In the Southeast corner of the chapel stand a lectern and a pulpit. The pulpit is dedicated to John and Mary Luxmore. The pulpit is the place from where the Gospel is preached; the lectern normally holds a copy of The Bible, and it is from here that the Scripture is read. INDEX
22. SOUTH CHAPEL WINDOW
On the South wall of the chapel we find a less familiar portrayal of Christ knocking on a door, illustrating Revelation 3:20 : ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock’. The window is in memory of Elizabeth West (died 1876), and her son-in-law, Thomas Cawley (died 1906).
23. SOUTH WALL MEMORIALS
Further along this wall are several more memorials, remembering: ••• Peter James Hall (died 1857), Reginald Dillon Hall (died 1865), and Samuel Johnson (died 1926). ••• At the West end of this wall, by the door through to the sacristy, is this stone slab with an embossed figure of ‘Mother and Child’. It is in memory of Elva Rose Couch (1925 – 1944).
24. FONT
This completes our investigation of the chapel walls. All that is left is to observe the baptismal font in the Southwest corner. Baptism is regarded as a rite of initiation into the Christian church, and indeed into a life of fellowship with Christ. ••• We leave the chapel, and make our way to the West end of the Church.
25. CHURCH NARTHEX
The front doors of the Church open into a large foyer or narthex. These days, the word ‘narthex’ refers to a place of welcoming. But the word is actually Greek for ‘scourge’ and early Christians used the term to refer to the outer portico where converts preparing for baptism, and penitents (temporary outcasts!) gathered for worship.
26. NAVE
From the narthex we enter through into the back of the nave. And what a surprise! A vast space with steel girders, pews in the front, tables and chairs at the rear, very large strip windows with central splashes of colour, ... . No conventional church, this! At centre, the wooden screen partitions off the old chapel.
27. NAVE ROOF
The roof is supported by black steel struts, and lined with large azure blue tiles – an illusion to the sea on which St Jude sailed?
28. WEST NAVE
Moving into the nave we look back towards the narthex. This is also separated from the nave by a wooden screen, and there is a gallery above. Our eyes are drawn to a colourful banner at the right.
29. TREE OF LIFE
I wonder if this is the tree of life? Trees occur with different contexts in scripture. There are family trees which outline how Jesus was descended from King David and his family (for example Matthew 1:1–17). Then Psalm 1 draws on some powerful tree imagery to describe the Christian life. We might also think of the parable of the grain of mustard seed (for example Mark 4:30–32).
30. NORTH WALL AND WINDOWS
We turn our attention to the North wall with its four windows, and two large banners (one just around the corner). We shall investigate the colourful window panels shortly. They were designed by artist Gail Donovan, and a thanksgiving service for their installation was held in August 2022. The windows were a gift in memory of Ian and Nancy MacLeod and their daughter Jennifer. There are seven windows forming a series on Creation.
31. TWO LARGE BANNERS
You can have your own interpretation of the work of art on the left, but it will probably include the Cross, and the unfurling wings of a butterfly. Sometimes it is best not to have an explanation! ••• The colourful Pentecost banner on the East wall is much easier to interpret, with the descending dove of the Holy Spirit and the tongues of fire. The event is described in Acts 2.
32. NORTH WINDOWS ## 4, 5
The title of the window at left is ‘Spirit of God in Our Environment’. We can pick out the contributing elements: sunset, sea and fish swimming, jumping fish, and the rainbow ribbon – a linking theme of all the windows, alluding to God’s Spirit. ••• The window at right is ‘The Tree of Life’. We notice here the gum tree with its trunk, roots and coloured gum leaves.
33. NORTH WINDOWS ## 6, 7
The theme of the window at left is ‘Joy and Praise’. Elements here are sunrise, children, music and dance, dolphins, seal, gum leaves, angels, and again the rainbow ribbon. ••• At right we have the final window in the series: ‘Into the Future’. Themes are spiral, sun, moon, planets and stars.
34. NORTH WALL
Here is another view of the North wall, as seen from near the front of the nave.
35. BANNERS
The North door opens out from beneath the last of the stained glass windows on this side. There is a banner on either side of the door: at left a Mothers’ Union banner, and at right an R.S.C.M. Girls’ Choir banner. The banners tell us something of the wider interests of this Church, relating to family and music.
36. CROSSES
The Northeast corner of the nave is the home of a couple of processional crosses. The cross at left has budded ends, and an unknown crest at the centre. The cross at right is a crucifix. I have no comment about the collection of gas bottles!
38. UNDER THE ORGAN STAIRS
Under the organ stairs is a collection of historical items: several photographs, an old plan, a brass plaque remembering the consecration of the Church building in 1977, and two books of illuminated manuscripts.
39. MORE BANNERS
Below the Western end of the loft are two more banners. One belongs to the Girls’ Friendly Society (GFS) and carries the text ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ’ from Galatians 6:2. ••• The other is the banner of the St Jude’s Players, Founded 1949. St Jude’s Players are a multi-award winning theatre group that have been part of the Anglican parish of Brighton since 1949. Each year the Players put on several extremely high quality productions.
40. SOUTH WALL
There are three more large windows along the South wall of the nave: these contain the first three windows in the Creation series, beginning from the left.