Date/Time
Date(s) - 06/01/25
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Categories No Categories
Until recently four banners hung in the church, above the pews. Installed in 1969, the banners were meant to represent the traditions of this church, and of the Presbyterian denomination, including our ties to the Church of Scotland. Prior to 1969, the banners the church then had were displayed at other locations in the church building.
The banner with the white cross on the blue field is The Saltire, the national flag of Scotland and that of St. Andrew, patron saint of Scotland, who was crucified on such an “X” cross. This flag was a gift of the City of Edinburgh
The castle flag is that of the City of Edinburgh and was also a gift from that city. The current flag is a replacement flag for a flag that had flown over the Stone of Remembrance at Edinburgh Castle for 21 years, including during World War II, and was presented to the church at a St. Andrew’s Eve service in 1949 by the Edinburgh’s Lord Provost in appreciation of the assistance rendered by Second Church to Scottish servicemen on shore leave in NYC during World War II. That flag had moldered by the late 1960s and a replacement was sent by Edinburgh.
The “key and eagle” flag of the City of Geneva, home of Calvinist theology, was a gift from the Mayor of Geneva.
The gold crosses on a white field flag was the Crusaders’ flag of Jerusalem and a private gift to Second Church. When the banners were taken down to be cleaned last year, it was decided not to rehang it.
Session has been discussing the banners and would like to include the congregation in a conversation about whether to add a fourth flag to restore the symmetry in the space, and if so what that flag might be, or whether to go in a different direction.
Please join us at coffee hour on June 1 as we gather input on this subject.