), The Way of the Cross: An Invitation to Holy Week, Reformation Anglican Worship by Jensen (Review), Daily Office Booklet 2022: May through August. For instance, clergy might wear a white linen robe, signifying purity. Registered in England. I will put your teaching in to practice even when I become a Reverald. As time went on, this was ritualized by having those leading worship process from the nave (where the congregation sits) to the sanctuary (where the altar area is). Since bowing the head has, from ancient times, been a common human gesture for reverence and respect, it is fitting that we would bow the head as the cross passes. Because Jesus turned the world upside down, the cross became a symbol of salvation, of Gods grace, of the Christian Faith. This iconoclastic impulse was applied more broadly to images other than the cross early in Anglican history. But what many of these icons do is to tempt immature and unsophisticated believers into idolatry. So we come to our original question. So I am not worried about people worshipping the elements and not worshipping Him in them any more than I would worry that people would worship Jesus humanity and not His divinity. Today, some Anglican cathedrals and parish churches with strong Anglo-Catholic inclinations might be said to resemble a Roman Catholic space. a long and politically savvy speech against the canon, http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/whstowe/what1932.html, Dearly Beloved: An Anglican Theology of Marriage, Praying Twice: The Theology of The Hymnal, Sweet, Pleasant, and Unspeakable Comfort: The Anglican View of Predestination, On the Eucharist: Yes, Anglicans Believe in the RealPresence, An Exercise in the Fundamentals of Orthodoxy. I'm just curious. In Anglican worship, the processional cross may look different in different places, but its purpose as a symbol is to help us lift up the cross of Christ in our own hearts and in the midst of our congregation. Surely, Christ Himself, the reality (res) of the Sacrament, in and with the Sacrament, outside and without the Sacrament, wherever He is, is to be adored. I understand Bruces perspective, having been raised in a low church tradition that took great pride in the simplicity of its worship space. How Awake Are We? Bowing the head as the cross passes is a longstanding and common way to participate in the procession, and to reverence Christ himself. I will have to go back and re-read what I wrote about adoration. I thought it was all clergy because everyone was wearing a robe (vestments). What symbolic meaning do clergy vestments hold?
True, Jewel and many of the early English reformers and divines took the Reformed position, but an untenable exegesis is an untenable exegesis. They were adamantly against any sort of iconography and would not sing anything other than Psalms. Grace and Saint Peters Episcopal Church, Baltimore, MD. Olympia, WA. I have three employees with offices who have all done the same thing, adorning their desks with pictures of spouses and children. Because this procession represents all of the people, it usually includes both clergy and laypeople. Ridley agreed that vestments were adiaphora, but he argued passionately that even indifferent things could be required of us by the Church if they are not things that controvert the Gospel. For the Cardinal puts his question badly, What is there worshipped, since he ought to ask, Who, as Nazianzen says, Him, not it. I was recently looking through this (http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/whstowe/what1932.html) article entitled Anglo-Catholicism: What It Is Not and What It Is and in the last paragraph of the section on the Eucharist he seems to make a distinction between adoration of the elements and adoration of Christ present in the Sacrament but unfortunately he doesnt say anything more about it. The Greek word for fish (ichthus)fits as an acronym for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior" in Greek. You might see four main types of bowing in Anglican liturgical worship. The pride thing speaks for itself and the congregation of my childhood certainly had no monopoly on the notion that we were right and everyone else was wrong. In what has come to be known as the Vestments Controversy, a Puritan named John Hooper, who had spent some time in Zurich under the influence of the churches of Zwingli, was selected to become Bishop of Gloucester by KingEdward VI. Otherwise how to explain the numerous stained glass windows that show Him knocking at the door (many of these in protestant churches that hate graven images?) Please ask permission before reproducing.). The liturgy and ritual is traditional, meaning that it has been passed on. Blessings to you! Crucifixes, icons, incense, bowing, and all the rest contribute to this beauty by pointing us towards the reality of the holiness of God. Rdr. After reading the article, I can double-down on the above comments. These are typically fourteen stages of Christ's suffering and death that have been traditionally recognized as distinct for devotional purposes. They would take a leader, an insurrectionist, or a criminal, and nail them to a cross. This approach has been criticized, however, as indicating equality with the mainstream, but not with the downtrodden. That was precisely the problem.
