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A – Z of church
A - B - C - D - E - F - G- H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y
This is a new addition to the magazine to help you understand something of our Church.
A is for Aumbry
In the corner of St Nicholas Chapel you will find a cupboard hidden behind a curtain. Over the cupboard is a light which is never turned off. In this cupboard, or aumbry, to give it its proper name, is kept the oil used for baptism and the Reserved Sacrament used to take communion to the sick and housebound.
Of itself the aumbry is of no significance – it is what it contains that is important. The light is never switched off as a sign of Christ presence sacramentally – and so the reserved sacrament is not allowed to run out and is often replaced at the mass on a Thursday morning.
The only time that the aumbry is empty is from Good Friday to Easter Day to show that Christ has died and we are bereft of his presence in the world.
The aumbry is to be treated with respect and the Reserved sacrament honoured with a genuflection of the knee or a bow.
The sacrament is taken to over 20 people a month by a variety of people such as Pat Comer, Arnold Wood and myself. We are always happy to make visits for anyone who cannot attend church.B is for Bishop
We read in the New Testament of three orders of ministers – Bishops, Presbyters (priest) and Deacon. What exactly is a bishop?
A little background may be helpful for you to understand as to how we arrived at the modern ‘style’ of bishop.
As Christianity developed each church community would have an ‘overseer’ – someone who led the community. This person acted liturgically and pastorally for a church and baptised new Christians. However the expansion of the church was at such a rate that groups of churches were overseen by one minister while others did the day to day work.
The rite of confirmation became separated from baptism with the large numbers coming to faith.- a pattern still used today.
So Bishops became removed from the ‘front line’ of ministry and oversaw all that was going on in an area. As ministry developed this area of work expanded into dioceses. A bishop carries a shepherds crook as a sign of being pastor to the whole church in an area. At the induction of a new priest the bishop says
“Receive this cure of souls which is both yours and mine”
The bishop retains the ‘oversight’ of a parish even if he rarely visits it. This is one of the strengths of Anglicanism – despite our complaints!! We are not a congregational church and out authority comes through the tradition vested in the role of our bishops.C is for Cross
The cross is the symbol of Christianity now, though at the beginning of the Christian church, the sign of the ‘fish’ was the more normal symbol used. The cross is used in a number of ways and you will often see a plain wooden cross or one with a figure of the crucified Christ. This reflects differing traditions within Christendom.
Reformed churches tend to prefer a plain wooded Cross – as this symbolises that Christ is no longer on the Cross and has won us the victory. Catholic and Orthodox traditions tend to have a Christ figure on their crosses as a sign of the sacrifice of Christ – this is related to their understandings of what takes place in the Eucharist.
Some churches have a robed Christ on the Cross – and this symbolises Christ the King. The feast of Christ the King has come into being within the last fifty years as a sign of Christ’s triumph of the cross- a feast to reconcile the two traditions.
At St Andrew’s there is a set of Ethiopian crosses around the walls that are used as part of the devotions for the Stations of the Cross. In our church the cross is also used on the vestments worn at the Eucharist. You may notice differing designs for the cross during your holidays as these often represent the culture and place of the design – i.e. Maltese Cross.
The Sign of the Cross
You will also notice, and I hope you are a noticing people! – that many people make the sign of the Cross during a service.
There is a Chinese proverb that says
I hear and I forget,
I see and I remember
I do and I understand.
This proverb sums up the reasoning behind the use of the cross as a devotional act. Some people speak of ‘acted’ prayer devotions. Many, in the congregation who have come from other churches have been taught to make the sign of the Cross as part of their confirmation training. It is something I encourage people to do.
This will be observed during the pronouncing of absolution, during communion and at the blessing at the end of the service.
Why do people do this? They do so as an aid to their devotions and to remind them of the cost of their sins at the absolution. The cross is used in receiving communion to be a reminder of this ‘gift’ of Christ himself. In the Blessing the Cross is not only a reminder of our blessings through Christ – but a sign of the blessing of God as Trinity
‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit.’The Cross is the source of our salvation and we use it in our worship and churches to celebrate Christ’s victory – and the gift of his new life.
Please be aware of the Cross more in our worship.D is for Dismissal
If ever you have been to Church while on holiday on the continent you will know that at the end of the service the congregation leave as soon as the service is over. In the Roman Mass the old words were
Ite Masse est (The Mass is over).
