Christian and an Anglican

Amended, updated and adapted to the AICW with permission of the original Author, Ken Collins (www.kencollins.com) and issued under the Authority of

Most Rev’d. Dr. Clive Read in 2016 (Primate Archbishop)

Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide

A Christian and an Anglican Issued under the authority of Most Rev’d. Dr. Clive Read on the 12th day of February in the year of Our Lord 2016

A Christian and an Anglican Contents

Page Act of Remembrance 20 Advent Wreath and meaning .

61 Alb . . .

64 Altar Linens . .

38 Anglican Collar . .

65 Anointing someone . .

14 Anthem . . .

40 Ash Wednesday ashes .

46 Baptism . . .

18 Baptism by the Holy Spirit .

7 Baptism with Power .

8 Baptism with Water .

7, 19 Bells and Smells and things .

13 Cassock . . .

65 Cassock, Surplice and Stole .

75 Chalice . . .

40 Chalice Pall . .

39 Chalive Veil . .

39 Chant . . .

40 Chasuble . . .

66 Christus victor . .

66 Church Membership .

11 Ciborium . . .

40 Clergy Shirt . .

67 Clericals , . .

67 Cincture . . .

67 Collect . . .

41 Colours of the seasons .

41, 76 Command to the Church .

11 Cope . . .

67 Corporal . . .

39 Crossing yourself . .

13 Crucifix . . .

68 Dalmatic . . .

69 Different churches/teachings .

8 Dog Collar . .

69 Dressing to lead Worship .

25 Easter Vigil service . .

57 Emergency baptism. .

15 Epitrachilion . .

69 Eucharist (Holy Communion).

37 Fair Linen . .

39 Foot Washing . . 22, 54, 55 Fruit of The Holy Spirit .

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Gifts of The HolySpirit Giving to God .

Hymn . .

Incense . .

Jesus will return .

Lay Leaders/Readers Laying hands on someone Liturgy . .

More than Money .

Neckband Shirt .

Offering . .

Ordinary Time .

Paraments .

Paten . .

Pectoral Cross .

Phelonion .

Poias . .

Preaching the Lectionary Procession .

Purificator .

Pyx or Pyxis .

Readings . .

Robe . .

Roman collar .

Sign of the Cross .

Skull Cap .

Soutane . .

Stations of the Cross Sticharion .

Stole . .

Tab-Collar Shirt .

Talking to Father .

Tenebrae . .

The nine-part Gift .

Thurible . .

Vestments and Clericals Wearing Clericals .

Worship, Prayer and Liturgy Zucchetto. .

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Page 9 9 43 70 10 26 15 43 10 70 44 44 44 44 68 71 71 21 44 39 45 45 71 72 68 72 72 49 73 73 74 5 54, 55 8 74 63 30 37 74

Preamble

There are many ways of ‘being Anglican’ - but for the purpose of this publication - I am writing to those who are at home with the Sacraments of the Traditional Anglican Church - but nonethe-less have a faith which was probably based on someone telling you about God’s plan of Salvation through Jesus (His Son) - an Evangelical - and your awareness of a voice (often referred to as our Conscience) which is the 3rd Person of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit.

I am not suggesting that any communion or denomination has ALL the answers, but AICW allows for a greater degree of interpretation (and bolt-ons) than do many others.

There are all levels (of the candle-stick) as far as Anglican Worship is concerned, ranging from ‘low’ church to that which is so close to Roman Catholicism that the dividing line is sometimes hard to find.

I commend Traditional Anglicanism to you, as a ‘skeleton’ which allows you to worship in the way you feel the Holy Spirit leading you, keeping in mind that Jesus prayed to His Father (John 16:17) that we would all be united, even as He and His Father are united. ++ Clive

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There are many church suppliers who will supply vestments and other church needs, as well as clerical seamstresses who will create a garment that both complies with Anglican tradition, and is the right size for your shape.

As I have mentioned previously ebay continues to be a huge resource of clerical vestments, rings, crosses, crozier and other accessories.

There are a number of Mail Order suppliers in Italy, the USA, UK and the Far East whose prices for bespoke vestments is quite mind-blowing.

The Copyright Š1995-2007 for Part 2 of this Manual is held by the Rev. Kenneth W. Collins and his licensors. All rights reserved.

Rev. Collins granted the AICW Primate Archbishop permission to use any part of his original text and add to it as we saw fit, and print as many copies as we needed, without conditions.

You can access a huge amount of resources from his website www.kencollins.com

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Part 1

The stole is green, which is appropriate for regular services on the Sundays after Epiphany or after Pentecost; actually, most of the year. Different coloured stoles can be worn for different occasions. The stole that matches the cassock and surplice is smaller than the stole that matches the alb.

Christians are members of a family

Christianity began with the miraculous birth of Jesús to the Virgin Mary, and there are hundreds of different ‘varieties’ today. It is not for us to criticise others. We should follow the example of God and love the sinner, even if we abhor their sin.

When we were born each became a member of a family. Usually consisting of a mother and father, perhaps brothers or sisters, and an extended family of aunts, uncles, grandparents and other relatives.

We soon became aware the family had its own rules and ways of doing things and, though we no doubt sought to exert our dominance upon the proceedings, if we had any sense we adapted to fit in with what already existed. To influence anything other than minor decisions became a painful experience.

The human family will traditionally have a father who works and a mother who looks after the home. One or other will garden and decorate and each will consult the other about crucial decisions. One will tend to have responsibility for disciplining of any children and management of household finances. Parents make up their rules as they go along – and hope not to get too many decisions wrong.

The Anglican family does not have the same human limitations – God wrote the rules and left them for us to read, learn and develop. But unlike the human life where we can seek to change the rules, the Christian life does not allow for such a possibility. Interpretation is often permissable.

God, in His perfect Wisdom – and knowing the end from the beginning – got the rules right first time. There are rules for Christian living but also guidance on how the Christian/Anglican family should function.

God is our Father and is pleased (like an earthly parent) by children who seek to please Him,

A reminder about colours for the stoles: * Red * Red stoles are worn during Holy Week services, on Pentecost, at ordinations, and on services that commemorate the death of a Christian martyr. * White * White stoles are worn during the twelve days of Christmas, during the fifty days of Easter, at funerals, and at weddings. They are worn at a service that celebrates a secular holiday, and on certain special days, such as Epiphany Day, the Baptism of our Lord (which is the Sunday after the Epiphany), on Trinity Sunday, and All Saints Sunday. * Purple * Purple stoles are worn during Lent and Advent, when hearing confessions (in the Catholic Church), and when administering Communion in the hospital.

Geneva Gown

A Geneva gown is more usually seen at a Graduation ceremony.

They are rarely worn by clergy, who need to signal that they are presiding at worship, not graduating from school.

The majority of priests will serve in churches with an incomplete wardrobe of vestments. A priest can only wear what he has (or the church supplies) but can look for gifts from the widows of clergy who are deceased. If someone says the colour you are wearing is unseasonal, you can explain that it is all you can afford. It may be God’s way of introducing you to a benefactor who will supply the items you are missing!

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Talking to Father We learn about our earthly family from a very early age, watching what goes on, following examples and listening to what is being said. We find out about our heritage by talking to parents and later, reading letters from those whom we may rarely see.

We learn about the Christian family in a similar way, but the most important is that we take the time to talk to God: it’s what Christians call

Cassock, Surplice, and Stole

Prayer – and wait for Him to give us His answers. We must find time each day to read The Bible, it’s the Book that God wrote so that we would not only know His rules, but also get to know Him better.

Praying can take many different forms. Firstly, it can be the time we set aside in the morning or evening when we talk honestly to God about the things that trouble us – personal problems, habits and sins. In prayer, we also learn to Praise and Thank God for making us His child and for caring for us so much more than even our earthly father ever could.

Then there are the prayers we say or listen to in the church, prayers which by their very nature are probably more general and relate to the church or the world in which we live. Many of the prayers are printed in the Order of Service (Book of Common Prayer) because it was decided they were ‘all embracing’ and saved our need to search for words.

But praying is more than saying words out loud, it is a way of living the Christian life. We should commit our lives to God each morning and then maintain that contact with God, always keeping the lines open, as it were, until we go to sleep at night. Praying is about asking God to show us, moment by moment what He would have us do and say. Praying is as much about listening as it is about talking. Do you get fed-up with people who are always talking and won’t take breath even for us to get a word in edgeways? It can be the same for God, who wants to talk to us but we keep talking – and when we’ve finished saying what was important to us – get on with doing something else.

If we are to grow as Christians we must talk with our Father, read the Bible to understand more of what He has planned for us and listen to the Holy Spirit giving advice or guidance.

God is Unchanging We may now be living in the 21st century, but the guidelines God gave to the first Christians in the first churches, are still the ‘right first time’ rules which are best for today.

The words Jesus uttered 2,000 years ago and the writings in the gospels, Acts and letters of Paul and others shortly afterwards, are still the ‘code’ to follow if we seek peace and happiness. The Old Testament may be prophetic but the new Testament is proof.

The Holy Bible – God’s Word – too, is unchanging and was written when there were no motorcars or television sets, but that doesn’t make it out of date or any less authoritative.

In this picture, the model is wearing a plain cassock. It can be worn by anyone who leads worship, including lay people.

A Roman cassock has buttons or snaps down the front. An Anglican cassock is generally double breasted. Mine is halfway between the two. The cassock has a cloth cincture, which you are not able to see, because of the black-on-black effect.

In this picture, the model is wearing a surplice over the cassock.

(Surplices are only worn with cassocks).

In Anglican churches, laypeople often dress this way when they are helping to lead worship. Acolytes commonly wear surplices over red cassocks.

Sometimes choirs wear the cassock and surplice combination, in which case the cassocks can be any colour.

Finally, we see a picture of an ordained clergyman wearing a cassock with a surplice and stole:

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In this picture, the priest is wearing a white surplice over the cassock and a stole over the surplice. He’s also wearing a pectoral cross, so you can see the total effect. Among clergy, you are most likely to find Anglican priests in cassocks and surplices, because English law used to require them. John Wesley wore a cassock and surplice, because he was a priest in the Church of England.

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Tab-Collar Shirt A tab-collar shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. It is a type of shirt (or blouse, for Deaconesses) that has a folded-down collar with an opening over the top button over the throat. The shirt has a fly front; that is, a flap of cloth that covers the buttons that go down the front. The shirt comes with a white tab that looks something like a tongue depressor. After putting on the shirt, the wearer slips the tab into place. The effect is a black collar with a white rectangle over the throat. If the white rectangle is wide, it is called an Anglican collar; if it is narrow, it is called a Roman collar.

Baptism with Water God commands in the Bible that all those who trust in Jesus should repent and be baptised by total immersion as a public confession of their faith and that they intend turning from their old desires and way of life, but many believe in the importance of baptising (or Christening) a baby, with Godparents promising to set a good example.

Jesus Himself was baptised by John the Baptist. Salvation does not depend on Baptism.

Salvation was purchased on Calvary and your eternal life was ensured at the moment you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Baptism is a sign of obedience to God’s commands. Some who are baptised report it as being an earth-shattering experience, whereas others appear almost disappointed.

How you ‘feel’ as a Christian is not important, anymore than how you ‘feel’ when you wake up in the morning. The importance is in obeying God’s command What doth hinder thee from being baptised?

Some parts of the Anglican church regard ‘infant baptism’ as if it were a membership application to that denomination, that would last till death, regardless of whether in later life the baptised child prefers not to attend church, but to accept the modern teaching that ‘there is no God’.

The terms “Roman collar” or “Roman shirt” refer to style, not origin.

Clergy shirts are Protestant in origin. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as streetwear for clergy until the 19th century.

Tab-collar shirts come in all colours and fabrics, but the general public often does not immediately perceive them as clergy shirts if they are not black.

Thurible A thurible is also called a censer.

It is a metal holder for incense, usually suspended on chains.

Either the celebrant or a thurifer swings it around in a predetermined pattern.

It is used in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, and sometimes even Methodist services.

Incense was universally a feature of ancient Christian worship, because it was used in the Jewish Temple during sacrifices.

Thuribles give off a lot of smoke when they are in use.

If it is high-quality incense, it won’t make people sneeze.

Zucchetto If you go to Italy, do not order zucchetti in clam sauce! Zucchetto is Italian for skull cap.

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Baptism by the Holy Spirit When Jesus returned to Heaven and His father on the first Ascension Day, He promised He would send ‘The Comforter’ to take His place.

On the first Day of Pentecost – the day we used to call Whit-Sunday – the Holy Spirit was sent to the Christians in a baptism which manifested itself as a mighty rushing wind, when cloven tongues of fire rested on each of the disciples, and they began speaking in other tongues. Those who watched thought they were drunk with wine.

Today, the Holy Spirit is often received in two very distinct stages.

At the moment we are ‘born again’, as a Christian we experience the indwelling and presence of God, the same voice which had been speaking to us about our sin and the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross at Calvary on that first Good Friday. It’s that indwelling presence of God which will speak to you about the way you spend your time and the places where you go.

Before becoming a Christian you probably referred to it as your conscience.

People often ask what they must give up when they become Christians. The simple answer is that the Holy Spirit lessens the desire to do those things that do not please God. If YOU would be ashamed or embarrassed if Jesus returned to find you doing something – or being somewhere – then that is wrong for YOU. That does not mean it is wrong for everyone – just for you.

Baptism with Power God’s work is important and we need His power if we are to achieve results.

This power gives us Boldness (Acts 4:31) and provides us with God’s spontaneous word (Matthew 10:19,20).

The Holy Spirit dwells within us to give a deep communion with God and the ‘Power’ to work for Him, That indwelling of the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and, like the first Christians, is usually recognisable by ‘Speaking in Tongues’. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a free gift – it is up to the recipient to accept it and open it up.

Before the first Pentecost the early Christians faltered in their allegiance, but subsequently faced persecution and suffering with a daring that astounded their captors. They ministered with a penetrating power causing men to cry out for salvation. Christians today still need this power.

Many Christians testify to a difficulty receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as they get older and travel along the Christian pathway. The best time is NOW – while you are rejoicing in God having given you eternal life and forgiving your sins.

The skull cap solves the impasse. It keeps the head warm without being large enough to cover the whole head.

Sticharion See alb or cassock.

Stole A stole, called an epitrachilion in Orthodox churches, is a long, narrow rectangular garment that is worn around the neck so that it hangs down in front of the wearer’s legs, ending below the knees. The stole originated as a sort of kerchief. People used them as a general work cloth, for polishing things, and for wiping sweat from their faces. They came into the church, probably as a cloth that the celebrant could use to clean the Communion ware as part of the service, and for that reason, the stole became a Eucharistic garment.

Modern stoles are usually the appropriate colour for the season. Only ordained clergy wear a stole. A deacon can also wear a stole, but it is customary for a deacon to wear it over the left shoulder, tied at the waist on the right side, so that the stole hangs diagonally across the chest. A stole can be worn over a robe, an alb, or a cassock.

Different Churches emphasise different teachings God’s Word (the Bible) is not forced to have the same meaning to everyone who reads it. Whilst believing in baptism, some denomination choose to baptise newly-born children, whilst others will only baptise adults who have shown themselves to be good examples of Christian behaviour. Neither is wrong - but both are on offer. Pray for guidance for YOU, when you are faced with alternatives.

Some churches are led by Pastors (leaders) in civilian clothes, whereas others wear ‘vestments’ by which they are instantly identified as having taken a vow (made a promise) to serve God. It is difficult to think that Baptism in the Holy Spirit will not prove a divisive subject. That the Holy Spirit was given to Christians was foretold by Joel in chapter 2 of his Old Testament book, was confirmed in the 2nd chapter of Acts when disciples gathered together in fear after the crucifixion of Jesus, and they were given such power to preach and heal that thousands were saved in a single day.

The nine-part Gift The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is freely available to those who hunger, thirst and believe it was given THEN and for NOW. Often the Baptism is accompanied by ‘speaking in tongues’ – a new language which God gives so you can communicate personally with Him. He

If an ordained minister combines a cassock, surplice, and stole, the cassock goes on first, then the surplice, then the stole on top.

If an ordained minister combines an alb, stole, and chasuble, the alb goes on first, then the stole, then the chasuble on top. (There are stoles that are designed to be worn over chasubles, but that is not common).

If a deacon combines an alb, dalmatic, and stole, the alb goes on first, then the dalmatic, then the stole on top.

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A surplice is a very lightweight blouse-like garment with sleeves. It is almost invariably white and it often has lace trim. A surplice is only worn over a cassock, never by itself, and never over an alb or an academic gown.

The surplice is actually a type of alb that is designed to be worn over a cassock. The cassock and surplice combination is very common in Anglican churches, where it is worn by both clergy and lay worship leaders.

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Unlike vestments, robes are not worn by lay leaders. The original purpose of the robe was to indicate that the wearer had the authority of academic credentials. John Calvin started the tradition of wearing academic robes in church. He was not able to wear vestments because he was not ordained clergy, but he did have an academic law degree. For that reason, clergy robes are most common in churches that are in the Reformed tradition, such as Presbyterian churches, and in other groups with Calvinist roots, such as Baptists. Choir robes are nearly universal.

is the turning point in the lives of most Christians and ends, forever, any doubt the devil might have planted about the assurance of your having a personal relationship with God. With the Baptism, God gives access to a range of Gifts which are described in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church. Paul refers to them in this order: Gift Word of Wisdom Word of Knowledge Faith Gift of Healing Working of Miracles Prophecy Discerning of Spirits Diverse kinds of Tongues Interpretation of Tongues

People in robes are dressed like Calvin. People in albs are dressed like Jesus.

Roman Collar A tab-collar shirt with a narrow, square tab.

Soutane See cassock.

It was God’s intention that these Gifts and Fruits should function in the church. In closing the 12th Chapter of his first letter to the Christians at Corinth, Paul urges us But covet earnestly the best gifts.

Skull Cap Occasionally you will see high-ranking Catholic clergy wearing a simple skull cap that looks like a beanie. For instance, the pope wears a white one while cardinals wear red ones.

Historically, men who were about to be ordained or received in monastic orders were required to have part of their head shaved. The process was called a tonsure. The purpose of the tonsure was to comply with 1 Corinthians 11:1216, because during most of history, it was fashionable for men to have long hair. There are several different types of tonsures, most often it involved shaving the crown of the head. This requirement no longer exists in the Catholic Church, but it still does in Orthodox churches, though in some places the tonsure is minimal.

The tonsure caused a problem for higher-ranking clergy, who tend to be elderly, because it exposed their heads to the cold - those old medieval cathedrals were drafty, had no heat, and most often the doors stood open.

However, the same passage from Paul implies that men shouldn’t wear head coverings in church. In the middle ages, headgear could be so complex that it was impractical for men to doff their hats, so they shoved them back to show respect.

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Fruit (Galatians 5) love joy peace longsuffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance

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Giving to God The Bible teaches the principle established in the Old Testament of returning part of our income to God – it is called ‘Tithing’ – which itself means ‘a tenth part’. However, we do not say (nor does the Bible specify) to whom this Tithe should be given. Each Christian who believes in God’s command to Tithe will decide for themselves (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit) which branches of Christian work to support. Giving to God is not limited to Tithes – there is an addition provision for ‘Offerings’ – a way of saying “Thank You” for that extra blessing you have received.

Many have said they could not afford to Tithe, but Christians cannot afford NOT to Tithe. God makes the 90% you retain buy much more than the 100% would have done.

Some modern-day Christians believe their Tithe is a tenth after deduction of tax, mortgage and other expenditure. Proverbs in Chapter 3 teaches Honour the Lord with all your wealth, with the First Fruits of All your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine. In any case, it is a matter between you and God.

More than Money God also expects at least 10% of our time – and that’s at least 17 hours in a week. It is for you to decide (again with the help of the Holy Spirit) what proportion should be used for Bible Reading and Study, Prayer, Church Services, Personal Evangelism and other activities connected with local church life.

Jesus WILL Return In the Bible, Jesus says He will return to earth in a like manner to which he went to be with God on that first Ascension Day. Some parts of the Bible are very specific with regard to what will happen, an example being in the first letter Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in Chapter 4, and verses 16 and 17: The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven . . . . the dead in Christ shall be resurrected . . . . and we (Christians) which are alive will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Christians believe that our joy and gratitude to God for His eternal protection, and for forgiving our sins, coupled with our belief that Jesus will return, should spur us on to tell others about Jesus and what He has done in our lives. As you seek to tell others about Jesus, the devil will use them to get you side-tracked into spiritual arguments. Stick to what you know and what they cannot dispute “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.”

An Act of Remembrance On the night before He was crucified, Jesus sat with His disciples in an upper room and instigated a ceremony by which He said they should remember Him and await His return. That there has been a delay of more than 2,000 years only makes the day of His return 2000 years closer.

He took a loaf and broke it into pieces, inviting His disciples to eat, and saying that it spoke of His Body which was to be broken. He then gave each a sip of wine to signify that His Blood would be shed. The disciples didn’t understand the significance of what He said or did, until after His death.

Jesus instructed those who love Him and know Him as their Saviour to continue with the ceremony to remind them of His death on Calvary and impending triumphant return.

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Phelonion See chasuble.

Poias See cincture.

Robe

Many people use the term robe as a synonym for vestment, but in actual fact, a robe is not a vestment at all. It is an ankle-length gown with long sleeves, designed to be worn without a cincture. There are four types of robes, all of which are modern forms of the academic robes that professors used to wear while on the job in medieval universities. The four types are choir robes, clergy robes, academic gowns, and judicial robes. Only the first three types are worn in church. All types of robes are designed to be worn over street clothing. The only vestment that can be worn over a robe is a stole.

Choir robes come in a large variety of styles and colours. They give the choir a unified appearance. (However, choirs can wear cassocks and surplices instead of robes).

Academic gowns come in three forms corresponding to bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. The doctoral robe sometimes appears in church. It has puffy sleeves with three stripes on the forearm, indicating that the wearer possesses a doctoral degree. When they are used in church, academic gowns are most often worn without the square cap or the long, decorative hood down the back that normally complete the outfit. If there is a hood, the colours indicate the wearer’s field of study and alma mater. (You can find out the colour code for the fields of study in the United States).

Clergy robes mark clergy who do not have a doctorate degree or who do not choose to wear their doctoral robes. Even though most clergy have a masters degree, clergy robes are a modified form of the baccalaureate robe, probably because contemporary masters robes have an odd appearance. Clergy robes are nearly identical to judicial robes, except that clergy robes often have a sort of built-in stole; a wide stripe running down both sides of the zipper in 71the front, often decorated with Christian symbols.

Incense See thurible.

Mitre

Neckband Shirt

The Command to the Church Some Christians report regular times of two-way conversation with God whereas, to others, it is foreign. Until God says otherwise to us, we are safe in following the instructions Jesus gave in Matthew 28: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

A mitre is a distinctive hat worn by a bishop. The word mitre comes from the Greek word mitra (ÌÈÙÚ·), which means headband. In the ancient Church, bishops were generally elderly men who needed a hat to keep their heads warm. Today the mitre is symbolic of the bishop’s office and it generally matches the bishop’s cope.

Church Membership We believe that Christians should commit themselves to a church as part of their Christian walk. We believe members are then entitled to the time, encouragement, support, prayers and help of those in the church, as well as those who lead it.

The church is entitled to the support (both in giving and attendance at meetings) of its members as well as their loyalty as they seek to witness for Christ.

We do not believe, nor do most of them have the time, that the pastor or leader should visit you regularly for afternoon tea. Members in need should contact the pastor who will immediately arrange appropriate assistance by the most direct route.

It is the responsibility of all committed Christians to join (and join in) a local church where they can enjoy fellowship, to pledge themselves in membership (until they know that God would have them move elsewhere), and look for an opportunity to be used by God in that church as they seek by loyal and consistent service to Glorify God and extend His Kingdom on earth.

If you are ready to commit yourself to those in the local church, as part of your commitment to God, please inform the Leader.

A neckband shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. It is a type of shirt (or blouse, for Deaconesses) that has no collar, just has a thin band of cloth around the neck; hence the name. The shirt has a fly front; that is, a flap of cloth that covers the buttons that go down the front. Where you would expect to find a top button - the one you’d fasten before putting on a necktie - the neckband has two buttonholes that line up.

There is also another button hole in the neckband in the center of the back.

The wearer puts on the shirt, then sticks a collar stud through the buttonhole in the back of the neckband, then another collar stud through the buttonholes in the front to fasten the two ends of the neckband together under the throat.

The white plastic collar has three small holes in it; one in the middle and one at each end. The wearer slips the centre of the collar over the collar stud in the front, then wraps the two ends around the back and slips them over the collar stud in the back. The end effect is a circular collar that goes completely around the neck.

Clergy shirts are Protestant in origin. The Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of the Church of England invented the neck-band style. Protestant clergy had been wearing white preaching bands for quite some time; McLeod combined them with the detachable collar that was in use at the time. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as streetwear for clergy until later. They modified Rev. McLeod’s design into the tab-collar style.

Neckband shirts come in all colours and fabrics, but the general public often does not immediately perceive them as clergy shirts if they are not black.

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very popular in the west during a time when so many people were dying of the plague that disposing of corpses was the most pressing issue for local authorities. In those days of unrelenting grief, suffering, and sorrow, pastors spent most of their time conducting funerals. (Reread the lyrics of the hymn, Now Thank We All Our God, and ponder the fact that it was written by a pastor who buried dozens of plague victims each day). Many of the more gruesome crucifixes from that era show Jesus dying from the grotesque final symptoms of the bubonic plague, including the contorted, purple face. Today, in our more comfortable times, such crucifixes strike us as grotesque or horrible, which was of course the point. Crucifixes made sense of all that suffering and dying. They were an important expression of faith that Jesus does not ask us to do anything He is not willing to do, and that He can overcome even the most horrible death. Because the plagues were largely in the west, crucifixes are not as common in Orthodox churches, and because the plagues were largely over by the time of the Protestant Reformation, many Protestants associated them with Roman Catholicism and did not use them; however, they are still common among Lutherans, particularly outside the United States.

Dalmatic

In the first century, a dalmatic was a garment that the upper classes wore over their tunics.

It is very much like a surplice in shape, except that it is plain and not necessarily white.

In the church, it is a garment sometimes worn by deacons.

If the deacon is wearing a dalmatic, it goes over the stole.

Dog Collar An Anglican nickname for the collar that accompanies a neckband shirt it actually does look something like a flea collar, when you think about it!

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Epitrachilion See stole.

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Cross (pectoral cross) Many people wear crosses around their necks as jewellery. If the cross is large enough to be seen from a distance and the chain is long enough to position the cross over the centre of the chest, it is called a pectoral cross.

Pectoral crosses are quite often worn over albs or cassocks, but seldom if ever over robes. While they look quite nice with vestments, they are too dramatic for street clothes. If you want to wear a cross with street clothes, use a small cross on a neck chain. Christians did not wear crosses or hang them on their walls until after crucifixion was no longer the standard method of capital punishment. Instead, the earliest Christians used the gesture of the sign of the cross.

Cross (sign of the cross) The sign of the cross is a pious gesture that must have originated in the first century, because it was a widespread practice in the second century. It is not a late innovation of the Roman Catholic Church, as many people imagine. It may be that early bishops applied chrism (anointing oil) by tracing a cross on the person’s forehead, and the gesture originated when people wanted to reaffirm their anointing afterwards by using their right thumb to trace the sign of the cross on their forehead. The gesture quickly developed into its modern form, where the right hand moves from the forehead to the chest, then from shoulder to shoulder. Eastern Christians cross themselves right to left, and Western Christians cross themselves left to right. It is customary to cross oneself at the beginning and ending of prayer (at the words “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”), before receiving Communion, and at certain points in the liturgy. It is common for the clergy to make the sign of the cross over the elements of the Eucharist as they are being consecrated, and over people and objects as they are being blessed. I always make the sign of the cross over the congregation when I bless them in the benediction at the end of the service. The sign of the cross is also helpful at times when you are moved to pray but at a loss for words.

