I grew up in the Moravian Church, which is Protestant and often modest, plain and simple in church buildings. I suspect my home church, Edmonton Moravian, falls in the category of mid-century modern, which is the descriptor of much of my built world in the 1970’s.
The flat roof puzzles me, since surely it was a resting place for several feet of snow every winter. The font for the Moravian Church sign is san serif, and simple. Those 3 entry doors opened into a foyer lined with coat racks for all the winter garments. As a girl, I loved being surrounded by the friendly people of this church, as I looked for my coat after service.
I remember writing a poem, searching for imagery to describe the sanctuary: a bungalow rec room. Looking at a photo many years later, I see Danish Modern with the blonde wooden pews.
The first Catholic sanctuary I entered surprised me with the sheer quantity of decoration, color and sparkle. Stratoz attends an Episcopal church, more ornate than my childhood church, but not overwhelming. I discovered that the Celtic cross form, with the halo, is also referred to as an Episcopal cross, and Stratoz’s church has several of them.
I ponder my travels from the plain church into a love of liturgical art with color and iridescence, and my most recent Celtic cross in orange and shades of blue. The simple is beautiful in its own way, and I responded to that whole-heartedly. I also was surrounded by beautiful music, as Moravians cherish music, and yes, trombones.
For a musical treat check out Ritchie Trombone Choir’s mp3’s, including the graceful Handel and the swinging Green Dolphin Street.
How neat to have a trombone choir in a church. Your cross is lovely.