On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Spring
2013
The “Play” and Communion
Not only do we perform the play, we participate in the play. And when we participate it,
the play – while remaining a play – also becomes reality. This reality – where the whole
saving action of Jesus from the past is brought into the present – is known by the Greek
word anamnesis.
1. Stage (setting) – The Church Building
a. Narthex (entry) – corresponds to the outer court of the temple
b. Nave: main part of the church (upside-down ship: the Ark of Salvation) –
corresponds to the inner court of the temple
c. Transept: sides of the cross
d. Choir or Chancel – corresponds to the Holy Place in the temple (altar of incense,
golden lampstand, and table of showbread).
e. Sanctuary: inside the Altar rail – corresponds to the Holy of Holies in the temple;
the Tabernacle is like the Ark of the Covenant (holding God’s presence)
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Spring
2013
2. Costumes – Vestments
a. Types
i. Cassock: basic, clerical outerwear; from the French for “long coat”
ii. Amice: keeps vestments clean; “helmet of salvation”
iii. Alb (surplice is a variation on the alb): the white robe of salvation, the
basic baptismal garment
iv. Cincture; spiritual reminder of Jesus being bound
v. Maniple; service, humility, a towel to wipe one’s eyes in sorrow for sin
vi. Stole: the sign of the priesthood; the “yoke” of the Lord
vii. Chasuble: Latin “little house”; over all these things put on “love”
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Basic Vestments
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Eucharistic Vestments
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Bishop’s Vestments
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Spring
2013
b. Colors
i. White: Easter and other feasts of our Lord Jesus
ii. Green: Sundays after Pentecost (half the year; symbolizes growth)
iii. Purple: penitence, hope and royalty; used in Advent, Lent and funerals
iv. Red: Holy Spirit and martyrs
v. Black: sorrow, used at funerals and All Souls’ Day
3. Characters – Clergy and People
4. Props: Bible, Prayer Book, Bread & wine, water, chalice, paten, baptismal font,
lectionary, candles, cross, pews, stained glass,
5. Script – The Book of Common Prayer
a. Words – The words of the liturgy
b. Stage directions – The Rubrics [words in italics] that direct how things are said
and what actions should take place
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Spring
2013
Manual Acts of Devotion
A summary
Reverence: Ceremonial gestures to express respect, honor or veneration. There are no strict rules
here. The idea at work in any gesture is one of reverence, honor, or, in the case of God along, of
worship. We may best think of manual/bodily acts as “non-verbal prayer.”
o Sign of the cross: By making this sign, on our head, breast and shoulders, (up-down-left-rightcenter – the five points reminding us of the five wounds of Christ on the cross) we acknowledge
ourselves to be crucified with Christ, in our thinking, our affections and our actions. In short, we
identify ourselves with Christ in His saving act. When?
o The Sign of the Cross is always made when the Trinity is invoked (“In the Name of the
Father…” or “Blessed by God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit”) or when receiving blessing
or absolution.
o It is also used at the conclusion of major declarations: the Gloria in excelsis and the Creed
being the two obvious examples.
o This is also done as a sign of piety and identifying ourselves with Jesus in his death when
the Consecrated Elements are elevated during the Canon of the Eucharist (this takes
place during the Words of Institution with each element, as well as at the Invitation at
the end – “The Gifts of God for the People of God”).
o Nod of the head: this is done primarily at the Name of Jesus [Philipians 2:10 – “That at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth]. This is NOT
done at the word “Christ” (this is his title, i.e. Messiah, not his sacred Name). Thus, at the
conclusion of the preparation prayers (through Christ our Lord) and at the Collect for Purity,
NO BOW is made at the end.
o Bow: [made with a nod of the head and a slight bending at the waist].
o This is made when the Blessed Trinity is being directly addressed in praise (“Glory be
to the Father…” or “Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost” or “We praise thee, we blessed
thee, we worship thee” in the Gloria). This is always done when the “Glory be to the
Father…” is said at the conclusion of the Psalms and the recitation of the Gospel
Canticles (i.e. the Benedictus at Morning Prayer, and the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis at
Evening Prayer).
o When important objects pass in procession: the cross, the Gospel book, the bishop, etc.
o Genuflection [made with the right knee touching the floor, the torso and head kept upright].
This is done when entering a pew, facing the altar and the tabernacle or aumbry, where the
Blessed Sacrament in reserved. You will know if the Sacrament is there if a candle (known as
the “sanctuary lamp”) is burning above it.
o Kneel: two basic meanings: a) a Sign of adoration and worship, and b) Sign of penitence and
humility
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Spring
2013
Chronological Manual Acts of Devotion
At the Service of Holy Communion
The Preparation Prayers
“In the name of the Father ...”
“Our help is in the name of the Lord ...”