With this foundation in mind, we bow to the cross to reverence Christ, his cross, and his triumphal procession. But there were other symbols: a fish. Previous comments by Bruce A and Christopher L are nice bookends to this discussion. Many, however, fall between these extremes. In Anglican symbolism the cross is sometimes shown with the crucified Christ still on it, in which case it is known as a "crucifix." But many have crossed that line into the worship of things rather than our Lord. At the end of Prince Philips funeral The Queen and many of the royals bowed or nodded toward The Altar and since I am a Protestant I needed an explanation. When I join the Episcopal church in North America, the membership class did not cover the bowing or the different ways which are acceptable. The empty cross, as you see in the Church of Scotland, is a symbol of the Risen Christ - a symbol of hope and of the Resurrection rather than a representation of his suffering on the cross. One point of great conflict was the making of the sign of the cross in baptism, which some Protestants viewed as implying some sort of supernatural power inherent in the making of the sign. How we do it, the way we do it, the ceremonies which we do it, are utterly, utterly indifferent; the thing itself is what we plead for, and I know I should not plead to unkind or unfeeling hearts. Yet there are some very clear Christian foundations to this action as well. Arguably, though, the height of that controversy was reachedin the latter half of the nineteenth century. More often the cross is empty, symbolic of the resurrection. For at every looking some new sight will offer itself, which will offer unto us occasion, either of godly sorrow, true repentance, sound comfort, or some other reflection, issuing from the beams of this heavenly mirror. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Thank you for explaining why people bow as the cross is carried by in the processional! Welcome to the Digital Spy forums. I re-read your article on Eucharistic Adoration and this article. Thus, I will give Fr. The local population was powerless, and this evil tactic worked. The excavations at Dura Europos in Syria revealed a synagogue that was constructed in the 3rd century whose walls were covered with icons of symbols and events important to the Jews. Many of the Anglican churches have had to remove the processional from the liturgy. Everyone stood up as we sang a hymn. I thought a (nominally) Protestant sect like theirs didn't have such things in their places of worship? I didnt know why this was happening. Its been several years. A crucifix increases our devotion to Jesus Christ. No Catholic Christian worships the crucifix or the icon, but all worship Christ present in the Mystery of His Body and Blood. Study Questions: 1. I used to go to a Reformed Presbyterian Church. He went to pagan lands in what is today Canterbury, England and processed all the way through the town so everyone could see the cross and the people. about the processional here at Anglican Compass, Behind the Hymn: See the Conqueror (ft. an exclusive video with Jenny & Tyler! We are under the cross, we march under that banner alone, to love and serve the Lord. The cross represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of human sin, and by correlation represents faith (Christ is the object of our faith), hope (for salvation), and love (God's love, which brought Christ to the cross). Not everyone did, but I decided to jump on board and bow my head as the clergy passed. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24).
The pictures remind us of the people we love and keep the thought of them ever present for us. In that, I was echoing the concerns of some of the Anglican reformers. He says, of the Sacrament, that is, of Christ the Lord present by a wonderful but real way in the Sacrament. There have been controversies over ritual devotions in Anglican Churches for as long as there have been Anglican Churches. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wrote a nice little book about icons that you might find helpful. While mourning those we have lost, we will also rejoice in Gods provision of a vaccine or some other means of prevention or healing.