This was rather an abrupt ending to the service and only told you that it had ended. With the liturgical changes of Vatican Two came a fuller ending – and one that influenced and affected Anglican liturgical revision. That is why the Catholic mass and the Eucharist within the Church of England are so strikingly similar.
We now use the words at dismissal
Go in Peace to love and serve the Lord
All: In the name of Christ. Amen
In other words the new liturgy does more that simply tell you that the service is over. It reminds us – the worshipping congregation, that when we leave church, strengthened by the sacrament we are to engage in the mission of Christ in the world, and that we do so in his name.
In other words this is not a liturgical way of saying ‘goodbye’ – rather it is a clear link between our worship and our work as Christians. In this way Sunday is not unrelated to what we do in the rest of the week.
Someone has likened the Sunday service as charging the batteries so that the work of the church through its
members can take place in the week.
If you do not see your worship in this way – then its not too late to change!!E is for Entering
This might seem a strange word to ponder – after all if we don’t enter the church – how are we to worship!! Well, that does make logical sense I agree, but since last month we considered ‘dismisal’ as a word, I thought it would be good to ponder out coming in to church.
Many enter the church and immediately drop to their knees when reaching a pew. This is right and proper – it would be rude not to say ‘hello’ to ones host!! However, thereafter it can all change. We meet people we have not met for a week perhaps and so want to catch up on news. This is right and proper – since we are actually a ‘family’ as a church. We say ‘Our father’ – so we must be a family.
We also come with all kinds of feelings – of relief on hearing some good news, when we were expecting bad news and vise versa. We might come into church with a sense of burden about some family matter at home or in our wider family. We might come recalling the anniversary of a loved one and no-one seems to know except us. All of these things make it hard sometimes to enter into the worship enthusiastically. That’s fine! The rest of us can do it for you and I know that you will too when you are able. So, we need to be sensitive to each other when we meet and give each other ‘space’ to sit with God.
Equally, if we have had a busy week ( and who doesn’t have a busy week) or if we’re in a rush – its hard to stop thinking about what we have been doing outside church and lay it aside in prayer before engaging in worship. If this is the case then making the sign of the cross or sitting still and repeating a phrase such as ‘Jesus, son of God have mercy on me’ will help. Just as we need time to adjust when we watch a Shakesperian play, and ‘tune’ into the language, so we need to allow time to tune into being in God’s presence. This will affect both what we put into our worship and what we get out of our visit to church.
So do take a little extra time to come to church to tune into God
To tune into the feelings of others
To tune into your own inner feelingsF is for Font
There is a font in every church. Or more correctly – in every church you will find a baptistery!. So what is the difference – other than the spelling?
In every parish church you will find – somewhere – a font. It used to be the custom to have the font near the door as you entered the building – as a symbolic reminder of a person – entering the faith through the rite of baptism. Nowadays you will find the font in all kinds of position. Some churches have a special chapel called a baptistery. At St Andrew’s Church the font is under the tower – though it did not begin life there!!
In the early Church the font or baptistery was outside the church building altogether. At Ephesus you can still see the cross shaped font in the ground – in the Early Church baptism was by full emersion and the person was pushed under the waters of the font to signify “dying with Christ and rising with Christ”. If you have ever witnessed a full emersion baptism you will know that it is a very powerful symbol. I have witnessed Dawn Mellish’s baptism near the jetty on Burnham seafront.
Of course, like a lot of things to do with church, it is not the font itself that is important – rather the activity that takes place within it.
You will have noticed that on Easter day we light the Paschal fire – the new light of Easter – in the font. It was the custom in the middle East to purify the outdoor fonts which filled up with all kinds of waste – of one kind and another! The lighting of a fire purifies or sterilises the font. So we light a life to purify ourselves in the font as we renew our baptism vows. Do take a few moments to visit our font and remind yourself of your parents who took you to a similar font to have you baptised. Pray also for your children and for the time when you took them for baptism.G is for Genuflection
The word genuflection comes from two Latin words that mean literally ‘to bend the knee’. We read in the Epistle to the Phillipians that we are to bend the knee – “at the name of Jesus”. The modern hymn ‘At the name of Jesus ‘ is a setting to these words.
So this act of reverence has been part of Christian tradition for a very long time. It has been made - following the receiving of Communion, and when passing an aumrey. It is an act of devotion that acknowledges the presence of God ( See P is for Presence in August 2010’s magazine!!!)