Crucifix A crucifix is a cross with a superimposed figurine. Crucifixes originated before the sixth century, at which time the figurine depicted Jesus symbolically as a lamb. As Christian art gradually began to depict Jesus as a human being rather than as a lamb, the figurine changed from a lamb to a fully dressed triumphant Jesus. The crucifix with a suffering Jesus became 68

Part 2

Bells and smells and things

How to cross yourself

It is customary in churches that use an Order of Service, to cross oneself when invoking the Trinity, before and after prayer, and at other times, which you can learn by observing other people in your church. You can also cross yourself when you need to pray but you are at a loss for words.

If you are a Protestant, don’t get all huffy and say, “We don’t cross ourselves.” You may be surprised. I have seen black Baptists crossing themselves.

Preparation Use your right hand, even if you are left-handed. Hold your thumb and first two fingers together, and fold the other two fingers down against the base of your thumb.

Crossing Yourself Western Style This style is used by Anglicans, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics: * Touch your forehead * Touch the base of your sternum * Touch the left side of your chest * Touch the right side of your chest * As you cross yourself, say, whisper, or think: “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Crossing Yourself Eastern Style This style is used by Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians: * Touch your forehead * Touch your navel * Touch your right shoulder * Touch your left shoulder * As you cross yourself, say, whisper, or think: “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

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The Symbolism * The movement traces a cross over your body. By crossing yourself, you are taking up your cross and following Jesus. * The three fingers represent the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the two fingers folded down represent the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ. * In the western style, the movement from the left to the right represents Jesus’ descent into hades (the left side) and His ascension into Heaven (the right side).

Cincture

These instructions are for clergy only. If you are a lay person, talk to your pastor/vicar.

Clergy Shirt

How to anoint someone

A clergy shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. There are two types: neckband shirts and tab-collar shirts. Though many people associate clergy shirts with the Roman Catholic Church, that is only because their sheer size makes their clergy conspicuous. Clergy shirts (black shirts with white tabs or collars) are actually of Protestant origin. The Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of the Church of England invented the neck-band shirt style. Protestant clergy had been wearing white preaching bands for quite some time; McLeod combined them with the detachable collar that was in use at the time. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as streetwear for clergy until later. They modified Rev. McLeod’s design into the tab-collar style.

Acquiring, Consecrating, and Storing the Oil Check with your judicatory to find out the proper procedure for obtaining oil, the type of oil that you must use, whether or not you are authorised to consecrate it, the proper procedure for consecrating it if you are authorized to do so, and the circumstances under which you can use it.

If your judicatory authorises you to obtain the oil and has no rule governing the type of oil, it is not necessary to buy special anointing oil, because it is the same as the olive oil that you can buy in a grocery store at a much lower price. (The ancient church used either plain or scented olive oil).

If the anointing oil is perfumed, typically with frankincense and myrrh, it is worth the extra money. Bear in mind, however, that some people are allergic to perfumes.

Clerical The term ‘clericals’ refers to the clothing and accessories that clergy wear as street clothes, such as a tab-collar shirt, which make it evident that they are clergy. The difference between clericals and vestments is that clericals are street clothes, while vestments are only worn during worship.

Place a small amount of oil in a small container. You can buy an oil stock in most religious bookstores. The most common type is a stubby metal container with a screw-on lid and a sponge to hold the oil. Or you can just use a miniature plastic bottle. Whatever sort of container you use, make very sure the lid fits tightly so that it does not leak.

Consecrate the oil, if you are authorised to do so, otherwise have the oil consecrated. Once is enough; it is not necessary to repeat the consecration, because the consecration dedicates the oil for a specific purpose, you must not use the oil for any other purpose other than the one for which it was consecrated.

A cincture, called a poias in Orthodox churches, is anything worn around the waist to gather or hold up clothing. Vestments often include cinctures made of cloth or rope. When a cincture is made of leather or plastic, or if it is used with street clothing, it is called a belt.

Here’s a tip: If you have a small paunch, and you put the cincture around your waist, it will make you look like you have an enormous beer belly. If you put it at the level of your navel, it will look much better.

Cope A cope is an ornate cape-like garment worn by bishops.

In the ancient Church, bishops were generally elderly men who needed a cope to keep warm. The bishop removes the cope and puts on a chasuble to celebrate the Eucharist.

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Cotta A cotta is a type of surplice. In general, it is better to forego the cotta and just wear the surplice.

Chasuble A chasuble, called a phelonion in Orthodox churches today, and a ÊÂÏÔÓ˘ in 2 Timothy 4:13, is an ornate circular garment with a hole in the centre for the wearer’s head. When worn, it reaches to the wearer’s wrists, so that if the wearer holds both arms straight out, the chasuble forms a semi-circle when viewed from the front or the back. The chasuble is the descendant of a first-century paenula that was worn as a coat by both sexes. Today it signifies solemnity and formality. The chasuble can be worn by the celebrant during a Eucharistic service. Sometimes the celebrant puts the chasuble on over other vestments as part of the Eucharistic ceremony. Chasubles are used in Lutheran churches, particularly outside the United States, as well as in Anglican and Roman Catholic churches.

The oil will keep at room temperature. If you refrigerate the oil, it might become cloudy, but that is harmless.

Anointing the Person * Wet your right thumb with the consecrated oil. * Draw a cross in the middle of the person’s forehead with your thumb. * As you apply the oil, use the person’s name and say, “_____, I anoint you with oil in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” * Offer any appropriate prayers.

How to lay hands on someone

If you are not clergy, find out the requirements of your church. The laying on of hands is used in a number of church rites, some of which can only be conducted by clergy. You must obey all the rules that apply to you, so you do not accidentally make a mockery of your own church.

It is Scriptural to place your hands on someone - with their permission - when they ask you to pray for them, or when the Holy Spirit urges you to offer to do so

The chasuble is always worn with a stole. Generally, the stole is under the chasuble. The stole and chasuble combination is the first-century equivalent of wearing a necktie and jacket. It is not appropriate to wear a chasuble in a service that does not include Communion (except for Good Friday and Holy Saturday services).

The Roman Empire had two modes of execution: non-citizens were thrown to wild animals, but citizens were beheaded with the sword. Therefore when Paul says that he escaped the lion’s mouth in 2 Timothy 4:17, he means he had successfully proved his Roman citizenship. In 2 Timothy 4:13, most translations vaguely refer to a garment or a cloak, but in the Greek, Paul asks Timothy to bring him the chasuble he had left behind in Troas. Since the chasuble was the mark of a Roman citizen, Paul apparently wanted to go out like one.

Therefore, when the celebrant is dressed in a chasuble, he is dressed like a Christian martyr who is ready to have his head chopped off for Christ.

Christus victor Christus victor is Latin for Christ the Winner. It is similar to a crucifix, in that it consists of a figurine of Jesus imposed upon a cross, except that the figure of Jesus is fully clothed, usually wearing a red chasuble over a white tunic (that is, an alb), with uplifted and outstretched arms and a triumphant facial expression. It depicts the triumph of the Ascension over the suffering of the Crucifixion.

Important Considerations * You can use both hands if you like, but one hand is sufficient. * It is not necessary or appropriate to touch any part of the body other than the shoulders or head. * If you are praying for healing, it is not necessary to hold your hand over the afflicted body part. It might even be unseemly or embarrassing. Aspirin knows where the headache is, and God is smarter than an aspirin tablet.

Laying Your Hands on Someone * Place your hand lightly on or above the person’s shoulder or head. * Use the person’s name and say, “_____, I lay hands on you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” * Offer the appropriate prayers.

How to baptise someone in an emergency

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Your church probably has a very strong preference that clergy conduct baptisms, so you should not go around the neighbourhood baptising people.

However, most churches will recognise a baptism performed by a layperson in an emergency.

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Before we Begin…

Through His incarnation and resurrection, Jesus teaches us that a whole person consists of a body and a spirit. Any attempt to give the spirit priority over the body is Gnosticism, not Christianity.

If you are with a person who is suddenly afflicted with a medical emergency, whether they are dying or not, your first priority is to summon professional medical help and to administer first aid until it arrives. Only then should you attempt to administer spiritual help.

What Constitutes an Emergency It is an emergency if all of the following statements are true: * The candidate urgently requests baptism. * Despite having received the best available medical attention, the candidate is reasonably worried that they might die. * You have tried and failed to contact a member of the clergy, or a member of the clergy cannot arrive in time.

Is It Necessary?

We could go round and round in theological debates about whether baptism is necessary. We are commanded to be baptised (Acts 2:38), and the church is commanded to baptise new converts (Matthew 28:19). However, the thief on the cross wasn’t baptised, and Jesus said he was okay. But isn’t that a special case, since it is physically impossible to baptise someone who is nailed to a cross?

All this theological debate is heartless in an emergency. If someone has good reason to think they are about to die, and urgently want to be baptised, and baptism is physically possible, then it is pastorally necessary to baptise them, no matter what our theology is.

Important Considerations * Do not baptise a person unless they request it. * Do not baptise a person while they are unconscious. * Do not baptise a person who has already been baptized in any church.

If you are a layperson, pay special attention to the following: * Do not baptise a person if a member of the clergy is available. * If a member of the clergy declines to baptise the person, do not take it 16 upon yourself to do it.

In the first four centuries of the Church, people were baptised in the nude.

For propriety, they were baptised in three groups: men, women, and children; and female deacons baptised the women. When they emerged from the water, they were immediately clothed in a white tunic (a tunica alba, or alb). For this reason, the alb is a reminder of baptism and a symbol of the resurrection on the Last Day.

Anyone who has a leadership role in worship can wear an alb and cincture, whether they are clergy or laypeople. Only clergy wear a stole over the alb.

Albs are increasing in popularity not only because they are ecumenical, but also because congregations are increasingly eager to conform to the practices of the ancient Church. In addition, a person wearing an alb is dressed like Jesus.

Anglican Collar

A style of tab-collar shirt with a wide, rectangular tab.

Cassock

A cassock is a plain, lightweight, ankle-length garment with long sleeves, but no hood. The cassock is a clerical, not a vestment. It serves as an undergarment for vestments, namely the surplice (a type of alb) and the stole.

If the cassock has buttons down the centre of the front, from the neck to the ankles, it is called a Roman cassock. If it is double-breasted, it is called an Anglican cassock.

Cassocks are worn by both clergy and lay worship leaders, with or without a surplice. Only ordained clergy wear a stole over the surplice.

Cassocks are most common in Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox churches. The cassock-and-surplice combination is very common in Anglican churches. Some choirs wear cassocks with surplices instead of robes. John Wesley wore a cassock and surplice, because he was a priest in the Church of England.

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An alb, called a sticharion in Orthodox churches, is a plain, lightweight, ankle-length tunic with long sleeves. It is generally worn with a rope cincture around the waist. The word alb is short for the Latin phrase tunica alba, which means white tunic; accordingly, albs are usually made of white or undyed fabric.

In the first century, the tunic was the first article of clothing that you put on in the morning. Working-class people wore knee-length tunics, while older people and people with less active occupations wore ankle-length tunics. It was possible to wear more than one tunic at a time for warmth, but it was considered gauche to wear a tunic without a cincture.

The tunic was originally sleeveless. Greeks and Romans thought sleeves were barbaric because barbarians wore them. (The barbarians lived in colder climates). Tunics did not acquire sleeves until the third century, when a Roman Emperor came back from a military campaign wearing a tunic with sleeves - much to the horror of the fashion mavens of the day. A modern alb has sleeves because we need to cover street clothing that has sleeves.

In the first century, most people wore a himation over their tunics.

The himation was a rectangular garment that was wrapped around the body.

The designs on the himation, as well as its colour and quality, varied depending on the wearer’s sex, occupation, and social status. Because of the relatively precarious way it was worn and the way it hindered movement, people had to remove it when they were engaged in certain physical activities.

For example, when blind Bartimaeus ran to Jesus in Mark 10:46-52, he threw off his himation. Matthew 9:20-22 tells about a woman who was healed when she touched the hem of His himation. In Revelation 3:5, 3:18, and 4:4 people are given white himatia. Perhaps the writer of Revelation wanted us to think of people who had received a white tunic at their baptism now receiving an elegant and triumphant white himation to wear over it. The himation never became a church vestment, probably because as servants, the clergy would have to remove it anyway.

Scripture tells us that Jesus wore a himation over a tunic (‘tunic’ is ¯ÈÙˆÓ in Greek) to the crucifixion. The soldiers usually tore the himation in four pieces, but because the tunic was woven in one piece, they cast lots for it. Jesus’ tunic would have been sleeveless and ankle-length - it was the same kind of tunic that the high priest wore when he entered into the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the people. Ancient writings from that period refer to seamless tunics, but the technology for weaving them that way was lost in 64 the fall of the Roman Empire.

* Do not baptise a person if a member of the clergy instructs you not to do it or tells you it is unnecessary. * Do not ask the person to confess sins to you. * Do not require the person to show you evidence of repentance. * Do not attempt to determine whether the person is worthy of baptism.

The Essential Parts If you want the baptism to meet the requirements for as many churches as possible, it must have the following three features:

* You must have the intention of performing a valid baptism. * For example, if children are playing church or if you perform a baptism as part of a play, or you are horsing around in a swimming pool, it is not a valid baptism.

* Water must be involved. * Immersion is valid in all churches, but since this is an emergency, that is probably not practical. Instead, pour water on the candidate’s head three times. (This instruction goes back to the first-century document called the Didache, or the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles). Sprinkling the water, daubing water on the candidate’s forehead, or pouring the water only once may be valid in some churches but it won’t be valid in some others.

Sometimes you need to respond with what you have

* You must use the formula in Matthew 28:19. * You must say to the candidate, “I baptise you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” You can add any additional wording that you like, but it’s probably best to stick to the bare essentials. If you substitute other formulas or if you baptise only in Jesus’ name (as did the Jesus Only people in the 1960s), the baptism may be valid in some churches, but in others, it won’t. * In Matthew 28:19, Jesus gives us the words to say when we baptise in His name.

If the person is unable to verify whether or not they were baptised, or it cannot be determined if the person’s baptism was valid, then you should say: “If you are not already baptised, I baptise you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This avoids rebaptism, which most churches frown upon.

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Other Features of a Baptism We’re talking about bare-bones emergency baptism here, so this isn’t a full liturgy. Other things that normally accompany baptisms can include the following, but not necessarily in this order:

On Christmas Eve after sundown or on Christmas Day (if you have a fifth white candle in the centre) * Light all the purple candles and the white candle * Read Luke 1:68-79 and Luke 2:1-20 * Pray something like this: We praise You, Lord God, because on this day, Your Word became flesh in our Saviour Jesus Christ, was born of a woman, and walked among us as a man. Help us to imitate Your incarnation, by manifesting our faith in our conduct as well as in our speech. To You, O Lord, we give our honour, praise, worship, and love, in the most holy and precious name of the One Who is born today; because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

* Before the Water: o The candidate formally agrees to be baptised. o The candidate renounces Satan and evil. o The baptiser blesses the water. o The candidate professes faith. o The Apostles Creed may be said.

Vestments and Clericals

* After the Water: o The candidate is anointed with oil. o The candidate receives the laying on of hands. o There is a prayer for the candidate to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Vestment is the term for special clothing worn by the people who conduct a worship service. Vestments have their origin in the ordinary street clothes of the first century, but have more or less remained the same as clothing fashions have changed. (Most Bible translations are not consistent with the names of articles of clothing, and in some translations, people go around wearing ‘garments’. The original text is consistent and more specific)’

These extra features are not necessary in an emergency, and if you are a layperson, you may not have the authority to perform them anyway. However, you should ask the candidate at the last moment if they desire to be baptised.

Today, vestments are designed to be worn over street clothes and serve a number of practical purposes: they conceal the distractions of fashionable street clothing, remove any consideration of what constitutes appropriate attire, and they remind the congregation that the ministers are not acting on their own, but performing in their official capacities. Vestments are in almost universal use, although in some churches only the choir wears vestments.

Common vestments include albs, cassocks, chasubles, robes, and surplices.

The Baptism You don’t need special equipment for pouring. You can pour the water simply by cupping your hands and letting the water flow onto the candidate’s head.

There doesn’t have to be a lot of water, but be sure to apply it three times.

* Ask the candidate if they want to be baptised. If they say no, stop at this point and go no further. If they say yes, proceed. * As you pour the water three times, use the candidate’s name and say, “_____, I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” If there is any doubt about a previous baptism, pour the water three times, use the candidate’s name and say, “_____, if you are not already baptised, I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

If you are ordained clergy, my wardrobe recommendations are suggested earlier in this Manual.

Clerical is the term to describe the distinctive street clothing that clergy wear, such as black shirts with white collars. The shirt can be any colour, but the public often does not perceive it as a clergy shirt unless it is black. There are two kinds, neckband shirts and tab-collar shirts.

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You can learn about altar linens and paraments elsewhere.

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On the first Sunday in Advent * Light one purple candle * Read Isaiah 60:2-3 * Pray something like this: Lord God, we light this candle to thank You for Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. We who have sat in darkness have seen a great light, the light of Jesus Christ, our salvation. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On the second Sunday in Advent * Light two purple candles * Read Mark 1:4 * Pray something like this: Lord God, we light this candle to thank You for Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who is the way. We who like sheep have gone astray have found the way to You through Jesus Christ. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On the third Sunday in Advent * Light three purple candles * Read Isaiah 35:10 * Pray something like this: Lord God, we light this candle to thank You for Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who brings us great joy. We who have walked in the shadow of the valley of death have found life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On the fourth Sunday in Advent * Light all the purple candles * Read Isaiah 9:6-7 * Pray something like this: Lord God, we light this candle to thank You for Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who is the Prince of Peace. We who live in discord and strife have found peace in the promise of eternal life, through Jesus Christ. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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How to Baptise by Immersion

If you are a layperson, use this page only to satisfy your curiosity. The instructions on this page are for clergy who have an occasion to baptise by immersion, and may not customarily do it that way.

Special Cautions * You can cause serious problems if you attempt to immerse infants or people who are dizzy, bedridden, infirm, or of advanced age, who have cardiac or respiratory problems, who are connected to medical equipment, who are unable to walk without assistance, or who might panic if they are immersed. In these cases, it is probably best to use pouring instead. * Take measures to avoid inadvertent nudity. Make sure that the baptismal clothing will not rise up in the water or become transparent when it is wet. Sew fishing weights in the bottom hems if necessary. You can purchase specially designed baptismal robes from your vestment supplier.

They are made of white fabric that is opaque when wet and they have weights in the hems. * Some people involuntarily tense up or struggle. Since this is an involuntary reflex, neither you nor the candidate will find out about it until the last minute. As soon as the candidate shows signs of stiffening or struggling, bring them back upright, spread your feet apart, and make sure you have firm footing. Wait until the candidate is composed, then continue gently. You could also have the candidate bend their knees to go straight down while you rest your hand on their shoulder.

Prepare the Facilities * If your church building doesn’t have provisions for immersions and you are “borrowing” another congregation’s building, familiarise yourself in advance with the baptistery, the changing rooms, and the route from the chancel to the changing rooms. * It takes a long time to fill a baptistery. It needs to be done early enough that the baptistery is full, and it needs to be done late enough that the water is not unbearably cold. Make sure that an experienced person takes care of it in time. If you are “borrowing” a church building, ask the host church to fill it for you. You don’t want to show up for the baptism to an empty baptistery because everybody thought that everybody else was filling it. * If you are improvising changing rooms, think of the carpet and the windows. The candidates will be soaking wet and they will need privacy to change clothes. The route to the changing rooms should be reasonably short,

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private, and waterproof. (Imagine scuba divers tramping through the halls, and you get the idea). * If your church doesn’t normally do baptisms by immersion and you are “borrowing” another congregation’s church, ask if you can borrow their baptismal robes also. * Some congregations purchase a ‘Portable Baptistry’ which is composed of a water retaining membrane, supported by a metal or wooden structure.

The weight of the baptismal water is much heavier than is recommended for a Do-It-Yourself handyman to build the supporting structure.

Prepare the Candidates

Have a dry rehearsal in advance. * Make sure the candidates know where the changing rooms are. * Make sure the candidates know the route between the changing rooms and the baptistery. * Tell the candidates that they should not rely on your strength to lift them up out of the water, especially if they are larger than you are. Explain to them that they are supposed to lean back and stand up following your cues or have someone else helping you to ensure there are no mishaps.

Tell the candidates how to prepare themselves. * If the church is supplying the baptismal robes, the candidates need to bring a towel and a change of underwear. * Since they will be changing clothes twice in a hurry, they should wear simple clothes. It’s probably best to avoid panty hose, corsets, girdles, cufflinks, tie clasps, garters, suspenders, and anything that takes a long time or requires an assistant. * Remind everyone that their heads will be underwater. On that day they need a hairdo that they can restore quickly with a towel and a brush or comb. There won’t be time for elaborate blow-dryer tricks.

Immerse the Candidates Use your normal baptismal liturgy. These are only the steps for the actual immersion: * Stand next to the candidate in water that is at least waist deep but 20 not more than chest deep.

Remember, if 24 December is a Sunday, it is the Fourth Sunday in Advent until sundown, at which time it becomes Christmas Eve. (Eve means evening, after all!)

How to Use Your Advent Wreath The idea is to use the wreath in conjunction with worship services or personal or family devotions on the four Sundays in Advent. You light candles at the beginning of each service and snuff them out at the end.

* On the first Sunday in Advent, you light the first candle. Have your service, then snuff out the candle. * On the second Sunday in Advent, you light two candles, first the one from the previous Sunday, then the second one. Have your service, then snuff out the candles. * On the third Sunday in Advent, you light the two candles from the previous weeks, in the order you lit them before, then you add the third one.

Have your service, then snuff out the candles. * On the fourth Sunday in Advent, you light the three candles from the previous weeks, in the order you lit them before, then you light the fourth one. Have your service, then snuff out the candles. You should get a stairstep effect, since each candle is a different length by now.

If you have a fifth candle in the centre, then on Christmas Day you light the four candles in the order you lit them before, and then you light the centre candle. Have your service, then snuff out the candles.

You notice how I emphasise snuffing out the candles at the end of each service? This has absolutely no liturgical significance whatsoever, but it is vitally important and you must not leave it out. It prevents the candles from burning your house down.

I recommend that you snuff out the candles, rather than blowing them out. The reason is that if you blow them out, you might spray hot wax over everything.

Prayers for Use With the Advent Wreath When you use an Advent wreath in personal or family devotions, you can use whatever scriptures and prayers you like. If you need a point of departure, here is something to get you started. Please don’t take it as a set form. You can use different readings, you can modify the prayers, and you can add 61hymns, carols, or other prayers as you like.

Fourth Candle Colour: Purple Theme: Peace Fourth Sunday in Advent

* The candidate should hold their nose with their left hand and grasp their left forearm with their right hand, or the reverse if they prefer. * Support the candidate by placing your left hand flat against the middle of their back and grab their arm above the middle of their chest with your right hand. You can do it the other way around if you prefer. * Use the baptismal formula in your service book, but don’t speak while the candidate is under water.

Optional Centre Candle Colour: White Theme: Christmas Christmas Day

What the Advent Wreath Means Historically, the candles have no more meaning than a countdown.

That is, they originally stood for 4, 3, 2, and 1. However, people like things in the church to have symbolic meanings, so the candles have gradually acquired the meanings I gave you above. If someone in your church tells you that the candles have some other meaning than Hope, Love, Joy, or Peace, they aren’t wrong, they are just different. The meanings are so new that they aren’t completely standardised.

Normally it goes like this: Before you immerse the candidate, you say, “_____, I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” If there is any doubt about a previous baptism, you can say instead, “_____, if you are not already baptised, I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” * Guide the candidate as they lean backwards into the water and then raise them back up. * Continue your baptismal liturgy as usual.

In some locations, the third candle is pink, in others the fourth candle is pink; in still others, all four candles are purple. The purple candles are lit during Advent, when the liturgical colour is purple, and the white candle is lit on Christmas Eve (that is, after sundown), when the liturgical colour is white.

So that explains the colours of the purple and white candles - they just match the liturgical decor. But what about the pink candle, if there is one?

The pink candle is becoming more and more popular, but it has a strange origin. Long ago, the pope had the custom of giving someone a rose on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This led the Roman Catholic clergy to wear rosecoloured vestments on that Sunday. The effect was to give some relief the solemnity of Lent, so this was a very popular custom. Originally—before shopping malls—Advent was a solemn fast in preparation for Christmas, so the custom was extended to the third Sunday in Advent to liven it up a little bit, too. Somewhere in there the third candle of the Advent wreath turned pink. Meanwhile, Advent is no longer solemn and the pope no longer has the custom of giving out roses. It is kind of odd (as I have said earlier) to think that a Methodist would put a pink candle in a Lutheran Advent wreath because the pope used to have the custom of giving out roses, but sometimes we’re a little more ecumenical than we realise!

If the water is shallow, such as in a creek or a stream, sit in the water with the candidate. Use the same procedure, except that the candidate bends forward face-first into the water.

How to Preach the Lectionary

The Revised Common Lectionary is an ecumenical list of scripture readings for use in Sunday worship. There are many, many advantages to using the lectionary. * You don’t get stuck in a rut of your favourite passages. * Your congregation gets a balanced exposure to the entire Bible over a three-year cycle. * The Scripture texts always relate to the church season. * The overall structure of worship reenacts the life and ministry of Jesus Christ over the course of each year. * The biblical content of worship increases.

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The lectionary has four texts for each Sunday. You can have a rotating list of lay readers to place laypeople in conspicuous leadership roles, which builds their commitment to the church and helps it grow. You can have the congregation read the psalm as a responsive reading, which takes them out 21

of the passive role of being an audience and puts them into the active role of worshipping.

These are wonderful things, but when it comes time for the sermon, how are you going to preach on all those texts?

One solution is to read all four texts, but just preach on one or two of them.

You get the benefits of lay leadership and congregational response, but then you have the problem of Bible texts that don’t quite seem to be relevant to the service.

Another solution is to cut down on the number of readings so that the congregation only hears the texts you are preaching on. That makes the service more coherent, but it eliminates the need for lay readers and it may eliminate the congregational response.

So I would like to introduce you to my method of preaching on all four lectionary texts in the same sermon. This not only allows you to enjoy the advantages of lay leadership and congregational response, it also grounds your sermon more firmly in the Bible and actually simplifies sermon preparation!

Find the Lectionary Texts To begin, you need to find the lectionary texts for the Sunday on which you are preaching.

Read and Study the Texts Read and study each text individually. Don’t worry about how they might relate to each other. That comes later.

Find Preaching Points for Each Text For each individual text, list all the things that stick out, that appear to be missing, that the writer assumes we already know, that are obscure, and that need explanation because we live in different circumstances. Here are some examples:

* Something That Sticks Out: In Matthew 28, Jesus instructs His disciples. Some worship Him. Others doubt, even though He is resurrected from the dead and standing right there in front of them. Yet Jesus gives all the disciples the same Great 22 Commission.

How to make and use an Advent wreath

Martin Luther had a number of ideas for things that people could do at home to teach the catechism to their children. I don’t know if he invented the Advent wreath, but it is true that the Advent wreath started in Germany as a Lutheran family custom. Since Advent wreaths were originally used in the home, most of the ones you find for sale are small. They didn’t become popular in churches until the middle of the twentieth century. Now they are nearly universal.

You can make an Advent wreath with either four or five candles.

To begin, put four candles on a wreath or at least in a circle. Traditionally the candles are purple, because in antiquity, purple dye was very expensive and it was the colour of royalty. We use purple for Advent because it is the season of the coming of the King. If you can’t get purple candles, you can substitute blue ones. You can also make one of the candles pink if you like - technically, it is rose coloured. If you have a fifth candle, it goes in the centre of the wreath and it should be white.

If you’re curious about the use of colour in worship, you can read more about colours.

Here are the five candles and their symbolism: First Candle Colour: Purple Theme: Hope First Sunday in Advent

Second Candle Colour: Purple Theme: Love Second Sunday in Advent

Third Candle Colour: Purple or pink Theme: Joy Third Sunday in Advent 59

* Something That Appears to Be Missing: In Revelation, there is a Book of Life, but there is no Book of Death.

After that, alternate Scripture readings and brief congregational prayers. Each prayer should reflect the theme of the preceding reading. In planning your service, choose at least three of the following Old Testament readings and Psalms, but always include the one in bold, which includes Exodus 14. If there are any hymns, make sure they are subdued and thematically appropriate. You can have different members of the congregation read the scriptures and lead the prayers.

