What’s on the Altar?

A continuing series on the parts of worship by the Altar Guild

Church Banners and Flags

March 2009

BANNERS have been used since the sixth century, but have only recently gained wide popularity. Banners are meant, by their nature, to be carried in procession and stored after each use, rather than be placed as a fixed or semi-permanent feature in the worship space.

The purpose of the banner is to employ colors and symbols to represent the day or season being celebrated. The best banners are visually symbolic and should not use words to convey their meaning.

Only well-designed and well-made banners, scaled to the size of their function and the space, should be used to adorn the place of worship. They should be used sparingly and never in a manner that clutters the space or obscures the central furnishings.

FLAGS National flags are political symbols that mark the divisions of humankind, so they do not belong in a space where we celebrate our baptismal oneness as citizens under the sovereignty of God.

Symbols used in the church should affirm the unity that all peoples can know Christ through baptism and national flags by their nature are exclusive and therefore are contrary to Galatians 3: 27-28 NIV (for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus), which affirms our oneness in Christ.

National flags may be placed in such rooms as fellowship halls or other meeting places, where they are often needed by scout troops, etc. The ‘Christian flag’ is unnecessary in the space where we focus on the cross and the crucifix.

Submitted to the glory of God,

Pat Hamm and Bernie Swanson

Co-coordinators of Altar Guild

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