Some people get anxious that though they were once able to physically bend the knee, they can no longer do so. In modern Catholic practice a small bow from the waist has become an alternative way of keeping this devotional aid. However, whether it is a full bend of the knee or a bow from the waist – both are signs of a bending – a humbling oneself in the presence of God.
That we do it – is more important than HOW we do it.
It is customary to bow in the presence of royalty and so the reverential bow is a reminder that we are in the presence of God himself – and so we act with due deference. It is a physical reminder – like making the sign of the Cross – that our faith is a living relationship rather than a mere assent to a set of doctrines. Try it sometime!! You will no doubt feel self conscious at first – but do persevere…H is for !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Christmas from Fr Graham, Mary & Jax
We look forward to seeing as many of you at the Vicarage on New Year’s Day from 11.30am – 1.0pmI is for Incense
Incense is a subject that can make people incensed!! It was part of Jewish worship and pagan worship long before Christianity came along. Maybe it is because of Old Testament warnings about offerings of incense over the offering of bulls to Baal that the subject of incense is held with suspicion.
In pre-Christian worship it was used in a number of ways – as a sacrifice to the Gods, to drive away evil, to recall the living or deceased, as a means of purification or to create a worshipful atmosphere.
As I say some of these reasons were held with suspicion and this did not do away in the period between the birth of Christ and now. So for some it is an affront to their protestant sensibilities while to others it is a very positive thing which enhances the worship experience – involving the senses, rather than trying to ignore them.
It was not used in the three centuries following Christ’s life and in the fourth century began to be used – along side strict teaching about the fact it was used as an aid to creating a worshipful atmosphere. Nowadays its interpretation is conventionally seen in terms of it being an accompaniment to prayer.
‘May my prayers rise to thee like incense’ says the psalmist.
In one sense it is such a small matter that it is not worth worrying about. I would rather that there were no distractions to worship – so that the whole congregation may worship together. On the other hand there are some who have never experienced the joy of worshipping with incense. What the subject does bring to light is the place of our bodies in worship. Do weA) try to ignore them – and concentrate on the ‘spiritual aspects’ of prayer and worship.
B) Involve our bodies – as a sign of the incarnated-ness of our worship. After all we use music (hearing) touch ( The Peace) sight – the liturgical colours of the season and taste ( the sacrament) SO WHY NOT SMELL!
I hope this explaination will help you understand the use of incense and will allow you to be tolerant of others who find it a source of inspiration.
I don’t want this subject to get up your nose – or maybe I do!J is for – on holiday this month
K is for - Kiss
Well actually - the kiss of Peace or the Peace. There are not too many things to write about beginning with 'K'. We are now familiar with the Peace which comes after the intercessions and before the Eucharistic prayer. For some it is a time to stretch our legs and for others an acutely embarrassing time which we hope may soon pass.
In the Early Church those preparing for baptism were allowed to join the congregation up to the beginning of the intercessions. They would then leave the congregation for its prayers and Peace. Only those who were mature baptised Christians could share in the full membership rite of remaining in church.
A sign of that maturity was - the sign of the Peace being shared. It was the custom in the Early Church for this to take the form of a kiss. A kiss was a sign of greeting at the time of Jesus (I Peter 5v 14)
In medieval England the Peace was acknowledged by an icon being passed through the congregation. This was called a pax -and the congregation reverenced it, often by kissing it.
When liturgical revision took place in the 1960's and 70's the peace was restored - it is absent in the Book of Common Prayer liturgy and in the 1928 revision of the BCP. Now - reflecting our culture - the peace tends to be a handshake - but hugs and kisses are liturgically permitted!!
The Peace is a visible sign of the unity of the congregation before it comes to the most solemn and sacred part of the liturgy. It is an outward sign of Jesus teaching about leaving your gifts at the altar until you are at peace with your neighbour. (Mt 5v23ff).
L is for liturgy
It is a word that one does not hear often – but has something to do with our worship on a Sunday morning. The word ‘liturgy’ comes from the Greek meaning public works of honouring the gods - ‘ leitos – ergos’ literally ‘public works’. In Athens the citizens of the city had to make a public act or work of worship to demonstrate that they were Good citizens and were indeed honouring the Gods. So liturgy is simply another name for worship – which is cheating a bit if you are creating an A to Z of Things for a parish magazine.
