First Presbyterian Church of Port Gibson
by Lydia Holly
Title
First Presbyterian Church of Port Gibson
Artist
Lydia Holly
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
This interesting steeple of course caught my eye when I was visiting Port Gibson, Mississippi. The First Presbyterian Church of Port Gibson has its roots in the early 1800s. For specific information on the history of the church history and building you can go to
http://www.fpcportgibson.com/congregation-history/. From this website there were two things that I would like to share, both of them in quotes. "The Hand pointing to Heaven " is the unique feature of this Romanesque Revival style edifice. The first hand was carved from wood by Daniel Foley, a young local craftsman. The ravages of time, however, destroyed it; and around 1901 the present hand was commissioned and installed. It was taken down in 1989 to be repaired and replated. It was raised again in 1990 and placed atop a newly re-enforced steeple." This steeple is a point of interest for sure but if the viewer thinks that it simply represents a hand pointing to heaven please read on: "We praise God for His faithfulness to this congregation over so many years. He has blessed us with a rich heritage, but it is not our desire to become a museum to house the things of the past. Instead, God calls this generation to the same work our ancestors have done since 1807: to proclaim to the world that, by His free grace, God saves sinners through faith alone in Christ alone. Our heart' s desire is that people would not simply gaze upon our steeple, with its hand pointing to heaven, but instead lift their eyes to the transcendent God to Whom it points." This is a very unique piece of architecture, art, and symbol of worship that points to Jesus Christ! What makes this image even more interesting is that I took it while standing on the grounds of a historical synagogue.Port Gibson is a quaint town filled with history. Because of its beauty it was spared of being burned during the Civil War.
Uploaded
December 25th, 2016
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