61. CHANCEL AND SANCTUARY

We return to the front of the nave. To our right is the golden lectern, to our left the pulpit with a crucifix above. Ahead of us is the chancel, and sanctuary with altar. This area is separated from the public nave area by a wrought iron gate.   INDEX

62. LECTERN

The impressive lectern is in the form of a golden eagle. This is common in Anglican churches. Nobody knows why this is, but the following suggestions have been put forward.
• The symbolism of the eagle derived from the belief that the bird was capable of staring into the sun and that Christians similarly were able to gaze unflinchingly at the revelation of the divine word.
• The eagle was believed to be the bird that flew highest in the sky and was therefore closest to heaven, and symbolised the carrying of the word of God to the four corners of the world.
• The eagle is the symbol used to depict John the Apostle, whose writing is said to most clearly witness the light and divinity of Christ. In art, John, as the presumed author of the Gospel of John, is often depicted with an eagle, which symbolises the height to which he rose in the first chapter of his gospel.   

63. PULPIT

The solid wooden pulpit has been designed to mimic exactly the design of the surrounding woodwork. It is from here that the Gospel is preached week by week.

64. CRUCIFIX ABOVE PULPIT

A small crucifix is affixed to the wall behind the pulpit. The cross and the crucifix are universal symbols of Christian belief. Many Protestants prefer the cross as being a symbol of the Risen Christ, but then the crucified Christ is an essential part of Christian belief.

65. SANCTUARY INFORMATION

On a stand near the pulpit we find another of these useful information sheets. There is mention of an organ here: we shall come to this shortly.

66. CHANCEL MOSAIC INSIDE GATE

We come to the chancel / sanctuary area. Just inside the wrought iron gate is this intricate mosaic of the Holy Spirit. Around the dove are listed the seven gifts of the Spirit found in Isaiah 11:1–2, although we might prefer ‘fortitude’ to ‘ghostly strength’!    

67. CHANCEL AISLE

The delightful mosaic flooring continues up past the choir stalls towards the altar. Music has been in the heart of the city of Sydney since the convict era, thanks to the historic building of St James’ Church.  For 200 years, this building has been a place of music education and performance, enjoying a reputation of fostering one of Australia’s finest choirs, The Choir of St James’.

68. SANCTUARY

Beyond the chancel where the choir sits, is the Eastern apse – the sanctuary. The gold quarter dome shines above, but the focus is the altar with its cross and candlesticks.

69. ALTAR DOME

Looking closely we see that the dome is a fine gold mosaic. Hanging down is the red sanctuary lamp. Such a lamp is prescribed in Exodus 27:20–21. It is a reminder that Christ is the Light of the World, but for many Christians it signified the presence of God. It serves a different purpose from the aumbry light which is present in some churches.   

70. HIGH ALTAR

The altar is covered with a green cloth and has the two larger candlesticks standing at its ends. The cross and remaining candles are behind. The information sheet uses the terms ‘Altar’ or ‘Holy Table’. For some Christians there is a meaningful distinction here. The altar is where the regular sacrifices are made, as in the Old Testament. The Holy Table (Communion Table) is where we remember the sacrifice of Christ, made once for all.

71. EAST NAVE WITH ORGAN PRESENT!

St James Church has plans for the installation of a new pipe organ, and it was my misfortune to visit the Church in the midst of this process. These views show how the Church has appeared in recent years, with the console hidden away behind the Southern pipes. The new organ will be the third largest in Sydney. Unfortunately installation of the new organ has been delayed due to a major fire in 2021 in the Dobson premises. Perhaps this will require me to make a further visit in the future! This completes our tour of St James’ Anglican Church. [Photo Credits: Sydney Organ]