* Something That Is Obscure: In the parable of the talents, the master is angry with the servant who buried his talent in the ground. Under rabbinical law at the time, if someone gave you valuables for safe-keeping, and you buried them, you did not have to pay the owner back if someone stole them. In other words, burying things was a way of evading responsibility for them.

* Genesis 1:1-2:4a with Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 * Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13 with Psalm 46 * Genesis 22:1-18 with Psalm 16 * Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 and Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18 * Isaiah 55:1-11 with Isaiah 12:2-6 * Baruch 3:9-15, 3:32-4:4 or Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 with Psalm 19 * Ezekiel 36:24-28 with Psalms 42 and 43 * Ezekiel 37:1-14 with Psalm 143 * Zephaniah 3:14-20 with Psalm 98

* Something the Writer Assumes We Already Know: The writers of the gospels do not explain what demon possession is or what demons are. They only recount the exorcisms.

* Something That Needs An Explanation: In the modern world, adoption makes you an heir. In the ancient world, adoption made you an heir, but more importantly, it also gave you your adopted father’s power of attorney. Adopted sons were business agents who, years down the road, received an inheritance—in other words, responsibilities now, goodies later.

At this point, the congregation affirms their baptismal vows. Conduct any baptisms at this point.

Next come the following readings:

Arrange the Texts to Form an Outline Now that you have a good idea of what you would preach on each text if it stood alone, look to see if there is any thematic relationship among the texts.

Arrange the texts to form an outline.

* Romans 6:3-11 and Psalm 114

Finally, use the Gospel reading that is appropriate for the current lectionary year:

* Year A Gospel (2004/5, 2007/8, 2010,11, 2013/15, 2016/17, 2019/20) Matthew 28:1-10 * Year B Gospel (2008/9, 2011/12, 2014/15, 2017/18) Mark 16:1-8 * Year C Gospel (2009/10, 2012/13, 2015/16 and 2018/19) Luke 24:1-12 For subsequent years consult: http://tinyurl.com/AICW-year

Revise the Preaching Points Now that you have an idea of what your sermon is about, go over the preaching points again. Revise them so they fit together. You may have to add or delete some of them. Most likely you will find that you want to emphasise one of the texts and use the others to corroborate the theme.

At this point—which is traditionally at midnight—use the Paschal candle to light any other candles. Turn up the lights, ring the bells, burst out with music; do everything you can to express jubilation! If there are any hymns during this part of the service, they should be jubilant Easter hymns.

Conclude the service with a triumphant, festive Eucharist.

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An Example On 10 August 2003, the lectionary readings were as follows: * 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 * Psalm 130 * Ephesians 4:25-5:2 * John 6:35, 41-51

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Here is how I applied my method to my own sermon.

* The congregation sits in silent darkness to underscore the drama. If the Tenebrae is on Friday, you might want to slam a door or make some other loud noise during the darkness to represent the stone being rolled to seal the grave. * Turn up the lights just enough that people can see to leave. * The people leave in silence. There is no benediction.

I Read and Studied the Texts * The passage from 2 Samuel is the sad story of Absalom. David had to oppose his son Absalom militarily, because Absalom was leading a rebellion against him, but he cared about his son and asked his commander-in-chief to go easy on him. Meanwhile, Absalom got trapped in the branches of a tree.

Some soldiers on David’s side caught up with him and killed him since their task was to put down the rebellion. David won the war but grieved the loss of his son. * The psalm fits with the reading in 2 Samuel, because it expresses grief, but it also contains hope for forgiveness and redemption. * In the epistle, the church receives instructions about how to live together as a body. Each rule is followed by a justification or reason. * In the gospel, Jesus claims to be the Bread of Life. He meets up with skepticism from people who think they know all there is to know about Him.

After the Service It is traditional for people to leave the church and go home without speaking to each other, but if this is the first time you’ve had a Tenebrae, that can be a bit harsh. You can have a subdued fellowship time after the service.

An Easter vigil service

In the Church, the day begins at sunset, so Easter Day really begins at sunset on what we call Saturday evening.

At this point, the texts don’t seem to be topically related.

The ancient Church held its main Easter service on Saturday evening, and some Orthodox churches have continued this tradition to the present day. The Easter Vigil service begins somberly and has a joyous, exuberant climax at midnight, which, for the purposes of this service, is the time of the Resurrection. During the service, the congregation renews its baptismal vows and receives new converts in baptism.

I Found my Preaching Points * 2 Samuel is a good description of a dysfunctional family. In this case, the dysfunction resulted from David’s sin. In the background, David’s wives were competing with each other by trying to put their sons in power. The incidents in the narrative become the preaching points for this passage. I thought I might want to explain in passing why the Cushite messenger had to frame the news of Absalom’s death as good news. * The psalm observes that no one is righteous enough to stand before God. Therefore, our only hope is in God’s forgiveness. * The epistle reading consists of several pieces of advice, each one with a reason or a justification. These become the preaching points. * In the gospel reading, our preaching point is Communion, how it unites us with Jesus and with each other, and how outsiders might not understand it.

In some parts of the ancient Church, this was the only service in the year during which people were baptised.

Here is how you can restore this ancient worship service to your church. This service generally uses a Paschal candle, which is a very large white pillar candle, often decorated with Christian symbols. You can purchase one from a religious supply house, or from Cokesbury. It is traditional to light the Paschal candle at every Sunday service during the Easter Season.

I Arranged the Texts to Form an Outline

For this sermon, I took my topic from the gospel reading. I decided to preach on the church as the body of Christ. I preached as follows:

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The Easter Vigil Service Begin in dim lighting. Light the Paschal candle and lead the congregation in 57prayers of thanksgiving, that Jesus is the light of the world.

The Readings You can devise your own readings, but here is a good starting point: For Maundy Thursday Matthew 26:20-25 Matthew 26:31-35 Mark 14:32-41 Matthew 26:47-52 Luke 22:54-62 John 18:33-38a Matthew 27:20-26 Mark 15:16-20

For Good Friday Divide John 18:1-19:42 into as many parts as you have readers.

Conducting the Service

Before the Service * Light all the candles before the service begins or as part of the opening of the service.

The Actual Service * Begin with your normal order of worship, with appropriate hymns, but omit the scripture readings and the sermon. Explain the purpose and meaning of the service to the congregation. * Have the Communion service. * The people sit. Dim the lights as far as you can so the main light comes from the candles, but the readers can still see well enough to get to the lectern and back to their seats safely. * The moderator sits down at the table with the candles, a candle-snuffer at hand. * Each reader goes to the lectern, reads their appointed reading, and sits down. * After each reading, the moderator snuffs out one of the dark-coloured candles. * When all the readers have finished, the moderator reads Psalm 22:1-21 by the light of the white pillar candle, then puts it out, plunging the 56 congregation into darkness.

* I exhorted the church to live together harmoniously, using all the points in the text from Ephesians. I praised the church for everything that they are doing right, according to Ephesians. * I reminded the church that if we fail to obey God’s commandments, our common life can become dysfunctional, like David’s family life in 2 Samuel. * I digressed to concede that real life is somewhere between Ephesians and 2 Samuel. We try hard, but we mess up from time to time. For that reason, we must rely on God for forgiveness, and we must forgive each other. This brings in Psalm 130. * I meditated on the source of our corporate existence. Why are we a church and not just a group of individuals? The answer is that we get our corporate identity from Jesus Christ. He makes us one in His body and blood. Without him, we probably would have little in common. This comes from the gospel reading. * I reminded the church that our corporate life comes from the One who loves us so much He died for us, and loved us even more that He came back from the dead to live with us. Therefore, in any way we may fall short, we can confidently admit it to Him and seek His help to improve. * I concluded with a call to discipleship.

How to Get Dressed to Lead Worship

These are my personal suggestions for Protestant ministers whose denominations don’t give them guidance on what to wear. I am following the general ecumenical practice in the United States.

Presbyterians can use these suggestions; however, if they wish to wear the distinctive Presbyterian vestments that are based on medieval academic attire, they should consult their presbyteries. Roman Catholic clergy and especially Orthodox clergy should consult their bishops.

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* Lay leaders * Regular ordained clergy (presbyters) * Ordained deacons * When to wear which colour * Why the fancy clothes? * For more information

Lay Leaders In any church, there are people who can’t afford nice clothes, people who overdress, and others who just have poor taste. You can eliminate these problems if you vest the lay leaders. It won’t matter if they are dressed like a floozy, a beach bum, or Miss America, because no one can see what is underneath.

If you would like lay leaders to be vested, acquire a collection of albs in various sizes. Laypeople can wear albs and cinctures. Albs are available in children’s sizes for acolytes who are children. If you are Anglican, you have the alternative of cassocks and surplices. In that case, acolytes can wear red cassocks with white surplices.

Only choir members should wear choir robes. It is possible to outfit the choir in cassocks and surplices, just like the choirs of angels on Christmas cards.

There are specially designed vestments for organists and pianists. They match the vestments for the choir, except that the sleeves fall away at the elbows so that they don’t interfere with the keyboard.

It is inappropriate for a lay leader who is not a choir member to wear a choir robe or a Geneva gown. Only ordained clergy should wear a pulpit gown, and only ordained clergy with a doctorate degree should wear the pulpit gown with puffy sleeves that have three stripes. Unless you are Presbyterian, my personal taste runs against wearing academic attire to lead worship, because it will make you look like a judge in traffic court.

Regular Ordained Clergy (Presbyters) If you are ordained clergy, and you would like to dress ecumenically for worship, I suggest the following wardrobe:

* One or two albs At least one should be white to avoid a colour clash with your white stole.

The second alb can be white, ivory, or natural coloured. If you have two albs, you won’t feel any anxiety when you take one to the cleaners. Albs are inexpensive compared to other vestments and most are machine washable.

* Four stoles You need one stole in each of the following colours: green, white, red, and purple. The type of stole that goes with an alb is sometimes called a broadstole. It is about 5 inches wide. You wear it around your neck with the ends hanging down in front to about your knees.

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The Tenebrae

A Tenebrae is a special service for Holy Week, that can be conducted on Wednesday in Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, or Good Friday.

“Tenebrae” is Latin for “shadows”, so this is a service of shadows. In this service we use increasing darkness to dramatise the increasing sadness of Holy Week.

Ready-Made Tenebrae Liturgies Why reinvent the wheel? You can find explicit directions for a Tenebrae service in the following books: * The Book of Occasional Services 1994, on page 75. This service of the Episcopal Church is designed for Wednesday in Holy Week. * Chalice Worship, on page 118. This service of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is designed for use on Maundy Thursday. * The United Methodist Book of Worship, on page 354. This service is particularly suited for Good Friday.

Designing Your Own Tenebrae Service If you cannot use these resources for some reason, here’s how to design your own Tenebrae liturgy.

If you are designing the service for Maundy Thursday, be sure to include a Communion service, because this was the day on which Jesus instituted it. Otherwise, it is optional. In any case, the Communion should be the first half of the service.

Advance Preparation * You need as many readers as you have readings, plus one person to moderate this part of the service. You may need to have them rehearse the service. Make sure they all know how to pronounce all the words in their assigned readings. * Before the service begins, set up a table at the front of the church with one dark-coloured candle for each reading, arranged in a semi-circle or a line.

Put a white pillar candle in the centre. You can use the altar or Communion table for this purpose. * Set up a lectern with a dim reading light, such as you find in a bookstore.

Make sure that the readers have a clear path to the lectern when the sanctuary is lit only by candlelight. * Make sure you have a candle snuffer handy. Blowing the candles out is not a good idea, because you might spray hot wax onto the paraments or other objects, causing a cleaning problem.

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* Think about separating the men and the women. It used to be the custom to put men and women in separate rooms, and it still might be a good idea. If there are people in your congregation for whom feet are erotically stimulating, this isn’t the way you want to find out who they are.

* Choose the room. Quite often the foot-washing is done in a separate room from the rest of the worship service for logistical reasons. Remember that water will be spilled on the floor. There should be enough room that everyone can remain seated while the foot-washer moves around. The footwasher also needs enough room to to bow down, squat, sit on their haunches, stand up, and move to the next person.

Conducting the Service

Before the Foot-Washing * Fill the pitcher with warm water and place it, along with the bowl and a towel, at the front of the church. * Set up chairs at the front of the church for the people whose feet are going to be washed. * Have a normal worship service, up to the point where Communion begins.

The Foot-Washing * The people whose feet are going to be washed come forward and seat themselves. * Someone reads John 13:1-11. They could offer a prayer or appropriate comment, such as the one on page 93 of The Book of Occasional Services 1994. * Each person removes the footgear from one foot. It doesn’t matter which foot. o The foot-washer places the bowl under the person’s bare foot, pours water on the foot, and dries it with the towel. o The person replaces their footgear as the foot-washer moves to the next person. * The foot-washing continues until everyone’s feet have been washed. * Someone reads John 13:12-17.

After the Foot-Washing The Maundy Thursday service resumes with Communion, followed, if you like, with the Tenebrae.

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* At least one cincture Cinctures are usually ropes. You can get a set in colours that match the stoles, if you like. Some albs are designed to be worn without cinctures, and others come with cloth cinctures, but in most cases, you’ll need the ropes. If you need help, Almy, a leading supplier of clergy vestments, has a web page with diagrams that shows how to tie a cincture. It is not unusual to hear of a fancy curtain cord being used. * Four chasubles For most Protestants, chasubles are optional and uncommon. If you wish to give special Communion services extra dignity, four chasubles in each of the four colours I just mentioned for the stoles. You need a second set of specially designed stoles to wear under the chasubles, but don’t worry, when you purchase a chasuble, it normally comes with the matching stole. There are cheap chasubles; however, they look as cheap as they cost. Since you will be wearing them the rest of your life, invest in good ones. Chasubles can be very expensive, so if you want to economise by having only one chasuble, make sure it is ivory or white and of very high quality, so that you use it for weddings, funerals, Christmas, and Easter services, that include, Communion.

To get dressed, put on the alb and the cincture. Put the cincture on the level of your navel, not your waist, otherwise it will accentuate your belly and make you look like you have a bigger paunch than you do. Then put the stole over the alb. If you are wearing a chasuble, it goes on top.

Think of the stole as the first-century equivalent of the modern necktie, and the chasuble as the first-century equivalent of a modern jacket. Think of the alb as the first-century equivalent of a dress shirt that is very long and not tucked in. There wasn’t anything to tuck the alb into, because in the first century, only barbarians wore pants.

You can also acquire a small “portable stole” that is purple on one side and white on the other. You wear it over your street clothes on certain occasions.

The purple side is for hearing confessions or conducting counselling sessions (whichever your church calls it) and for ministering to people during sick visits. The white side is for funerals when full vestments aren’t practical, and for ministering to people in the presence of the deceased.

It is not uncommon to look at what is available on www.ebay.com

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Ordained Deacons If you are an ordained deacon I suggest the following wardrobe:

* One or two albs At least one should be white to avoid a colour clash with your white stole.

The second alb can be white, ivory, or natural coloured. If you have two albs, you won’t feel any anxiety when you take one to the cleaners. Albs are inexpensive compared to other vestments and most are machine washable.

* Four deacon’s stoles You need one stole in each of the following colours: green, white, red, and purple. A deacon’s stole is designed to hang only over the left shoulder to your knees, or more commonly, it hangs diagonally across your chest, is gathered at the waist on the right, and extends down your right leg to about your knees. Your church discipline probably prohibits you from wearing a presbyter’s stole. * At least one cincture Cinctures are usually ropes. You can get a set in colours that match the stoles, if you like. Some albs are designed to be worn without cinctures, and others come with cloth cinctures, but in most cases, you’ll need the ropes. If you need help, Almy, a leading supplier of clergy vestments, has a web page with diagrams that shows how to tie a cincture.

* If you like, a dalmatic.

To get dressed, put on the alb and cincture. Put the cincture on the level of your navel, not your waist, otherwise it will accentuate your belly and make you look like you have a bigger paunch than you do. If you are wearing a dalmatic, put it on next. Finally, put the deacon’s stole on top.

When to Wear Which Colour

* Red Wear your red stole at Holy Week services, on Pentecost, at ordinations and installations, and on services that commemorate the death of a Christian martyr. * White Wear your white stole during the twelve days of Christmas, during the fifty days of Easter, at funerals, and at weddings. Wear it at any service that celebrates a secular holiday, and on certain special days, such as Epiphany 28

The Book of Occasional Services 1994, on page 93, contains a brief address that Episcopalians can use to begin the Foot-Washing Portion of the Service.

Advance Preparation

For the people whose feet are being washed:

* Ask them to come to the service with clean feet in clean footgear.

When Jesus did the foot-washing, the disciples’ feet were already clean, because a servant would have washed them when they arrived. Therefore, there is no soap and no scrubbing. If the climate is warm enough your people might hit on the idea of wearing open sandals, You might feel like discouraging them, but it is very biblical to wear open sandals, it isn’t very edifying for the person doing the foot-washing. * Remind the women not to wear stockings or panty hose! Now I know this sounds obvious, but getting dressed is something we all do without thinking. Women need to make a special effort to dress in such a way that they can easily bare their feet.

For the pastor who is washing the feet: * You need a bowl, a pitcher, and a towel for each person doing the foot-washing. The bowl should be fairly large. Both the bowl and the pitcher should be unbreakable or expendable. The towel can be a plain bath towel in a drab colour. A festive towel covered with cartoon characters probably won’t achieve the effect you want. * You can purchase the appropriate equipment from a religious supply house. Foot-washing services aren’t very common, so you will probably have to order from the catalogue or over the Internet. One good supplier is Cokesbury. You can get foot-washing bowls made of plastic that have a raised centre that serves as a footrest. * Check to see if you need any additional equipment. If the foot-washer is an older person, they may need a stool to sit on and an assistant to move it from person to person.

Some churches have a tradition of a footwashing service in which everyone washes everyone else’s feet. I don’t think that is as effective, because it takes too long, and at the Last Supper, the disciples did not wash each other’s feet and no one washed Jesus’ feet. However, if you do it that way, you have these additional considerations:

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Day, the Baptism of our Lord (which is the Sunday after the Epiphany), on Trinity Sunday, and All Saints Sunday. You can wear a small, white “portable stole” over your regular clothes when ministering to people in the presence of the deceased, or when conducting a funeral when full vestments are not practical for some reason.

they stood at a distance and because it was near sundown, they could not see that Joseph and Nicodemus had prepared the body, but they did know where the tomb was.

Conducting a foot-washing service

* Purple Wear your purple stole during Lent and Advent. You can wear a small, purple “portable stole” over your regular clothes when hearing confessions (in Lutheran and Anglican churches), when conducting a counselling session (which is the same thing for the rest of us), and when administering Communion in the hospital.

Foot-washing is a special, optional feature of the Maundy Thursday service.

It exists in all the major churches, though many laypeople remain unaware of that. It is practiced, though infrequently, in eastern Orthodox churches, Anglican churches, Roman Catholic churches, and all major Protestant denominations.

* Green Wear your green stole whenever none of the above colours applies, mainly after Epiphany Day but before Ash Wednesday, and after Pentecost Sunday but before the first Sunday of Advent.

Adapting the Order of Worship In John’s gospel, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet during the Last Supper, but before the part that has become our Communion service. So foot-washing is appropriate for the Maundy Thursday service. Use your normal order of worship with Communion at the end. Insert the foot-washing immediately before Communion. If you have the Tenebrae (the purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story, so this is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy. If your expectation of Christian worship is that it should always be happy and exhilarating, you won’t appreciate this service until the second time you attend it), after Communion, you will have a liturgical re-enactment of all the events surrounding the Last Supper.

Use these colour guidelines for chasubles, too.

Why the Fancy Clothes?

The original author of Part 2 (prior to its amendment to reflect the three aspects of the Convergence movement in 2016 by the Primate Archbishop of the AICW) lived near the location of the first battle of the Civil War, which took place just on the other side of Bull Run. (In Virginia, creeks are called “runs”). On occasion, men reenact the battle dressed in nineteenth-century clothing and armed with nineteenth-century weapons. I don’t think you’d get very far if you tried to convince these people that they should reenact the Civil War battle in modern business suits armed with briefcases. They would complain that it destroys the authenticity of what they are doing.

Following the custom of the time, Jesus and the disciples would have had their feet washed by a servant when they entered the Upper Room, so it wasn’t necessary to wash them again for the purpose of comfort or cleanliness. Jesus’ foot-washing was not to clean their feet but to make a point about humble service. At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, but the disciples did not wash each other’s feet nor did anyone wash Jesus’ feet. So I think it makes the best biblical and liturgical sense if the pastor washes the feet of four or five representative members of the congregation and no one washes the pastor’s feet.

Incidentally, the garment Jesus took off to wash their feet and put back on afterwards was a himation, a rectangular piece of cloth that was worn something like an Indian sari.

In view of all that, it CAN be anachronistic, not to mention inauthentic, or even disrespectful to celebrate Communion dressed in a modern business suit or a medieval academic gown. Is it more important to have an authentic Civil War reconstruction than an authentic Communion? There is no Scriptural instruction on the clothing a believer should wear, other than modesty.

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In Communion, the celebrant plays the role of Jesus at the Last Supper, so to speak, so it is appropriate to wear vestments, which are modelled on first29century clothing. Since the celebrant also represents the glory of Christ, it’s

appropriate to express that glory in their clothing. By dressing like Jesus, and not like themselves, it drives home the point to the congregation that the clergy are not acting on their own personal authority as if they were magicians, but on the authority delegated to them by Jesus Christ through the church.

Of course, this only applies to conducting worship. Jesus forbade wearing worship attire in the marketplace, so we don’t do that:

While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

—Luke 20:45-46, NIV Outside the context of worship, clergy should dress plainly, but in a way that makes them identifiable as clergy.

Why Clergy Should Wear Clericals There are situations in which clothing is very important. I found this out by accident once, when I walked into a furniture store, coincidentally wearing the same sort of shirt as the employees. I had to leave because the other customers expected me to wait on them.

Clothing conveys a message. A business suit says, “Money”! A police uniform says, “Law”! A tuxedo says, “Wedding”! Casual clothing says, “Me”!

Clericals say, “Church”! Any of those messages might be valid in different contexts, so you have to make sure you are wearing the right clothes for the occasion. If you wear a business suit in a department store, people will mistake you for the manager. If you wear a tuxedo to a ball game, they won’t ask you to play. If you wear a jogging outfit to a fancy restaurant, your clothing says, “I wandered in here by mistake,” and the staff will treat you accordingly.

The word clericals refers to the special clothing that clergy wear outside of worship services, usually consisting of a white collar on a shirt that may be black, white or any of the seasonal colours. Some retailers offer multi- 30

Jesus falls a third time Preserved in Christian memory There is no record in Scripture that I can find of Jesus stumbling again, but there is no reason to think that He didn’t.

The soldiers strip Jesus for crucifixion Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24b, Luke 23:34 The Romans not only tortured capital criminals, they also humiliated them publicly. For that reason, people were crucified in the nude. We learn here what Jesus had worn to the Last Supper: a himation, a sari-like garment, over a tunic. In other words, He was dressed in what we would call His Sunday best.

The soldiers crucify Jesus Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24a, Luke 23:33, John 19:18 Jesus was crucified at about 9:00 in the morning. This is approximate, since there were no clocks.

Jesus dies Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:45-56, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-49, John 19:30-33 Jesus died about 3:00 in the afternoon, at the time of the evening sacrifice in the Temple. The Lamb of God was slain at the same time as the paschal lambs were being slain in the Temple where the veil was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Joseph of Arimathea takes Jesus down from the Cross Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38 The bodies had to be removed from the crosses before sundown to avoid profaning the Sabbath. The bodies were customarily thrown in a common grave for criminals, but Joseph stepped forward and asked for and received custody of Jesus’ body.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus lay Jesus in the tomb Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 17:57-58, John 19:39-42 Joseph and Nicodemus prepared Jesus for burial and put him in a tomb that Joseph had donated. Preparing bodies for burial was normally women’s work, 51so this is an act of devotion. The women witnessed this from afar. Because

Jesus encounters His mother Preserved in Christian memory There is no scriptural reference of Jesus encountering His mother along the way to the site of the crucifixion, but it is very likely that it happened. Mary was present at the crucifixion itself, so she was strongly motivated to make her way to Him while He was still carrying the cross.

Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry Jesus’ cross Source: Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26.

Jesus had been up the whole night, first at a Passover Seder, then praying in the garden, then being arrested and tried. He was tired even before He was scourged and whipped. The Romans wouldn’t want Him to die of exhaustion, because that would be merciful. They would only get someone else to carry the cross for Him if they had reason to believe that He might die too early and thus escape the torture of the cross.

Veronica wipes Jesus’ face with a cloth Preserved in Christian memory Jesus was bloody and sweaty from the ordeal. According to Christian lore, a woman came forward and wiped His face with a cloth (traditionally called a napkin). When she took the cloth back, it had an image of Jesus’ face on it.

If she just pressed the cloth to His face, I could see that happening. The problem many people have with this story is that ‘Veronica’ was never used as a name before the story became widespread, and it is Greek for ‘true image’. So many people think Veronica is fictitious, but hold off a moment on that - it could be that this really did occur, that she acquired Veronica as a nickname, and that she proudly used it as her name.

Jesus stumbles the second time Preserved in Christian memory There is no record in Scripture that I can find of Jesus stumbling again, but there is no reason to think that He didn’t.

Jesus speaks with the women of Jerusalem Preserved in Scripture: Luke 23:26-31.

Under Jewish law, a woman cannot be a witness in a trial. That protects women from violence by men who want to influence their testimony beforehand or punish them for it afterwards. This meant that the women had greater freedom of movement than the men, because they could not be required to give an account for what they saw and heard. That is why women figure prominently here and at the crucifixion.

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coloured shirts, but the appearance may look more appropriate for a circus than a church. Other clothing should be black or grey, but in any case be secondary to the God you serve and the message you preach.

If you are a pastor and you think you are aggrandising yourself when you wear clericals, you’ll be disappointed. The congregation quickly gets used to the clericals and see them as badges of identity and service, not honour.

Clericals put you in the same functional category as bellhops, waiters, police officers, airline pilots, and so on. We do not dress to please ourselves, or anyone else for that matter; our manner of dress facilitates our service. It makes our function obvious to strangers. It makes our duties inescapable, and it constrains our personal conduct, because we can’t disappear into the crowd when we are wearing clericals. Clericals mean that visitors don’t have to ask, “Where is the pastor?” They know just by looking.

Clericals also have other advantages. They communicate to the congregation that you are not a proxy child, a potential date, a worldly expert, or a bosom buddy. It allows you to focus on the job of pastoring, without slipping and sliding into those role conflicts and boundary issues your denomination keeps warning you about.

A friend of mine was required by his ministerial association to wear a clergy shirt with a tab collar while he was travelling. He thought it was a huge imposition on his personal liberty, until he obeyed. On the airplane, he heard a confession, reassured a frightened traveller, and calmed a terrified child.

He was delighted that a routine air flight had turned into pastoral ministry. If you are clergy and you’ve never worn a clergy shirt to visit people in the hospital, you should try it. The clergy shirt means you don’t have to explain what you are or why you are there. The staff extends you all necessary courtesies, and even delirious patients know right off what you are. You can get in after visiting hours and quite often you don’t have to pay for parking, even if you’ve never been to that particular hospital before. Of course the catch is, you have to be on your best ministerial behaviour the entire time you are there, so this is not something you should try if your self-discipline is weak.

If I called the police because of a burglary in my house, I would not be reassured if the police showed up driving a sports car with his kids in the back, and wearing jeans and loafers. If I am in distress because of a crime, I want the police to arrive in a police car and I want them to be wearing freshly 31

laundered or ironed uniforms. If I have just been through a burglary, I don’t need a buddy, I don’t need a narcissist expressing himself in his clothing, I need a policeman. I need a policeman who will carry out the law, not his selfexpression. I couldn’t care less about who he is personally; I called him as a representative of a greater force. Similarly, if I am on my deathbed, facing the greatest spiritual crisis in my life, I don’t want a buddy to come and express himself. I want a properly uniformed and equipped minister of God who subordinates himself to his ministry, and who confidently and authoritatively represents God.

Our parishioners deserve nothing less.

