About the Sanctuary Wall-Hanging
The initial remit for the design of the wall hanging for the chancel was to show the word of God coming down to the city of Aberdeen . Thereafter there was talk of the instruction of Jesus to the disciples: “ Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” These two themes were to the forefront while I was preparing the design.
The hanging shows the cross with the word of God coming down to the city. The city is represented with some of the churches, (Holburn West, St Machar Cathedral, St Marks, the Salvation Army Citadel), the secular city with the new and old townhouses and the Mercat cross, the universities with Kings College and the new buildings of Robert Gordon's, the maritime city with the Harbour Board offices, the Roundhouse and Girdleness lighthouse, the oil industry with the Shell building and an oil supply boat, the fishing industry with fish in the sea and a Fittie cottage and net house, the Aberdeenshire countryside with distant hills (one heather clad!), and the trees represent Aberdeen's parks.
Aberdeen is very much a city by the sea and the outlines of the waves represent a net. The rays from the cross can also represent the guide lines Jesus asks us to follow or trawl lines as from a fishing boat to the net.
We have many to thank for their help - primarily the sewers who have worked, mainly on Monday evenings for the past 20 months: Catherine Bower, Eileen Brown, Jo Fraser, June Henderson, Betty Law, Koshi Maddox, Eileen Presley, Carol Plowman, Jennifer Risk, Isobel Wilson and Celia Walker. Kay Cruden, a friend from Melrose , lent us the quilting frame. Shore Porters transported the quilting frame from the Borders. Hamish Mitchell and a joiner friend modified the curtain rail to make space for the hanging. Andrew Scott arranged the manufacture and installed the support bar. Thanks also to all who gave us materials and threads.
Celia Walker, January 2008