The Chalice and St. Andrew's Cross, Logo of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Perhaps you have seen the logo of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and puzzled at what the wine glass (chalice) with an “X” (St. Andrew’s Cross) on it might mean.

The chalice is a symbol of the cup Jesus used to celebrate his Last Supper with his disciples. It is a symbol of the centrality of celebrating the Lord’s Supper (Communion, Eucharist) every Sunday in worship.

The “X” is the cross of St. Andrew, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Legend has it that he was crucified on an “X” shaped cross and that some of his bones were carried to Scotland. In any case, he became the patron saint of Scotland, and the “X” shaped cross is associated with the Church in Scotland. Since the pioneers of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) traced their heritage to Scotland, St. Andrew’s “X” shaped cross symbolized these roots of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).