When you visit people in the hospital or in prison, for example, what sort of message do you convey with your clothing? If you show up in casual clothes, you are trying to say, “I’m just one of the gang,” but they hear the message, “I’m not taking this seriously.” If you show up in a business suit, you are trying to say, “I’m a well-dressed capable person,” but they hear the message, “I’m a man of the world.”

When you are watching television, you can tell right off what sort of character has just appeared on the screen, because script writers take advantage of our cultural stereotypes to dress the characters to give us the right first impression.

For example, if the character is supposed to be an inhibited secretary, they pull her hair back in a bun, put glasses on her face, and give her plain make up. When she loses her inhibitions, they signal the change by removing the glasses, letting her hair down, and improving her make up. Very few actresses play romantic scenes with their hair up in a bun.

So have you been paying attention to the way they dress the characters who are supposed to be clergy?

* If the minister is a shyster who is fleecing his flock for their money, he is most often wearing a sports coat and tie. * If the minister is the manipulative type who is gradually transforming his congregation into a mind-control cult, he is most often wearing a welltailored business suit. * If the minister is an activist who is crusading against the establishment, he is most often wearing casual clothing, with a tab-collar shirt under his sweater or leather jacket.

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The Stations of the Cross To use the Stations of the Cross, post them at intervals inside a church or other building - or if the weather is nice, post them outdoors. Now you just go for a nice walk, taking the stations in order. As you come to each one, stop, pray, read the scriptures, pray the prayers, and contemplate the situation before moving on. As you walk from one to the next, your walking becomes a devotional act, because you are walking with Jesus as He walked to Calvary.

In the 21st century it is now more usual for illustrations of the Stations to be projected on to a screen, with the Vicar or Pastor giving a commentary, often with the congregation making a pre-arranged response, similar to: “We thank You God for the faithfulness of your Son.”

The Customary Stations of the Cross Here is a list of the Stations of the Cross that have been customary since the 19th century. If you have seen the movie The Passion of the Christ, you will recognise it as the framework from the script, as some of the events in the film correspond to Stations of the Cross that do not appear in Scripture.

Jesus is condemned to death Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:15-26, Mark 16:6-15, Luke 23:17-25, John 18:33-40.

Pilate found himself in a bind. He had to choose between what was politically expedient and what was right, so he did what was politically expedient and had Jesus crucified.

Jesus takes up the cross Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:17.

It was Roman practice to scourge, whip, and insult a capital prisoner, then make him carry the crossbeam of the cross to the site of the crucifixion.

On the way, they made a public spectacle of the prisoner and encouraged the crowds to insult him.

Jesus stumbles the first time Preserved in Christian memory There is no scriptural reference that I can find that says directly that Jesus stumbled, but the fact that the soldiers had another man carry His cross for Him strongly implies it.

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Stations of the Cross

In ancient times, Christians used to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem for Holy Week. One popular activity while they were there was to walk the route from Pilate’s house to Calvary, stopping for devotionals to commemorate various events that took place along the way.

Of course most people didn’t do this every year, but they got so much spiritual benefit from walking the route to Calvary that they thought out a way to do it at home. They made carvings or pictures of each of the events along the way, and placed them at intervals, either outdoors or in a church.

Then they could walk the route, stop at each place to do a devotional, and relive the experience. It also made the experience accessible to people who couldn’t afford to travel to Jerusalem.

Why are they called stations?

Now you might be wondering why they are called stations. The word station comes from the Latin word that means to stand. Every place a train comes to a stop and stands for a while, it is a station; except we’ve built buildings at each of those places and for us the building is the station. In this case, we’re using the word station in its original meaning. We are going for a walk; every point along the way where we stop and pray is a station.

How the Stations of the Cross came into their present form The Church at Rome commemorated all the events of Holy Week on Easter Day until the 11th century. At that time, they adopted the widespread custom of observing the events of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday on the appropriate days before Easter Day. In 1342, the Franciscan monks of the Roman Catholic Church were put in authority over the Holy Land. They became familiar with the Stations of the Cross, and decided to promote them as a devotional discipline.

The number of stations and the events commemorated at each station varied from place to place. By the 18th century, the number of stations became fixed at fourteen, and the whole devotion was completely standardised in the 19th century. Of the fourteen stations, eight are preserved in Christian scripture, and six are preserved in Christian memory.

For my church, I created twelve Stations of the Cross as overhead projector transparencies. Today they could be sourced from a computer and viewed via an overhead video projector.

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* If the minister is competent and respectable, and if he is performing a valuable spiritual service (such as a wedding, funeral, or exorcism) in a dignified setting, he is most often wearing clericals on the street and vestments in church.

Objection: But Jesus didn’t wear Clericals!

Now of course there is the objection that Jesus allegedly wore the clothing of the working man, not special clothes of the clergy. The assertion doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny in Scripture. In many places, people walked up to Jesus out of the blue, addressed Him as “teacher”, which the New Testament informs us is the translation of the word “rabbi”.

Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

—John 1:38, NIV

Without knowing who He was (that is, Jesus), they knew what He was (that is, a rabbi), because they asked him to do rabbinical things: to heal the sick, cast out demons, settle disputes, probate wills, and decide religious issues: As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

—Mark 10:17, NIV

If they thought He was a rabbi, these were reasonable expectations, because those were the duties of rabbis. However, in John 7, Jesus attends a festival at the Temple and even though everyone is talking about Him, they are unaware that He is among them in the crowd. Since there was no photography in those days, we can understand that strangers would not recognise Him by His face. There was no television newscaster to say, “Galilean rabbi draws large crowds with His controversial miracles—film at eleven.”

However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him.

Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the Temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?”

—John 7:10-15, NIV 33

So we have to ask: how could they know He was a rabbi in one circumstance, but not in another? Why were people surprised by His expertise at the Feast in John 7:10-15, when they took it for granted in situations such as Mark 10:17? The only explanation is that they knew by the way He was dressed.

When they addressed Him as a rabbi, He must have been dressed like a rabbi; the surprise was not that He was a rabbi, but how He handled their requests.sIn John 7, they did not recognize Him as a rabbi, so they were surprised that He knew rabbinical things. He must not have been dressed as a rabbi. The only way He could attend the Feast “in secret” was to go without wearing rabbinical clothes.

before the service begins. With olive oil, you will find that the ashes are very easy to apply and your congregation will find that it is very easy to wipe it off their foreheads without getting ashes all over their hands and clothing.

Don’t forget to put a soapy wet washcloth in a dish and conceal it in your pulpit. Put a small hand towel or paper towel next to it.

It might be appropriate to place something similar near the congregational exit door, especially if your church is in a High Street location, unless those bearing the sign of the cross on their foreheads want to promote opportunities to talk about their faith on their way home.

Objection: Some people have an adverse reaction to Clericals!

Conflict-avoidant people raise this objection, but there are two problems with letting other people’s phobias dictate your wardrobe. The first is that you are not solving their problem by changing your clothes, you are only letting it fester unresolved. The second is that if you are driven by your own fears of what other people will think of you, you’re on a slippery slope to secondguessing yourself into total ineffectiveness. If someone has a problem with clerical dress, at least this exposes it so you can help them overcome it. I observe, however, that this problem is more apprehension than substance.

* Dip your right thumb into the container of ashes. * Draw a cross on the person’s forehead with your thumb. It will probably come out looking like a plus sign. * Say “Remember that dust you are, and to dust you shall return,” which comes from Genesis 3:19, or words to that effect. Say the same thing for each person. * The person does not need to respond, but if they say “amen,” cities will not sink into the sea. * The person immediately returns to their seat, and it is the next person’s turn.

While Jesus definitely did not wear a black shirt with a white collar, He obviously wore the first-century equivalent. So clergy who wear clericals are imitating Christ. I think the clergy who do not wear clericals have the more difficult position to defend.

Recently, a colleague of mine visited my church. I knew he had a chasuble and that he liked it, so I invited him to bring it and wear it - which he did.

One of my parishioners admired the chasuble. When I told her that he doesn’t wear it in his own church because he’s afraid his congregation won’t like it, she looked very frustrated and said, “Sometimes you just have to assert yourself!”

A person who is assertive without being authoritarian or bossy is said to have a strong character.

Objection: But a collar would make me look Catholic (or whatever)!

Don’t bet on this one, either. One Sunday I went to lunch with some of my parishioners. The restaurant was so crowded that you couldn’t inhale without saying “excuse me” to someone. As we got up to leave, we walked past a 34

Imposing the Ashes At some point in the service, everyone is standing in line in the aisle, and the first person is piously standing in front of you waiting to receive the ashes.

Here’s what to do:

You should be able to go through a large number of people rather quickly.

When everyone who wants ashes has received them, go back to your pulpit and wash and dry your hands. Then you will be able to conduct the rest of the service without smearing ashes on everything.

Where to Get Supplies If you can’t find these items locally, you can purchase ash pyxes and palm ashes or create your own. Only you (and God) will know their origin.

You can find a custard dish in your kitchen cabinet or a grocery store.

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is already consecrated, a lay eucharistic minister can administer it to the sick during sick visits.

In England, about the 16th century, there was a problem with people burglarising churches to steal the consecrated host. They attempted to work magic with it and, of course, their faith wasn’t edified when it didn’t work.

To stop these burglaries, Parliament passed a law requiring Anglican priests and any assisting clergy or lay eucharistic ministers to consume all the Communion elements in plain view of the congregation. That is why some Anglican churches, even outside England, do not have tabernacles even today.

The significance of ashes on Ash Wednesday

The purpose of this rite is to remind people of their mortality and thus the necessity for repentance.

Acquiring the Ashes Traditionally, the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service are created by burning the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service, but most churches nowadays just purchase the ashes from a church supply house. The ashes are very inexpensive. A small package about the size of your thumb will do for all but the most humongous congregations.

A Container for the Ashes When you are up there in front of the congregation, you can’t just hold the ashes in your hand! You have to have some sort of container. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a special ash pyx to contain the ashes. It can be quite costly, depending on the style and materials. However, a make-shift container is certainly in keeping with the penitential nature of the service. So you can forego such fancy stuff and just use a custard dish or some other small container to hold the ashes. Make sure the container is wider than it is tall, or you might have difficulty reaching in with your thumb to get the ashes.

Before the Service Obviously the ashes are quite messy, and they won’t stick to a person’s forehead without some help. If you use the ashes by themselves, you’ll have ashes everywhere except where you want them. I have experimented, and I think the best thing to do is to put the ashes in the container you intend to use in the service, then add enough olive oil to make a sort of slurry. Do this right 46

booth with a well-dressed family. Their son was sitting on a chair at the end of the table. The young man grabbed me by the hand and said, “Pastor!” Then he saw my face and was confused that I wasn’t who he thought I was. He said, “You are a pastor, aren’t you?” and I said, “Yes, I’m pastor of Garfield Memorial Christian Church,” and gave his father my card. The father explained that they were members of a Lutheran megachurch that is nearby.

The young man asked me, “Is Garfield a Lutheran church?” and I said, “No,” and turning to his mother who was looking at me, I said, “However, if you sat in our church blindfolded, I bet you couldn’t tell the difference.” And the father nodded, saying we are all alike.

The reason this happened is that for the young man, the collar made me look Lutheran. To an Episcopalian, it would make me look Episcopalian. In some areas, it would make me look Methodist. Orthodox clergy have taken to wearing black shirts with white collars. Recently someone wrote to me to say that in his country, rabbis wear black shirts with white collars.

My parishioners who witnessed this exchange were very proud of their church. In their minds, it made our little church just as important as the Lutheran megachurch, because I received the same treatment as the Lutheran pastor for whom I had been initially mistaken. This is not a bad thing.

And by the way, the inventor of the clergy shirt, the Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod, was not Catholic.

Objection: None of this applies to my congregation!

You may be surprised on this one, too.

Some time ago, I attended the installation of a pastor. The church was a startup, so the installation service took place in another church’s building. All the arrangements had been agreed with the host pastor over the phone. The startup church was a ‘house-group’ that had grown in support to the point that the hosts’ house was no longer large enough.

The host church was one of those independent community megaparsecs. Neither congregation had ever experienced clergy wearing clericals before; I was the only one there in a collar, so this was definitely the acid test.

I severely overestimated my travel time, so I arrived at the church much too 35early. As I was standing in the narthex in my clergy shirt, the guest of honour

candles and carry service books, then the choir, followed by lay ministers and then the clergy, with the highest ranking clergy last.

walked in the door. She walked right up to me and began thanking me profusely for everything I had done. She had mistaken me for the pastor of the host church - whom she had never seen before - even though she had no reason to expect the pastor of an independent community church to wear a collar.

Pyx (or Pyxis) A pyx (or pyxis) is a storage container for Communion wafers, which is often stored in a tabernacle. There is another type of pyx that is used to hold the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service.

About a half hour later, someone else mistook me for the host pastor, which was very embarrassing for him, because he was standing right next to me at the time. Later, I was mistaken for the host pastor a third time! Now all the other clergy were beginning to feel a little out of uniform, because I was the only one whom lay people perceived as clergy.

Readings Most churches are faithful to 1 Timothy 4:13 and incorporate the public reading of Holy Scripture in the worship service. Traditionally, there are up to four Bible readings during the Synaxis (the Service of the Word), which are taken from the Sunday lectionary:

After the service was over, someone complimented me on my lovely wife, which was strange, because I’m not married. Then I realised that the person had met the pastor’s wife and presumed I was her husband - after all, I was the one wearing the collar.

The Old Testament Reading The Old Testament Reading is taken from any part of the Old Testament except from the Psalms.

All this happened in an environment where it was not customary for clergy to wear collars.

The Psalm The Psalm is either an excerpt from a psalm or an entire psalm.

Normally, the congregation participates in the psalm reading, either by reading it responsively or in unison, or by chanting it.

The lesson is that if you dress like a minister, everyone will think you are one.

The Epistle Reading The epistle reading is taken from any book in the New Testament other than a gospel. That is, for the purpose of the lectionary, readings from Acts and Revelation are considered epistle readings - with the exception that Orthodox Christians never take readings from Revelation.

Full Circle So we come full circle. Maybe if you are ordained clergy, and you wear a black shirt with a white collar, someone will come up to you and ask, “Pastor, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

A black shirt with a white collar makes you look like ordained clergy. If that is what you really are, why not dress like it?

The Gospel Reading The gospel reading is an excerpt from Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, just as you would suspect. Pews were invented by Roman Catholicism during the late middle ages for the comfort of the worshippers. Therefore, many congregations continue to stand during the gospel reading to show respect.

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Tabernacle In many churches, the celebrant consecrates enough bread during Communion to serve not just the people who are present at the service, but also the sick who are unable to attend. The extra consecrated host is stored in 45an ornamental box called a tabernacle until it can be used. Because the bread

In the era of the New Testament, a liturgy was a public activity that arose out of civic duty. For this reason, when the New Testament uses the word liturgeia (ÏÈÙ˘ÚÁÂÈ·) in the original Greek, it is generally translated ministry or service, such as in Luke 1:23, 2 Corinthians 9:12, Philippians 2:17, as well as Hebrews 8:6 and 9:21.

Offering Originally, members of the congregation produced the bread and wine for Communion and presented it to the celebrant in the middle of the worship service, right before the Eucharist. This presentation of the bread and wine is called the offering, because it parallels Jesus’ offering of His flesh and blood for our sin. In the United States, where churches are financed through donations rather than tax money and most of them are in a perpetual state of financial distress, it has become customary to collect donations at this point in the service. Therefore, the term offering has come to refer to the money.

Ordinary Time The Season of Epiphany and the Season after Pentecost are called ordinary time in some churches, because historically, the Sundays in those seasons have no names, just ordinal numbers (the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, the fifth Sunday after Pentecost, and so on).

Paraments Paraments are decorative cloths that cover various items in the chancel of the church, hanging down in front of them. A full set of paraments includes one for the altar, one for the pulpit, one for the lectern, and a bookmark for the Bible. They are usually the colour of the season and often have an appropriate embroidered or appliquéd symbol.

Paten

A paten is the small circular plate that holds the Communion bread.

It is used with a chalice and is made of the same material as the chalice.

Procession Until quite recently, there were no accurate timepieces, so worship services did not have a precise starting time. After the people gathered, the clergy and other ministers would enter the church in a procession to begin the service. This custom is still continued in most churches today, though in some churches it only survives in the wedding service. The first person in the procession is usually the crucifer, followed by other acolytes who light the 44

Worship, Prayer, and Liturgy

In the beginning: The earliest Christians were either Jews or God-fearing gentiles who worshipped in the synagogue; therefore, early worship followed the pattern of the synagogue liturgy, which it still does in Lutheran, Orthodox, Anglican, and Roman Catholic churches today (among others). Justin Martyr describes Christian worship in the second century as following this pattern.

The word liturgy comes from a Greek word meaning “work of the people”. In the Eastern Church, the term is restricted to the Communion portion of the service. In the Western Church, the term refers to the entire order of worship and is generally used in churches where the congregation performs parts of the worship service by speaking or praying in unison.

The Christian worship service comes from the synagogue service. It consists of two parts, which we can see in the events of Nehemiah 8. In Nehemiah 8:1-9, the people gather to hear the Scriptures and expository sermons, and in Nehemiah 8:10-12, they participate in a meal.

The two parts of Christian worship are as follows:

The Synaxis (The Service of the Word) The first part is modelled on the liturgy of the synagogue, and in ancient times as in the present, it is public. Synaxis comes from the same Greek word as synagogue; it means gathering together. This part of the service consists of prayers, scripture readings, psalms, hymns, and the sermon. Because it is centered on the Word of God, it is often called the Service of the Word.

The Eucharist (The Service of Communion) The second part of the service (which is sometimes omitted, especially if no clergy are present or if it is felt that overfamiliarity breeds contempt resulting in Holy Communion only on alternate Sundays, or the last Sunday in each month) is the Communion service; in ancient times it was called the Eucharist, the Greek word for thanksgiving. One could view it as an extension of the kiddush, or fellowship meal, that often follows synagogue services.

This part of the service consists of hymns, prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, and the sharing of the bread and wine. Originally, this part of the service was secret; only baptized Christians could attend or participate. However, overheard acclamations (“this is my body, take, eat”) led pagans to conclude that cannibalism and other untoward things were going on and that led to violent

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persecutions. As a result, this part of the service is open to the public as well.

In modern churches, worshippers greet each other and announcements are made during the break between the Synaxis (the Service of the Word) and the Eucharist (the Service of Communion). The Apostle Paul exhorts us to celebrate Holy Communion whenever Believers meet - that could include in one of their homes. Most homes have bread and red wine on hand!

Eastern Christian liturgy has not changed much over the last thousand years.

The service is elaborate and the clergy and the choir perform it in the presence of the congregation. The role of the congregation is in many cases limited to standing in awe and adoration. Western liturgy has always been characterised by simplicity. Over the centuries, the west was dominated by only two or three liturgical styles, which gradually conformed themselves to Roman practice. During the Protestant Reformation the liturgy was reformed to expand the role of the congregation and to make Communion more frequent.

The idea of a preplanned worship service was rejected first by third wave of the Protestant Reformation, then by the Quakers and the Puritans. Most religious groups that originated in the United States during the nineteenth century can be characterised as ‘nonliturgical’ in the sense that the congregation has no formal, corporate role in worship other than to be the audience and to join in singing.

Various parts of Christendom call Communion by various terms. Anglicans and Orthodox still prefer the original name, Eucharist, though the Orthodox also call it the Divine Liturgy or just the Liturgy. Other groups call the service Communion, which is what is achieved, or the Last Supper or Breaking of Bread, which is what it commemorates. The word Mass comes from the Latin word used by the priest to dismiss the people at the end of a Eucharistic service. It refers to an entire church service that includes a Eucharist.

Although the term originated in the Roman Catholic Church, it is also used by some Anglicans, some Lutherans, and many English-speaking Orthodox.

Altar Linens Altar linens are most often made of linen, because Jesus’ graveclothes were linen. Most altar linens are square. The proper way to fold altar linens after you’ve ironed them is in thirds lengthwise, then in thirds crosswise, so that you end up with a square. Don’t crease them with the iron! When you unfold them, the folds make nine squares. You should fold them so that if there is an embroidered symbol, it’s on top. (If your altar linens are real linen, you’ll get the best results if you iron the reverse side with a hot iron while they are 38

The use of the colour rose has a strange origin. Long ago, the pope had the custom of giving someone a rose on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This led the Roman Catholic clergy to wear rose-coloured vestments on that Sunday.

The effect was to give some relief to the solemnity of Lent, so this was a very popular custom. Originally - before shopping malls - Advent was a solemn fast in preparation for Christmas, so the custom was extended to the third Sunday in Advent to liven it up a little bit, too. Somewhere in there the third candle of the Advent wreath turned pink. Meanwhile, Advent is no longer solemn and the pope no longer has the custom of giving out roses. It is kind of odd to think that a Methodist would put a pink candle in a Lutheran Advent wreath because the pope used to have the custom of giving out roses, but sometimes we’re a little more ecumenical than we realise!

In the Catholic Church, rose is an alternative colour for the fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday) and the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday).

Hymn

Technically, a hymn is a song in which the singers praise, worship, or thank God. However, many church songs that are called hymns today are not directed to God at all, but to the congregation (as a testimony), to newcomers (as an invitation), or the congregation even sings to itself (as selfcongratulation).

Liturgy The word liturgy, which is a Greek word, has several different meanings in common use. For many people, a liturgy is a pre-planned worship service with all the parts written out. People who say that they have a nonliturgical church have this meaning in mind. Orthodox Christians, however, use the word liturgy to refer to the Eucharistic part of the service, so if a Baptist tells an Orthodox Christian, “we have a nonliturgical worship service,” the Orthodox Christian might go away thinking that Baptists never have Communion. Technically, however, if you have a printed bulletin or a preset order of worship, that is a liturgy. The only Christians who have a truly nonliturgical worship are the Quakers. (They sit in silence and wait to see if anyone says anything, and it is possible for a complete Sunday service to pass in silence). The literal meaning of the word is the work of the laypeople. In other words, worship is something you do, not something you watch.

43

waters of baptism. Therefore, white is the colour for the seasons of Easter and Christmas. White is the colour for funerals, since it is the colour of the Resurrection, for weddings, regardless of the season, and for secular holidays that are observed in the church.

Red [Standard] Red is the colour of blood, and therefore also of martyrdom.

Red is the colour for any service that commemorates the death of a martyr. It is also an alternative colour for the last week of Lent, which is called Holy Week. Red is the colour for Pentecost Sunday and for ordinations and installations, because it is the colour of fire and therefore also of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:3). Some Archbishops wear red regardless of the season.

Gold [Standard alternative] Gold or ivory are alternatives to white.

Blue [Not standard] Blue is an alternative to purple during Advent. Blue represents the Virgin Mary, because she is known as the Queen of Heaven and the sky is blue. Some Protestant churches just use blue during Advent to avoid the penitential connotation of purple. (A colleague of mine wonders if manufacturers have invented blue as a liturgical colour to induce us to buy an additional set of vestments and paraments). Blue is not authorised for use in the Catholic Church, except in some isolated areas that have special permission to use it.

Black [Standard only for clericals] Black is the colour of clericals. (Cassocks are clericals, not vestments).

Before the advent of modern dyes, all dress clothes were black - just look at any photograph taken in the 19th century. The main historical connotation of black is formality. Because we don’t wear black as often today, it has survived as a formal colour only at extremely solemn occasions, such as funerals. For some people today, black immediately connotes a funeral.

Black is sometimes, but rarely, the colour for funeral services, Good Friday, and All Souls Day (2 November).

Rose [Optional] Rose (that is, a shade of pink) was sometimes used on the third 42 Sunday in Advent, to signify joy.

damp, then the front side when they are dry. Pay attention to the edges so they remain straight).

Depending on the church premises, the Vestry and Vicar or Pastor, the following altar linens: corporals, purificators, chalice palls, and chalice veils are the most usual to find - and again there are rules of guidance.

In general, set the altar up as follows: Place the fair linen on the altar over any paraments (defined in the Standard Dictionary, “rich and ornamental cloths and furniture.” and place the corporal in the centre on top of the fair linen. Place the chalice on the centre of the corporal. Fold the purificator in thirds lengthwise and drape it over the chalice, side to side. Place the paten on top of the purificator. Place the chalice pall over the paten, then drape the chalice veil over the whole assembly.

Chalice Pall The chalice pall is a square cloth, usually seven by seven inches, with a cardboard or plastic stiffener. It is called a pall because it has the same function as a funeral pall. It protects the bread and wine from insects.

Chalice Veil The chalice veil is optional. It is a large square cloth, sometimes the colour of the liturgical season and it sometimes has an embroidered or appliquéd symbol on it. It is draped over the whole assembly so that the symbol faces the congregation.

Corporal The corporal is a square cloth that goes over the fair linen and under the chalice. The word “corporal” comes from the Latin word “corpus” meaning body.

Fair Linen The fair linen is a rectangular piece of linen that goes on top of the paraments, covering the top of the altar and hanging down a bit on the sides.

Purificator The purificator serves as a napkin to “purify” the celebrant’s lips and possibly the chalice after Communion.

39

Anthem An ‘anthem’ is a hymn whose lyrics come from scripture. Historically, anthems were sung responsively.

Collect A collect (pronounced COLL-ect) is a short prayer that summarises a foregoing series of prayers or a worship service. A collect is usually one sentence long and consists of three parts: an invocation, a petition, and a doxology. The following is an example of a simple collect: O God, who gave Your only Son to die for our sins, give us grateful hearts to live worthily before You; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

AMEN.

Chalice

A chalice is a drinking cup with a bowl, a single stem, and a foot, as in the illustration on the left. The stem usually has a knob to make it easier to grasp. Chalices are generally made of silver, gold, or ceramics. The chalice can be used two ways in the Eucharist. Either everyone drinks from it, in which case it is called taking Communion from a common cup, or worshippers dip the bread into the cup, in which case it is called Communion by intinction. (Intinction is just a fancy word for dipping). If the common cup is used, the server wipes the cup with a napkin and rotates it for each communicant. I am not aware of any documented cases of disease being spread by the common cup.

Ciborium

Colours Since fabrics, such as banners and vestments, have to be some colour or the other, the historic Church has taken advantage of this fact and has used colour to set the theme of worship. Colour usage was more diverse in the past, mainly because dyes were expensive and it wasn’t as easy as it is today to get fabric in any colour.

In modern times, we’ve developed a consensus about the use of colours in the western Church. green, purple, white, and red, with gold or ivory being alternatives to white. Protestant churches sometimes use blue.

Black is, for the most part, no longer in use. This information is valid only for western Churches. Orthodox Churches use colours differently.

A ciborium looks like a chalice with a lid.

It is used to store the bread for Communion.

Chant To some people, the word ‘chant’ refers to mindless repetitions of the same words and phrases. But ‘chant’ is actually a technical term for a specific musical form - a simple melody in which you sing a number of words or syllables on the same note. Or you might say that a song is words set to music, but a chant is music set to words. The most well-known chant is the musical setting of the Lord’s Prayer, which is more elaborate than most chants. Chants were invented to encourage congregational singing, since they require less musical skill than songs. The advantage of chanting is that almost any text can be chanted to any tune without modifying either the tune or the text, and that makes it an ideal way to put scripture to music.

Green [Standard] Green is the default colour. Green is the colour of vegetation, therefore it is the colour of life. Green is the colour for the period of Epiphany and the period after Pentecost. These two seasons are also called ‘Ordinary Time’ because the Sundays have no names, just ordinal numbers.

Purple [Standard] In antiquity, purple dye was very expensive, so purple came to signify wealth, power, and royalty. Therefore purple is the colour for the periods of Advent and Lent, which celebrate the coming of the King. Since as Christians we prepare for our King through reflection and repentance, purple has also become a penitential colour.

40

White [Standard] Angels announced Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8-15) and His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-8). The New Testament consistently uses white to describe angels and the risen Lord (see Matthew 17:2 and 28:3, Mark 9:3 and 16:5, John 20:12, Acts 1:10, and throughout Revelation). In the ancient Church, people were given white robes as soon as they emerged from the 41

Anthem An ‘anthem’ is a hymn whose lyrics come from scripture. Historically, anthems were sung responsively.

