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	Years ago, candles and flaming torches were used to light dark churches. Today churches are lit by electricity but candles are still used to help people concentrate when they are talking to God.



				At the front of this church is a pulpit. Before microphones were invented it was often difficult to hear what was being said. The priest went up the steps to stand inside the pulpit so that everyone could see and hear.



	This is a lectern shaped like an eagle with its wings open wide. It is used to hold a large Bible. Christians believe God can speak to people through the words of the Bible. The eagle represents the strong words of the Bible being spread all over the world.


	Many churches have beautiful stained glass windows. Years ago glass was not available in large sheets as it is today. To fill a window, small pieces were fixed together by a soft metal called lead. Pictures of Bible stories were often made in the windows. This was very helpful as years ago only a few people could read.


	This stained glass window was blown out by a bomb in World War II. The broken pieces of glass were collected and used to mend the window. It is very difficult to see how the picture used to look.


	The church is surrounded by a graveyard where Christians who have died are buried. The gravestones tell us a little bit about the person who has died. Relatives sometimes visit a grave to think quietly about the person who has died. They often bring fresh flowers to put on the grave.

St James’ Church has a Rectory, a house near to the church for the priest to live in. During the Reformation, Catholic priests lived in fear for their lives. Many houses had ‘priest holes’ built into cupboards and under the floor to hide the priests in. The Rectory of St James’ Church has a priest hole behind a panel in a wall. It is thought that there used to be an escape tunnel that led to the other side of the High Street.


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