While private devotional acts are good and right – it is also appropriate, right and proper for Christians to join together to worship. Indeed in our baptism we are called to play our part in the body of Christ – the Church. So a Christian who does not worship with other Christians – doing a public work of worship – is being an ineffectual Christian – however moral and upright they might be in their private lives.
Worship is a corporate event – we do not pray ‘my Father in heaven – but ‘OUR’ father. We do not say I believe in the Creed – but ‘We’ believe. We recognise others in worship as not only being present with us – but engaged in the same public work of worshipping God. This may sound obvious – but it is not.
If the number of parents who brought their baby to be baptised allowed it to worship with its ‘new family’ – our Church would be transformed. They as much as me and you – as the baptised have many privileges as a Christian. However, they need to join us – as the baptised – to play their part.
So, enjoy your work as a Christian – and remember that you are not alone in all of this.What follows is the Preface from the marriage service.
Perhaps all married couples should read this on an annual basis …In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we have come together
to witness the marriage of N and N,
to pray for God’s blessing on them,
to share their joy
and to celebrate their love.Marriage is a gift of God in creation
through which husband and wife may know the grace of God.
It is given that as man and woman grow together
in love and trust,
they shall be united with one another in heart, body and mind,
as Christ is united with his bride, the Church.The gift of marriage brings husband and wife together
in the delight and tenderness
of sexual union and joyful commitment
to the end of their lives.It is given as the foundation of family life
in which children are born and nurtured
and in which each member of the family
in good times and in bad,
may find strength, companionship and comfort,
and grow to maturity in love.Marriage is a way of life made holy by God,
and blessed by the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ
with those celebrating a wedding in Cana in Galilee.Marriage is a sign of unity and loyalty
which all should uphold and honour.
It enriches society and strengthens community.No one should enter into it lightly or selfishly
but reverently and responsibly
in the sight of Almighty God.N and N are now to enter this way of life.
They will each give their consent to the other
and make solemn vows,
and in token of this will (each) give and receive a ring.
We pray with them
that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them,
that they may fulfil God’s purpose
for the whole of their earthly life together.Yes I know I am ‘cheating’ a little.
On Sunday 4th July our curate – Revd Paul Kingdom was ordained as a deacon in Wells Cathedral alongside others serving in the dioceseYou may hear mention of the ‘Offices’ – this has nothing to do with Ricky Jervais!! There are two kinds of Offices in the Church – the Daily Offices and the Occasional Offices.
I shall be thinking about the Daily Offices in this article. The occasional offices are baptism, marriage and funerals – or hatching matching and dispatching rites as they are commonly known.
At the time of Glastonbury Abbey being at its height the monks there would attend the church seven times a day to pray. There are still some religious orders that follow this seven- fold pattern. The Book of Common Prayer joined several of these ‘monastic’ offices together to form Morning and Evening prayer. With the advent of Common Worship there is the possibility of four-fold prayer each day – Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer.
Those who are ordained are canonically bidden to recite Morning & Evening prayer. In Burnham we keep Morning Prayer from Monday to Thursday. The service comprises of some psalms being read, passages from Scripture and a cycle of prayer for the Church overseas, in the diocese and in the parish.
The photos in the church porch have been divided up into 28 sections – so you are prayed for at least once a month by name – if your picture is there!!
While there is an obligation on Paul and I to recite the Offices (which we enjoy) there are not just for clergy and they are open to all to join us. Alternatively you can say morning prayer in front of your computer by going to the Church of England website daily.
In Burnham we are privileged to have one church for the whole town – and one vicar for that Church. This is not always the case and may churches share a vicar.
How did parishes come about – what and who makes the decision about what parishes should go together?
For an answer to this question we need to travel back to 596 AD when the Papal envoy to England – St Augustine came to these shores. There was already a vibrant Celtic church in these Isles before Augustine arrived – but it was not very organised – and certainly not organised in a way that was acceptable to the Papacy.
Things came to a head (quite literally) at the Synod of Whitby in 664AD when the Celtic Church became subservient to the Roman Church. Out of this Synod came three things.
Firstly, was the adoption of the date of Easter according to the Roman calendar. Secondly, was the prohibition on the Celtic style of monks hair style (honest – I lie to you not) Lastly was the adoption of the Roman administration of the Church in England according to the Roman pattern of parishes.
This situation has essentially been in place since then even during and beyond the Reformation when the Church became divorced from Rome.
