Frequently Asked Questions about Worship
Below are several frequently asked questions about our practice of worship, answered in plain language.
Which Book of Common Prayer do you use?
What is so powerful about the Holy Communion service?
What does it mean to touch the chest three times?
Who is the man who wears the old-fashioned brown clothing at St. Mary's?
What does the beam above the communion rail symbolize?
Why are there candles on the altar?
Why are there wood carvings and images on the altar?
Why does the priest put water on people after the service?
What is the chapel used for?
What are the closets in the back of the church?
Why do the clergy wear or remove their black hats?
Why are prayers spoken for loved ones who have died?
Am I hearing Greek spoken during Mass?
What does it mean to make the sign of the cross?
Why is the figure of Jesus on the cross?
What does incense represent?
Why do people dip their fingers in water?
What is the purpose of the shell in the back of the church?
Why does the priest sprinkle water on us?
Is it idolatry to have statues in the church?
Why do people bow to the crucifix as it is carried by on a pole?
What do the red and blue candles at the front of the church mean?
Which Book of Common Prayer do you use?
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer is beloved by Anglican traditionalists throughout the United States. Unlike the 1979 book that was adopted by the Episcopal Church, the 1928 BCP stands in direct line of descent from Thomas Cranmer’s 1549 Book of Common Prayer, and as such, its collects preserve the beauty of the Archbishop’s original prose. The Epistles and Gospels are taken from the Authorized Version (otherwise known as the King James Bible) and the Psalter remains that which has been used by generations of Anglicans throughout the world, that of the Great Bible of 1539.
What is so powerful about the Holy Communion service?
God, the Holy Spirit, uses music, art, colors, smells, physical movements, chanting, and the intellectual message addressed to both the heart and mind to reach us as whole persons. The Mass combines all these elements. For example, the sermon appeals to the intellect, the colors (which change according to the church calendar) and the incense appeal to the senses, and the music appeals to both.
All of these elements have an effect on the subconscious mind, week in, week out with repetition of various parts of the Mass and brings on a strong feeling of having been with God, even if there is a poor sermon. But then, when the colors change for the church calendar, various prayers change too, so this catches your attention. Years ago the woman who welcomed me to St. Mary's knew I came from a Protestant background and was horrified by all the bells and smells. In her sweet Southern drawl she said: "We don't think all this is necessary for Salvation, we just think it's helpful; think of it all as visual aids. As time went by I learned that everything I saw had some symbolic meaning; over 30 years later, I am still learning.
What does it mean to touch the chest three times?
In the Roman army an officer in charge of 100 men was called a centurion. When given an order, a Roman soldier would strike his chest to acknowledge the order. This act of beating the chest is symbolic of the faith and humility shown by a centurion who begged Jesus to heal his sick servant but said he was not worthy for Him to come into his house:
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not thy that thou shouldest (should) come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. Matthew 8:8
The Priest and people do and say something similar just before they receive the Sacrament of Eucharist.
Who is the man who wears the old-fashioned brown clothing at St. Mary's?
He is our beloved Brother John of the Cross, a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi (an Italian Saint). The brown clothing is a symbol of humility, or the virtue of fixing one's attention away from the self and on the needs of others. Brother John serves the Priest at St. Mary's by supervising the placement of various physical objects in the front of the church. He also helps train boys who want to serve in various roles during Mass. Brother John does not hear well. You must look right at him close up and speak loudly, slowly and clearly.
What does that beam above the communion rail symbolize?
This beam is a symbol of the horizontal part of the cross on which Jesus died. It also provides a visual separation from the front area of the church, called the Sanctuary, from the back part of the church, called the Nave. The Sanctuary is where the aAltar and the sacred elements are kept, and is set apart.
Why are there candles on the altar?
In the early days of the Church, Christians were persecuted by the Romans, fed to lions and burned alive to entertain crowds. To protect themselves, the early Christians met in tombs below the city of Rome. The candles remind us that the Church was born in persecution. Also, they symbolize the presence of the Holy Spirit during the service.
Why are there wood carvings and images in the church?
The Christian Church has a long tradition of representing truth through art. For much of its history, many worshippers who congregated for Holy Communion or other services were not able to read the Bible, and these images helped to express biblical stories and spiritual lessons to the people. Today, the Anglican church seeks to continue this tradition by displaying images of saints, stations of the cross, or other images that inspire the worshipper to contemplation and reform. At St. Mary's, children often decorate the figure of Mary to show honor and celebration for her life and service as the mother of Jesus.
Why does the priest put water on people after the service?
