Many of the churches in the Diocese have very intentional logos used as a part of their church’s story and mission. All Saints’ Church in Woodbridge, VA shares about their logo below.
The Jerusalem Cross: All Saints’ Church
Behind the altar is the Jerusalem cross that has hung in that same spot both here in our new building and in our former building on Saratoga Lane since that church was first built.
The Jerusalem Cross is a Christian symbol consisting of a large cross surrounded by four smaller crosses, one in each quadrant. Over the years, the Jerusalem cross has acquired a number of interpretations. The five crosses can symbolize the five wounds of Christ during the Passion; the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible); and, perhaps the first five Christian churches. The four smaller crosses are also said to be symbolic of the four Gospels proclaimed to the four corners of the earth, beginning in Jerusalem; the large cross in the center symbolizes the person of Christ.
This cross is a very special symbol for All Saints’ Church—it speaks to who we are. As Jesus told His disciples to go forth and proclaim the Gospel to all the world, we, too, are charged to spread the Good News of Christ in our own world, in Woodbridge, from Saratoga Lane and Gideon Drive. When we see the Jerusalem cross, we are reminded that our own church is not to be a self-contained entity, but to be welcoming and to serve, reaching out in boldness to our community.
We are called to “love and serve the Lord” and All Saints’ has been a church that “equips the Saints (us) for ministry.” Now we are to be a church “overflowing with God’s love and healing power.” Christ, symbolically the center of the Jerusalem cross, reminds us that He equips us, we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and He wants us to use our gifts, our training, and His power to love, grow and serve in His name.