Collect A collect (pronounced COLL-ect) is a short prayer that summarises a foregoing series of prayers or a worship service. A collect is usually one sentence long and consists of three parts: an invocation, a petition, and a doxology. The following is an example of a simple collect: O God, who gave Your only Son to die for our sins, give us grateful hearts to live worthily before You; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

AMEN.

Chalice

A chalice is a drinking cup with a bowl, a single stem, and a foot, as in the illustration on the left. The stem usually has a knob to make it easier to grasp. Chalices are generally made of silver, gold, or ceramics. The chalice can be used two ways in the Eucharist. Either everyone drinks from it, in which case it is called taking Communion from a common cup, or worshippers dip the bread into the cup, in which case it is called Communion by intinction. (Intinction is just a fancy word for dipping). If the common cup is used, the server wipes the cup with a napkin and rotates it for each communicant. I am not aware of any documented cases of disease being spread by the common cup.

Ciborium

Colours Since fabrics, such as banners and vestments, have to be some colour or the other, the historic Church has taken advantage of this fact and has used colour to set the theme of worship. Colour usage was more diverse in the past, mainly because dyes were expensive and it wasn’t as easy as it is today to get fabric in any colour.

In modern times, we’ve developed a consensus about the use of colours in the western Church. green, purple, white, and red, with gold or ivory being alternatives to white. Protestant churches sometimes use blue.

Black is, for the most part, no longer in use. This information is valid only for western Churches. Orthodox Churches use colours differently.

A ciborium looks like a chalice with a lid.

It is used to store the bread for Communion.

Chant To some people, the word ‘chant’ refers to mindless repetitions of the same words and phrases. But ‘chant’ is actually a technical term for a specific musical form - a simple melody in which you sing a number of words or syllables on the same note. Or you might say that a song is words set to music, but a chant is music set to words. The most well-known chant is the musical setting of the Lord’s Prayer, which is more elaborate than most chants. Chants were invented to encourage congregational singing, since they require less musical skill than songs. The advantage of chanting is that almost any text can be chanted to any tune without modifying either the tune or the text, and that makes it an ideal way to put scripture to music.

Green [Standard] Green is the default colour. Green is the colour of vegetation, therefore it is the colour of life. Green is the colour for the period of Epiphany and the period after Pentecost. These two seasons are also called ‘Ordinary Time’ because the Sundays have no names, just ordinal numbers.

Purple [Standard] In antiquity, purple dye was very expensive, so purple came to signify wealth, power, and royalty. Therefore purple is the colour for the periods of Advent and Lent, which celebrate the coming of the King. Since as Christians we prepare for our King through reflection and repentance, purple has also become a penitential colour.

40

White [Standard] Angels announced Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8-15) and His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-8). The New Testament consistently uses white to describe angels and the risen Lord (see Matthew 17:2 and 28:3, Mark 9:3 and 16:5, John 20:12, Acts 1:10, and throughout Revelation). In the ancient Church, people were given white robes as soon as they emerged from the 41

waters of baptism. Therefore, white is the colour for the seasons of Easter and Christmas. White is the colour for funerals, since it is the colour of the Resurrection, for weddings, regardless of the season, and for secular holidays that are observed in the church.

Red [Standard] Red is the colour of blood, and therefore also of martyrdom.

Red is the colour for any service that commemorates the death of a martyr. It is also an alternative colour for the last week of Lent, which is called Holy Week. Red is the colour for Pentecost Sunday and for ordinations and installations, because it is the colour of fire and therefore also of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:3). Some Archbishops wear red regardless of the season.

Gold [Standard alternative] Gold or ivory are alternatives to white.

Blue [Not standard] Blue is an alternative to purple during Advent. Blue represents the Virgin Mary, because she is known as the Queen of Heaven and the sky is blue. Some Protestant churches just use blue during Advent to avoid the penitential connotation of purple. (A colleague of mine wonders if manufacturers have invented blue as a liturgical colour to induce us to buy an additional set of vestments and paraments). Blue is not authorised for use in the Catholic Church, except in some isolated areas that have special permission to use it.

Black [Standard only for clericals] Black is the colour of clericals. (Cassocks are clericals, not vestments).

Before the advent of modern dyes, all dress clothes were black - just look at any photograph taken in the 19th century. The main historical connotation of black is formality. Because we don’t wear black as often today, it has survived as a formal colour only at extremely solemn occasions, such as funerals. For some people today, black immediately connotes a funeral.

Black is sometimes, but rarely, the colour for funeral services, Good Friday, and All Souls Day (2 November).

Rose [Optional] Rose (that is, a shade of pink) was sometimes used on the third 42 Sunday in Advent, to signify joy.

damp, then the front side when they are dry. Pay attention to the edges so they remain straight).

Depending on the church premises, the Vestry and Vicar or Pastor, the following altar linens: corporals, purificators, chalice palls, and chalice veils are the most usual to find - and again there are rules of guidance.

In general, set the altar up as follows: Place the fair linen on the altar over any paraments (defined in the Standard Dictionary, “rich and ornamental cloths and furniture.” and place the corporal in the centre on top of the fair linen. Place the chalice on the centre of the corporal. Fold the purificator in thirds lengthwise and drape it over the chalice, side to side. Place the paten on top of the purificator. Place the chalice pall over the paten, then drape the chalice veil over the whole assembly.

Chalice Pall The chalice pall is a square cloth, usually seven by seven inches, with a cardboard or plastic stiffener. It is called a pall because it has the same function as a funeral pall. It protects the bread and wine from insects.

Chalice Veil The chalice veil is optional. It is a large square cloth, sometimes the colour of the liturgical season and it sometimes has an embroidered or appliquéd symbol on it. It is draped over the whole assembly so that the symbol faces the congregation.

Corporal The corporal is a square cloth that goes over the fair linen and under the chalice. The word “corporal” comes from the Latin word “corpus” meaning body.

Fair Linen The fair linen is a rectangular piece of linen that goes on top of the paraments, covering the top of the altar and hanging down a bit on the sides.

Purificator The purificator serves as a napkin to “purify” the celebrant’s lips and possibly the chalice after Communion.

39

persecutions. As a result, this part of the service is open to the public as well.

In modern churches, worshippers greet each other and announcements are made during the break between the Synaxis (the Service of the Word) and the Eucharist (the Service of Communion). The Apostle Paul exhorts us to celebrate Holy Communion whenever Believers meet - that could include in one of their homes. Most homes have bread and red wine on hand!

Eastern Christian liturgy has not changed much over the last thousand years.

The service is elaborate and the clergy and the choir perform it in the presence of the congregation. The role of the congregation is in many cases limited to standing in awe and adoration. Western liturgy has always been characterised by simplicity. Over the centuries, the west was dominated by only two or three liturgical styles, which gradually conformed themselves to Roman practice. During the Protestant Reformation the liturgy was reformed to expand the role of the congregation and to make Communion more frequent.

The idea of a preplanned worship service was rejected first by third wave of the Protestant Reformation, then by the Quakers and the Puritans. Most religious groups that originated in the United States during the nineteenth century can be characterised as ‘nonliturgical’ in the sense that the congregation has no formal, corporate role in worship other than to be the audience and to join in singing.

Various parts of Christendom call Communion by various terms. Anglicans and Orthodox still prefer the original name, Eucharist, though the Orthodox also call it the Divine Liturgy or just the Liturgy. Other groups call the service Communion, which is what is achieved, or the Last Supper or Breaking of Bread, which is what it commemorates. The word Mass comes from the Latin word used by the priest to dismiss the people at the end of a Eucharistic service. It refers to an entire church service that includes a Eucharist.

Although the term originated in the Roman Catholic Church, it is also used by some Anglicans, some Lutherans, and many English-speaking Orthodox.

Altar Linens Altar linens are most often made of linen, because Jesus’ graveclothes were linen. Most altar linens are square. The proper way to fold altar linens after you’ve ironed them is in thirds lengthwise, then in thirds crosswise, so that you end up with a square. Don’t crease them with the iron! When you unfold them, the folds make nine squares. You should fold them so that if there is an embroidered symbol, it’s on top. (If your altar linens are real linen, you’ll get the best results if you iron the reverse side with a hot iron while they are 38

The use of the colour rose has a strange origin. Long ago, the pope had the custom of giving someone a rose on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This led the Roman Catholic clergy to wear rose-coloured vestments on that Sunday.

The effect was to give some relief to the solemnity of Lent, so this was a very popular custom. Originally - before shopping malls - Advent was a solemn fast in preparation for Christmas, so the custom was extended to the third Sunday in Advent to liven it up a little bit, too. Somewhere in there the third candle of the Advent wreath turned pink. Meanwhile, Advent is no longer solemn and the pope no longer has the custom of giving out roses. It is kind of odd to think that a Methodist would put a pink candle in a Lutheran Advent wreath because the pope used to have the custom of giving out roses, but sometimes we’re a little more ecumenical than we realise!

In the Catholic Church, rose is an alternative colour for the fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday) and the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday).

Hymn

Technically, a hymn is a song in which the singers praise, worship, or thank God. However, many church songs that are called hymns today are not directed to God at all, but to the congregation (as a testimony), to newcomers (as an invitation), or the congregation even sings to itself (as selfcongratulation).

Liturgy The word liturgy, which is a Greek word, has several different meanings in common use. For many people, a liturgy is a pre-planned worship service with all the parts written out. People who say that they have a nonliturgical church have this meaning in mind. Orthodox Christians, however, use the word liturgy to refer to the Eucharistic part of the service, so if a Baptist tells an Orthodox Christian, “we have a nonliturgical worship service,” the Orthodox Christian might go away thinking that Baptists never have Communion. Technically, however, if you have a printed bulletin or a preset order of worship, that is a liturgy. The only Christians who have a truly nonliturgical worship are the Quakers. (They sit in silence and wait to see if anyone says anything, and it is possible for a complete Sunday service to pass in silence). The literal meaning of the word is the work of the laypeople. In other words, worship is something you do, not something you watch.

43

In the era of the New Testament, a liturgy was a public activity that arose out of civic duty. For this reason, when the New Testament uses the word liturgeia (ÏÈÙ˘ÚÁÂÈ·) in the original Greek, it is generally translated ministry or service, such as in Luke 1:23, 2 Corinthians 9:12, Philippians 2:17, as well as Hebrews 8:6 and 9:21.

Offering Originally, members of the congregation produced the bread and wine for Communion and presented it to the celebrant in the middle of the worship service, right before the Eucharist. This presentation of the bread and wine is called the offering, because it parallels Jesus’ offering of His flesh and blood for our sin. In the United States, where churches are financed through donations rather than tax money and most of them are in a perpetual state of financial distress, it has become customary to collect donations at this point in the service. Therefore, the term offering has come to refer to the money.

Ordinary Time The Season of Epiphany and the Season after Pentecost are called ordinary time in some churches, because historically, the Sundays in those seasons have no names, just ordinal numbers (the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, the fifth Sunday after Pentecost, and so on).

Paraments Paraments are decorative cloths that cover various items in the chancel of the church, hanging down in front of them. A full set of paraments includes one for the altar, one for the pulpit, one for the lectern, and a bookmark for the Bible. They are usually the colour of the season and often have an appropriate embroidered or appliquéd symbol.

Paten

A paten is the small circular plate that holds the Communion bread.

It is used with a chalice and is made of the same material as the chalice.

Procession Until quite recently, there were no accurate timepieces, so worship services did not have a precise starting time. After the people gathered, the clergy and other ministers would enter the church in a procession to begin the service. This custom is still continued in most churches today, though in some churches it only survives in the wedding service. The first person in the procession is usually the crucifer, followed by other acolytes who light the 44

Worship, Prayer, and Liturgy

In the beginning: The earliest Christians were either Jews or God-fearing gentiles who worshipped in the synagogue; therefore, early worship followed the pattern of the synagogue liturgy, which it still does in Lutheran, Orthodox, Anglican, and Roman Catholic churches today (among others). Justin Martyr describes Christian worship in the second century as following this pattern.

The word liturgy comes from a Greek word meaning “work of the people”. In the Eastern Church, the term is restricted to the Communion portion of the service. In the Western Church, the term refers to the entire order of worship and is generally used in churches where the congregation performs parts of the worship service by speaking or praying in unison.

The Christian worship service comes from the synagogue service. It consists of two parts, which we can see in the events of Nehemiah 8. In Nehemiah 8:1-9, the people gather to hear the Scriptures and expository sermons, and in Nehemiah 8:10-12, they participate in a meal.

The two parts of Christian worship are as follows:

The Synaxis (The Service of the Word) The first part is modelled on the liturgy of the synagogue, and in ancient times as in the present, it is public. Synaxis comes from the same Greek word as synagogue; it means gathering together. This part of the service consists of prayers, scripture readings, psalms, hymns, and the sermon. Because it is centered on the Word of God, it is often called the Service of the Word.

The Eucharist (The Service of Communion) The second part of the service (which is sometimes omitted, especially if no clergy are present or if it is felt that overfamiliarity breeds contempt resulting in Holy Communion only on alternate Sundays, or the last Sunday in each month) is the Communion service; in ancient times it was called the Eucharist, the Greek word for thanksgiving. One could view it as an extension of the kiddush, or fellowship meal, that often follows synagogue services.

This part of the service consists of hymns, prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, and the sharing of the bread and wine. Originally, this part of the service was secret; only baptized Christians could attend or participate. However, overheard acclamations (“this is my body, take, eat”) led pagans to conclude that cannibalism and other untoward things were going on and that led to violent

37

candles and carry service books, then the choir, followed by lay ministers and then the clergy, with the highest ranking clergy last.

walked in the door. She walked right up to me and began thanking me profusely for everything I had done. She had mistaken me for the pastor of the host church - whom she had never seen before - even though she had no reason to expect the pastor of an independent community church to wear a collar.

Pyx (or Pyxis) A pyx (or pyxis) is a storage container for Communion wafers, which is often stored in a tabernacle. There is another type of pyx that is used to hold the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service.

About a half hour later, someone else mistook me for the host pastor, which was very embarrassing for him, because he was standing right next to me at the time. Later, I was mistaken for the host pastor a third time! Now all the other clergy were beginning to feel a little out of uniform, because I was the only one whom lay people perceived as clergy.

Readings Most churches are faithful to 1 Timothy 4:13 and incorporate the public reading of Holy Scripture in the worship service. Traditionally, there are up to four Bible readings during the Synaxis (the Service of the Word), which are taken from the Sunday lectionary:

After the service was over, someone complimented me on my lovely wife, which was strange, because I’m not married. Then I realised that the person had met the pastor’s wife and presumed I was her husband - after all, I was the one wearing the collar.

The Old Testament Reading The Old Testament Reading is taken from any part of the Old Testament except from the Psalms.

All this happened in an environment where it was not customary for clergy to wear collars.

The Psalm The Psalm is either an excerpt from a psalm or an entire psalm.

Normally, the congregation participates in the psalm reading, either by reading it responsively or in unison, or by chanting it.

The lesson is that if you dress like a minister, everyone will think you are one.

The Epistle Reading The epistle reading is taken from any book in the New Testament other than a gospel. That is, for the purpose of the lectionary, readings from Acts and Revelation are considered epistle readings - with the exception that Orthodox Christians never take readings from Revelation.

Full Circle So we come full circle. Maybe if you are ordained clergy, and you wear a black shirt with a white collar, someone will come up to you and ask, “Pastor, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

A black shirt with a white collar makes you look like ordained clergy. If that is what you really are, why not dress like it?

The Gospel Reading The gospel reading is an excerpt from Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, just as you would suspect. Pews were invented by Roman Catholicism during the late middle ages for the comfort of the worshippers. Therefore, many congregations continue to stand during the gospel reading to show respect.

36

Tabernacle In many churches, the celebrant consecrates enough bread during Communion to serve not just the people who are present at the service, but also the sick who are unable to attend. The extra consecrated host is stored in 45an ornamental box called a tabernacle until it can be used. Because the bread

is already consecrated, a lay eucharistic minister can administer it to the sick during sick visits.

In England, about the 16th century, there was a problem with people burglarising churches to steal the consecrated host. They attempted to work magic with it and, of course, their faith wasn’t edified when it didn’t work.

To stop these burglaries, Parliament passed a law requiring Anglican priests and any assisting clergy or lay eucharistic ministers to consume all the Communion elements in plain view of the congregation. That is why some Anglican churches, even outside England, do not have tabernacles even today.

The significance of ashes on Ash Wednesday

The purpose of this rite is to remind people of their mortality and thus the necessity for repentance.

Acquiring the Ashes Traditionally, the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service are created by burning the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service, but most churches nowadays just purchase the ashes from a church supply house. The ashes are very inexpensive. A small package about the size of your thumb will do for all but the most humongous congregations.

A Container for the Ashes When you are up there in front of the congregation, you can’t just hold the ashes in your hand! You have to have some sort of container. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a special ash pyx to contain the ashes. It can be quite costly, depending on the style and materials. However, a make-shift container is certainly in keeping with the penitential nature of the service. So you can forego such fancy stuff and just use a custard dish or some other small container to hold the ashes. Make sure the container is wider than it is tall, or you might have difficulty reaching in with your thumb to get the ashes.

Before the Service Obviously the ashes are quite messy, and they won’t stick to a person’s forehead without some help. If you use the ashes by themselves, you’ll have ashes everywhere except where you want them. I have experimented, and I think the best thing to do is to put the ashes in the container you intend to use in the service, then add enough olive oil to make a sort of slurry. Do this right 46

booth with a well-dressed family. Their son was sitting on a chair at the end of the table. The young man grabbed me by the hand and said, “Pastor!” Then he saw my face and was confused that I wasn’t who he thought I was. He said, “You are a pastor, aren’t you?” and I said, “Yes, I’m pastor of Garfield Memorial Christian Church,” and gave his father my card. The father explained that they were members of a Lutheran megachurch that is nearby.

The young man asked me, “Is Garfield a Lutheran church?” and I said, “No,” and turning to his mother who was looking at me, I said, “However, if you sat in our church blindfolded, I bet you couldn’t tell the difference.” And the father nodded, saying we are all alike.

The reason this happened is that for the young man, the collar made me look Lutheran. To an Episcopalian, it would make me look Episcopalian. In some areas, it would make me look Methodist. Orthodox clergy have taken to wearing black shirts with white collars. Recently someone wrote to me to say that in his country, rabbis wear black shirts with white collars.

My parishioners who witnessed this exchange were very proud of their church. In their minds, it made our little church just as important as the Lutheran megachurch, because I received the same treatment as the Lutheran pastor for whom I had been initially mistaken. This is not a bad thing.

And by the way, the inventor of the clergy shirt, the Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod, was not Catholic.

Objection: None of this applies to my congregation!

You may be surprised on this one, too.

Some time ago, I attended the installation of a pastor. The church was a startup, so the installation service took place in another church’s building. All the arrangements had been agreed with the host pastor over the phone. The startup church was a ‘house-group’ that had grown in support to the point that the hosts’ house was no longer large enough.

The host church was one of those independent community megaparsecs. Neither congregation had ever experienced clergy wearing clericals before; I was the only one there in a collar, so this was definitely the acid test.

I severely overestimated my travel time, so I arrived at the church much too 35early. As I was standing in the narthex in my clergy shirt, the guest of honour

So we have to ask: how could they know He was a rabbi in one circumstance, but not in another? Why were people surprised by His expertise at the Feast in John 7:10-15, when they took it for granted in situations such as Mark 10:17? The only explanation is that they knew by the way He was dressed.

When they addressed Him as a rabbi, He must have been dressed like a rabbi; the surprise was not that He was a rabbi, but how He handled their requests.sIn John 7, they did not recognize Him as a rabbi, so they were surprised that He knew rabbinical things. He must not have been dressed as a rabbi. The only way He could attend the Feast “in secret” was to go without wearing rabbinical clothes.

before the service begins. With olive oil, you will find that the ashes are very easy to apply and your congregation will find that it is very easy to wipe it off their foreheads without getting ashes all over their hands and clothing.

Don’t forget to put a soapy wet washcloth in a dish and conceal it in your pulpit. Put a small hand towel or paper towel next to it.

It might be appropriate to place something similar near the congregational exit door, especially if your church is in a High Street location, unless those bearing the sign of the cross on their foreheads want to promote opportunities to talk about their faith on their way home.

Objection: Some people have an adverse reaction to Clericals!

Conflict-avoidant people raise this objection, but there are two problems with letting other people’s phobias dictate your wardrobe. The first is that you are not solving their problem by changing your clothes, you are only letting it fester unresolved. The second is that if you are driven by your own fears of what other people will think of you, you’re on a slippery slope to secondguessing yourself into total ineffectiveness. If someone has a problem with clerical dress, at least this exposes it so you can help them overcome it. I observe, however, that this problem is more apprehension than substance.

* Dip your right thumb into the container of ashes. * Draw a cross on the person’s forehead with your thumb. It will probably come out looking like a plus sign. * Say “Remember that dust you are, and to dust you shall return,” which comes from Genesis 3:19, or words to that effect. Say the same thing for each person. * The person does not need to respond, but if they say “amen,” cities will not sink into the sea. * The person immediately returns to their seat, and it is the next person’s turn.

While Jesus definitely did not wear a black shirt with a white collar, He obviously wore the first-century equivalent. So clergy who wear clericals are imitating Christ. I think the clergy who do not wear clericals have the more difficult position to defend.

Recently, a colleague of mine visited my church. I knew he had a chasuble and that he liked it, so I invited him to bring it and wear it - which he did.

One of my parishioners admired the chasuble. When I told her that he doesn’t wear it in his own church because he’s afraid his congregation won’t like it, she looked very frustrated and said, “Sometimes you just have to assert yourself!”

A person who is assertive without being authoritarian or bossy is said to have a strong character.

Objection: But a collar would make me look Catholic (or whatever)!

Don’t bet on this one, either. One Sunday I went to lunch with some of my parishioners. The restaurant was so crowded that you couldn’t inhale without saying “excuse me” to someone. As we got up to leave, we walked past a 34

Imposing the Ashes At some point in the service, everyone is standing in line in the aisle, and the first person is piously standing in front of you waiting to receive the ashes.

Here’s what to do:

You should be able to go through a large number of people rather quickly.

When everyone who wants ashes has received them, go back to your pulpit and wash and dry your hands. Then you will be able to conduct the rest of the service without smearing ashes on everything.

Where to Get Supplies If you can’t find these items locally, you can purchase ash pyxes and palm ashes or create your own. Only you (and God) will know their origin.

You can find a custard dish in your kitchen cabinet or a grocery store.

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Stations of the Cross

In ancient times, Christians used to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem for Holy Week. One popular activity while they were there was to walk the route from Pilate’s house to Calvary, stopping for devotionals to commemorate various events that took place along the way.

Of course most people didn’t do this every year, but they got so much spiritual benefit from walking the route to Calvary that they thought out a way to do it at home. They made carvings or pictures of each of the events along the way, and placed them at intervals, either outdoors or in a church.

Then they could walk the route, stop at each place to do a devotional, and relive the experience. It also made the experience accessible to people who couldn’t afford to travel to Jerusalem.

Why are they called stations?

Now you might be wondering why they are called stations. The word station comes from the Latin word that means to stand. Every place a train comes to a stop and stands for a while, it is a station; except we’ve built buildings at each of those places and for us the building is the station. In this case, we’re using the word station in its original meaning. We are going for a walk; every point along the way where we stop and pray is a station.

How the Stations of the Cross came into their present form The Church at Rome commemorated all the events of Holy Week on Easter Day until the 11th century. At that time, they adopted the widespread custom of observing the events of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday on the appropriate days before Easter Day. In 1342, the Franciscan monks of the Roman Catholic Church were put in authority over the Holy Land. They became familiar with the Stations of the Cross, and decided to promote them as a devotional discipline.

The number of stations and the events commemorated at each station varied from place to place. By the 18th century, the number of stations became fixed at fourteen, and the whole devotion was completely standardised in the 19th century. Of the fourteen stations, eight are preserved in Christian scripture, and six are preserved in Christian memory.

For my church, I created twelve Stations of the Cross as overhead projector transparencies. Today they could be sourced from a computer and viewed via an overhead video projector.

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* If the minister is competent and respectable, and if he is performing a valuable spiritual service (such as a wedding, funeral, or exorcism) in a dignified setting, he is most often wearing clericals on the street and vestments in church.

Objection: But Jesus didn’t wear Clericals!

Now of course there is the objection that Jesus allegedly wore the clothing of the working man, not special clothes of the clergy. The assertion doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny in Scripture. In many places, people walked up to Jesus out of the blue, addressed Him as “teacher”, which the New Testament informs us is the translation of the word “rabbi”.

Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

—John 1:38, NIV

Without knowing who He was (that is, Jesus), they knew what He was (that is, a rabbi), because they asked him to do rabbinical things: to heal the sick, cast out demons, settle disputes, probate wills, and decide religious issues: As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

—Mark 10:17, NIV

If they thought He was a rabbi, these were reasonable expectations, because those were the duties of rabbis. However, in John 7, Jesus attends a festival at the Temple and even though everyone is talking about Him, they are unaware that He is among them in the crowd. Since there was no photography in those days, we can understand that strangers would not recognise Him by His face. There was no television newscaster to say, “Galilean rabbi draws large crowds with His controversial miracles—film at eleven.”

However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him.

Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the Temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?”

—John 7:10-15, NIV 33

laundered or ironed uniforms. If I have just been through a burglary, I don’t need a buddy, I don’t need a narcissist expressing himself in his clothing, I need a policeman. I need a policeman who will carry out the law, not his selfexpression. I couldn’t care less about who he is personally; I called him as a representative of a greater force. Similarly, if I am on my deathbed, facing the greatest spiritual crisis in my life, I don’t want a buddy to come and express himself. I want a properly uniformed and equipped minister of God who subordinates himself to his ministry, and who confidently and authoritatively represents God.

Our parishioners deserve nothing less.

When you visit people in the hospital or in prison, for example, what sort of message do you convey with your clothing? If you show up in casual clothes, you are trying to say, “I’m just one of the gang,” but they hear the message, “I’m not taking this seriously.” If you show up in a business suit, you are trying to say, “I’m a well-dressed capable person,” but they hear the message, “I’m a man of the world.”

When you are watching television, you can tell right off what sort of character has just appeared on the screen, because script writers take advantage of our cultural stereotypes to dress the characters to give us the right first impression.

For example, if the character is supposed to be an inhibited secretary, they pull her hair back in a bun, put glasses on her face, and give her plain make up. When she loses her inhibitions, they signal the change by removing the glasses, letting her hair down, and improving her make up. Very few actresses play romantic scenes with their hair up in a bun.

So have you been paying attention to the way they dress the characters who are supposed to be clergy?

* If the minister is a shyster who is fleecing his flock for their money, he is most often wearing a sports coat and tie. * If the minister is the manipulative type who is gradually transforming his congregation into a mind-control cult, he is most often wearing a welltailored business suit. * If the minister is an activist who is crusading against the establishment, he is most often wearing casual clothing, with a tab-collar shirt under his sweater or leather jacket.

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The Stations of the Cross To use the Stations of the Cross, post them at intervals inside a church or other building - or if the weather is nice, post them outdoors. Now you just go for a nice walk, taking the stations in order. As you come to each one, stop, pray, read the scriptures, pray the prayers, and contemplate the situation before moving on. As you walk from one to the next, your walking becomes a devotional act, because you are walking with Jesus as He walked to Calvary.

In the 21st century it is now more usual for illustrations of the Stations to be projected on to a screen, with the Vicar or Pastor giving a commentary, often with the congregation making a pre-arranged response, similar to: “We thank You God for the faithfulness of your Son.”

The Customary Stations of the Cross Here is a list of the Stations of the Cross that have been customary since the 19th century. If you have seen the movie The Passion of the Christ, you will recognise it as the framework from the script, as some of the events in the film correspond to Stations of the Cross that do not appear in Scripture.

Jesus is condemned to death Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:15-26, Mark 16:6-15, Luke 23:17-25, John 18:33-40.

Pilate found himself in a bind. He had to choose between what was politically expedient and what was right, so he did what was politically expedient and had Jesus crucified.

Jesus takes up the cross Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:17.

It was Roman practice to scourge, whip, and insult a capital prisoner, then make him carry the crossbeam of the cross to the site of the crucifixion.

On the way, they made a public spectacle of the prisoner and encouraged the crowds to insult him.