Due to the decline in the number of clergy and the finance to support them there has been a programme of amalgamation of churches under the care of one vicar. This situation continues as we speak.
The parish system has been both a strength and a weakness. A strength in as much that the whole planet is now in a designated parish or diocese. It is a weakness in asmuch that it can lead to a narrow parochialism of attitude among its members. This is something to be guarded against and why that phrase in the Creed is so crucial.
We believe in one, holy apostolic and catholic (universal – not parochial) Church
Quinquennial — I am sure you all have heard this word usually at the APCM. What does it mean, it comes from the Latin Quinque — five and Annus — year. So we get "lasting five years", or "recurring once every five years", and "a fifth anniversary". So, the church uses the term to mean a inspection of the building every five years.
"Q" - Quelle ~ German for Source This is a term relating to the study of the synoptic Gospels. It is believed that Marks Gospel was the first to be written, and that Matthew and Luke would have had a copy or have seen Mark's gospel while writing their gospels, but there would have been other "sources" available to them as well. Along with their own personal sources they would have one which is called "Q", and is thought to have been a collection of sayings by Jesus.
REFORMATION
The Church of England, - How did it begin?
In a word the answer to that question is –The Reformation. When St Andrew’s Church was built – it was created as a Roman Catholic church. It continued to be a Roman Catholic Church for many centuries until Henry the Eighth had marital problems.
At the time of Henry, there was on the continent an Augustinian friar named Martin Luther, an academic wrote about the need for the Roman Catholic Church to RE – FORM. As you can imagine this did not win him many friends in the Vatican. Luther’s ideas about the Church soon spread to our shores and it was Henry the eighth who wrote a condemnation of this new ‘reform’ teaching. The pope of the time was so impressed by Henry’s book of criticism that he gave him the title – Defender of the Faith. There is a reference to the monarch of Britain ‘Defender of the faith on every coin – for inscribed there you will find F D an abbreviation of ‘Fidae Defensor’ or Faith Defender.
However, as the need to find a way out of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon Henry assumed responsibility under the title Supreme Ruler of the Church in England. This allowing himself an Act of Parliament to annul his marriage and so make way for Anne Boleyn as Queen.
On the continent the call for Reformation by the Protestants increased and new Protestant churches came into
1536 Henry adopted ten articles of faith from the Lutheran reformers.
Henry did not want to leave the Catholic Church but did want a divorce. He wanted to be head of a reformed catholic church in England Things came to a head and Henry was excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
So the Protestant believer’s influence spread and the English Church developed a middle way between the Catholics on the one hand and the Reformers or Protestants on the other. The Church today continues to witness to that diversity with some parishes being ‘evangelical’ while others would describe themselves as Anglo Catholic.
And in case you are wondering what sort of Church Burnham on Sea has – it has an Anglo Catholic leaning – like its tower. This is in large measure to its incumbents (the present one included). However we are also ‘informed’ by many who have joined us from differing backgrounds
The Church formally came to be known as the Church of England in Elizabeth’s reign with the Act of Supremacy.Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyesSo runs the first verse of the famous hymn by Walter Chalmers Smith. Since God is ‘invisible’ we need ways of speaking about him that make sense to us. So the church has used the language of images and metaphors – The Lord is my shepherd.
Obviously at one level this is not literally true – otherwise we would be sheep!! However the analogy of a shepherd care of sheep has passed into the Christian psyche as a way of describing God’s care for his people.
Alongside this use of words are signs and symbols to ‘speak’ to us. Take, for example, a wedding ring. At one level it is just a piece of expensive metal worn on a finger. But at a symbolic level it is a sign of the love of the person who gave it to us. A ring is an unending point – and so a sign and symbol of unending love and fidelity.
At the heart of Christian worship is the Eucharist which is based on signs and symbols as much as words. In the Eucharist, food and drink, the bread and the wine are taken to signify something beyond the nutritional.
In the Eucharist the bread and the wine are images and symbols of Christ. In the actions of the Eucharist the whole of Christ’s life is told.The bread is offered – just as God offered Christ to the World
The bread is broken – just as Christ was broken for us.
The bread is shared – just as we all share in this strange thing called – ‘The Church”.
In the Eucharist the bread and the wine change in significance for us – just as the wedding ring changes in importance for the wearer. One writer has spoken about the trans- significance of the bread and the wine – so potent is the symbol for a Christian.
Our God is so much greater than any human words can be used to describe – and so we need the symbolic in worship – and our worship would be impoverished without it.
