Page 10 - hs7701
P. 10

"BUILDERS CREED"


                 "When  we  build,  let  us  think  that  we  build  forever.  Let  it  not  be  for  present  delights,  nor  for  present  use  alone;  let  it
                  be  such  work  as  our  descedents  will  thank  us  for,  and  let  us  think,  as  we  lay  stone  on  stone,  that  a  time  is  to  come
                  when  those stones will  be  held sacred because our hands have touched  them, and  that men  will  say  as  they  look  upon
                 the  labor  and  wrought  substance  of them  "See! this our fathers did  for us."   John  Ruskin
                  Devout  believers  always  have  made  extreme  personal  sacrifices  to  find  and  establish  a  place  of worship.  Many  hardships
                 were  endured  and  history  records  that  the  earliest  houses  of worship  were  unpretentious and  simple  in  appointment,  and  often
                 in  secret  locations.  As  Christianity  spread  over  the  face  of Europe,  a  new  freedom  of mankind  was  expressed  in  building,
                 to  the  glory  of God,  edifices  which  have  become  renowned  for  their  beauty  and  magnificence.  These  structures,  particularly
                 of the  Medieval  and  Renaissance  periods,  required  many  years  to  erect  and  seldom  were  completed  with in  a  generation.
                 The  new  Sanctuary  for  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Newhall  in  its  architecture  of simplicity  and  dignity,  still
                 expresses  man's  relationship  to  God  and  his  desire  to  honor  God  by  offering only  his  best.  The  style  is  not  bound  by
                 tradition,  nor  should  it  be,  since  it  is  important  that  the  Church  building  be  representative  of  the  period  in  which  it  is  erected.
                 The  architecture of the  design,  is  reflection  of the  desire  to  combine  a  material  expression  of man's  relationship  to  God,
                 present  day  construction  techniques and  materials,  and  the  functional  application  of  all  building  units  to  meet  the  church's
                 total  program  requirements.

                 The  success  of a  Church  building  project  depends  in  large  measure  on  the  validity  of the  program  requirements  as
                 established  by  the  Church  authorities.  The  First  Presbyterian  congregation,  through  it's  Pastor  and  Building Committee ,
                 determined  that  the  Sanctuary  should  be  established  not only  as  a  landmark  in  the  community  to  symbolize  its  tradition
                 of many  years  of service,  but  that  it  also  be  a structure  to  provide  the  necessary  space  and  liturgical  arrangement
                 for  corporate  worship  in  the  reformed  tradition.  The  shape  of the  Church  evolved  out  of the  committee's study
                 involving  many  months of time.
                 Suggestive  of the  "reformed"  tradition  the  wood  Communion  table,  with  its  inlaid  ceramic  artwork,  rests  as  a free-standing
                 unit  on  the  quarry  tile  Chancel  floor.  The  pulpit,  symbolizing  the  "word"  has  been  carefully  located  to  emphasize  this
                 important  item  of furnishings.

                 The  arrangement  of the  pews  to  the Chancel  area  was  designed  to  emphasize  the  historic  Protestant  tradition  of  the
                 importance  of  the  preaching of the  Word  of  God  and  the  fellowship  of  God's  people  about  the  Communion  Table.
                 The  universal  language  of symbolism  is  one  of the  rich  heritages  of the  Christian  faith  and  the  worshipper  may  experience
                 many  enriched  moments  in  reading  the  iconography  portrayed  by  the  beautiful  stained  glass  windows  and  the  symbols  for
                 the  Chancel  furnishings.  The  stained  glass  win~o_ws  have  been  executed  by  one  of California's  outstanding glass  artists.
                 Some of the original  stained glass  panels or medallions in  the  First Presbyterian's Sanctuary have been  incorporated in
                 contemporary  window  designs.

                 The  Chi-Rho  symbol  on  the  p1i1lpit  consists of the  two  Greek  letters  used  to  abbreviate  the  name  of "Christ"  and
                 clearly  proclaims  the  truth,  "I\ believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  His  Son,  Our  Lord".  This  symbol  is  one  of the  most  ancient of
                 the so-called  monograms  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  superimposed  over  the  famous  Alpha  and  Omega symbol.
                 The  former  expresses  Christian  knowledge  as  well  as  the  word, "Thy Word  is  a lamp unto my feet and  a light  unto my  path."
                 The  Alpha  and  Omega  proclaims  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  beginning  and  end  of all;  He  is  the  first  and  the  last.

                 The  leg  supports  for  the Communion  Table  are  decorated  with  interwoven  symbols of the  Cross  and  the  Vine,  the
                 grape  leaf and  grape  fruit.  These  symbols are  also  interspersed  on  the  pew  ends.
                 Natural  materials  and  applied  color  play  important  parts  in  supplementing  and  accentuating  the  desired  atmosphere.
                 All  materials  including furnishings  have  been  carefully  selected  for  texture  and  color  to  focus  the  attention  of the
                 worshipper  to  the  Communion  Table  and  Pulpit.  All  items  of furnishings  and  the  liturgical  artcraft  are  of original  design
                 to  conform  with  the  basic  design  of the  structure  and  expert  craftmanship  has  been  employed  to  execute  and  achieve  the
                 beauty  of these  various  appointments.

                                                                                Robert  R.  lnslee,  A.I.A.
                                                                                Jos  Maes,  Stain  Glass  Windows  Designer
                                                                                Karl  Weibach,  Ceramic  Tile  Designer
   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12