A bow is made during the recitation of the confession in the Preparation prayers (“I
confess to Almighty God…”) as a sign of penitence. One remains bowed from the
beginning of the confession through the conclusion of the request for forgiveness.
Note: the bow is NOT made only during the mention of the Trinity – It is not
being directly addressed in praise).
“…grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of all our sins.”
Opening Acclamations (Note to the priests: this is not an address to the People, but to
God; thus, it is either said facing the Altar, or (when seated in the choir) facing north, the
same direction we face when praying with hands in the orans position).
“Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
“ Bless the Lord, who forgiveth all our sins.”
“Alleluia! Christ is Risen!”
Collect for Purity: NO bow is made at the conclusion of the prayer (“through Christ
our Lord”) since it is not the Name of Jesus.
In the Gloria in Excelsis
Slight Bow at “adoramus Te/We worship Thee.”
Slight Bow at “suscipe deprecati/receive our prayer.”
“... in the glory of God the Father.” Like in the Creed, this is said as the concluding
line is said.
Sequence Hymn: Everyone sitting in the choir should watch the Celebrant and all stand
with him (a few choir members are in the habit of standing as soon as the music starts
and before the Celebrant stands).
Gospel Procession
When the cross/torches turn to leave the altar gate, the choir bows in unison until
the Gospel book passes the west-edge of the choir stalls. They then smoothly turn
west in unison.
At the announcement of the Gospel (“The holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…”),
three small signs of the cross are made on the forehead, lips and breast as a silent
prayer that the Gospel consecrate our minds, lips and heart.
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
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A slight bow is made at both response before (“Glory be to thee…”) and after the
Gospel (“Praise be to thee…”)
Homily: at Introduction/ Conclusion when the Blessed Trinity is invoked: “... in
the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”
Nicene Creed
Everyone sitting in the choir should watch the Celebrant and all stand with him
All bow at the Incarnatus – “…came down from heaven” through “was made man.”
This is done as a way of showing reverence to gift of Self-emptying in the
Incarnation.
Slight bow at “is worshipped and glorified” in the Creed.
“... and the life of the world to come.” (The sign of the cross is NOT made at “for
the resurrection of the dead”, but at the final line, just as in the Gloria in excelsis).
The Prayers of the People
“... for all thy servants departed this life” (and at any prayer for the departed, as a
reminder that all such prayer rests solely on the cross of Christ, by which our Lord
has defeated death).
Absolution after Confession: “... have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you ...”
Eucharistic Prayer/Canon of the Eucharist
(at the elevations of the Bread and the Wine)
“... be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction …” (this is known as the
second epiclesis or invocation of the Holy Spirit, as we pray for the Holy Spirit to
come upon us as we prepare to receive the Lord’s Body and Blood.
The Communion
At the Invitation, as the Elements are shows to the People: “The Gifts of God...”
at reception of Communion – before and after receive each consecrated Element
The Blessing: “… the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit …”
Concluding Prayer after the service: “May the souls of the faithful departed…”
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On the Canterbury Trail—Session 8 “Worship and Sacraments: Part III”
Spring
2013
The Heart of Worship
Was ever a command so obeyed? For century after century, spreading
slowly to every continent and country and among every race on earth,
this action [the Celebration of Holy Communion] has been done, in
every conceivable circumstance, for every conceivable human need
from infancy and before it to extreme old age and after it, from the
pinnacles of human greatness to the refuge of fugitives in the caves
and dens of the earth. Men have found no better thing than this to do
for kings at their crowning and for criminals going to the scaffold; for
armies in triumph or for a bride and bridegroom in a little country
church; for the proclamation of a dogma or for a good crop of wheat;
for the wisdom of the Parliament of a mighty nation or for a sick old
woman afraid to die; for a schoolboy sitting an examination or for
Columbus setting out to discover America; for the famine of whole
provinces or for the soul of a dead lover; in thankfulness because my
father did not die of pneumonia; for a village headman much tempted
to return to fetish because the yams had failed; because the Turk was
at the gates of Vienna; for the repentance of Margaret; for the
settlement of a strike; for a son for a barren woman; for Captain soand-so, wounded and prisoner-of-war; while the lions roared in the
nearby amphitheatre; on the beach at Dunkirk; while the hiss of
scythes in the thick June grass came faintly through the windows of
the church; tremulously, by an old monk on the fiftieth anniversary of
his vows; furtively, by an exiled bishop who had hewn timber all day in
a prison camp near Murmansk; gorgeously, for the canonisation of S.
Joan of Arc — one could fill many pages with the reasons why men
have done this, and not tell a hundredth part of them. And best of all,
week by week and month by month, on a hundred thousand successive
Sundays, faithfully, unfailingly, across all the parishes of christendom,
the pastors have done this just to make the plebs sancta Dei — the
holy common people of God.
Gregory Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy, 744.
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