The Wisdom of Saints: St Jerome

The Feast of Jerome, Doctor, Presbyter in Rome and Bethlehem, Translator of the Scriptures, 420

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Jerome, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St Jerome was born around 345 to wealthy Christian parents who raised him in faith. At the age of 15 he travelled with a friend to Rome where he began his studies in rhetoric and philosophy. His instruction also included study of both Latin and Greek, which later in life he would supplement with the study of Hebrew. While in Rome he struggled with temptations, and would alternate between giving in to youthful passions and periods of a form of penitential asceticism to assuage his guilty conscience, and would also visit the tombs and catacombs of martyrs and saints under Rome. His fear of the darkness of those tombs was a reminder, he would later write, of the Hell that awaited him if he did not repent of his sinful ways.

St Jerome officially converted to Christianity at the age of 19 and was baptised by the Bishop of Rome. He then moved to Treves, modern day Trier, in Gaul where he began his theological studies. In Treves, he began making copies of the writings of St Hilary of Poitiers which he sold to wealthy patrons, and some of which he kept for himself forming the basis of his own theological library. Upon completion of his studies in Treves he returned to Aquileia, a city near the place of his birth in North-Eastern Italy. There he began making friends in the Christian community, and also developed enemies due to his sharp tongue and less than diplomatic nature. Eventually he chose to leave, heading east for Antioch where he arrived in 373. He studied under some of the local Christian leaders and ultimately began leading an ascetic lifestyle in the desert and where he began his study of Hebrew in order to better understand the Old Testament. Shortly before leaving Antioch, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Paulinus, the Nicaean Bishop of Antioch, in recognition of his academic studies, but only on the condition that he would not be required to fulfil priestly duties.

Around 380 St Jerome travelled to Constantinople where he studied under St Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople, before being asked by Bishop Paulinus to accompany him to Rome in 382 for a Council to resolve controversies over a schism in Antioch between Arian and Nicene Christians. The Council was held under the leadership of the Bishop of Rome, St Damasus I who ultimately was greatly impressed by Jerome’s arguments and convinced him to stay in Rome and serve as his secretary. St Jerome served the Bishop until Damasus’s death in 384 after which St Jerome was forced to leave Rome due various false charges and scandals being raised against him by the many enemies he had made over his years there. He eventually settled in Jerusalem where he spent the last thirty years of his life working on a Latin translation of the Bible, which had originally been commissioned by St Damasus in 382. It was not completed in St Jerome’s lifetime, but his work ultimately became the standard Bible of the Roman Catholic Church, the Latin Vulgate Bible, for centuries after.

St Jerome is well-known for his writings, with many of his letters, treatises and other works suriving to this day. While his contribution of the Latin Vulgate Bible is probably his most well-recognized contribution, he was considered an extremely learned and articulate writer in his time and many of his other thoughts were considered extremely persuasive.

It was in 383 that St Jerome published his treatise on the Virginity of the Blessed Mary, in response to claims made by Helvidius. Helvidius contended, supported by the writings of Tertullian and St Victorinus of Pettau that references to brethren of Christ in the Scriptures confirmed that Mary had issue subsequent to Christ. Jerome responded with three propositions which today are maintained as Catholic doctrines on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Over the hundred years that followed the publication of the treatise, the views articulated by St Jerome would become the foundation of the views of the Church Fathers on Mary which would survive until modern times. To this day, the Anglican tradition holds that, “ancient Christian authority,” affirms Mary’s perpetual virginity.

St Jerome’s treatise provided three arguments. First that Helvidius had gravely misinterpreted the Gospel of St Matthew 1. 18-25 which describes St Mary and St Joseph. Second, that the use of the term “brethren” of the Lord doesn’t imply biological siblings born of St Mary, but rather that they were Christ’s cousins. Third, St Jerome concluded that virginity is greater than a married state.