Do look closely at the signs and symbols we use – they are not randomly used but serve a purpose. So don’t be afraid to ask why we do things – its part of our job specification in Ordination to teach. So ask away!!We welcome back this series of articles after a winter break.
In the postmodern world in which we live there is little room for tradition. The old arguments that ‘we’ve always done it this way’ are held with suspicion and doubt. The thing that decides matters is what is currently deemed to be appropriate. So example and arguments from tradition hold little sway in 21st Century Britain.
However – and this is where we as part of the national Established Church of England differ from that view is that we hold ‘tradition’ to be important. Indeed the Church of England is founded on the basis of Scripture, Tradition and Reason.
We are a Church that is Scriptural – we hold the bible to be ‘Holy’ – the revelation of God in human affairs.
We are a Church that is Reason-able. We believe that we should use our God given talents and abilities including our intellects – hence we have Lent STUDY groups – to use our minds to understand more the things of the faith we believe in.
We are a Church that is Traditional – we use the rich stream of Christians in history to inform our own faith and life as a communal church. When we stand to affirm our belief in the Creed we stand alongside Christians in every generation who have affirmed that faith. So when we stand to affirm our faith we are ‘surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12v1).
We need to be aware that Tradition is not about just ‘doing things we have always done them’ in a slavish sort of way – but to remember that tradition is live and WE contribute to it. Hence we have a wide diversity in our hymns from Keble to Wesley to Graham Kendrick.We are a Church and not a museum to a bygone age – but we will loose out so much if we liturgically ( worship), doctrinally ( belief) and ecclesiologically (How we express being a church) ‘ throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Without tradition as a benchmark in the life of the church, we will be under pressure to succumb to the prevailing fashions of the society we find ourselves in as the sole arbiter of judgement. We need to recall those words of Hebrews Jesus is the same yesterday, today and foreverThis is a bit of a cheat really – as the root word in Medieval English is anointing, so we can have either U is for Unction or A is for anointing!!!
As I write this I am aware of the invitation issued last month by our Bishops to all clergy, to join him on the Tuesday of Holy Week to a service in the Cathedral. At that service the bishops, Priests and Deacons are asked to renew their ordination vows. There is an opportunity for the congregation to be anointed. Following the service there is the possibility of collecting some consecrated oil to be used in the parishes of the diocese.
In the parish anointing takes place at a number of occasions such as Baptism, at a Marriage, the blessing of a home and we began the year at our first Eucharist with the anointing of the congregation.
Anointing with oil or unction as it can also be termed is the sealing of God’s blessing on a person. In the Old Testament David was anointed when he was made King of Israel. Our own monarch was similarly anointed at her own coronation. The signing of the cross in anointing is an outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual anointing of God with his Holy Spirit. It is a gift of God and a practical demonstration of His fatherly care.
At a practical level a priest may consecrate his own oil for anointing – and this is the finest olive oil that Lidl sells!! Like the waters of baptism – ordinary things are used to proclaim the extraordinary Love of God for us. As we began Lent with being signed with ash on our foreheads – so on Easter Day there will be the opportunity to be anointed and sealed with the love of the God who brings life to our mortal existence.
‘I have come that you may have life and life in abundance (anointed and sealed in the love of God)’
Jn 10v 10
Vestments are the clothes worn at the Church services. The vesture of the ministers at a low Church will differ to those of the vesture of a ‘catholic’ parish. Because of the history of St Andrew’s Church, the ministers wear an alb ( white gown) covered by a Chasuble - a poncho style garment that is in the colour of the liturgical season –
white, red, purple or green.In origin a chasuble was a Roman outer garment worn at night or in the rain. The liturgical purpose of a chasuble at the Eucharist is not to keep the wearer warm or dry! The chasuble and the alb rather perform another function.
By covering ones own clothes by an alb and chasuble – we are hiding the variety and choice of clothes of the celebrant, and so hiding rather than drawing attention to the person in the clothes. Paul and I choose to dress differently but once we put on the vestments those differences disappear and you the viewer are not distracted in your worship of God.
The use of a colourful chasuble means that the wearer is a visual aid to the congregation to remind them of the liturgical season that they are in. In many ways this non-functional vesture is a reminder of the Old Testament clothing worn in the Temple – and a reminder of Jesus the fulfilment of being the Great High Priest ( Epistle to the Hebrews)
Under the chasuble is worn a stole. You will note that throughout this year Paul has been wearing his diagonally as befits a Deacon. At his ordination to the priesthood following the laying on of hands his stole will be undone from the deacons mode to wearing it around his neck and hanging down the front of his alb – this is the position stoles are worn by priests.
