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St. Bede’s
Episcopal Church
Atlanta, Georgia
Text and photos by Dan Hardison
In an area that was once farmland – now part of the suburban life in
Atlanta, Georgia – St. Bede’s Episcopal Church is a beacon of light from
the busy world that surrounds it. Above the altar is a cruciform sculpture
created as a representation of the teachings of the church’s namesake,
Bede the Venerable. Incorporated into the sculpture are his words:
“Christ is the Morning Star who when the night of this world is past
brings to his saints the promise of the light of life and opens
everlasting day.”
The cruciform was created by artist Ann Cowperthwaite of Raleigh, North
Carolina, and is constructed of bronze, stainless steel, and walnut. Bede
the Venerable (672-735) was a scholar devoted to the study of the
scriptures and history of the church, and was convinced that the earth was
an orb. It is the concept of the orb as the world and Bede’s praise of
Jesus as “The Morning Star” that is symbolized in this modern
representation of the cross.
Here the world and the cross have collided and shattered leaving the world
wounded. At the center is a triangle of red representing the blood of
Christ. The three stainless steel arcs represent the love of God embracing
the world. The horizontal bar is the one piece of the cross that has not
broken, symbolizing the arms of Christ reaching out to the world. Included
are the words that Bede wrote on Revelation 2:28 and that also appear over
his tomb in Durham, England.
St. Bede’s Church sits on a parcel of land that the former owner called
his “Jesus patch”. It was his desire that someday a church would be built
there. That dream came true when St. Bede’s Episcopal Church was founded
in 1960. Since that time, the church has grown and has expanded twice
since the first building was constructed in 1962.
A new nave was dedicated in 1997 following the four principal symbols for
points of focus in a building as described in The Church for Common
Prayer: the People, the Altar, the Lectern, and the Font. The clerestory
windows give a glimpse of the sky and treetops of the world beyond.
As a result of St. Bede’s continuing growth, there has been an expansion
of its musical programs. St. Bede’s music ministry includes adult, youth,
and junior choirs, as well as a bell choir. And in 2000, St. Bede’s
welcomed its most recent musical addition with the dedication of their new
tracker pipe organ built by Richards, Fowkes & Company.
Music has always been an important part of St. Bede’s, but more recently
the visual arts has taken an important role as well. Besides the
cruciform, other works of art have found a home on the walls of the church
as well. The Rev. Jim Curtis, interim Rector at St. Bede’s, began an art
program at the church shortly after his arrival. Exhibitions are held in
the narthex with most of the work created by members of St. Bede’s.
The teachings and inspiration of Bede the Venerable can be seen in the
worship and outreach programs at the church as well as the wonderful
sculpture above the altar. Over the years two groups of parishioners have
traveled to England to visit Bede’s tomb at Durham Cathedral. And on one
trip, the choir from the church performed at the cathedral.
The members at St. Bede’s Episcopal Church have taken the words of their
namesake to heart and dedicated themselves to his message that “Christ is
the Morning Star”.
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St. Bede's Episcopal Church Cruciform
created by artist Ann Cowperthwaite.
The Vision Statement of St. Bede’s
by Mike Johnson, artist and church member.
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