Jesus stumbles the first time Preserved in Christian memory There is no scriptural reference that I can find that says directly that Jesus stumbled, but the fact that the soldiers had another man carry His cross for Him strongly implies it.

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Jesus encounters His mother Preserved in Christian memory There is no scriptural reference of Jesus encountering His mother along the way to the site of the crucifixion, but it is very likely that it happened. Mary was present at the crucifixion itself, so she was strongly motivated to make her way to Him while He was still carrying the cross.

Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry Jesus’ cross Source: Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26.

Jesus had been up the whole night, first at a Passover Seder, then praying in the garden, then being arrested and tried. He was tired even before He was scourged and whipped. The Romans wouldn’t want Him to die of exhaustion, because that would be merciful. They would only get someone else to carry the cross for Him if they had reason to believe that He might die too early and thus escape the torture of the cross.

Veronica wipes Jesus’ face with a cloth Preserved in Christian memory Jesus was bloody and sweaty from the ordeal. According to Christian lore, a woman came forward and wiped His face with a cloth (traditionally called a napkin). When she took the cloth back, it had an image of Jesus’ face on it.

If she just pressed the cloth to His face, I could see that happening. The problem many people have with this story is that ‘Veronica’ was never used as a name before the story became widespread, and it is Greek for ‘true image’. So many people think Veronica is fictitious, but hold off a moment on that - it could be that this really did occur, that she acquired Veronica as a nickname, and that she proudly used it as her name.

Jesus stumbles the second time Preserved in Christian memory There is no record in Scripture that I can find of Jesus stumbling again, but there is no reason to think that He didn’t.

Jesus speaks with the women of Jerusalem Preserved in Scripture: Luke 23:26-31.

Under Jewish law, a woman cannot be a witness in a trial. That protects women from violence by men who want to influence their testimony beforehand or punish them for it afterwards. This meant that the women had greater freedom of movement than the men, because they could not be required to give an account for what they saw and heard. That is why women figure prominently here and at the crucifixion.

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coloured shirts, but the appearance may look more appropriate for a circus than a church. Other clothing should be black or grey, but in any case be secondary to the God you serve and the message you preach.

If you are a pastor and you think you are aggrandising yourself when you wear clericals, you’ll be disappointed. The congregation quickly gets used to the clericals and see them as badges of identity and service, not honour.

Clericals put you in the same functional category as bellhops, waiters, police officers, airline pilots, and so on. We do not dress to please ourselves, or anyone else for that matter; our manner of dress facilitates our service. It makes our function obvious to strangers. It makes our duties inescapable, and it constrains our personal conduct, because we can’t disappear into the crowd when we are wearing clericals. Clericals mean that visitors don’t have to ask, “Where is the pastor?” They know just by looking.

Clericals also have other advantages. They communicate to the congregation that you are not a proxy child, a potential date, a worldly expert, or a bosom buddy. It allows you to focus on the job of pastoring, without slipping and sliding into those role conflicts and boundary issues your denomination keeps warning you about.

A friend of mine was required by his ministerial association to wear a clergy shirt with a tab collar while he was travelling. He thought it was a huge imposition on his personal liberty, until he obeyed. On the airplane, he heard a confession, reassured a frightened traveller, and calmed a terrified child.

He was delighted that a routine air flight had turned into pastoral ministry. If you are clergy and you’ve never worn a clergy shirt to visit people in the hospital, you should try it. The clergy shirt means you don’t have to explain what you are or why you are there. The staff extends you all necessary courtesies, and even delirious patients know right off what you are. You can get in after visiting hours and quite often you don’t have to pay for parking, even if you’ve never been to that particular hospital before. Of course the catch is, you have to be on your best ministerial behaviour the entire time you are there, so this is not something you should try if your self-discipline is weak.

If I called the police because of a burglary in my house, I would not be reassured if the police showed up driving a sports car with his kids in the back, and wearing jeans and loafers. If I am in distress because of a crime, I want the police to arrive in a police car and I want them to be wearing freshly 31

appropriate to express that glory in their clothing. By dressing like Jesus, and not like themselves, it drives home the point to the congregation that the clergy are not acting on their own personal authority as if they were magicians, but on the authority delegated to them by Jesus Christ through the church.

Of course, this only applies to conducting worship. Jesus forbade wearing worship attire in the marketplace, so we don’t do that:

While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

—Luke 20:45-46, NIV Outside the context of worship, clergy should dress plainly, but in a way that makes them identifiable as clergy.

Why Clergy Should Wear Clericals There are situations in which clothing is very important. I found this out by accident once, when I walked into a furniture store, coincidentally wearing the same sort of shirt as the employees. I had to leave because the other customers expected me to wait on them.

Clothing conveys a message. A business suit says, “Money”! A police uniform says, “Law”! A tuxedo says, “Wedding”! Casual clothing says, “Me”!

Clericals say, “Church”! Any of those messages might be valid in different contexts, so you have to make sure you are wearing the right clothes for the occasion. If you wear a business suit in a department store, people will mistake you for the manager. If you wear a tuxedo to a ball game, they won’t ask you to play. If you wear a jogging outfit to a fancy restaurant, your clothing says, “I wandered in here by mistake,” and the staff will treat you accordingly.

The word clericals refers to the special clothing that clergy wear outside of worship services, usually consisting of a white collar on a shirt that may be black, white or any of the seasonal colours. Some retailers offer multi- 30

Jesus falls a third time Preserved in Christian memory There is no record in Scripture that I can find of Jesus stumbling again, but there is no reason to think that He didn’t.

The soldiers strip Jesus for crucifixion Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24b, Luke 23:34 The Romans not only tortured capital criminals, they also humiliated them publicly. For that reason, people were crucified in the nude. We learn here what Jesus had worn to the Last Supper: a himation, a sari-like garment, over a tunic. In other words, He was dressed in what we would call His Sunday best.

The soldiers crucify Jesus Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24a, Luke 23:33, John 19:18 Jesus was crucified at about 9:00 in the morning. This is approximate, since there were no clocks.

Jesus dies Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:45-56, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-49, John 19:30-33 Jesus died about 3:00 in the afternoon, at the time of the evening sacrifice in the Temple. The Lamb of God was slain at the same time as the paschal lambs were being slain in the Temple where the veil was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Joseph of Arimathea takes Jesus down from the Cross Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38 The bodies had to be removed from the crosses before sundown to avoid profaning the Sabbath. The bodies were customarily thrown in a common grave for criminals, but Joseph stepped forward and asked for and received custody of Jesus’ body.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus lay Jesus in the tomb Preserved in Scripture: Matthew 17:57-58, John 19:39-42 Joseph and Nicodemus prepared Jesus for burial and put him in a tomb that Joseph had donated. Preparing bodies for burial was normally women’s work, 51so this is an act of devotion. The women witnessed this from afar. Because

Day, the Baptism of our Lord (which is the Sunday after the Epiphany), on Trinity Sunday, and All Saints Sunday. You can wear a small, white “portable stole” over your regular clothes when ministering to people in the presence of the deceased, or when conducting a funeral when full vestments are not practical for some reason.

they stood at a distance and because it was near sundown, they could not see that Joseph and Nicodemus had prepared the body, but they did know where the tomb was.

Conducting a foot-washing service

* Purple Wear your purple stole during Lent and Advent. You can wear a small, purple “portable stole” over your regular clothes when hearing confessions (in Lutheran and Anglican churches), when conducting a counselling session (which is the same thing for the rest of us), and when administering Communion in the hospital.

Foot-washing is a special, optional feature of the Maundy Thursday service.

It exists in all the major churches, though many laypeople remain unaware of that. It is practiced, though infrequently, in eastern Orthodox churches, Anglican churches, Roman Catholic churches, and all major Protestant denominations.

* Green Wear your green stole whenever none of the above colours applies, mainly after Epiphany Day but before Ash Wednesday, and after Pentecost Sunday but before the first Sunday of Advent.

Adapting the Order of Worship In John’s gospel, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet during the Last Supper, but before the part that has become our Communion service. So foot-washing is appropriate for the Maundy Thursday service. Use your normal order of worship with Communion at the end. Insert the foot-washing immediately before Communion. If you have the Tenebrae (the purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story, so this is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy. If your expectation of Christian worship is that it should always be happy and exhilarating, you won’t appreciate this service until the second time you attend it), after Communion, you will have a liturgical re-enactment of all the events surrounding the Last Supper.

Use these colour guidelines for chasubles, too.

Why the Fancy Clothes?

The original author of Part 2 (prior to its amendment to reflect the three aspects of the Convergence movement in 2016 by the Primate Archbishop of the AICW) lived near the location of the first battle of the Civil War, which took place just on the other side of Bull Run. (In Virginia, creeks are called “runs”). On occasion, men reenact the battle dressed in nineteenth-century clothing and armed with nineteenth-century weapons. I don’t think you’d get very far if you tried to convince these people that they should reenact the Civil War battle in modern business suits armed with briefcases. They would complain that it destroys the authenticity of what they are doing.

Following the custom of the time, Jesus and the disciples would have had their feet washed by a servant when they entered the Upper Room, so it wasn’t necessary to wash them again for the purpose of comfort or cleanliness. Jesus’ foot-washing was not to clean their feet but to make a point about humble service. At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, but the disciples did not wash each other’s feet nor did anyone wash Jesus’ feet. So I think it makes the best biblical and liturgical sense if the pastor washes the feet of four or five representative members of the congregation and no one washes the pastor’s feet.

Incidentally, the garment Jesus took off to wash their feet and put back on afterwards was a himation, a rectangular piece of cloth that was worn something like an Indian sari.

In view of all that, it CAN be anachronistic, not to mention inauthentic, or even disrespectful to celebrate Communion dressed in a modern business suit or a medieval academic gown. Is it more important to have an authentic Civil War reconstruction than an authentic Communion? There is no Scriptural instruction on the clothing a believer should wear, other than modesty.

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In Communion, the celebrant plays the role of Jesus at the Last Supper, so to speak, so it is appropriate to wear vestments, which are modelled on first29century clothing. Since the celebrant also represents the glory of Christ, it’s

Ordained Deacons If you are an ordained deacon I suggest the following wardrobe:

* One or two albs At least one should be white to avoid a colour clash with your white stole.

The second alb can be white, ivory, or natural coloured. If you have two albs, you won’t feel any anxiety when you take one to the cleaners. Albs are inexpensive compared to other vestments and most are machine washable.

* Four deacon’s stoles You need one stole in each of the following colours: green, white, red, and purple. A deacon’s stole is designed to hang only over the left shoulder to your knees, or more commonly, it hangs diagonally across your chest, is gathered at the waist on the right, and extends down your right leg to about your knees. Your church discipline probably prohibits you from wearing a presbyter’s stole. * At least one cincture Cinctures are usually ropes. You can get a set in colours that match the stoles, if you like. Some albs are designed to be worn without cinctures, and others come with cloth cinctures, but in most cases, you’ll need the ropes. If you need help, Almy, a leading supplier of clergy vestments, has a web page with diagrams that shows how to tie a cincture.

* If you like, a dalmatic.

To get dressed, put on the alb and cincture. Put the cincture on the level of your navel, not your waist, otherwise it will accentuate your belly and make you look like you have a bigger paunch than you do. If you are wearing a dalmatic, put it on next. Finally, put the deacon’s stole on top.

When to Wear Which Colour

* Red Wear your red stole at Holy Week services, on Pentecost, at ordinations and installations, and on services that commemorate the death of a Christian martyr. * White Wear your white stole during the twelve days of Christmas, during the fifty days of Easter, at funerals, and at weddings. Wear it at any service that celebrates a secular holiday, and on certain special days, such as Epiphany 28

The Book of Occasional Services 1994, on page 93, contains a brief address that Episcopalians can use to begin the Foot-Washing Portion of the Service.

Advance Preparation

For the people whose feet are being washed:

* Ask them to come to the service with clean feet in clean footgear.

When Jesus did the foot-washing, the disciples’ feet were already clean, because a servant would have washed them when they arrived. Therefore, there is no soap and no scrubbing. If the climate is warm enough your people might hit on the idea of wearing open sandals, You might feel like discouraging them, but it is very biblical to wear open sandals, it isn’t very edifying for the person doing the foot-washing. * Remind the women not to wear stockings or panty hose! Now I know this sounds obvious, but getting dressed is something we all do without thinking. Women need to make a special effort to dress in such a way that they can easily bare their feet.

For the pastor who is washing the feet: * You need a bowl, a pitcher, and a towel for each person doing the foot-washing. The bowl should be fairly large. Both the bowl and the pitcher should be unbreakable or expendable. The towel can be a plain bath towel in a drab colour. A festive towel covered with cartoon characters probably won’t achieve the effect you want. * You can purchase the appropriate equipment from a religious supply house. Foot-washing services aren’t very common, so you will probably have to order from the catalogue or over the Internet. One good supplier is Cokesbury. You can get foot-washing bowls made of plastic that have a raised centre that serves as a footrest. * Check to see if you need any additional equipment. If the foot-washer is an older person, they may need a stool to sit on and an assistant to move it from person to person.

Some churches have a tradition of a footwashing service in which everyone washes everyone else’s feet. I don’t think that is as effective, because it takes too long, and at the Last Supper, the disciples did not wash each other’s feet and no one washed Jesus’ feet. However, if you do it that way, you have these additional considerations:

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* Think about separating the men and the women. It used to be the custom to put men and women in separate rooms, and it still might be a good idea. If there are people in your congregation for whom feet are erotically stimulating, this isn’t the way you want to find out who they are.

* Choose the room. Quite often the foot-washing is done in a separate room from the rest of the worship service for logistical reasons. Remember that water will be spilled on the floor. There should be enough room that everyone can remain seated while the foot-washer moves around. The footwasher also needs enough room to to bow down, squat, sit on their haunches, stand up, and move to the next person.

Conducting the Service

Before the Foot-Washing * Fill the pitcher with warm water and place it, along with the bowl and a towel, at the front of the church. * Set up chairs at the front of the church for the people whose feet are going to be washed. * Have a normal worship service, up to the point where Communion begins.

The Foot-Washing * The people whose feet are going to be washed come forward and seat themselves. * Someone reads John 13:1-11. They could offer a prayer or appropriate comment, such as the one on page 93 of The Book of Occasional Services 1994. * Each person removes the footgear from one foot. It doesn’t matter which foot. o The foot-washer places the bowl under the person’s bare foot, pours water on the foot, and dries it with the towel. o The person replaces their footgear as the foot-washer moves to the next person. * The foot-washing continues until everyone’s feet have been washed. * Someone reads John 13:12-17.

After the Foot-Washing The Maundy Thursday service resumes with Communion, followed, if you like, with the Tenebrae.

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* At least one cincture Cinctures are usually ropes. You can get a set in colours that match the stoles, if you like. Some albs are designed to be worn without cinctures, and others come with cloth cinctures, but in most cases, you’ll need the ropes. If you need help, Almy, a leading supplier of clergy vestments, has a web page with diagrams that shows how to tie a cincture. It is not unusual to hear of a fancy curtain cord being used. * Four chasubles For most Protestants, chasubles are optional and uncommon. If you wish to give special Communion services extra dignity, four chasubles in each of the four colours I just mentioned for the stoles. You need a second set of specially designed stoles to wear under the chasubles, but don’t worry, when you purchase a chasuble, it normally comes with the matching stole. There are cheap chasubles; however, they look as cheap as they cost. Since you will be wearing them the rest of your life, invest in good ones. Chasubles can be very expensive, so if you want to economise by having only one chasuble, make sure it is ivory or white and of very high quality, so that you use it for weddings, funerals, Christmas, and Easter services, that include, Communion.

To get dressed, put on the alb and the cincture. Put the cincture on the level of your navel, not your waist, otherwise it will accentuate your belly and make you look like you have a bigger paunch than you do. Then put the stole over the alb. If you are wearing a chasuble, it goes on top.

Think of the stole as the first-century equivalent of the modern necktie, and the chasuble as the first-century equivalent of a modern jacket. Think of the alb as the first-century equivalent of a dress shirt that is very long and not tucked in. There wasn’t anything to tuck the alb into, because in the first century, only barbarians wore pants.

You can also acquire a small “portable stole” that is purple on one side and white on the other. You wear it over your street clothes on certain occasions.

The purple side is for hearing confessions or conducting counselling sessions (whichever your church calls it) and for ministering to people during sick visits. The white side is for funerals when full vestments aren’t practical, and for ministering to people in the presence of the deceased.

It is not uncommon to look at what is available on www.ebay.com

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Lay Leaders In any church, there are people who can’t afford nice clothes, people who overdress, and others who just have poor taste. You can eliminate these problems if you vest the lay leaders. It won’t matter if they are dressed like a floozy, a beach bum, or Miss America, because no one can see what is underneath.

If you would like lay leaders to be vested, acquire a collection of albs in various sizes. Laypeople can wear albs and cinctures. Albs are available in children’s sizes for acolytes who are children. If you are Anglican, you have the alternative of cassocks and surplices. In that case, acolytes can wear red cassocks with white surplices.

Only choir members should wear choir robes. It is possible to outfit the choir in cassocks and surplices, just like the choirs of angels on Christmas cards.

There are specially designed vestments for organists and pianists. They match the vestments for the choir, except that the sleeves fall away at the elbows so that they don’t interfere with the keyboard.

It is inappropriate for a lay leader who is not a choir member to wear a choir robe or a Geneva gown. Only ordained clergy should wear a pulpit gown, and only ordained clergy with a doctorate degree should wear the pulpit gown with puffy sleeves that have three stripes. Unless you are Presbyterian, my personal taste runs against wearing academic attire to lead worship, because it will make you look like a judge in traffic court.

Regular Ordained Clergy (Presbyters) If you are ordained clergy, and you would like to dress ecumenically for worship, I suggest the following wardrobe:

* One or two albs At least one should be white to avoid a colour clash with your white stole.

The second alb can be white, ivory, or natural coloured. If you have two albs, you won’t feel any anxiety when you take one to the cleaners. Albs are inexpensive compared to other vestments and most are machine washable.

* Four stoles You need one stole in each of the following colours: green, white, red, and purple. The type of stole that goes with an alb is sometimes called a broadstole. It is about 5 inches wide. You wear it around your neck with the ends hanging down in front to about your knees.

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The Tenebrae

A Tenebrae is a special service for Holy Week, that can be conducted on Wednesday in Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, or Good Friday.

“Tenebrae” is Latin for “shadows”, so this is a service of shadows. In this service we use increasing darkness to dramatise the increasing sadness of Holy Week.

Ready-Made Tenebrae Liturgies Why reinvent the wheel? You can find explicit directions for a Tenebrae service in the following books: * The Book of Occasional Services 1994, on page 75. This service of the Episcopal Church is designed for Wednesday in Holy Week. * Chalice Worship, on page 118. This service of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is designed for use on Maundy Thursday. * The United Methodist Book of Worship, on page 354. This service is particularly suited for Good Friday.

Designing Your Own Tenebrae Service If you cannot use these resources for some reason, here’s how to design your own Tenebrae liturgy.

If you are designing the service for Maundy Thursday, be sure to include a Communion service, because this was the day on which Jesus instituted it. Otherwise, it is optional. In any case, the Communion should be the first half of the service.

Advance Preparation * You need as many readers as you have readings, plus one person to moderate this part of the service. You may need to have them rehearse the service. Make sure they all know how to pronounce all the words in their assigned readings. * Before the service begins, set up a table at the front of the church with one dark-coloured candle for each reading, arranged in a semi-circle or a line.

Put a white pillar candle in the centre. You can use the altar or Communion table for this purpose. * Set up a lectern with a dim reading light, such as you find in a bookstore.

Make sure that the readers have a clear path to the lectern when the sanctuary is lit only by candlelight. * Make sure you have a candle snuffer handy. Blowing the candles out is not a good idea, because you might spray hot wax onto the paraments or other objects, causing a cleaning problem.

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The Readings You can devise your own readings, but here is a good starting point: For Maundy Thursday Matthew 26:20-25 Matthew 26:31-35 Mark 14:32-41 Matthew 26:47-52 Luke 22:54-62 John 18:33-38a Matthew 27:20-26 Mark 15:16-20

For Good Friday Divide John 18:1-19:42 into as many parts as you have readers.

Conducting the Service

Before the Service * Light all the candles before the service begins or as part of the opening of the service.

The Actual Service * Begin with your normal order of worship, with appropriate hymns, but omit the scripture readings and the sermon. Explain the purpose and meaning of the service to the congregation. * Have the Communion service. * The people sit. Dim the lights as far as you can so the main light comes from the candles, but the readers can still see well enough to get to the lectern and back to their seats safely. * The moderator sits down at the table with the candles, a candle-snuffer at hand. * Each reader goes to the lectern, reads their appointed reading, and sits down. * After each reading, the moderator snuffs out one of the dark-coloured candles. * When all the readers have finished, the moderator reads Psalm 22:1-21 by the light of the white pillar candle, then puts it out, plunging the 56 congregation into darkness.

* I exhorted the church to live together harmoniously, using all the points in the text from Ephesians. I praised the church for everything that they are doing right, according to Ephesians. * I reminded the church that if we fail to obey God’s commandments, our common life can become dysfunctional, like David’s family life in 2 Samuel. * I digressed to concede that real life is somewhere between Ephesians and 2 Samuel. We try hard, but we mess up from time to time. For that reason, we must rely on God for forgiveness, and we must forgive each other. This brings in Psalm 130. * I meditated on the source of our corporate existence. Why are we a church and not just a group of individuals? The answer is that we get our corporate identity from Jesus Christ. He makes us one in His body and blood. Without him, we probably would have little in common. This comes from the gospel reading. * I reminded the church that our corporate life comes from the One who loves us so much He died for us, and loved us even more that He came back from the dead to live with us. Therefore, in any way we may fall short, we can confidently admit it to Him and seek His help to improve. * I concluded with a call to discipleship.

How to Get Dressed to Lead Worship

These are my personal suggestions for Protestant ministers whose denominations don’t give them guidance on what to wear. I am following the general ecumenical practice in the United States.

Presbyterians can use these suggestions; however, if they wish to wear the distinctive Presbyterian vestments that are based on medieval academic attire, they should consult their presbyteries. Roman Catholic clergy and especially Orthodox clergy should consult their bishops.

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* Lay leaders * Regular ordained clergy (presbyters) * Ordained deacons * When to wear which colour * Why the fancy clothes? * For more information

Here is how I applied my method to my own sermon.

* The congregation sits in silent darkness to underscore the drama. If the Tenebrae is on Friday, you might want to slam a door or make some other loud noise during the darkness to represent the stone being rolled to seal the grave. * Turn up the lights just enough that people can see to leave. * The people leave in silence. There is no benediction.

I Read and Studied the Texts * The passage from 2 Samuel is the sad story of Absalom. David had to oppose his son Absalom militarily, because Absalom was leading a rebellion against him, but he cared about his son and asked his commander-in-chief to go easy on him. Meanwhile, Absalom got trapped in the branches of a tree.

Some soldiers on David’s side caught up with him and killed him since their task was to put down the rebellion. David won the war but grieved the loss of his son. * The psalm fits with the reading in 2 Samuel, because it expresses grief, but it also contains hope for forgiveness and redemption. * In the epistle, the church receives instructions about how to live together as a body. Each rule is followed by a justification or reason. * In the gospel, Jesus claims to be the Bread of Life. He meets up with skepticism from people who think they know all there is to know about Him.

After the Service It is traditional for people to leave the church and go home without speaking to each other, but if this is the first time you’ve had a Tenebrae, that can be a bit harsh. You can have a subdued fellowship time after the service.

An Easter vigil service

In the Church, the day begins at sunset, so Easter Day really begins at sunset on what we call Saturday evening.

At this point, the texts don’t seem to be topically related.

The ancient Church held its main Easter service on Saturday evening, and some Orthodox churches have continued this tradition to the present day. The Easter Vigil service begins somberly and has a joyous, exuberant climax at midnight, which, for the purposes of this service, is the time of the Resurrection. During the service, the congregation renews its baptismal vows and receives new converts in baptism.

I Found my Preaching Points * 2 Samuel is a good description of a dysfunctional family. In this case, the dysfunction resulted from David’s sin. In the background, David’s wives were competing with each other by trying to put their sons in power. The incidents in the narrative become the preaching points for this passage. I thought I might want to explain in passing why the Cushite messenger had to frame the news of Absalom’s death as good news. * The psalm observes that no one is righteous enough to stand before God. Therefore, our only hope is in God’s forgiveness. * The epistle reading consists of several pieces of advice, each one with a reason or a justification. These become the preaching points. * In the gospel reading, our preaching point is Communion, how it unites us with Jesus and with each other, and how outsiders might not understand it.

In some parts of the ancient Church, this was the only service in the year during which people were baptised.

Here is how you can restore this ancient worship service to your church. This service generally uses a Paschal candle, which is a very large white pillar candle, often decorated with Christian symbols. You can purchase one from a religious supply house, or from Cokesbury. It is traditional to light the Paschal candle at every Sunday service during the Easter Season.

I Arranged the Texts to Form an Outline

For this sermon, I took my topic from the gospel reading. I decided to preach on the church as the body of Christ. I preached as follows:

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The Easter Vigil Service Begin in dim lighting. Light the Paschal candle and lead the congregation in 57prayers of thanksgiving, that Jesus is the light of the world.

* Something That Appears to Be Missing: In Revelation, there is a Book of Life, but there is no Book of Death.

After that, alternate Scripture readings and brief congregational prayers. Each prayer should reflect the theme of the preceding reading. In planning your service, choose at least three of the following Old Testament readings and Psalms, but always include the one in bold, which includes Exodus 14. If there are any hymns, make sure they are subdued and thematically appropriate. You can have different members of the congregation read the scriptures and lead the prayers.

* Something That Is Obscure: In the parable of the talents, the master is angry with the servant who buried his talent in the ground. Under rabbinical law at the time, if someone gave you valuables for safe-keeping, and you buried them, you did not have to pay the owner back if someone stole them. In other words, burying things was a way of evading responsibility for them.

* Genesis 1:1-2:4a with Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 * Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13 with Psalm 46 * Genesis 22:1-18 with Psalm 16 * Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 and Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18 * Isaiah 55:1-11 with Isaiah 12:2-6 * Baruch 3:9-15, 3:32-4:4 or Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 with Psalm 19 * Ezekiel 36:24-28 with Psalms 42 and 43 * Ezekiel 37:1-14 with Psalm 143 * Zephaniah 3:14-20 with Psalm 98

* Something the Writer Assumes We Already Know: The writers of the gospels do not explain what demon possession is or what demons are. They only recount the exorcisms.

* Something That Needs An Explanation: In the modern world, adoption makes you an heir. In the ancient world, adoption made you an heir, but more importantly, it also gave you your adopted father’s power of attorney. Adopted sons were business agents who, years down the road, received an inheritance—in other words, responsibilities now, goodies later.

At this point, the congregation affirms their baptismal vows. Conduct any baptisms at this point.

Next come the following readings:

Arrange the Texts to Form an Outline Now that you have a good idea of what you would preach on each text if it stood alone, look to see if there is any thematic relationship among the texts.

Arrange the texts to form an outline.

* Romans 6:3-11 and Psalm 114

Finally, use the Gospel reading that is appropriate for the current lectionary year:

* Year A Gospel (2004/5, 2007/8, 2010,11, 2013/15, 2016/17, 2019/20) Matthew 28:1-10 * Year B Gospel (2008/9, 2011/12, 2014/15, 2017/18) Mark 16:1-8 * Year C Gospel (2009/10, 2012/13, 2015/16 and 2018/19) Luke 24:1-12 For subsequent years consult: http://tinyurl.com/AICW-year

Revise the Preaching Points Now that you have an idea of what your sermon is about, go over the preaching points again. Revise them so they fit together. You may have to add or delete some of them. Most likely you will find that you want to emphasise one of the texts and use the others to corroborate the theme.

At this point—which is traditionally at midnight—use the Paschal candle to light any other candles. Turn up the lights, ring the bells, burst out with music; do everything you can to express jubilation! If there are any hymns during this part of the service, they should be jubilant Easter hymns.

Conclude the service with a triumphant, festive Eucharist.