On his first claim, in response to verse 25, which reads, “But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” St Jerome argued that Scripture showed that the word until did not have a fixed meaning as Helvidius replied, citing a number of verses:

Paul the Apostle writing to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15. 23) says, “Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christ’s, at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” Granted that the passage relates to our Lord’s human nature, we do not deny that the words are spoken of Him who endured the cross and is commanded to sit afterwards on the right hand. What does he mean then by saying, “for he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet”? Is the Lord to reign only until His enemies begin to be under His feet, and once they are under His feet will He cease to reign? Of course His reign will then commence in its fulness when His enemies begin to be under His feet.

The second counter-argument hinges on St Jerome’s contention that Helvidius misunderstood St Luke’s gospel as well where in Lk 2. 6-7 it says, “While they were [in Bethlehem], the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” A similar counter-argument is presented that simply because Christ is called Mary’s firstborn does not require that there be subsequent issue. In St Jerome’s words:

Our position is this: Every only begotten son is a first-born son, but not every first-born is an only begotten. By first-born we understand not only one who is succeeded by others, but one who has had no predecessor. “Everything,” says the Lord to Aaron (Nm 18. 15), “that openeth the womb of all flesh which they offer unto the Lord, both of man and beast, shall be thine: nevertheless the first born of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.” (The word of God defines first-born as everything that openeth the womb. Otherwise, if the title belongs to such only as have younger brothers, the priests cannot claim the firstlings until their successors have been begotten, lest, perchance, in case there were no subsequent delivery it should prove to be the first-born but not merely the only begotten.

Similar Scriptural arguments are presented to show that the term brethren and brothers are used to refer to cousins and other relations, and therefore a reference to James as the brother of the Lord does not necessarily mean he was the son of St Mary and St Joseph.

St Jerome concluded by noting a life of single celibacy, in contrast to Helvidius’s arguments, could more easily be viewed as fruitful to Christian life as married life brings with it many distractions from God, from the concerns of maintaining a household to the raising of children. “Tell me, pray,” asks St Jerome, “where amid all this is there room for the thought of God?”

St Jerome’s blunt words to Helvidius articulated a doctrine on Mary which has been held by the Church for centuries since, and strongly reminds all Christians of the importance of the primacy of Scripture: “We believe that God was born of the Virgin, because we read it. That Mary was married after she brought forth, we do not believe, because we do not read it.”

On Contemporary Christian Music

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

KEEP, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy; and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As has been discussed, worship comes in many forms. It is, simply put, the way in which we ascribe worth to God. Art can be an important tool of worship, but it also brings with it possible difficulties. Throughout the ages, there has always been an important question asked of art as it intersects with the worship of God: where is the point at which art, intended to be used as a tool for worshipping God, becomes a hindrance to worship of God by usurping God as the focus of worship?

This was a question at the heart of the Byzantine iconoclasm controversy of the 8th century, and which has remained throughout the life of the church in relation to all mediums of art. In this period, there was a split in the church over whether or not icons could legitimately depict Christ, or whether or not they could only represent his humanity at the expense of his divinity. Ultimately this concern reflected the question of the legitimacy of the art as a tool of worship. In much the same way, particularly in the United States, music has become the medium under scrutiny.

Millions of Christians around the world find the contemporary Christian rock worship music significantly enhances their ability to praise God. To others, however, modern worship music, as it’s often called, has usurped the place of God as the object of worship. As Lance Ralston puts it, modern worship emphasizes the creation, “of emotional rapture and the worship of worship, rather than the worship of God.” With the desire to instill this feeling of rapture as the goal, musical worship can become the focus of a Sunday service in some protestant churches, and elaborate productions are put on, attracting hundreds and thousands who are seeking a ‘worship high’ from the experience.

This pursuit of a ‘worship high’ is part of a dangerous trend which sees the feelings evoked by Christianity as the goal of Christianity, replacing salvation. That in and of itself is dangerous, as it again reflects changing the meaning of Christian worship from ascribing worth to God to ascribing worth to self (you give worth to yourself by emphasizing your own personal experience over giving glory to God).

It is perhaps easy to see this experiential goal in the high production value performances of US mega churches, or various actual concerts, but there is an even more insidious form of this same issue of the worship of worship and the experience of worship.

