Since you asked...
Presbyterians love our acronyms: OGA, PNC, COM, PPC, PFR... the list goes on and on and on. The Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song was quickly relegated to the acronym PCOCS, pronounced "peacocks". PCOCS took on a life of its own as members found historical and theological significance of peacocks, as well as its usage in Christian symbolism. Two legends surround the bird:
- When plucked, feathers regrow more beautiful than before (like a phoenix);
- Peacock bodies purportedly will not decay. St. Augustine of Hippo wrote about their immortal flesh as he described the properties of hell. (City of God, Book XXI, Chapter 4)
a peacock mosaic from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The bird can be found in ancient mosaics and frescoes. Both as a depiction of God's colorful and diverse creation and as a symbol of the resurrection, the peacock was claimed by the PCOCS. Their stoles depict a road to the cross paved by peacock feathers. May their ministry continue to be one that draws them closer to Christ, and fills the Church with song!
