When CPC's sanctuary was first laid out, the pews were going to be facing 90 degrees from the way they are today. The pulpit and altar were going to be under the window that our logo is fashioned after. But when they realized how many more people they could fit in this way and how much more convenient it is to come in the back of the room than the side, they changed their minds. So for 7 years the altar sat beneath a very large blank wall. The wall is taller than the original plan was for it since part way through building (right after 9/11) the fire marshall recoded the building to require stronger fire safety measures and an elevator. They had to redo the angle of the roof and ceiling to accommodate the elevator and in the process left an enormous wall.
After much discussion and a lot of saving, CPC commissioned Mako Fujimura to create a piece for our empty space. Mako is an incredibly talented artist and an elder in the PCA. He was able to take the theological vision we have and show it in paint. Paint probably isn't the best word since the piece is made from Japanese gold and semi-precious stones like azurite. It is done in a Japanese style called "nihonga". This photo shows Mako and Arnie, CPC's building manager, hanging the top third of it. It took all afternoon for them to get it hung and it felt like Christmas to the staff. We kept peaking in from the balcony every hour or so.
We had a sanctuary dedication service a few weeks later. I'll tell you more about that soon!