The stole in origin was worn to designate someone who held a position of authority in Roman society. Today it symbolises – not the worthiness of the wearer but of the authority to bless and absolve in Christ’s name as a priest after the example of St Peter.
In many ways vestments are an anachronism – not essential – but at another, and spiritual level they add richness to our liturgical life and express something of what we believe. We are called to believe – what we pray and to pray , that which we believe.
I'm slightly cheating - as this refers to the liturgical colours used for the different seasons of the Church year, of which white is one. A different colour is assigned to each part of the Church year and to different services throughout the liturgical year. You may note that some priests will use alternatives to the ones that I have outlined here and this reflects a certain theology being preferred. What I describe here is mainstream thinking about this subject - at this time.
White is used for the great festivals of Easter and Christmas. In symbolic terms it represents innocence and purity. Up until the fourth century white was the only colour used liturgically in public worship. Sometimes gold as a colour is used as an alternative colour during the major festival seasons.
White is used widely as the colour for baptism and weddings. Many priests, including myself, use white as the colour for funerals .Since it is the colour associated most closely with resurrection. However others prefer purple or black for funerals. White is also used as a colour at ordinations as was the case with Paul's ordination in July.
Green is the colour of the long Trinity Season or the ordinary season as Common Worship terms it. The word Green comes from the old English for 'growin' meaning growth. Green almost follows the 'growing' season in nature and liturgically symbolises the growth of the church following Pentecost. It is the colour of renewal.
Red is the colour of fire and martyrdom and is associated with Pentecost because of the tongues of fire that fell on the Apostles head. It is used as the colour to commemorate the martyrs of the church and hence the expression -'red letter days' as the lectionary (the calendar of church readings) has a red 'R1 next to a commemoration of a martyr. Red as a liturgical colour is used at ordinations as an alternative to white.
Purple is the colour of Lent and Advent and is symbolically a colour of penitence. It is the colour that marks a season of preparation prior to the major White festivals of Easter and Lent. However these days the Advent season quickly becomes subsumed in the practical preparations for Christmas. As a colour it has other connotations such as royalty, pain and suffering and hence also indicators of a penitential season. Sometimes purple is used for funerals as I have indicated above.
You may also on occasion have seen sackcloth used in Lent or blue for a Marian festival. Black was once used as a colour at requiem masses, and some more Protestant minded clergy will wear a black preaching scarf for funerals. I myself wore a pink chasuble on Mothering Sunday (not my choice - but what the Church in Grimsby used by tradition for that day).
Before the days of reading and literacy the liturgical colours helped people visually to understand the season that they were in.
X is for Xavier - Yes I did find something for an 'X'
This is not a what - but a who. It was difficult (as you can imagine) to find something that began with an 'X* - and I certainly wasn't going to say X factor. So, let's get back to Xavier.
Francis Xavier was a Spanish Catholic missionary working in the 16th Century. He was one of the order of Jesuits founded by Ignatius of Loyola. This Order of missionary priests were often prepared to go anywhere in the world - and often in dangerous circumstances. Someone has described the Jesuits as 'God's SAS'I!
So it was that Francis Zavier left Europe and went to Goa in 1542. So successful was his ministry there that many of the local people converted to Christianity and were baptised into the Catholic faith. He travelled further East and ministered in both Japan and China.
Such was the tenacity - and faithfulness of the Jesuits that their own cycle of remembering Jesuit martyrs now exceeds over one thousand names.
You may have seen a film that came out about 25 years ago called The Mission. The film was written by Robert Bolt and was based on fact. The film tells the story of the Jesuits in Latin America and the martyrdom of the main character.
The Jesuits stand for a full expression of faithful commitment to the Gospel that was sacrificial - they were - and still are a challenge to the often indifference we may be perceived as.
The Jerusalem Bible gives this name (Yahweh) to God in the Old Testament. This is an anglisised version of the Hebrew name of God which is often denoted as YHWH. Within the Hebrew language there are no vowels as we would recognise.
Updated 15 November 2011
St. Andrew's Church,
Victoria Street,
Burnham-on-Sea,
Somerset.
TA8 2AQ