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The nave is the central
open space of the church, the main aisle with
rows of pews either side. It is the part of
the church where most of the congregation
sit during services. It is divided from the
side aisles by ten columns which support the
church roof.
The word nave comes from the Latin word navis
which means ship, the root of the English
word navigation. The roof timbers are like
an upturned ship's hull, reminding us that
St. James was a fisherman. It is as though
the church is a ship, the congregation are
passengers in the ship, and the priests and
congregation are travelling together towards
God.
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There are
ten columns supporting the nave roof. Each is
topped by a carved stone capital representing
flowers, leaves and fruits. Below are four,
all of which are different: |
Pews
are the fixed benches on which people sit in
the nave. Once there were no seats in churches
and the congregation stood or knelt.
Later, in some churches, a few seats were attached
to the wall for old and sick people, and from
this comes the saying, 'The weakest go to the
wall'. Fixed seats for all the people were introduced
about the 15th century. |
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The creation of a series
of new kneelers
(hassocks) was a millennium project for the
church which involved a group of women who
used their talents and artistic energy to
give something lasting to St. James's Church.
Some show the emblems for
the guides and scouts, Mothers Union and New
Start. The other designs are taken from the
tiles and stained glass windows in the church.
There are four kneelers that depict the four
seasons. There is also a long kneeler which
can be used for weddings. See
pictures of our Kneelers
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The pulpit
is the raised, enclosed platform from which
the preacher gives the sermon. It is made
of stone and is hexagonal (six-sided). It
is the largest piece of church furniture to
show that the Word of God is an important
part of the weekly service. The word pulpit
comes from the Latin word pulpitum meaning
stage or platform.
The centre panel shows IHS. IHS or IHC are
the first three letters of the Greek for Jesus
(IHCOYC)
(see right).
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The lectern
is the desk on which the Bible rests. It is
made of brass. It is in the shape of an eagle
with out-stretched wings. The eagle is standing
on a ball, which represents the world, while
the Bible on the eagle's back symbolises the
Gospel being carried on wings to the corners
of the earth.The word lectern comes from the
Latin word, lectus,
meaning to read, because the lectern is actually
a reading stand. It is normally used by lay
people to read the scripture lessons, to lead
the congregation in prayer, and to make announcements.
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| The brass lectern |
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The
wooden lectern |
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The
brass lectern |
| The
Nave Stained Glass Windows |
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Stained
glass has been used to add beauty and colour
to our church. Many of our windows show biblical
scenes, and these helped to teach the people
about religion in the days when most of them
could not read.
The separate
pieces of glass each have their own colour and
are set into strips of lead. The colours in
early stained glass were each thought to have
a meaning; for instance, red meant divine love,
white - divine wisdom, yellow - faith, and so
on.
See our Nave
Stained Glass Windows images page. |
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James's Church Quizzes |
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