KNEELING CUSHIONS

In the spring of 1976, just after celebrating our 125th anniversary in 1975, amid discussions of, things to be done to brighten our sanctuary, several ladies thought the kneeling cushions on the communion rail should be replaced. But, as Mrs. Winnie Lewis pointed out, we wanted something special, something uniquely ours. "Let's do something in needlepoint", she suggested. Mrs. Edie Sunday suggested we do our cushions to match the designs in our church windows. Since there were only eleven windows, it was decided to include the cross and flame, the symbol of the United Methodist Church since 1968, as the twelfth cushion.

Using Mrs. Joyce Utsler's collection of drawings of the window symbols, Mrs. Sunday traced these drawings on graph paper and then transferred the design to needlepoint canvas. Mrs. Winnie Mackie of Cottage Needlecraft in Temple, Texas and Mrs. Ruth Barcuch helped select colors which most nearly reflected the windows when the sun is shining brightly through them.

The following women worked on the needlepoint cushions:

Mrs. Ruby Proctor	Mrs. Robert Ray
Mrs. Madge Matthews	Mrs. Winnie Lewis
Mrs. Melody Cowan	Mrs. Nan Ray
Mrs. Lila Barnes	Mrs. Jane Wade
Mrs. Myrna Johnson	Mrs. Caroline Bay
Mrs. Ellen Malone	Mrs. Mary Cannon
Mrs. Joyce Elker	Mrs. Ruth Barcuch
Mrs. Elizabeth Cowan	Mrs. Ruby Cameron
Mrs. Thelma Outlaw

In actual value, each worked canvas represents $405.00 worth of work. The current rates of putting the design on canvas alone would cost between $35.00 and $50.00 per cushion. The basic design of each cushion is the same. The centered Quatrefoil and square outlines a Christian symbol. A gold cross on either side of the symbol serves as a highlight to the center design. The ruby quatrefoil and square is emblematic of the gospel according to the four apostles - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Three shades of blue radiate from the center of the design. From left to right from the congregation's point of view, the cushions are described as follows:

	The first cushion has the cross and crown at its center. This symbol has several interpretations. One is that it represents Christ as Lord and King of the world. Another comes from Revelations - that there is a reward (crown) for a life of Christian sacrifice. The equal arms of the Greek cross symbolize Jesus as ruler of the four corners of the earth.
This cushion was given in memory of John B. Barcuch by Mrs. Ruth Barcuch and her daughters.
	The traditional Celtic cross is the symbol on our next cushion. The circle represents eternal life, attained by faith in the resurrected Christ. The Eastern Orthodox Cross is the companion cross. Its upper two arms represent the sign "Jesus, King of the Jews" and the cross bar to which Jesus' arms were nailed. The lower bar, where Jesus' feet were nailed, is slanted because it is a tradition of the Russian Church that His legs were of unequal length.
With this cross, the three major bodies of Christendom (Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox.) are represented on one cushion. Mrs. Travis Hall gave this cushion in memory of Mrs. Mary Jane Phialmlee.
	The open Bible on the next cushion reminds us that Christians are individually responsible for reading and interpreting the scriptures. The Chi-Rho representing the first letters of the words, "Jesus Christ" in Greek, was chosen for this cushion because it is the cross that represents words, thus making it an appropriate companion for the Word of God, our Bible. This cushion was given in memory of Mrs. A. H. Ranne by Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Merriman.
	The Hand of God is both an Old and New Testament symbol for God, the Father. The hand descending from a cloud is the symbol for the power of God. The Tau cross used with the hand, is also called the Unfinished Cross. The term, "Unfinished Cross", comes from the tradition that the Latin Cross upon which Jesus was crucified, has four bars (two horizontal, two vertical) and is thus finished while the Tau Cross has only three Bars (two horizontal, one vertical).
Thus, God "finished" the salvation of human beings. This cushion was given in memory of Fred E. Lewis by Mrs. Fred E. Lewis.
	The next cushion portrays Jesus as the Lamb of God. Carrying a banner with a cross on it and surrounded by the three-rayed nimbus, the lamb symbolizes God the Son, the risen and triumphant Savior. The Anchor cross reminds us that Christ, the sacrificial lamb, is the anchor of our hope in salvation. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Merriman gave this cushion in memory of Mr. A. H. Ranne.
	The basic component of bread, a sheaf of wheat, is used for the. next symbol with a banner bearing the words "I am the bread of life." The stepped cross highlights this cushion with the steps symbolizing faith, hope, and love. This cushion was given in memory of Jack and Mayme White by their children.
	The next cushion is that of the budded cross and lilies. The lilies describe our hope in the resurrection. When the bulb is buried in the earth, out of it grows foliage and a new bulb. This symbolizes the gaining of immortal life by the death of the body. The budded cross received this name because of its extensions which are capped with what appears to be a tree bud.
Actually these are trefoil designs and are so used to suggest the Trinity. This cushion was given in memory of Robert Holmes by Jim and Anita Holmes.
	The next cushion features the budded cross and the monogram lHS, standing for the Latin phrase, "Iesus Hominum Salvator," which means "Jesus, Savior of men." This cushion is given in memory of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Chaffin and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Whitley by Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Chaffin.
	The descending dove on the next cushion represents the Holy Spirit. The origin of this representation is traced back to the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. The dove's head is surrounded by a three-rayed nimbus, a symbol of divinity. The Celtic Cross was chosen to companion the dove because of the similarity of the circle surrounding the cross and the nimbus. This cushion was given by Mr. and Mrs. Harold Malone in memory of Loved Ones.
	The Chalice is symbolic of the blood which Jesus shed for us, also reminds us of the centrality of the Eucharist to our Christian faith. A modified Celtic Cross is the companion cross because the arms becoming smaller toward the center reminds one of the chalice itself. This cushion was given in memory of L. J. Howard by Mrs. L. J. Howard and children, Ronald T. Smith and Charlsey Smith Samuels.
	The Latin Cross with budded arms representing God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the central design of the next cushion. The three-step base represents faith, hope and love. This style. of cross is traditionally thought to be the one upon which Jesus was crucified. It is sometimes called the Cross of Victory. The companion cross is the cross Crosslet, which symbolizes the spread of Christianity to the whole world.
This cushion was given in honor of Mrs. Joyce Elker by members of the Kitchen Class.
	The last cushion centers attention on the new (since 1968) symbol of the United Methodist Church, the cross and flame. The cross represents the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The flame represents the Holy Spirit and also of John Wesley and his experience of having "his heart strangely warmed" at Aldersgate.
The companion cross is not historical. It is the Latin cross over a stylized "M" which appeared on Methodist literature and hymnals prior to our union with the E.U.B. church in 1968. Thus, we have both the "old" and "new" symbols of the Methodist church. This cushion was given in honor of Edie Sunday by members of the First United Methodist Church.

These are the stories of our communion rail kneeling cushions. They have been made with pride, love and joy. We dedicate their use to God's glory. We wish to thank our pastor, Rev, Hiram Johnson, for his insight a guidance and Myrna Johnson whose coordination of the needlepoint kneeler efforts has been invaluable.

Edith Tallent Sunday
October, 1977

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