21. ORGAN

Tabor did not acquire a pipe organ until late in the 20th century. Early in 1977, it was decided that their current instrument should be replaced. A committee was formed and Mr Ross Waters was given the task of building the organ at a cost of $10 000. The 19 stops of the Tabor organ cover five ranks of the pipework, some originating from the J.E. Dodd instrument of 1911 originally in the Norwood Wesleyan Church. The dedication took place on Sunday 25 November 1979. The guest organist on the occasion was Miss Pauline Fromm. The organist for the Tabor Choir was Mr Cedric Neldner. • Behind the organ and to the right, we see the door leading through to the tower.

22. TOWER ROOM

The door through to the tower room was unlcoked! On one wall there is an old framed picture of a Cross and vines. By the door there is a notice for bell-ringers. It is a reminder that bell-ringers need a number of skills.

23. LOOKING UP

A ladder leads up to higher realms ... . Once I might have been tempted, but not today.   

24. BALCONY VIEW OF NAVE

Returning to the balcony, there is a good view of the nave and sanctuary.

25. SANCTUARY

Looking at the sanctuary area, we observe the font, the lectern, and then the altar. We investigate these more closely now.

26. FONT

This font is rather differently designed from the fonts in neighbouring Lutheran churches, and the jug is made of glass rather than silver.  However, the function is the same: babies and young children are baptised (christened) here as a sign of membership in Christ and his church.

27. LECTERN

The lectern is an item of church furnishing from which the Holy Scripture is read Sunday by Sunday.   In this Church there is no pulpit, so the sermon is also preached from the lectern.

28. BANNER

Tabor has little in the way of wall decoration, but this is a striking banner. It shows a luxuriant vine, along with the text ‘Bear much fruit’. The text comes from John 15:8, and as previously commented, has particular meaning in a Barossan church.

29. ALTAR SETTING

A focus of this Church is the altar with the altar rail in front. It is here that the congregation will come to kneel to receive the Elements of the Eucharist, representing the broken body and shed blood of Christ.

30. CHAIR AND CANDLES

The celebrant’s chair stands by the wall at left, and a candlestand is placed on either side of the altar. This is a modern and simple form of the menorah, described as a Hebrew lampstand made of gold and used in the Temple in Jerusalem. The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the centre light representing the Sabbath.

31. ALTAR

This altar is like many others in the Valley Litheral churches. Across the front there is a central stylized Cross, with the letters Alpha and Omega on either side. These first and last letters of the Greek alphabet represent Christ as ‘the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End’, found for example in Revelation 21:6.

32. CRUCIFIX AND OPEN BIBLE

On the altar we find a Crucifix and an open Bible, symbols of the basic Lutheran beliefs of faith based on the Word of God, and redemption in the crucified Christ. This completes our tour of Tabor Lutheran Church.