calvary)

      CELTIC

      Eastern cross: The upper bar on this cross is for the inscription I.N.R.I. The lower one represents the footrest. It is used in Eastern Orthodox Churches.

      Jerusalem cross: This cross was the emblem of the crusaders.

      RUSSIAN ORTHODOX

      JERUSALEM

      Fish—The fish is one of the oldest Christian symbols. Jesus used the fish in his parable of the net to represent those who were gathered into his kingdom. In another sense it represents Christ himself because the initials of the words which compose the Greek phrase, “Jesus Christ Son of God, Savior,” spell the Greek word for fish, which is Ichthus. In ancient times of persecution, this anagram or the figure of a fish became a sort of password or sign by which Christians recognized one another.

      Dove—The Holy Spirit is most commonly represented by a dove. This symbol comes from the gospel account of Jesus' baptism. “When Jesus came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove…” (Mark 1:10).

      Pelican—There is a legend that the pelican pierces her own breast to feed her young. This symbol represents Christ redeeming the world with his blood and is known as “the pelican in her piety.”

      Agnus Dei—These Latin words mean “Lamb of God,” referring to Jesus. “The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the word!'” (John 1:29)

      IHS—These are the first three letters of the word Jesus in Greek.

      XP—Here are the first letters of the Greek word for Christ. The Greek X (chi) is the same as the English CH; the Greek P(rho) is the same as the English R.

      A Ω —The Greek letters alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and are a symbol for God. “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

      The Holy Trinity—The triangle, the three-leafed-clover, the fleur-de-lis, three interlocking circles, and other three-fold designs, all symbolize the three persons of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

      There are many other Christian symbols, but these are among the most common and will help people understand the meaning behind many of the decorations in church.

       Chapter 5

       The Symbolism of Worship

      Symbolism is not just used to decorate our churches. It is used also as a vehicle of worship—a graphic way of setting forth the truth inherent in Christian worship. Symbolism helps to make worship visual and dramatic and, when the symbol used is understood, more intelligible. Here are some of those symbols:

      Water—Water calls to mind so many things—washing, refreshment, even life. Among the many references to it in the Bible are the following: The creation story begins with water: “…the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters…” (Genesis 1:2). Water calls to mind “the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” Later, God led the Children of Israel through the waters of the Red Sea to freedom from Egyptian bondage. Not only is God the Creator, but he cares, delivers, saves. God saved the lives of the Israelites in the wilderness by giving them water to drink (Exodus 15:22-27). The saving power of God with water as the vehicle moves from the physical to the spiritual level in the New Testament. Jesus was baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan River and “was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah” (Mark 1:9-11). After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection people were received into the company of believers by a baptism which dramatized the death and resurrection experience of the candidates. They went down under the water (a watery grave) and came up again (resurrection) new creatures blessed with the Holy Spirit. So the Christian's faith in the crucified and risen Lord is tied up with the symbolism of water. (See the “Thanksgiving over the Water” in the Baptismal Service, BCP, pg. 306.) Water is used also by Christians as a symbol for cleansing, to typify the purification of persons or objects that are blessed by the Church. The use of blessed or consecrated water—holy water—is an old and widespread Christian custom.

      Bread and wine—In the Holy Eucharist, bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ. The bread broken and the wine poured out symbolize his death on the cross. These elements—bread and wine—are symbols of spiritual nourishment. The Holy Communion is a heavenly banquet—”the bread of heaven” and “the cup of salvation” as the Prayer