[wideminded]

I was in an ELCA church recently and I noticed a symbol I had not seen before displayed on the altar and lectern. The symbol, in white on a green background showed a triangle inscribed in a circle, with a cross on top of the circle. The cross had equal length arms so that it looked more like a plus sign.

I'm guessing that the triangle in the circle represents the Trinity, but I wondered if this type of symbol is common in Lutheran churches, or is something new.

[lightman]

The symbol you are describing sounds like a conflation of the “cross of victory” (Cross above a globe) with a symbol of the Trinity.

If I recall correctly this is something sold through the ELCA church supply & publishing house Augsburg-Fortress.

Traditionally the globe had bands of equal length, like a pair of lines of latitude plus a band of equal length running vertically. The three points of the bands were to represent the Trinity; but I suppose someone felt the symbol could be improved by replacing the bands with the triangle.