In any Sunday service, be it Anglican, Roman Catholic or a protestant denomination, whenever a musician begins to play there is always a question of how the congregation reacts. For a musician, the music they are playing as much as the words they are potentially singing can be offered to God. There can be a problem when the music is being offered for the benefit of the congregation, for its inherent beauty, and for their enjoyment, rather than in praise of God. From the opposite side of the spectrum, regardless of the intentions of the musicians, the congregation can create and seek out their own euphoric experience from the music, rather than focusing on singing in praise of God.

Worship is generally active; a conscience decision to do something. When a person is passively receptive to what is happening, it is difficult to explain how that might constitute worship of God. When you seek something, rather than seek to do something, the focus has shifted.

In response to just this concern being raised in his home church, the Christian singer/songwriter Matthew Redman wrote and released the song “The Heart of Worship” in 1998, which contains the lines:

I’m coming back to the Heart of Worship,
and it’s all about You, Jesus.
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
when it's all about You, it's all about You, Jesus.

The lyrics are a stark reminder that the importance is in the meaning behind the words and the intention behind singing them, not whatever else, or whatever experience we receive either by hearing the music or even by expressing ourselves in song.

In many ways it echoes the warning prophesied by Isaiah when he wrote:

And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

This should make complete sense. Songs are merely prayers arranged to music, much like the Psalms. As prayers, they reflect and, in some ways, shape our faith. If we constantly worship, even with the intention of glorifying God, through music with shallow prayers.

The question then becomes how to corporately ensure that the focus remains on the words and prayers, and that the art remains a tool for the worship of God, and not simply to create an experience for man. One method, discussed next week, is through the use of the Book of Common Worship.

On the Law of Prayer

Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

O ALMIGHTY God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist: Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Among Anglicans, the phrase lex orandi, lex credendi is almost as popular as references to Scripture, Tradition and Reason as an explanation of the Anglican faith. The Latin expression is popularly rendered in English as, “the law of prayer is the law of faith.” Put simply it means that Christian faith finds its expression first and foremost in our prayers. Many protestant denominations have confessional statements while the Roman Catholic Church has a very comprehensive Catechism which includes all teachings that are to be believed in those denominations and members must assent to. However, it is through their prayers that their faith, and adherence or not to those doctrines, is revealed.

If prayer is so central to defining Christian faith, then, this begs the question of what constitutes prayer? St Teresa of Avila once described prayer as, “nothing else… than being on terms of friendship with God.” When at the start of a Sunday service, parishioners recite the Collect for Purity, entreating God to, “cleanse the thoughts of our hearts,” it is prayer. When we say, “Thank you!” for another supplication, it is also prayer. When in the practice of lectio divina, we simply rest in God’s presence without actively communicating that is still prayer. St Teresa’s perspective helps us to understand why we pray. The Father knows our needs better than we ourselves understand them. This leads many to question why we need to pray. The simple answer is we are commanded to. In the Epistle of St James we are reminded that we are invited by God to lift our needs before Him, and that He wants to be on terms of friendship with us as St Teresa says. Brother Lawrence, a 17th century lay Carmelite brother, put it this way:

Think often on God, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions. He is always near your and with you; leave Him not alone. You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you; why then must God be neglected? Do not, then, forget him but think on Him often, adore Him continually…

We develop those terms of friendship with God in the same way we would with any living person: through proximity and frequent communication.

Prayer is the primary tool of communication with God, though we also learn of God’s nature and will through Holy Scripture. Prayer itself is a multi-faceted gemstone, each face is different but all reflect the glory of God. In being familiar with all of them and their different shapes and natures, we develop depth and variety to our communications with God, preventing our conversations from becoming a repetitive monotone. In the corporate realm, our prayers are expressed through the liturgy.