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An Example On 10 August 2003, the lectionary readings were as follows: * 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 * Psalm 130 * Ephesians 4:25-5:2 * John 6:35, 41-51

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of the passive role of being an audience and puts them into the active role of worshipping.

These are wonderful things, but when it comes time for the sermon, how are you going to preach on all those texts?

One solution is to read all four texts, but just preach on one or two of them.

You get the benefits of lay leadership and congregational response, but then you have the problem of Bible texts that don’t quite seem to be relevant to the service.

Another solution is to cut down on the number of readings so that the congregation only hears the texts you are preaching on. That makes the service more coherent, but it eliminates the need for lay readers and it may eliminate the congregational response.

So I would like to introduce you to my method of preaching on all four lectionary texts in the same sermon. This not only allows you to enjoy the advantages of lay leadership and congregational response, it also grounds your sermon more firmly in the Bible and actually simplifies sermon preparation!

Find the Lectionary Texts To begin, you need to find the lectionary texts for the Sunday on which you are preaching.

Read and Study the Texts Read and study each text individually. Don’t worry about how they might relate to each other. That comes later.

Find Preaching Points for Each Text For each individual text, list all the things that stick out, that appear to be missing, that the writer assumes we already know, that are obscure, and that need explanation because we live in different circumstances. Here are some examples:

* Something That Sticks Out: In Matthew 28, Jesus instructs His disciples. Some worship Him. Others doubt, even though He is resurrected from the dead and standing right there in front of them. Yet Jesus gives all the disciples the same Great 22 Commission.

How to make and use an Advent wreath

Martin Luther had a number of ideas for things that people could do at home to teach the catechism to their children. I don’t know if he invented the Advent wreath, but it is true that the Advent wreath started in Germany as a Lutheran family custom. Since Advent wreaths were originally used in the home, most of the ones you find for sale are small. They didn’t become popular in churches until the middle of the twentieth century. Now they are nearly universal.

You can make an Advent wreath with either four or five candles.

To begin, put four candles on a wreath or at least in a circle. Traditionally the candles are purple, because in antiquity, purple dye was very expensive and it was the colour of royalty. We use purple for Advent because it is the season of the coming of the King. If you can’t get purple candles, you can substitute blue ones. You can also make one of the candles pink if you like - technically, it is rose coloured. If you have a fifth candle, it goes in the centre of the wreath and it should be white.

If you’re curious about the use of colour in worship, you can read more about colours.

Here are the five candles and their symbolism: First Candle Colour: Purple Theme: Hope First Sunday in Advent

Second Candle Colour: Purple Theme: Love Second Sunday in Advent

Third Candle Colour: Purple or pink Theme: Joy Third Sunday in Advent 59

Fourth Candle Colour: Purple Theme: Peace Fourth Sunday in Advent

* The candidate should hold their nose with their left hand and grasp their left forearm with their right hand, or the reverse if they prefer. * Support the candidate by placing your left hand flat against the middle of their back and grab their arm above the middle of their chest with your right hand. You can do it the other way around if you prefer. * Use the baptismal formula in your service book, but don’t speak while the candidate is under water.

Optional Centre Candle Colour: White Theme: Christmas Christmas Day

What the Advent Wreath Means Historically, the candles have no more meaning than a countdown.

That is, they originally stood for 4, 3, 2, and 1. However, people like things in the church to have symbolic meanings, so the candles have gradually acquired the meanings I gave you above. If someone in your church tells you that the candles have some other meaning than Hope, Love, Joy, or Peace, they aren’t wrong, they are just different. The meanings are so new that they aren’t completely standardised.

Normally it goes like this: Before you immerse the candidate, you say, “_____, I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” If there is any doubt about a previous baptism, you can say instead, “_____, if you are not already baptised, I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” * Guide the candidate as they lean backwards into the water and then raise them back up. * Continue your baptismal liturgy as usual.

In some locations, the third candle is pink, in others the fourth candle is pink; in still others, all four candles are purple. The purple candles are lit during Advent, when the liturgical colour is purple, and the white candle is lit on Christmas Eve (that is, after sundown), when the liturgical colour is white.

So that explains the colours of the purple and white candles - they just match the liturgical decor. But what about the pink candle, if there is one?

The pink candle is becoming more and more popular, but it has a strange origin. Long ago, the pope had the custom of giving someone a rose on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This led the Roman Catholic clergy to wear rosecoloured vestments on that Sunday. The effect was to give some relief the solemnity of Lent, so this was a very popular custom. Originally—before shopping malls—Advent was a solemn fast in preparation for Christmas, so the custom was extended to the third Sunday in Advent to liven it up a little bit, too. Somewhere in there the third candle of the Advent wreath turned pink. Meanwhile, Advent is no longer solemn and the pope no longer has the custom of giving out roses. It is kind of odd (as I have said earlier) to think that a Methodist would put a pink candle in a Lutheran Advent wreath because the pope used to have the custom of giving out roses, but sometimes we’re a little more ecumenical than we realise!

If the water is shallow, such as in a creek or a stream, sit in the water with the candidate. Use the same procedure, except that the candidate bends forward face-first into the water.

How to Preach the Lectionary

The Revised Common Lectionary is an ecumenical list of scripture readings for use in Sunday worship. There are many, many advantages to using the lectionary. * You don’t get stuck in a rut of your favourite passages. * Your congregation gets a balanced exposure to the entire Bible over a three-year cycle. * The Scripture texts always relate to the church season. * The overall structure of worship reenacts the life and ministry of Jesus Christ over the course of each year. * The biblical content of worship increases.

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The lectionary has four texts for each Sunday. You can have a rotating list of lay readers to place laypeople in conspicuous leadership roles, which builds their commitment to the church and helps it grow. You can have the congregation read the psalm as a responsive reading, which takes them out 21

private, and waterproof. (Imagine scuba divers tramping through the halls, and you get the idea). * If your church doesn’t normally do baptisms by immersion and you are “borrowing” another congregation’s church, ask if you can borrow their baptismal robes also. * Some congregations purchase a ‘Portable Baptistry’ which is composed of a water retaining membrane, supported by a metal or wooden structure.

The weight of the baptismal water is much heavier than is recommended for a Do-It-Yourself handyman to build the supporting structure.

Prepare the Candidates

Have a dry rehearsal in advance. * Make sure the candidates know where the changing rooms are. * Make sure the candidates know the route between the changing rooms and the baptistery. * Tell the candidates that they should not rely on your strength to lift them up out of the water, especially if they are larger than you are. Explain to them that they are supposed to lean back and stand up following your cues or have someone else helping you to ensure there are no mishaps.

Tell the candidates how to prepare themselves. * If the church is supplying the baptismal robes, the candidates need to bring a towel and a change of underwear. * Since they will be changing clothes twice in a hurry, they should wear simple clothes. It’s probably best to avoid panty hose, corsets, girdles, cufflinks, tie clasps, garters, suspenders, and anything that takes a long time or requires an assistant. * Remind everyone that their heads will be underwater. On that day they need a hairdo that they can restore quickly with a towel and a brush or comb. There won’t be time for elaborate blow-dryer tricks.

Immerse the Candidates Use your normal baptismal liturgy. These are only the steps for the actual immersion: * Stand next to the candidate in water that is at least waist deep but 20 not more than chest deep.

Remember, if 24 December is a Sunday, it is the Fourth Sunday in Advent until sundown, at which time it becomes Christmas Eve. (Eve means evening, after all!)

How to Use Your Advent Wreath The idea is to use the wreath in conjunction with worship services or personal or family devotions on the four Sundays in Advent. You light candles at the beginning of each service and snuff them out at the end.

* On the first Sunday in Advent, you light the first candle. Have your service, then snuff out the candle. * On the second Sunday in Advent, you light two candles, first the one from the previous Sunday, then the second one. Have your service, then snuff out the candles. * On the third Sunday in Advent, you light the two candles from the previous weeks, in the order you lit them before, then you add the third one.

Have your service, then snuff out the candles. * On the fourth Sunday in Advent, you light the three candles from the previous weeks, in the order you lit them before, then you light the fourth one. Have your service, then snuff out the candles. You should get a stairstep effect, since each candle is a different length by now.

If you have a fifth candle in the centre, then on Christmas Day you light the four candles in the order you lit them before, and then you light the centre candle. Have your service, then snuff out the candles.

You notice how I emphasise snuffing out the candles at the end of each service? This has absolutely no liturgical significance whatsoever, but it is vitally important and you must not leave it out. It prevents the candles from burning your house down.

I recommend that you snuff out the candles, rather than blowing them out. The reason is that if you blow them out, you might spray hot wax over everything.

Prayers for Use With the Advent Wreath When you use an Advent wreath in personal or family devotions, you can use whatever scriptures and prayers you like. If you need a point of departure, here is something to get you started. Please don’t take it as a set form. You can use different readings, you can modify the prayers, and you can add 61hymns, carols, or other prayers as you like.

On the first Sunday in Advent * Light one purple candle * Read Isaiah 60:2-3 * Pray something like this: Lord God, we light this candle to thank You for Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. We who have sat in darkness have seen a great light, the light of Jesus Christ, our salvation. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On the second Sunday in Advent * Light two purple candles * Read Mark 1:4 * Pray something like this: Lord God, we light this candle to thank You for Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who is the way. We who like sheep have gone astray have found the way to You through Jesus Christ. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On the third Sunday in Advent * Light three purple candles * Read Isaiah 35:10 * Pray something like this: Lord God, we light this candle to thank You for Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who brings us great joy. We who have walked in the shadow of the valley of death have found life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On the fourth Sunday in Advent * Light all the purple candles * Read Isaiah 9:6-7 * Pray something like this: Lord God, we light this candle to thank You for Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who is the Prince of Peace. We who live in discord and strife have found peace in the promise of eternal life, through Jesus Christ. We give You thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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How to Baptise by Immersion

If you are a layperson, use this page only to satisfy your curiosity. The instructions on this page are for clergy who have an occasion to baptise by immersion, and may not customarily do it that way.

Special Cautions * You can cause serious problems if you attempt to immerse infants or people who are dizzy, bedridden, infirm, or of advanced age, who have cardiac or respiratory problems, who are connected to medical equipment, who are unable to walk without assistance, or who might panic if they are immersed. In these cases, it is probably best to use pouring instead. * Take measures to avoid inadvertent nudity. Make sure that the baptismal clothing will not rise up in the water or become transparent when it is wet. Sew fishing weights in the bottom hems if necessary. You can purchase specially designed baptismal robes from your vestment supplier.

They are made of white fabric that is opaque when wet and they have weights in the hems. * Some people involuntarily tense up or struggle. Since this is an involuntary reflex, neither you nor the candidate will find out about it until the last minute. As soon as the candidate shows signs of stiffening or struggling, bring them back upright, spread your feet apart, and make sure you have firm footing. Wait until the candidate is composed, then continue gently. You could also have the candidate bend their knees to go straight down while you rest your hand on their shoulder.

Prepare the Facilities * If your church building doesn’t have provisions for immersions and you are “borrowing” another congregation’s building, familiarise yourself in advance with the baptistery, the changing rooms, and the route from the chancel to the changing rooms. * It takes a long time to fill a baptistery. It needs to be done early enough that the baptistery is full, and it needs to be done late enough that the water is not unbearably cold. Make sure that an experienced person takes care of it in time. If you are “borrowing” a church building, ask the host church to fill it for you. You don’t want to show up for the baptism to an empty baptistery because everybody thought that everybody else was filling it. * If you are improvising changing rooms, think of the carpet and the windows. The candidates will be soaking wet and they will need privacy to change clothes. The route to the changing rooms should be reasonably short,

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Other Features of a Baptism We’re talking about bare-bones emergency baptism here, so this isn’t a full liturgy. Other things that normally accompany baptisms can include the following, but not necessarily in this order:

On Christmas Eve after sundown or on Christmas Day (if you have a fifth white candle in the centre) * Light all the purple candles and the white candle * Read Luke 1:68-79 and Luke 2:1-20 * Pray something like this: We praise You, Lord God, because on this day, Your Word became flesh in our Saviour Jesus Christ, was born of a woman, and walked among us as a man. Help us to imitate Your incarnation, by manifesting our faith in our conduct as well as in our speech. To You, O Lord, we give our honour, praise, worship, and love, in the most holy and precious name of the One Who is born today; because He lives and reigns with You in Your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

* Before the Water: o The candidate formally agrees to be baptised. o The candidate renounces Satan and evil. o The baptiser blesses the water. o The candidate professes faith. o The Apostles Creed may be said.

Vestments and Clericals

* After the Water: o The candidate is anointed with oil. o The candidate receives the laying on of hands. o There is a prayer for the candidate to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Vestment is the term for special clothing worn by the people who conduct a worship service. Vestments have their origin in the ordinary street clothes of the first century, but have more or less remained the same as clothing fashions have changed. (Most Bible translations are not consistent with the names of articles of clothing, and in some translations, people go around wearing ‘garments’. The original text is consistent and more specific)’

These extra features are not necessary in an emergency, and if you are a layperson, you may not have the authority to perform them anyway. However, you should ask the candidate at the last moment if they desire to be baptised.

Today, vestments are designed to be worn over street clothes and serve a number of practical purposes: they conceal the distractions of fashionable street clothing, remove any consideration of what constitutes appropriate attire, and they remind the congregation that the ministers are not acting on their own, but performing in their official capacities. Vestments are in almost universal use, although in some churches only the choir wears vestments.

Common vestments include albs, cassocks, chasubles, robes, and surplices.

The Baptism You don’t need special equipment for pouring. You can pour the water simply by cupping your hands and letting the water flow onto the candidate’s head.

There doesn’t have to be a lot of water, but be sure to apply it three times.

* Ask the candidate if they want to be baptised. If they say no, stop at this point and go no further. If they say yes, proceed. * As you pour the water three times, use the candidate’s name and say, “_____, I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” If there is any doubt about a previous baptism, pour the water three times, use the candidate’s name and say, “_____, if you are not already baptised, I baptise you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

If you are ordained clergy, my wardrobe recommendations are suggested earlier in this Manual.

Clerical is the term to describe the distinctive street clothing that clergy wear, such as black shirts with white collars. The shirt can be any colour, but the public often does not perceive it as a clergy shirt unless it is black. There are two kinds, neckband shirts and tab-collar shirts.

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You can learn about altar linens and paraments elsewhere.

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An alb, called a sticharion in Orthodox churches, is a plain, lightweight, ankle-length tunic with long sleeves. It is generally worn with a rope cincture around the waist. The word alb is short for the Latin phrase tunica alba, which means white tunic; accordingly, albs are usually made of white or undyed fabric.

In the first century, the tunic was the first article of clothing that you put on in the morning. Working-class people wore knee-length tunics, while older people and people with less active occupations wore ankle-length tunics. It was possible to wear more than one tunic at a time for warmth, but it was considered gauche to wear a tunic without a cincture.

The tunic was originally sleeveless. Greeks and Romans thought sleeves were barbaric because barbarians wore them. (The barbarians lived in colder climates). Tunics did not acquire sleeves until the third century, when a Roman Emperor came back from a military campaign wearing a tunic with sleeves - much to the horror of the fashion mavens of the day. A modern alb has sleeves because we need to cover street clothing that has sleeves.

In the first century, most people wore a himation over their tunics.

The himation was a rectangular garment that was wrapped around the body.

The designs on the himation, as well as its colour and quality, varied depending on the wearer’s sex, occupation, and social status. Because of the relatively precarious way it was worn and the way it hindered movement, people had to remove it when they were engaged in certain physical activities.

For example, when blind Bartimaeus ran to Jesus in Mark 10:46-52, he threw off his himation. Matthew 9:20-22 tells about a woman who was healed when she touched the hem of His himation. In Revelation 3:5, 3:18, and 4:4 people are given white himatia. Perhaps the writer of Revelation wanted us to think of people who had received a white tunic at their baptism now receiving an elegant and triumphant white himation to wear over it. The himation never became a church vestment, probably because as servants, the clergy would have to remove it anyway.

Scripture tells us that Jesus wore a himation over a tunic (‘tunic’ is ¯ÈÙˆÓ in Greek) to the crucifixion. The soldiers usually tore the himation in four pieces, but because the tunic was woven in one piece, they cast lots for it. Jesus’ tunic would have been sleeveless and ankle-length - it was the same kind of tunic that the high priest wore when he entered into the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the people. Ancient writings from that period refer to seamless tunics, but the technology for weaving them that way was lost in 64 the fall of the Roman Empire.

* Do not baptise a person if a member of the clergy instructs you not to do it or tells you it is unnecessary. * Do not ask the person to confess sins to you. * Do not require the person to show you evidence of repentance. * Do not attempt to determine whether the person is worthy of baptism.

The Essential Parts If you want the baptism to meet the requirements for as many churches as possible, it must have the following three features:

* You must have the intention of performing a valid baptism. * For example, if children are playing church or if you perform a baptism as part of a play, or you are horsing around in a swimming pool, it is not a valid baptism.

* Water must be involved. * Immersion is valid in all churches, but since this is an emergency, that is probably not practical. Instead, pour water on the candidate’s head three times. (This instruction goes back to the first-century document called the Didache, or the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles). Sprinkling the water, daubing water on the candidate’s forehead, or pouring the water only once may be valid in some churches but it won’t be valid in some others.

Sometimes you need to respond with what you have

* You must use the formula in Matthew 28:19. * You must say to the candidate, “I baptise you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” You can add any additional wording that you like, but it’s probably best to stick to the bare essentials. If you substitute other formulas or if you baptise only in Jesus’ name (as did the Jesus Only people in the 1960s), the baptism may be valid in some churches, but in others, it won’t. * In Matthew 28:19, Jesus gives us the words to say when we baptise in His name.

If the person is unable to verify whether or not they were baptised, or it cannot be determined if the person’s baptism was valid, then you should say: “If you are not already baptised, I baptise you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This avoids rebaptism, which most churches frown upon.

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Before we Begin…

Through His incarnation and resurrection, Jesus teaches us that a whole person consists of a body and a spirit. Any attempt to give the spirit priority over the body is Gnosticism, not Christianity.

If you are with a person who is suddenly afflicted with a medical emergency, whether they are dying or not, your first priority is to summon professional medical help and to administer first aid until it arrives. Only then should you attempt to administer spiritual help.

What Constitutes an Emergency It is an emergency if all of the following statements are true: * The candidate urgently requests baptism. * Despite having received the best available medical attention, the candidate is reasonably worried that they might die. * You have tried and failed to contact a member of the clergy, or a member of the clergy cannot arrive in time.

Is It Necessary?

We could go round and round in theological debates about whether baptism is necessary. We are commanded to be baptised (Acts 2:38), and the church is commanded to baptise new converts (Matthew 28:19). However, the thief on the cross wasn’t baptised, and Jesus said he was okay. But isn’t that a special case, since it is physically impossible to baptise someone who is nailed to a cross?

All this theological debate is heartless in an emergency. If someone has good reason to think they are about to die, and urgently want to be baptised, and baptism is physically possible, then it is pastorally necessary to baptise them, no matter what our theology is.

Important Considerations * Do not baptise a person unless they request it. * Do not baptise a person while they are unconscious. * Do not baptise a person who has already been baptized in any church.

If you are a layperson, pay special attention to the following: * Do not baptise a person if a member of the clergy is available. * If a member of the clergy declines to baptise the person, do not take it 16 upon yourself to do it.

In the first four centuries of the Church, people were baptised in the nude.

For propriety, they were baptised in three groups: men, women, and children; and female deacons baptised the women. When they emerged from the water, they were immediately clothed in a white tunic (a tunica alba, or alb). For this reason, the alb is a reminder of baptism and a symbol of the resurrection on the Last Day.

Anyone who has a leadership role in worship can wear an alb and cincture, whether they are clergy or laypeople. Only clergy wear a stole over the alb.

Albs are increasing in popularity not only because they are ecumenical, but also because congregations are increasingly eager to conform to the practices of the ancient Church. In addition, a person wearing an alb is dressed like Jesus.

Anglican Collar

A style of tab-collar shirt with a wide, rectangular tab.

Cassock

A cassock is a plain, lightweight, ankle-length garment with long sleeves, but no hood. The cassock is a clerical, not a vestment. It serves as an undergarment for vestments, namely the surplice (a type of alb) and the stole.

If the cassock has buttons down the centre of the front, from the neck to the ankles, it is called a Roman cassock. If it is double-breasted, it is called an Anglican cassock.

Cassocks are worn by both clergy and lay worship leaders, with or without a surplice. Only ordained clergy wear a stole over the surplice.

Cassocks are most common in Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox churches. The cassock-and-surplice combination is very common in Anglican churches. Some choirs wear cassocks with surplices instead of robes. John Wesley wore a cassock and surplice, because he was a priest in the Church of England.

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Chasuble A chasuble, called a phelonion in Orthodox churches today, and a ÊÂÏÔÓ˘ in 2 Timothy 4:13, is an ornate circular garment with a hole in the centre for the wearer’s head. When worn, it reaches to the wearer’s wrists, so that if the wearer holds both arms straight out, the chasuble forms a semi-circle when viewed from the front or the back. The chasuble is the descendant of a first-century paenula that was worn as a coat by both sexes. Today it signifies solemnity and formality. The chasuble can be worn by the celebrant during a Eucharistic service. Sometimes the celebrant puts the chasuble on over other vestments as part of the Eucharistic ceremony. Chasubles are used in Lutheran churches, particularly outside the United States, as well as in Anglican and Roman Catholic churches.

The oil will keep at room temperature. If you refrigerate the oil, it might become cloudy, but that is harmless.

Anointing the Person * Wet your right thumb with the consecrated oil. * Draw a cross in the middle of the person’s forehead with your thumb. * As you apply the oil, use the person’s name and say, “_____, I anoint you with oil in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” * Offer any appropriate prayers.

How to lay hands on someone

If you are not clergy, find out the requirements of your church. The laying on of hands is used in a number of church rites, some of which can only be conducted by clergy. You must obey all the rules that apply to you, so you do not accidentally make a mockery of your own church.

It is Scriptural to place your hands on someone - with their permission - when they ask you to pray for them, or when the Holy Spirit urges you to offer to do so

The chasuble is always worn with a stole. Generally, the stole is under the chasuble. The stole and chasuble combination is the first-century equivalent of wearing a necktie and jacket. It is not appropriate to wear a chasuble in a service that does not include Communion (except for Good Friday and Holy Saturday services).

The Roman Empire had two modes of execution: non-citizens were thrown to wild animals, but citizens were beheaded with the sword. Therefore when Paul says that he escaped the lion’s mouth in 2 Timothy 4:17, he means he had successfully proved his Roman citizenship. In 2 Timothy 4:13, most translations vaguely refer to a garment or a cloak, but in the Greek, Paul asks Timothy to bring him the chasuble he had left behind in Troas. Since the chasuble was the mark of a Roman citizen, Paul apparently wanted to go out like one.

Therefore, when the celebrant is dressed in a chasuble, he is dressed like a Christian martyr who is ready to have his head chopped off for Christ.

Christus victor Christus victor is Latin for Christ the Winner. It is similar to a crucifix, in that it consists of a figurine of Jesus imposed upon a cross, except that the figure of Jesus is fully clothed, usually wearing a red chasuble over a white tunic (that is, an alb), with uplifted and outstretched arms and a triumphant facial expression. It depicts the triumph of the Ascension over the suffering of the Crucifixion.

Important Considerations * You can use both hands if you like, but one hand is sufficient. * It is not necessary or appropriate to touch any part of the body other than the shoulders or head. * If you are praying for healing, it is not necessary to hold your hand over the afflicted body part. It might even be unseemly or embarrassing. Aspirin knows where the headache is, and God is smarter than an aspirin tablet.

Laying Your Hands on Someone * Place your hand lightly on or above the person’s shoulder or head. * Use the person’s name and say, “_____, I lay hands on you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” * Offer the appropriate prayers.

How to baptise someone in an emergency

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Your church probably has a very strong preference that clergy conduct baptisms, so you should not go around the neighbourhood baptising people.

However, most churches will recognise a baptism performed by a layperson in an emergency.

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The Symbolism * The movement traces a cross over your body. By crossing yourself, you are taking up your cross and following Jesus. * The three fingers represent the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the two fingers folded down represent the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ. * In the western style, the movement from the left to the right represents Jesus’ descent into hades (the left side) and His ascension into Heaven (the right side).

Cincture

These instructions are for clergy only. If you are a lay person, talk to your pastor/vicar.

Clergy Shirt

How to anoint someone

A clergy shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. There are two types: neckband shirts and tab-collar shirts. Though many people associate clergy shirts with the Roman Catholic Church, that is only because their sheer size makes their clergy conspicuous. Clergy shirts (black shirts with white tabs or collars) are actually of Protestant origin. The Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of the Church of England invented the neck-band shirt style. Protestant clergy had been wearing white preaching bands for quite some time; McLeod combined them with the detachable collar that was in use at the time. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as streetwear for clergy until later. They modified Rev. McLeod’s design into the tab-collar style.

Acquiring, Consecrating, and Storing the Oil Check with your judicatory to find out the proper procedure for obtaining oil, the type of oil that you must use, whether or not you are authorised to consecrate it, the proper procedure for consecrating it if you are authorized to do so, and the circumstances under which you can use it.

If your judicatory authorises you to obtain the oil and has no rule governing the type of oil, it is not necessary to buy special anointing oil, because it is the same as the olive oil that you can buy in a grocery store at a much lower price. (The ancient church used either plain or scented olive oil).

If the anointing oil is perfumed, typically with frankincense and myrrh, it is worth the extra money. Bear in mind, however, that some people are allergic to perfumes.

Clerical The term ‘clericals’ refers to the clothing and accessories that clergy wear as street clothes, such as a tab-collar shirt, which make it evident that they are clergy. The difference between clericals and vestments is that clericals are street clothes, while vestments are only worn during worship.

Place a small amount of oil in a small container. You can buy an oil stock in most religious bookstores. The most common type is a stubby metal container with a screw-on lid and a sponge to hold the oil. Or you can just use a miniature plastic bottle. Whatever sort of container you use, make very sure the lid fits tightly so that it does not leak.

Consecrate the oil, if you are authorised to do so, otherwise have the oil consecrated. Once is enough; it is not necessary to repeat the consecration, because the consecration dedicates the oil for a specific purpose, you must not use the oil for any other purpose other than the one for which it was consecrated.

A cincture, called a poias in Orthodox churches, is anything worn around the waist to gather or hold up clothing. Vestments often include cinctures made of cloth or rope. When a cincture is made of leather or plastic, or if it is used with street clothing, it is called a belt.

Here’s a tip: If you have a small paunch, and you put the cincture around your waist, it will make you look like you have an enormous beer belly. If you put it at the level of your navel, it will look much better.

Cope A cope is an ornate cape-like garment worn by bishops.

In the ancient Church, bishops were generally elderly men who needed a cope to keep warm. The bishop removes the cope and puts on a chasuble to celebrate the Eucharist.

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Cotta A cotta is a type of surplice. In general, it is better to forego the cotta and just wear the surplice.

Cross (pectoral cross) Many people wear crosses around their necks as jewellery. If the cross is large enough to be seen from a distance and the chain is long enough to position the cross over the centre of the chest, it is called a pectoral cross.

Pectoral crosses are quite often worn over albs or cassocks, but seldom if ever over robes. While they look quite nice with vestments, they are too dramatic for street clothes. If you want to wear a cross with street clothes, use a small cross on a neck chain. Christians did not wear crosses or hang them on their walls until after crucifixion was no longer the standard method of capital punishment. Instead, the earliest Christians used the gesture of the sign of the cross.

Cross (sign of the cross) The sign of the cross is a pious gesture that must have originated in the first century, because it was a widespread practice in the second century. It is not a late innovation of the Roman Catholic Church, as many people imagine. It may be that early bishops applied chrism (anointing oil) by tracing a cross on the person’s forehead, and the gesture originated when people wanted to reaffirm their anointing afterwards by using their right thumb to trace the sign of the cross on their forehead. The gesture quickly developed into its modern form, where the right hand moves from the forehead to the chest, then from shoulder to shoulder. Eastern Christians cross themselves right to left, and Western Christians cross themselves left to right. It is customary to cross oneself at the beginning and ending of prayer (at the words “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”), before receiving Communion, and at certain points in the liturgy. It is common for the clergy to make the sign of the cross over the elements of the Eucharist as they are being consecrated, and over people and objects as they are being blessed. I always make the sign of the cross over the congregation when I bless them in the benediction at the end of the service. The sign of the cross is also helpful at times when you are moved to pray but at a loss for words.