Believe it or not, the most avid of the sixteenth century reformers in the Church of England would have agreed with the assessment of Marshalls Presbyterian friends. 2020 Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Do the good folks of these churches worship their founders or benefactors? Other items indicate rank, such as a miter (a type of hat) for a bishop. The crosses seem to be a ridiculous thing to be arguing about but in my view as Catholic it just seems right to have Jesus on the cross since that is actually how he died, people read too much into it. Altars may be draped in white linen, symbolizing Christ's purity. Even as a strongly Reformed and evangelical Anglican, I have to say that idolatry is the heart of the beholder. In an outdoor service, some might bow the head toward the cross before being seated. I tend towards the Catholic side or high church side of things myself, but the Orthodox are the only ones I have heard give a clear definition of how to use such images. after all jesus didnt wear one Drive around Belfast and you'll see plenty of evidence of King Billy worship. By Rev Canon William Oryema of the Diocese of Kitgum. Crosses may be simple or ornate, worn as jewelry or displayed in the home. None of those are things that come from outside of us. The popularity of formal vestments has waned in recent decades, however. As we adjust to the realities and constraints of COVID-19, we can still find ways to carry on the worshiping traditions that we have received from those who have gone before us. Despite rampant iconoclasm in the sixteenth century, over the course of the following century, much that had been lost was brought back. Thank you pastor Goebel. Glad to have this reverent way explained. Lastly, if you have the time I wouldnt mind hearing your thoughts on this quote about whether or not Anglicans adore the Sacrament from Lancelot Andrewes response to Cardinal Bellarmine: About the adoration of the sacrament he stumbles badly at the very threshold. In the thick of the Ritualist controversy in the American Episcopal Church, a canon was offered at the 1874 General Convention to ban ceremonies or practices during the celebration of the Holy Communion, not ordained or authorized in the Book of Common Prayer, and setting forth or symbolizing erroneous or doubtful doctrines including The placing, or carrying, or retaining a Crucifix in any part of the place of public worship. In a long and politically savvy speech against the canon, Fr. If I understand correctly, you believe that worshipping Christ in the consecrated elements is acceptable, even commendable, but that this worship should take place within the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, not in a stand-alone service that denies actual Eucharistic ritual (like in Roman Catholic adoration, where individuals worship Christ in the elements but do not receive Him). They help us to be more loving towards our families even when they are not standing right in front of us. At that time the rise of Anglo-Catholicism exercised a great influence on many church interiors, and symbolic materials became more popular in Anglican worship spaces. I dont think theres only one set way to use them, more of a development of an understanding of what they are and what they point towards. Most vestments are simply vestiges of ordinary garments used in ancient times, such as robes. Some churches display stylized images of Greek letters such as chi and rho, the first two letters in the word "Christ," or alpha and omega, symbolizing God as the beginning and end, the foundation and culmination of all things.
I was a new Anglican, trying to participate by watching everyone else. The Calvinists cant be right concerning a blanket forbidding of images.God ordered the construction of a number of images in the Old Testament. In the Books of Exodus and Nehemiah, the people often bow the head as they worship the Lord. I appreciate the additional perspective. Anglicanism roughly followed the Protestant view that icons and images were futile distractions from the saving message of salvation through God's grace alone. Genuflecting, which is less common, is the act of bowing the knee and making the sign of the cross. The simple bow is most common when people bow as the processional cross passes. I was actually going to ask something like what Lorenzo has above in relation to adoration of the elements vs. adoration of Christ present in the Sacrament and about what the differences, if