In this corporate expression, however, lex orandi, lex credendi in modern times has become a somewhat nebulous concept to some, for instance the Preface to the Canadian Book of Alternative Services which states that lex orandi, lex credendi:

means that theology as the statement of the Church belief is drawn from the liturgy... The development of theology is… a reflective process in which theology may be discovered. The Church must be open to liturgical change in order to maintain sensitivity to the impact of the gospel on the world and to permit the continuous development of a living theology.

In this reasoning, any form of prayer (in this case specifically the liturgy) creates orthodox theology which ought to be acceptable, however in this case it ignores the reminder of St James that, “you ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (Jas 4. 3). Similarly our faith will be in error if it is based on prayer which does not align with the will of God.

Pope Pius XII wrote in his encyclical Mediator Dei:

We refer to the error and fallacious reasoning of those who have claimed that the sacred liturgy is a kind of proving ground for the truths to be held of faith, meaning by this that the Church is obliged to declare such a doctrine sound when it is found to have produced fruits of piety and sanctity through the sacred rites of the liturgy, and to reject it otherwise.

Here Pius rejects this line of reasoning in 1947, in a statement which at that time well could have been written by Anglicans. The Preface to the 1962 Book of Common Prayer expressed the intention that, “those who use it may become more truly what they already are: the People of God, that New Creation in Christ which finds its joy in adoration of the Creator and Redeemer of all.”

Prayer creates roots for our faith. A shallow devotional life cannot survive the turbulent storms that afflict us; without strong roots an outwardly strong looking tree can be toppled by the slightest breeze. At the same time, the roots can be strong, but they will not grow into a tree of orthodox faith if the roots themselves are not orthodox.

This reality begins to illuminate the importance of the Book of Common Prayer, commonly referred to as the Prayer Book, to Anglicans. For some, the BCP may simply be a book of liturgy, but the reality is that it is a book of Scripture and prayer that can help us to develop our faith and keep our prayers in line with God’s will. The wrong petitions, those in opposition to God’s will, display a false faith, or a faith which has been led astray.

The Book of Common Prayer helps to ensure that our prayers are illuminated by the will of God. It is steeped in Scripture; the first and last lines of the Book of Common Prayer are Scripture. It is a guidebook to a life of prayer and learning about the nature of the God who wants to hold a personal friendship with us.

The Book of Common Prayer contains not simply Scripture, but prayers, the catholic Creeds, the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion and is viewed as being one of the traditional formularies of Anglicanism. It is a tool that does not simply aid in our prayer, but does so in a way that ensures that the rule of prayer by which we develop our faith is one rooted in orthodoxy.

On Liturgy

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service: Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For someone who is new to Anglicanism, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper on Sunday is probably their primary form of worship. From an outsider’s perspective, there might be one other piece of information they know of what to expect when they come to an Anglican church on a Sunday: liturgy. A formal prescribed order of service prescribed in some dusty tome that tells parishioners what to say, when to say it, when to sit, when to kneel, when to stand and when to sing.

There is a famous quotation by CS Lewis from his Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer where he says:

Every service is a structure of words and acts through which we receive a sacrament, or repent, or supplicate, or adore. And it enables us to do these things best--if you like, it “works” best--when through long familiarity, we don’t have to think about it. As long as you notice, and have to count, the steps, you are not dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don’t notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not consciously think about eyes, or light, or print, or spelling. The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.

In this, he describes the faithful utility of a liturgy when coming to worship in that it allows worshippers to focus on God rather than being concerned with an order of service. Lewis here expresses the practical reason for St Paul’s reminder to the Corinthians that, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” (1 Cor 14. 33) This is a useful understanding of why there is a written and ordered liturgy, but to take this understanding (and it should be noted Lewis was talking here on the subject of worship, not liturgy specifically) is only a minor part of the full meaning of liturgy, the expression of liturgy that we see only when we gather together to worship, just as worship of God occurs both corporately and privately, but it is chiefly expressed for many Christians on Sunday when they gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

The liturgy goes well beyond that, however. It is an ancient institution with roots in the early church where the liturgies sprung up out of Christ’s words of institution recorded throughout the Scriptures. As it is rendered in the Book of Common Prayer:

[Christ], in the same night that he was betrayed, took Bread; and, when he had given thanks, he brake it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take, eat; this is my Body which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me. Likewise after supper he took the Cup; and, when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all, of this; for this is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins: Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.

