Furthermore the set readings Sunday by Sunday are the same in many other Christian denominations. Mennonite, Baptist, Evangelical even Pentecostal churches.
So there are similarities. However, differences occur in emphasis. Emphasis which, believe it or not can often be seen in the architectural layout of a church. So let us take a visual walk through our church for a moment.
In most Anglican Churches the font is near to an entry door. A reminder to us that we enter the Christian faith and become members of God’s family through Baptism. Through repentance and the washing away of our sins; through the signing of the cross and the giving of the light of Christ; through the welcome into the body of Christ.
From baptism we are led by the architecture to note that we embark on a journey upon the sea of life. If you look up to the ceiling most Anglican churches are like an upturned boat, the hull of a boat on which we travel. That is why this area of the church is called the Nave, from which we derive the word, Navy.
The pews remind us that in our travels we need to journey together into greater understanding along the sea of faith. That is why here at the chancel step (another nautical term) we have the lectern from which the scriptures are read, and in most churches, the pulpit from which the scriptures are explained. In addition in many old Anglican Churches every window would has a stained glass picture portraying a biblical story, again another teaching aid.
The hearing and learning of scripture and the encouragement to live as God wants us to live, leads us to confirm our faith at confirmation and that is why at a confirmation service, the Bishop’s chair is placed here at the chancel step, a sign that our journey has brought us to this point through which we can journey further, to the altar table to receive nourishment of another kind – the sacrament of Holy Communion
The Anglican Church has always regarded that we are fed by the Lord through the Word and through sharing in the Eucharist. The Post Communion Prayer last week stressed this, Father, through your goodness we receive your Son in word and sacrament. May we always have faith in him, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
In other churches the architectural emphasis will be different. The Roman Catholic Church emphasis for example, leads you to note that the mass is the most important. Often there is a huge central altar and other altars too around the church. In Evangelical, United and many Protestant churches it will be the preached word that is primary. Some churches have highly decorated or enormous pulpits and perhaps a little altar table tucked away in a corner. Then in Pentecostal churches and the Country Church it will be the worship that is primary – a stage will be most evident with musical instruments spread across the whole area. The word is evident too, by the provision of a lectern but rarely will there be an altar table in sight. And in Baptist churches the baptistery takes precedence, for the preached word and the worship lead people to conversion and new life.
Yes architecture can tell you a lot about a church. And about the way a particular church worships.
Anglican and Lutheran churches have, in the main, wanted to hold the central ground emphasising the importance of Word and Sacrament. That is why in the Book of Alternative Services the Eucharist service is divided into different sections. On p.187 for example we note the title ‘The Proclamation of the Word’ and p.192 ‘The Celebration of the Eucharist’
This emphasis is also noted in both the provision of Eucharistic services and Services of the Word like morning and evening prayer and family services.
There is also an historic emphasis to our services. The Anglican Church, though free to update and provide new worship material, is very much a historic and traditional church. The Book of Common Prayer takes us back to our beginnings in 1549 to the service book first written by Thomas Cranmer and to the adapted book of 1662. The BAS however takes us back further – I am not sure whether you are aware, but the flow of the service is akin to services in the times of the early church.
So where does all this lead us, well in architectural terms we are led to the altar table and up to the east window. Both of which are icons to aid us in our faith journey.
The altar table for example, is, and should always be made of wood. Anglican understanding is that there is no longer a need for sacrifice – Stone altars were and are places of sacrifice – ours are made of wood – symbolic of the final sacrifice for our sins; the sacrifice of Jesus on the tree of shame, the wooden cross of Calvary. No other sacrifice is good enough to pay the price of our sin. And on the wooden tree, in his passion and love for us, he hung and died.
It is also called a table because on the night that he was betrayed, at the table prepared for the Passover meal, Our Lord took bread, gave thanks to God, broke it and said, ‘Take this and eat it: this is my body which is given for you’ After the meal he took the cup and said, ‘Drink this, all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you. Do this for the remembrance of me’.
The altar table reminds us of these great facts. So do the white table covers. I guess, unless you are a member of the altar guild, you may not know this, so after the service come and have a look, the first white cloth has 5 crosses on it symbolic of the five wounds of Christ.
Four crosses, two at either end of the cloth representing the wounds in his hands and his feet, and one cross in the centre of the cloth, symbolic of the spear wound in his side. The cloth therefore reminds us of the white cloth that was wrapped around the body of Jesus before he was laid in the tomb.
The second white cloth, overlaying the first, is symbolic of the cloth wrapped around Jesus’ head. Generally this cloth has just one cross marking the centre.
The brass cross adds to the symbolism of the altar table as do the two candles. The epistle and gospel candles are reminders that Jesus was both divine and human. The epistle, or divine candle, is always lit first and extinguished last. Jesus came from heaven and went back to heaven after his resurrection his light is eternal. The gospel, or human candle, on the other hand reminds us that Jesus was made man and died for us. That is why it is lit second and extinguished first.
So, when you come into church note the architecture and what it teaches, note especially the East window, a reminder that one day – at the second coming - our Lord will come back. He will come from the east, according to the book of Revelation, so we wait for his coming as we worship Him the King of kings and Lord of lords; the lamb upon the throne.
Yes there is much to our worship and the symbolism behind all that we do - much more than I can share with you in one sermon but hopefully what I have shared has enabled you to appreciate some of the jewels of our worship, and to understand some of the why’s, too.
Now to him who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine to him be glory in the church now and forever more.
Amen
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