any, between the two might be in practical terms. If the problem is with images or associations with mere people: what about the many Protestant churches named after people as memorials Moody Church in Chicago, Ward (formerly Memorial) Presbyterian Church in the Detroit area, many other less known examples? P.S. For Andrewes, it is clear that the crucifix doesthe very opposite of what an idol does. Bishops also may have a crosier, a bent staff indicating his or her role as shepherd. For that matter, so can the Bible, but that does not make them bad things. At the turn of the seventeenth century, Lancelot Andrewes preached, in a series of Good Friday sermons, about the great blessing that comes from looking upon the crucifix: Surely, the more steadily and more often we shall fix our eye upon it, the more we shall be inured; and being inured, the more desire to do it. Candles, on the other hand, are commonly used in Anglican worship, symbolizing Christ as the light of humankind. Currently, as I write, many churches are worshiping online, or in small groups, or outdoor services. But its clear that there is a use of icons and such which is neither Anglican nor Biblical, and that the articles seem to teach that this is to be found not only in superstitious abuse of icons, but even in then current church teaching. An idol spurs one to worship something other than the true God. I bet they do as well they should. And yet the invitation to participate is always there. In two years to come AMEN. Perhaps the most tempting idol of all is to make the idea of God we have in our heads into something we worship rather than the true God who is constantly showing us that we have neither heads nor hearts big enough to contain Him. The Venerable Bede used the processional as a way of evangelism. Im not saying that means the articles take the Reformed position in banning all depiction of Jesus. Do we pour our affection out upon these images instead of saving it for the people they represent? The empty Cross (reminding me of the empty tomb) is a good thing and I would never recommend abandoning it. This is a very simple act. James De Koven said this: I must say that I do not think the iconoclasm goes quite far enough; for when, in St. Thomas Church only yesterday morning, I witnessed the great statues of the Apostles standing all around, I am free to say that, had I not been as much of a Protestant as I am, as I bent and bowed, I might have been led into the Roman error of worshipping images or something of that kind. Can anybody elaborate? http://www.patheos.com/blogs/justandsinner/lutherans-and-the-use-of-images/. If Christ is truly man, as well as truly God, we can picture him. If a person does not choose to participate in this action, they are not seen as disrespectful. Even in many Evangelical Anglican parishes today, the Mass is the principle liturgy on a Sunday, vestments are worn, images and sometimes icons are displayed, and you may even encounter the occasional crucifix. And since the congregation does not normally process into the church on most Sundays, the act of bowing the head is a way of acknowledging participation in the processional toward the manifested presence of God in the sanctuary. Do we do this because we are confused and believe that these pictures are our loved ones? The Lutherans got this one right, not the Reformed, and Anglicans ended up taking a position similar to that of the Lutherans. reflections on Anglican teaching and practice. What Is the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts, and How Do You Discover Yours? How is it represented? Their objectivehad been to remindAnglicans that they participated already in the life of the Catholic Church by virtue of the apostolic succession and therefore they could revel in the riches of the Sacraments. In the end, there is only one place where the Puritanical/Reformed objection of idolatry can be taken seriously and that is in the worship of Christ present in the Eucharist itself. Can a crucifix or an icon become an idol? It also represents the burden that the Christian must bear in following Jesus. Triumph of Faith over Idolatry, by Jean-Baptiste Thodon (French, 16461713). On the other hand, Ridley unknowingly sowed some of the first seeds in Anglicanism that would lead to the recovery of the very things he spoke against. An additional impact of Anglo-Catholicism has been the popularity of formal clerical vestments in worship, which had long been out of favor in Anglicanism. them?
Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. The cross leads us out into the world. The Gospel of John also records that Jesus bowed his head as he died on the cross. People in the pewswould hoot and holler in protest during Mass, sometimes even urinating in the aisles, because the choir came out in vestments. Jesus was nailed to a Roman cross because he was falsely accused of leading a rebellion against Rome. Hardly. How would a liturgical Anglican respond to someone saying, as my reformed and evangelical friends often do, that Crucifixes, Liturgies, and the like are idols? This led to a fair amount of silliness and eccentricity, but it also eventually opened the doors wide to liturgical renewal from which we continue to benefit today. I turned and noticed that many in the congregation were half-turned toward the parade of vested clergy. It was not always so. Christopher, thanks for sharing this. DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. Yet the Ritualists stuck to their guns. All Rights Reserved. During the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, Anglican worship spaces were, with notable exceptions such as the Chapel Royal under Elizabeth (and the broader exception of formal clerical vestments), relatively lacking in symbolic ornamentation. Anglo-Catholic clergy were arrested for placing candles on the altar or preaching in their surplices. Now the king [i.e. For instance, Nicholas Ridley, who served as Bishop of London during the primacy ofThomas Cranmer, wroteA Treatise on the Worship of Images which urged the forbidding of crucifixes, icons, statues, and other such thingsin the Church. We have already written about the processional here at Anglican Compass. I watched a programme earlier set in a C of E Church and there was a crucifix in the background. There is no need to turn completely sideways. When participating online, of course one could bow the head when the cross first appears on the screen. The sign of the cross was once a matter of conflict in Anglicanism. And when he rose again on the third day, the cross became an eternal symbol of his complete reversal of all of our fallen human expectations. Clergy might wear a simple clerical shirt and collar in order to indicate his or her status (not to say higher status) as a clergy person. With liturgical matters, it is important that we do not give rigid explanations for why we do such and such. It seems pretty clear to me that the typical Reformed exegesis of the Second Commandment and related texts has radically missed the mark. Other than brief periods of ornamental revival, this remained the case through much of Anglican history until the mid-19th century. Paul says, Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). As you see the procession nearing you, simply bow your head at the neck as the cross passes. So lets talk about it. Icons come to us from the east, so it makes sense that Eastern Christians are the ones who have the most to teach us about how to use them. Available in a nice paperback from SVS Press. 5. makes me cross. Because they remind us of who Jesus is and what he did! Anglicans tend to emphasize Christian freedom from liturgical rubrics (rules) that would require everyone present to participate in every common gesture. But, gentlemen, the very moment any one says we shall not adore our Lord present in the Eucharist, then from a thousand hearts will come the answer, as of those bidden to go into exile, Let me die in my own country and be buried by the grave of my father and my mother! To adore Christs person in His Sacrament is the inalienable privilege of every Christian and Catholic heart. Jesus died on a Roman cross. James Morgan Not comparable at all if one believes Christian theology (I don't btw). A simple bow is when you bow the head at the neck. Who will allow him this? Crucifixion was one of the main ways that the Romans terrorized the lands they had conquered. This is because it is something we practice together, reflect upon, and pass on to others. These things are inseparable from each other. Also Cherubim and twelve bulls were outwardly displayed in the Temple (1 Kings 6:2429; 2 Chronicles 4:15). Images connected with pilgrimages and the cult of purgatory--both of which implied papal authority--were smashed during the reigns of Henry VIII and his son, Edward VI. As the late great Bill Hicks said, to Christ the cross would be the same as people remembering JFK with a rifle broach. King James I] laid down that Christ is really present in the Eucharist, and is really to be adored, that is, the reality (rem) of the Sacrament, but not the Sacrament, that is, the earthly part, as Irenaeus says, the visible, as Augustine says.
Of course not. Numbers 21:8-9 God ordered Moses to make a serpent of brass. Both historic and biblical contexts indicate that the prohibition of images has to do with either the worship of pagan deities or the creation of false images of the true God, or both. Praying a Litany of Thanksgiving, we could process around our churches and perhaps even the community around the church, bowing our heads reverently in thanksgiving to the Lord who humbled himself and became obedient, even to death on a cross, for our salvation.
And we none of us adore the Sacrament.. 3. Images of saints are rare in Anglican churches, and in many cases where they are found the purpose is merely to honor the saint's memory, much like a picture of Abraham Lincoln on the wall of a school honors his memory. Hooper refused to accept the office on the grounds that the Ordinal required him to vest in a surplice and cope for his consecration. The dove is also an accepted symbol for the Holy Spirit--this is particularly popular among those Anglicans influenced by the Charismatic renewal movement. Cut out the crucifix from the stained windows, put it out of your prayer-books, forbid pictures as well as images, if it be necessary; but do not let us believe, in this day, that the mere looking at the image of the human nature of our Divine Redeemer, and exciting our emotions by his thorn-crowned brow and his bleeding head and pierced hands, can possibly be said to symbolize false doctrine! In doing so, we might have congregational processions together. Why would you not have a cross in a christian church? They used various passages in Scripture to justify this position, including but not limited to Eph.