Following Christ’s commandment to do this in remembrance of Him, a number of different liturgies with almost entirely common features, but generally different orders, appeared.

The modern Anglican liturgy stems from two of these ancient liturgies. The earliest English Church liturgies were rooted in the liturgies of St John and St Paul associated with the Church at Ephesus. During the 6th century, St Augustine of Canterbury introduced some revisions using the Sacramentary of St Gregory the Great, which itself found its roots in the Liturgy of St Peter, associated with Rome.

The first thing to remember about the liturgy is thus that it is rooted in both Scripture, Christ’s commandment to us, and in the traditions of the Apostles and the Church Fathers.

It should further be noted, even from just this brief introduction, that there is more to liturgy than simply a formal and prescribed method of worshipping when Christians gather. The etymology of the word liturgy may reveal even more. The term stems from the ancient Greek leitourgia, which might be rendered as ‘work of the people’ or ‘public works’ and referred to the civic works undertaken by wealthy citizens on behalf of all the people. In that sense, the liturgy for Christians referred to the works they were instructed, by Christ, to undertake on behalf of all people. The term in its Christian origins can be traced to the Septuagint (the Greek language translation of the Hebrew Scriptures used by Jews during the time of the early Church) in which the word leitourgia was used to refer to public religious service at the Jewish Temple.

Christ’s instructions to Christians were not limited simply to the use of the sacraments. Early Christian understanding of liturgy involved their actions at all times, of which only part was frequent participation in the Lord’s Supper for spiritual nourishment.

It is why when the communion is finished, the Prayer Book ends the service with a final blessing based on St Paul’s words to the Philippians:

THE peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen. (Phil 4. 7)

In this blessing, we are commissioned to go forth to continue to do the liturgy throughout the week by keeping the knowledge and love of God in our hearts and minds at all times. We pray to God to bless us in this way, to keep that knowledge, in order that we as Christians may perform our own ‘work of the people’ throughout the week by practicing the love of God as Christ further instructed us.

In both the practical sense of an order of service, and the broader reminder that Christians are called to love all people, the liturgy stands as a necessary tool for Christian life, and an essential practice of the ancient Church.

On Worship

The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. 

Worship has been described as the principle duty of a Christian, but how is that duty fulfilled? As touched upon previously, worship means ascribing worth to something or someone. It is therefore something we do to God; it is not something we can come to passively experience. JI Packer goes so far as to suggest that, “[w]e are constructed so that no activity ever brings us such deep joy as does the worship of God, once we are enabled (through new birth in Christ and through the liberating power of the Holy Spirit) to plunge into it.”

This makes generally clear the concept of worship. It is something done by us that shows how we ascribe worth to God, and at the same time gives us joy owing to how God created us. But how do we worship? What constitutes worship?

There are many different ideas on what constitutes worship. JI Packer concluded his thought by suggesting that, “worshipping on earth is training and rehearsal for heaven.” This reflects the concept of worship as a mirror of heaven, a practice for our eventual joining of the Church Triumphant in heaven, ceaselessly praising God with all the other saints and angels in heaven. Others view worship as more of a form of service to God. It is show of devotion to God for who He is and what He has done. Among many evangelical circles, including some Evangelical Anglicans, it is viewed merely as an affirmation for believers, an opportunity for peace and refreshment amidst the turmoil of the world. Still others view it as a form of communion with God and other Christians. Worship becomes an opportunity to share our relationship with God with other believers in community. Still to others, worship is more of an external act, a proclamation of the Gospel; an opportunity to make a profession of belief to non-believers about the God we worship. Among charismatics, there is also a notion of worship as being an arena of transcendence, a way of meeting with God beyond ourselves.

