Needlepoint Cushions in the Chancel:  "Our Church in Our Time"

In the winter of 1976 a small group of women met with Betty Tufts, the founder and past president of the local Embroiderers' Guild, and a First Presbyterian deacon.  They organized the First Presbyterian Church Needlework Guild, and over the course of the next eleven years designed and stitched their way through three chair cushions, a kneeler, and what must have seemed miles of pew cushions for the choir.  However, the results are beautiful and well worth taking time to study.  The cushions were dedicated in October 1988.  Nearly twenty years of weekly use, and often more, took their toll, and the needlepoint became soiled and the cushions lumpy.  In 2003 or 2004 they were cleaned and reupholstered and again look new.

The committee selected the theme "Our Church in Our Time."  The designs portray significant features of the church, some easily recognizable today, such as the pulpit and the baptismal font, while others were specific to that decade.  Donald Bryant was the Choir Director and each Christmas for roughly 25 years the church choirs produced "The Boar's Head Festival."  The Festival is based originally on a 14th century English tradition that grew and developed over the years to include a court procession including the king and queen, choristers, servants and the Beefeaters.  The drama concludes with the royal court witnessing a representation of the Nativity scene.  The wild boar, being most dangerous animal in the forest came to symbolize evil, and so the boar's head on a platter represented the conquest of sin by the Christ child.

Four times during that period the church also produced, "Noye's Fludde," composed by Benjamin Britten and based on a 15th century miracle play. The play featured the children's choirs, with members of the congregation taking the parts of the various animals.  

Other cushions depict the choirs. Many of the choir members portrayed in the designs were people active in the church during that period, and are easily recognizable. "The Boar's Head" panel was designed by Susan (Dusty) Upton; "Noye's Fludde" was designed by Malcolm Powers.  All the other needlepoint pieces were designed by Lorrayne Mulder.

PULPIT SIDE
Front pew:  The three ministers are:
Carl Geider (Associate Pastor) serving Communion, with grapes and wheat in the background
Robert Sanders (Senior Pastor 1969-1978) preaching
Graham Patterson (Campus Pastor) baptizing an infant, with the Holy Spirit descending as a dove.
(In these designs, the pulpit and baptismal font are clearly recognizable.)

Second pew:        
Marilyn VanderVelde is at the organ.
Various church choirs:
The center cushion depicts the bell choir.  
The side cushions show the two children's choirs, the youngest ones in blue robes, the older children with white cottas.
The single choir boy is Bejun Mehta, who had a remarkably fine soprano voice. Bejun is a cousin of the conductor, and currently is a countertenor, performing in New York and European opera houses).
To add more interest to the designs, the stitchers varied the stitching patterns on the robes, using one variation on the blue robes and a different stitch on the white cottas.

Third pew: Boar's Head Festival
Designed by Dusty Upton.  Metallic threads and distinctive stitches are combined to create a festive atmosphere.

LECTERN SIDE
Front pew: The music notes on one cushion are the first line of the hymn, "The Church's One Foundation."  The other cushion is "God be in my head," a response composed by Donald Bryant.

Second pew: "Noye's Fludde"
Designed by Malcolm Powers.  (Please see picture and description above.)

Third pew:
Chancel Choir, and Youth Choir (in tan robes).
Again, some members can be identified, including Millie Danielson.  One choir member, Mack Hocutt, was blind and so another choir member guided him during the processional and recessional.

Church orchestra.  The orchestra here is directed by Donald Bryant who was the choir director from 1969 to 1994.  The violinist is Sally Fleming (Mrs. Robben Fleming).

CHAIRS
Symbols of three major Protestant reformers are shown on the three  chairs:
Martin Luther's seal is a black cross on a red heart centered on a white rose.
John Calvin's seal is the flaming heart.
John Knox had no known seal in spite of diligent research on the part of the committee. He is represented by the Burning Bush, the emblem of the Church of Scotland.

KNEELING BENCH
The kneeler shows the Chi Rho in the center, and is decorated with white flowers.

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