Crucifix A crucifix is a cross with a superimposed figurine. Crucifixes originated before the sixth century, at which time the figurine depicted Jesus symbolically as a lamb. As Christian art gradually began to depict Jesus as a human being rather than as a lamb, the figurine changed from a lamb to a fully dressed triumphant Jesus. The crucifix with a suffering Jesus became 68

Part 2

Bells and smells and things

How to cross yourself

It is customary in churches that use an Order of Service, to cross oneself when invoking the Trinity, before and after prayer, and at other times, which you can learn by observing other people in your church. You can also cross yourself when you need to pray but you are at a loss for words.

If you are a Protestant, don’t get all huffy and say, “We don’t cross ourselves.” You may be surprised. I have seen black Baptists crossing themselves.

Preparation Use your right hand, even if you are left-handed. Hold your thumb and first two fingers together, and fold the other two fingers down against the base of your thumb.

Crossing Yourself Western Style This style is used by Anglicans, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics: * Touch your forehead * Touch the base of your sternum * Touch the left side of your chest * Touch the right side of your chest * As you cross yourself, say, whisper, or think: “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Crossing Yourself Eastern Style This style is used by Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians: * Touch your forehead * Touch your navel * Touch your right shoulder * Touch your left shoulder * As you cross yourself, say, whisper, or think: “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

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very popular in the west during a time when so many people were dying of the plague that disposing of corpses was the most pressing issue for local authorities. In those days of unrelenting grief, suffering, and sorrow, pastors spent most of their time conducting funerals. (Reread the lyrics of the hymn, Now Thank We All Our God, and ponder the fact that it was written by a pastor who buried dozens of plague victims each day). Many of the more gruesome crucifixes from that era show Jesus dying from the grotesque final symptoms of the bubonic plague, including the contorted, purple face. Today, in our more comfortable times, such crucifixes strike us as grotesque or horrible, which was of course the point. Crucifixes made sense of all that suffering and dying. They were an important expression of faith that Jesus does not ask us to do anything He is not willing to do, and that He can overcome even the most horrible death. Because the plagues were largely in the west, crucifixes are not as common in Orthodox churches, and because the plagues were largely over by the time of the Protestant Reformation, many Protestants associated them with Roman Catholicism and did not use them; however, they are still common among Lutherans, particularly outside the United States.

Dalmatic

In the first century, a dalmatic was a garment that the upper classes wore over their tunics.

It is very much like a surplice in shape, except that it is plain and not necessarily white.

In the church, it is a garment sometimes worn by deacons.

If the deacon is wearing a dalmatic, it goes over the stole.

Dog Collar An Anglican nickname for the collar that accompanies a neckband shirt it actually does look something like a flea collar, when you think about it!

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Epitrachilion See stole.

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Incense See thurible.

Mitre

Neckband Shirt

The Command to the Church Some Christians report regular times of two-way conversation with God whereas, to others, it is foreign. Until God says otherwise to us, we are safe in following the instructions Jesus gave in Matthew 28: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

A mitre is a distinctive hat worn by a bishop. The word mitre comes from the Greek word mitra (ÌÈÙÚ·), which means headband. In the ancient Church, bishops were generally elderly men who needed a hat to keep their heads warm. Today the mitre is symbolic of the bishop’s office and it generally matches the bishop’s cope.

Church Membership We believe that Christians should commit themselves to a church as part of their Christian walk. We believe members are then entitled to the time, encouragement, support, prayers and help of those in the church, as well as those who lead it.

The church is entitled to the support (both in giving and attendance at meetings) of its members as well as their loyalty as they seek to witness for Christ.

We do not believe, nor do most of them have the time, that the pastor or leader should visit you regularly for afternoon tea. Members in need should contact the pastor who will immediately arrange appropriate assistance by the most direct route.

It is the responsibility of all committed Christians to join (and join in) a local church where they can enjoy fellowship, to pledge themselves in membership (until they know that God would have them move elsewhere), and look for an opportunity to be used by God in that church as they seek by loyal and consistent service to Glorify God and extend His Kingdom on earth.

If you are ready to commit yourself to those in the local church, as part of your commitment to God, please inform the Leader.

A neckband shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. It is a type of shirt (or blouse, for Deaconesses) that has no collar, just has a thin band of cloth around the neck; hence the name. The shirt has a fly front; that is, a flap of cloth that covers the buttons that go down the front. Where you would expect to find a top button - the one you’d fasten before putting on a necktie - the neckband has two buttonholes that line up.

There is also another button hole in the neckband in the center of the back.

The wearer puts on the shirt, then sticks a collar stud through the buttonhole in the back of the neckband, then another collar stud through the buttonholes in the front to fasten the two ends of the neckband together under the throat.

The white plastic collar has three small holes in it; one in the middle and one at each end. The wearer slips the centre of the collar over the collar stud in the front, then wraps the two ends around the back and slips them over the collar stud in the back. The end effect is a circular collar that goes completely around the neck.

Clergy shirts are Protestant in origin. The Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of the Church of England invented the neck-band style. Protestant clergy had been wearing white preaching bands for quite some time; McLeod combined them with the detachable collar that was in use at the time. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as streetwear for clergy until later. They modified Rev. McLeod’s design into the tab-collar style.

Neckband shirts come in all colours and fabrics, but the general public often does not immediately perceive them as clergy shirts if they are not black.

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More than Money God also expects at least 10% of our time – and that’s at least 17 hours in a week. It is for you to decide (again with the help of the Holy Spirit) what proportion should be used for Bible Reading and Study, Prayer, Church Services, Personal Evangelism and other activities connected with local church life.

Jesus WILL Return In the Bible, Jesus says He will return to earth in a like manner to which he went to be with God on that first Ascension Day. Some parts of the Bible are very specific with regard to what will happen, an example being in the first letter Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in Chapter 4, and verses 16 and 17: The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven . . . . the dead in Christ shall be resurrected . . . . and we (Christians) which are alive will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Christians believe that our joy and gratitude to God for His eternal protection, and for forgiving our sins, coupled with our belief that Jesus will return, should spur us on to tell others about Jesus and what He has done in our lives. As you seek to tell others about Jesus, the devil will use them to get you side-tracked into spiritual arguments. Stick to what you know and what they cannot dispute “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.”

An Act of Remembrance On the night before He was crucified, Jesus sat with His disciples in an upper room and instigated a ceremony by which He said they should remember Him and await His return. That there has been a delay of more than 2,000 years only makes the day of His return 2000 years closer.

He took a loaf and broke it into pieces, inviting His disciples to eat, and saying that it spoke of His Body which was to be broken. He then gave each a sip of wine to signify that His Blood would be shed. The disciples didn’t understand the significance of what He said or did, until after His death.

Jesus instructed those who love Him and know Him as their Saviour to continue with the ceremony to remind them of His death on Calvary and impending triumphant return.

Most Anglican churches Reserve Holy Communion to those who have been Confirmed, but there is no inquisition regarding your credentials as they join in this act of ‘Communion’, with the proviso from Scripture, that they should first examine themselves before God as to their current Christian walk. 10

Phelonion See chasuble.

Poias See cincture.

Robe

Many people use the term robe as a synonym for vestment, but in actual fact, a robe is not a vestment at all. It is an ankle-length gown with long sleeves, designed to be worn without a cincture. There are four types of robes, all of which are modern forms of the academic robes that professors used to wear while on the job in medieval universities. The four types are choir robes, clergy robes, academic gowns, and judicial robes. Only the first three types are worn in church. All types of robes are designed to be worn over street clothing. The only vestment that can be worn over a robe is a stole.

Choir robes come in a large variety of styles and colours. They give the choir a unified appearance. (However, choirs can wear cassocks and surplices instead of robes).

Academic gowns come in three forms corresponding to bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. The doctoral robe sometimes appears in church. It has puffy sleeves with three stripes on the forearm, indicating that the wearer possesses a doctoral degree. When they are used in church, academic gowns are most often worn without the square cap or the long, decorative hood down the back that normally complete the outfit. If there is a hood, the colours indicate the wearer’s field of study and alma mater. (You can find out the colour code for the fields of study in the United States).

Clergy robes mark clergy who do not have a doctorate degree or who do not choose to wear their doctoral robes. Even though most clergy have a masters degree, clergy robes are a modified form of the baccalaureate robe, probably because contemporary masters robes have an odd appearance. Clergy robes are nearly identical to judicial robes, except that clergy robes often have a sort of built-in stole; a wide stripe running down both sides of the zipper in 71the front, often decorated with Christian symbols.

Unlike vestments, robes are not worn by lay leaders. The original purpose of the robe was to indicate that the wearer had the authority of academic credentials. John Calvin started the tradition of wearing academic robes in church. He was not able to wear vestments because he was not ordained clergy, but he did have an academic law degree. For that reason, clergy robes are most common in churches that are in the Reformed tradition, such as Presbyterian churches, and in other groups with Calvinist roots, such as Baptists. Choir robes are nearly universal.

is the turning point in the lives of most Christians and ends, forever, any doubt the devil might have planted about the assurance of your having a personal relationship with God. With the Baptism, God gives access to a range of Gifts which are described in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church. Paul refers to them in this order: Gift Word of Wisdom Word of Knowledge Faith Gift of Healing Working of Miracles Prophecy Discerning of Spirits Diverse kinds of Tongues Interpretation of Tongues

People in robes are dressed like Calvin. People in albs are dressed like Jesus.

Roman Collar A tab-collar shirt with a narrow, square tab.

Soutane See cassock.

It was God’s intention that these Gifts and Fruits should function in the church. In closing the 12th Chapter of his first letter to the Christians at Corinth, Paul urges us But covet earnestly the best gifts.

Skull Cap Occasionally you will see high-ranking Catholic clergy wearing a simple skull cap that looks like a beanie. For instance, the pope wears a white one while cardinals wear red ones.

Historically, men who were about to be ordained or received in monastic orders were required to have part of their head shaved. The process was called a tonsure. The purpose of the tonsure was to comply with 1 Corinthians 11:1216, because during most of history, it was fashionable for men to have long hair. There are several different types of tonsures, most often it involved shaving the crown of the head. This requirement no longer exists in the Catholic Church, but it still does in Orthodox churches, though in some places the tonsure is minimal.

The tonsure caused a problem for higher-ranking clergy, who tend to be elderly, because it exposed their heads to the cold - those old medieval cathedrals were drafty, had no heat, and most often the doors stood open.

However, the same passage from Paul implies that men shouldn’t wear head coverings in church. In the middle ages, headgear could be so complex that it was impractical for men to doff their hats, so they shoved them back to show respect.

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Fruit (Galatians 5) love joy peace longsuffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance

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Giving to God The Bible teaches the principle established in the Old Testament of returning part of our income to God – it is called ‘Tithing’ – which itself means ‘a tenth part’. However, we do not say (nor does the Bible specify) to whom this Tithe should be given. Each Christian who believes in God’s command to Tithe will decide for themselves (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit) which branches of Christian work to support. Giving to God is not limited to Tithes – there is an addition provision for ‘Offerings’ – a way of saying “Thank You” for that extra blessing you have received.

Many have said they could not afford to Tithe, but Christians cannot afford NOT to Tithe. God makes the 90% you retain buy much more than the 100% would have done.

Some modern-day Christians believe their Tithe is a tenth after deduction of tax, mortgage and other expenditure. Proverbs in Chapter 3 teaches Honour the Lord with all your wealth, with the First Fruits of All your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine. In any case, it is a matter between you and God.

Baptism with Power God’s work is important and we need His power if we are to achieve results.

This power gives us Boldness (Acts 4:31) and provides us with God’s spontaneous word (Matthew 10:19,20).

The Holy Spirit dwells within us to give a deep communion with God and the ‘Power’ to work for Him, That indwelling of the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and, like the first Christians, is usually recognisable by ‘Speaking in Tongues’. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a free gift – it is up to the recipient to accept it and open it up.

Before the first Pentecost the early Christians faltered in their allegiance, but subsequently faced persecution and suffering with a daring that astounded their captors. They ministered with a penetrating power causing men to cry out for salvation. Christians today still need this power.

Many Christians testify to a difficulty receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as they get older and travel along the Christian pathway. The best time is NOW – while you are rejoicing in God having given you eternal life and forgiving your sins.

The skull cap solves the impasse. It keeps the head warm without being large enough to cover the whole head.

Sticharion See alb or cassock.

Stole A stole, called an epitrachilion in Orthodox churches, is a long, narrow rectangular garment that is worn around the neck so that it hangs down in front of the wearer’s legs, ending below the knees. The stole originated as a sort of kerchief. People used them as a general work cloth, for polishing things, and for wiping sweat from their faces. They came into the church, probably as a cloth that the celebrant could use to clean the Communion ware as part of the service, and for that reason, the stole became a Eucharistic garment.

Modern stoles are usually the appropriate colour for the season. Only ordained clergy wear a stole. A deacon can also wear a stole, but it is customary for a deacon to wear it over the left shoulder, tied at the waist on the right side, so that the stole hangs diagonally across the chest. A stole can be worn over a robe, an alb, or a cassock.

Different Churches emphasise different teachings God’s Word (the Bible) is not forced to have the same meaning to everyone who reads it. Whilst believing in baptism, some denomination choose to baptise newly-born children, whilst others will only baptise adults who have shown themselves to be good examples of Christian behaviour. Neither is wrong - but both are on offer. Pray for guidance for YOU, when you are faced with alternatives.

Some churches are led by Pastors (leaders) in civilian clothes, whereas others wear ‘vestments’ by which they are instantly identified as having taken a vow (made a promise) to serve God. It is difficult to think that Baptism in the Holy Spirit will not prove a divisive subject. That the Holy Spirit was given to Christians was foretold by Joel in chapter 2 of his Old Testament book, was confirmed in the 2nd chapter of Acts when disciples gathered together in fear after the crucifixion of Jesus, and they were given such power to preach and heal that thousands were saved in a single day.

The nine-part Gift The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is freely available to those who hunger, thirst and believe it was given THEN and for NOW. Often the Baptism is accompanied by ‘speaking in tongues’ – a new language which God gives so you can communicate personally with Him. He

If an ordained minister combines a cassock, surplice, and stole, the cassock goes on first, then the surplice, then the stole on top.

If an ordained minister combines an alb, stole, and chasuble, the alb goes on first, then the stole, then the chasuble on top. (There are stoles that are designed to be worn over chasubles, but that is not common).

If a deacon combines an alb, dalmatic, and stole, the alb goes on first, then the dalmatic, then the stole on top.

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A surplice is a very lightweight blouse-like garment with sleeves. It is almost invariably white and it often has lace trim. A surplice is only worn over a cassock, never by itself, and never over an alb or an academic gown.

The surplice is actually a type of alb that is designed to be worn over a cassock. The cassock and surplice combination is very common in Anglican churches, where it is worn by both clergy and lay worship leaders.

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Tab-Collar Shirt A tab-collar shirt is a clerical, not a vestment. It is a type of shirt (or blouse, for Deaconesses) that has a folded-down collar with an opening over the top button over the throat. The shirt has a fly front; that is, a flap of cloth that covers the buttons that go down the front. The shirt comes with a white tab that looks something like a tongue depressor. After putting on the shirt, the wearer slips the tab into place. The effect is a black collar with a white rectangle over the throat. If the white rectangle is wide, it is called an Anglican collar; if it is narrow, it is called a Roman collar.

Baptism with Water God commands in the Bible that all those who trust in Jesus should repent and be baptised by total immersion as a public confession of their faith and that they intend turning from their old desires and way of life, but many believe in the importance of baptising (or Christening) a baby, with Godparents promising to set a good example.

Jesus Himself was baptised by John the Baptist. Salvation does not depend on Baptism.

Salvation was purchased on Calvary and your eternal life was ensured at the moment you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Baptism is a sign of obedience to God’s commands. Some who are baptised report it as being an earth-shattering experience, whereas others appear almost disappointed.

How you ‘feel’ as a Christian is not important, anymore than how you ‘feel’ when you wake up in the morning. The importance is in obeying God’s command What doth hinder thee from being baptised?

Some parts of the Anglican church regard ‘infant baptism’ as if it were a membership application to that denomination, that would last till death, regardless of whether in later life the baptised child prefers not to attend church, but to accept the modern teaching that ‘there is no God’.

The terms “Roman collar” or “Roman shirt” refer to style, not origin.

Clergy shirts are Protestant in origin. The Roman Catholic Church did not adopt them as streetwear for clergy until the 19th century.

Tab-collar shirts come in all colours and fabrics, but the general public often does not immediately perceive them as clergy shirts if they are not black.

Thurible A thurible is also called a censer.

It is a metal holder for incense, usually suspended on chains.

Either the celebrant or a thurifer swings it around in a predetermined pattern.

It is used in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, and sometimes even Methodist services.

Incense was universally a feature of ancient Christian worship, because it was used in the Jewish Temple during sacrifices.

Thuribles give off a lot of smoke when they are in use.

If it is high-quality incense, it won’t make people sneeze.

Zucchetto If you go to Italy, do not order zucchetti in clam sauce! Zucchetto is Italian for skull cap.

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Baptism by the Holy Spirit When Jesus returned to Heaven and His father on the first Ascension Day, He promised He would send ‘The Comforter’ to take His place.

On the first Day of Pentecost – the day we used to call Whit-Sunday – the Holy Spirit was sent to the Christians in a baptism which manifested itself as a mighty rushing wind, when cloven tongues of fire rested on each of the disciples, and they began speaking in other tongues. Those who watched thought they were drunk with wine.

Today, the Holy Spirit is often received in two very distinct stages.

At the moment we are ‘born again’, as a Christian we experience the indwelling and presence of God, the same voice which had been speaking to us about our sin and the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross at Calvary on that first Good Friday. It’s that indwelling presence of God which will speak to you about the way you spend your time and the places where you go.

Before becoming a Christian you probably referred to it as your conscience.

People often ask what they must give up when they become Christians. The simple answer is that the Holy Spirit lessens the desire to do those things that do not please God. If YOU would be ashamed or embarrassed if Jesus returned to find you doing something – or being somewhere – then that is wrong for YOU. That does not mean it is wrong for everyone – just for you.

Cassock, Surplice, and Stole

Prayer – and wait for Him to give us His answers. We must find time each day to read The Bible, it’s the Book that God wrote so that we would not only know His rules, but also get to know Him better.

Praying can take many different forms. Firstly, it can be the time we set aside in the morning or evening when we talk honestly to God about the things that trouble us – personal problems, habits and sins. In prayer, we also learn to Praise and Thank God for making us His child and for caring for us so much more than even our earthly father ever could.

Then there are the prayers we say or listen to in the church, prayers which by their very nature are probably more general and relate to the church or the world in which we live. Many of the prayers are printed in the Order of Service (Book of Common Prayer) because it was decided they were ‘all embracing’ and saved our need to search for words.

But praying is more than saying words out loud, it is a way of living the Christian life. We should commit our lives to God each morning and then maintain that contact with God, always keeping the lines open, as it were, until we go to sleep at night. Praying is about asking God to show us, moment by moment what He would have us do and say. Praying is as much about listening as it is about talking. Do you get fed-up with people who are always talking and won’t take breath even for us to get a word in edgeways? It can be the same for God, who wants to talk to us but we keep talking – and when we’ve finished saying what was important to us – get on with doing something else.

If we are to grow as Christians we must talk with our Father, read the Bible to understand more of what He has planned for us and listen to the Holy Spirit giving advice or guidance.

God is Unchanging We may now be living in the 21st century, but the guidelines God gave to the first Christians in the first churches, are still the ‘right first time’ rules which are best for today.

The words Jesus uttered 2,000 years ago and the writings in the gospels, Acts and letters of Paul and others shortly afterwards, are still the ‘code’ to follow if we seek peace and happiness. The Old Testament may be prophetic but the new Testament is proof.

The Holy Bible – God’s Word – too, is unchanging and was written when there were no motorcars or television sets, but that doesn’t make it out of date or any less authoritative.

In this picture, the model is wearing a plain cassock. It can be worn by anyone who leads worship, including lay people.

A Roman cassock has buttons or snaps down the front. An Anglican cassock is generally double breasted. Mine is halfway between the two. The cassock has a cloth cincture, which you are not able to see, because of the black-on-black effect.

In this picture, the model is wearing a surplice over the cassock.

(Surplices are only worn with cassocks).

In Anglican churches, laypeople often dress this way when they are helping to lead worship. Acolytes commonly wear surplices over red cassocks.

Sometimes choirs wear the cassock and surplice combination, in which case the cassocks can be any colour.

Finally, we see a picture of an ordained clergyman wearing a cassock with a surplice and stole:

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In this picture, the priest is wearing a white surplice over the cassock and a stole over the surplice. He’s also wearing a pectoral cross, so you can see the total effect. Among clergy, you are most likely to find Anglican priests in cassocks and surplices, because English law used to require them. John Wesley wore a cassock and surplice, because he was a priest in the Church of England.

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Part 1

The stole is green, which is appropriate for regular services on the Sundays after Epiphany or after Pentecost; actually, most of the year. Different coloured stoles can be worn for different occasions. The stole that matches the cassock and surplice is smaller than the stole that matches the alb.

Christians are members of a family

Christianity began with the miraculous birth of Jesús to the Virgin Mary, and there are hundreds of different ‘varieties’ today. It is not for us to criticise others. We should follow the example of God and love the sinner, even if we abhor their sin.

When we were born each became a member of a family. Usually consisting of a mother and father, perhaps brothers or sisters, and an extended family of aunts, uncles, grandparents and other relatives.

We soon became aware the family had its own rules and ways of doing things and, though we no doubt sought to exert our dominance upon the proceedings, if we had any sense we adapted to fit in with what already existed. To influence anything other than minor decisions became a painful experience.

The human family will traditionally have a father who works and a mother who looks after the home. One or other will garden and decorate and each will consult the other about crucial decisions. One will tend to have responsibility for disciplining of any children and management of household finances. Parents make up their rules as they go along – and hope not to get too many decisions wrong.

The Anglican family does not have the same human limitations – God wrote the rules and left them for us to read, learn and develop. But unlike the human life where we can seek to change the rules, the Christian life does not allow for such a possibility. Interpretation is often permissable.

God, in His perfect Wisdom – and knowing the end from the beginning – got the rules right first time. There are rules for Christian living but also guidance on how the Christian/Anglican family should function.

God is our Father and is pleased (like an earthly parent) by children who seek to please Him,

A reminder about colours for the stoles: * Red * Red stoles are worn during Holy Week services, on Pentecost, at ordinations, and on services that commemorate the death of a Christian martyr. * White * White stoles are worn during the twelve days of Christmas, during the fifty days of Easter, at funerals, and at weddings. They are worn at a service that celebrates a secular holiday, and on certain special days, such as Epiphany Day, the Baptism of our Lord (which is the Sunday after the Epiphany), on Trinity Sunday, and All Saints Sunday. * Purple * Purple stoles are worn during Lent and Advent, when hearing confessions (in the Catholic Church), and when administering Communion in the hospital.

Geneva Gown

A Geneva gown is more usually seen at a Graduation ceremony.

They are rarely worn by clergy, who need to signal that they are presiding at worship, not graduating from school.

The majority of priests will serve in churches with an incomplete wardrobe of vestments. A priest can only wear what he has (or the church supplies) but can look for gifts from the widows of clergy who are deceased. If someone says the colour you are wearing is unseasonal, you can explain that it is all you can afford. It may be God’s way of introducing you to a benefactor who will supply the items you are missing!

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Talking to Father We learn about our earthly family from a very early age, watching what goes on, following examples and listening to what is being said. We find out about our heritage by talking to parents and later, reading letters from those whom we may rarely see.

We learn about the Christian family in a similar way, but the most important is that we take the time to talk to God: it’s what Christians call

There are many church suppliers who will supply vestments and other church needs, as well as clerical seamstresses who will create a garment that both complies with Anglican tradition, and is the right size for your shape.

As I have mentioned previously ebay continues to be a huge resource of clerical vestments, rings, crosses, crozier and other accessories.

There are a number of Mail Order suppliers in Italy, the USA, UK and the Far East whose prices for bespoke vestments is quite mind-blowing.

The Copyright Š1995-2007 for Part 2 of this Manual is held by the Rev. Kenneth W. Collins and his licensors. All rights reserved.

Rev. Collins granted the AICW Primate Archbishop permission to use any part of his original text and add to it as we saw fit, and print as many copies as we needed, without conditions.

You can access a huge amount of resources from his website www.kencollins.com

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Preamble

There are many ways of ‘being Anglican’ - but for the purpose of this publication - I am writing to those who are at home with the Sacraments of the Traditional Anglican Church - but nonethe-less have a faith which was probably based on someone telling you about God’s plan of Salvation through Jesus (His Son) - an Evangelical - and your awareness of a voice (often referred to as our Conscience) which is the 3rd Person of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit.

I am not suggesting that any communion or denomination has ALL the answers, but AICW allows for a greater degree of interpretation (and bolt-ons) than do many others.

There are all levels (of the candle-stick) as far as Anglican Worship is concerned, ranging from ‘low’ church to that which is so close to Roman Catholicism that the dividing line is sometimes hard to find.

I commend Traditional Anglicanism to you, as a ‘skeleton’ which allows you to worship in the way you feel the Holy Spirit leading you, keeping in mind that Jesus prayed to His Father (John 16:17) that we would all be united, even as He and His Father are united. ++ Clive

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A Christian and an Anglican Contents

Page Act of Remembrance 20 Advent Wreath and meaning .

61 Alb . . .

64 Altar Linens . .

38 Anglican Collar . .

65 Anointing someone . .

14 Anthem . . .

40 Ash Wednesday ashes .

46 Baptism . . .

18 Baptism by the Holy Spirit .

7 Baptism with Power .

8 Baptism with Water .

7, 19 Bells and Smells and things .

13 Cassock . . .

65 Cassock, Surplice and Stole .

75 Chalice . . .

40 Chalice Pall . .

39 Chalive Veil . .

39 Chant . . .

40 Chasuble . . .

66 Christus victor . .

66 Church Membership .

11 Ciborium . . .

40 Clergy Shirt . .

67 Clericals , . .

67 Cincture . . .

67 Collect . . .

41 Colours of the seasons .

41, 76 Command to the Church .

11 Cope . . .

67 Corporal . . .

39 Crossing yourself . .

13 Crucifix . . .

68 Dalmatic . . .

69 Different churches/teachings .

8 Dog Collar . .

69 Dressing to lead Worship .

25 Easter Vigil service . .

57 Emergency baptism. .

15 Epitrachilion . .

69 Eucharist (Holy Communion).

37 Fair Linen . .

39 Foot Washing . . 22, 54, 55 Fruit of The Holy Spirit .

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Gifts of The HolySpirit Giving to God .

Hymn . .

Incense . .

Jesus will return .

Lay Leaders/Readers Laying hands on someone Liturgy . .

More than Money .

Neckband Shirt .

Offering . .

Ordinary Time .

Paraments .

Paten . .

Pectoral Cross .

Phelonion .

Poias . .

Preaching the Lectionary Procession .

Purificator .

Pyx or Pyxis .

Readings . .

Robe . .

Roman collar .

Sign of the Cross .

Skull Cap .

Soutane . .

Stations of the Cross Sticharion .

Stole . .

Tab-Collar Shirt .

Talking to Father .

Tenebrae . .

The nine-part Gift .

Thurible . .

Vestments and Clericals Wearing Clericals .

Worship, Prayer and Liturgy Zucchetto. .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Page 9 9 43 70 10 26 15 43 10 70 44 44 44 44 68 71 71 21 44 39 45 45 71 72 68 72 72 49 73 73 74 5 54, 55 8 74 63 30 37 74

Amended, updated and adapted to the AICW with permission of the original Author, Ken Collins (www.kencollins.com) and issued under the Authority of

Most Rev’d. Dr. Clive Read in 2016 (Primate Archbishop)

Anglican Independent Communion Worldwide

A Christian and an Anglican Issued under the authority of Most Rev’d. Dr. Clive Read on the 12th day of February in the year of Our Lord 2016