Examining any local parish, it would be possible to see multiple ideas of worship in action, regardless of whether or not that parish identified itself as being evangelical or charismatic or anything else. Most parishes will not be alike, emphasizing one idea over another, and excluding a third completely. For instance, a parish rooted in Low Churchmanship might largely ignore the concept of worship as a mirror of heaven, and instead focus more thoroughly on ideas of service to God and affirmation for believers. A parish of a more High Churchmanship might conversely have greater focus on worship as a mirror of heaven and communion with God and other Christians.

What is important is that whatever lens or idea is used to frame worship, it ultimately be done in the original context of ascribing worth to God. Worship must always focus on God, glorifying and affirming him, and should never shift that focus away from God towards the individual. Worship is not about making ourselves feel better. As JI Packer says, we receive joy from worshipping God. We don’t need to make it about us in order to receive joy from worship!

Coming to Holy Communion on a Sunday morning is thus in and of itself an act of worship; in doing so we proclaim God’s worth of our time each week. But beyond that, how do we worship?

Holy Scripture commands us to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” (Mk 12. 30). How does that apply in the context of worship?

Properly, worship focuses on God. The best worship, however, focuses on God with all our five senses, in order that we display our love as Christ commanded. In doing so, we are actively engaging all that we are in worship. Worshipping God with some senses may seem more readily apparent than others. It is simply to think of how we worship God with hearing, listening to the Gospel or singing beautiful hymns, but what of our senses of smell or touch?

As mentioned there are two simple ways in which we engage our hearing in worship. First, there is the receptive way. When we listen to the Gospel and other lessons being read from Scripture, we ascribe worth to God. We similarly engage our hearing when we listen to the homily expounding on the nature of God. Alternatively we can be active towards God and engage hearing through our own words and songs. When we pray, in and of itself it is an act of worship, but when we pray together, it becomes a second act of worship, seeking to make our prayers beautiful to the ears. The same can be said of when we use our voices to sing, joining the Angels in their unending hymn to God. In both of these cases, our hearing is engaged in filling our hearts and minds with the love and praise of God, and the revelations of His nature.

Sight is another obvious way to engage our senses in the worship of God. From a prepared altar to stained glass windows or other decorations around the church, our eyes can be constantly engaged. Banners in liturgical colours remind us of historic events or seasons and of God’s nature and relationship with us. Clerical garments and altar decorations similarly have specific meanings. Just as our hearing is engaged receptively, our sight can be similarly engaged as we watch the cross processed to the sanctuary or other actions carried out during the service.

The most common way to engage our smell is through the use of incense, a practice dating back to the early Church. The use of incense throughout the service carries with it different meanings. When the Gospel is processed amidst the people to be read and is censed, it is meant to bring to mind the devotion and prayers of missionaries of the Church in bringing the Gospel to the world. During the offertory, the censing represents God’s grace being imparted. During the consecration and preparation of the gifts the incense is offered as adoration for God.Even when incense is not used, there are other smells which can be engaged in worship. The altar will be adorned with candles, and while unscented still produce a smell from the burning of the wick, particularly once they have been extinguished at the end of the service.

The sense of taste is engaged when we receive God’s grace through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Ps 34. 8) The mouth is the gateway to our body, and when we engage our tongue in the consumption of the body and blood of our Lord, the taste reminds us of the gift we have received, the constant refilling of God’s grace and our duty of thanks towards Him.

Finally, our sense of touch is somewhat surprisingly one of the more versatile of our senses in the context of worship. There is something about the physicality of touch that lends tangibility to the intangible aspects of worship. We touch others to pass the peace in preparation for giving of offerings to God. We touch ourselves when we cross ourselves at the invocation of the trinity and other points during the service. We touch the baptismal font and cross ourselves to renew our baptismal vows. Taken more broadly, touch can involve all aspects of our physical activity. When we kneel to pray or stand to sing.

Worship is best when it engages our whole minds and bodies, and when every aspect of our being is engaged in ascribing worth to God. Holy Communion provides a feast of worship for each of our five senses, but in order to translate a candle or a stole into worship, we must engage our senses with the intention of worship.