When there is a priest available, individuals come forward after Mass for a blessing. The priest dips his fingers in Holy Water (water that has been previously blessed), lays his hand on the head of the individual and prays for God's blessing. We believe that God ministers to his people, which are the earthly body of Christ, through his Holy Spirit in answer to the prayers of ordained ministers and those fellow Christians.
What is the chapel used for?
The second chapel is used primarily for private or corporate prayer. During Thursday of Holy Week, the week leading to Easter, the Priest and other clergy take the Eucharistic elements (the wheat wafers that are consumed during Communion) from the altar to the chapel, where they are surround with flowers and where they remain until Easter. The chapel becomes the symbol of the garden where Jesus prayed before he was arrested. Individuals from the congregation take turns sitting in this chapel for the following night and early morning in prayer and silent contemplation as a preparation for Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) and Easter Day.
What are the small closets in the back of the church?
These small rooms are used when people make their confessions to a Priest. The Priest sits on one side and the individual making the confession kneels on the other side. It is God who forgives sins, not the Priest. The Priest's role is to join the sinner's petitions to God for forgiveness, to offer counsel, and to confirm that the sins are forgiven. There is an ancient rite for Confession, the final statement of which is said by the priest: "Go in peace, the Lord hath put away thy sins, and pray for me a sinner." The Priest is given authority to hear the confessions of the people at his ordination, where he becomes a successor of the first followers (Apostles) of Jesus.
Why do the clergy wear or remove their black hats?
They take off their hats (called birettas) as a sign of respect and honor for Jesus, whose presence is with us during the Holy Communion service.
Why are prayers spoken for loved ones who have died?
We believe that when some people die, their souls go to a cleansing place where they are prepared for eternity in Heaven in the presence of God. The Christian Church has a tradition of praying for these souls and asking God to quicken the cleansing process so they can be released to Heaven. Additionally, the Book of Common Prayer provides language to guide us in praying for the "repose of the soul" of an individual, asking God to grant them rest and peace in the life to come.
Am I hearing Greek spoken during the Mass?
Yes; at one point during the Communion service, the people pray an ancient prayer that dates back to the earliest days of the Church, when Greek was the common language. The prayer is "Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison", which translated means "Lord, have mercy upon us; Christ, have mercy upon us; Lord, have mercy upon us".
What does it mean to make the sign of the cross?
In the Western Christian Church, the sign of the cross is made with the fingertips of the right hand moving from the forhead to the left shoulder and finally to the right shoulder. The motion is done when receiving a blessing, when ending a prayer, or when hearing or speaking the gospel. The idea behind this gesture is that, whatever we are doing or saying while making the sign of the cross, is a blessing imparted to us by God through the power of the cross. The gesture affirms and reminds us of this fact.
Why is the figure of Jesus on the cross?
A cross with a representation of Jesus on it is called a crucifix. In the Anglican tradition, the cross is depicted this way to remind us the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.John 3:16
What does incense represent?
Incense is a symbol of honor, respect and lingering prayers.
Why do people dip their fingers in water?
The water is holy, which means it has been blessed by a priest. By dipping their fingers in the water and making the sign of the cross, people remind themselves of the promises they made, or their parents made on their behalf, when they were baptized.
What is the purpose of the shell in the back of the church?
This shell is used for a special blessing of babies, during which, mothers and small children gather round. This blessing becomes a teaching opportunity for them.
Why does the priest sprinkle water on us?
The water is holy water, which is water that has been specially blessed. The priest sprinkles it on people to remind us to remain faithful to the promises to God they made or their parents made for them when they were baptized with holy water.
Through this process the deep seated human tendency to be self-centered, selfish and always end up doing the wrong thing, is washed away. This process makes it possible for humans to choose to do the right thing, although they can still choose to do the wrong thing.
Is it idolatry to have statues in the church?
No. The statues are merely visual aids. Their are many people who actually worship such objects, but we don't.
Why do people bow to the crucifix as it is carried by on a pole?
Bowing to the symbol of Jesus on the cross is simply saying a "thank you" to Jesus for being willing to suffer the agony of crucifixion to show how much God loves His sinful children and to take away our sins.
The boy carrying the crucifix is called a crucifer, which means cross bearer. Teenage boys find serving as the crucifer to be quite an honor as they grow up serving in various positions helping the Priest at the altar as servers.
What do the red and blue candles at the front of the church mean?
People kneel at the communion rail and say prayers for loved ones and friends. They light a red candle in honor of Jesus or a blue one in honor of His mother, St. Mary. The lighted candle is a symbol of prayers that linger after the person has left.
