Ritual | Sensory Stations of the Cross - A Guide
The Stations of the Cross. This somber, silent, contemplative devotion is wonderful for those disposed to grim affect and penitential mood, but these don’t readily describe most children. And yet it might be asked: can “most children” be shepherded into the rich fullness of the Stations? Can the Via Dolorosa inspire awe and repentance even in the young? My church, Christ the King Anglican Church in Marietta, GA, thought so. But how?
Headboard Reredos | Arts & Crafts.
My parish – St. Mark’s, Loomis – has a small side altar which was the altar originally built for the parish. A former rector did not like that it was an eastward-facing (ad orientem) altar, and so he had it cut down the middle so as to make it slim enough to stand behind. Needless to say, its new size made celebrating the Holy Communion quite precarious – even when restored to the eastward position. When I became Rector of the parish, one of the first things done was have a new (larger) altar constructed to replace it. However, we didn’t want to destroy this meaningful piece of parish history, and so it was moved in order to function as a side altar. This did create one small issue: we only had enough accoutrement for a single altar. We would have to acquire all the “stuff,” as it were. We managed candlesticks, some paraments, and a dossal curtain, but I wanted something more. It was around then that I acquired a uniquely shaped headboard which sparked my imagination: it would make the perfect reredos.
Lay Readers | Distribution from the Reserved Sacrament?
In the absence of regular access to ordained clergy, the need arises for lay distribution of Holy Communion to the Faithful. There are instances where a layperson may need to administer the Sacrament to even entire congregations. Although irregular, it is fortunate that our Prayer Book provides us with a form for such distribution. No doubt those who have read the Prayer Book are aware that the rites for Holy Communion allow – provided certain omissions are made in the liturgy – for the distribution of Communion from the Reserved Sacrament.
Psalm 151 | Pusillus eram inter fratres
Crossway’s ESV with Apocrypha printed by Anglican House Press for the use of the Anglican Church in North America contains an expanded Apocrypha which exceeds even the books listed in the 39 Articles of Religion. If you were to open it up and take a look toward the back of the volume, you would find the 151st Psalm provided. This is an apocryphal canticle which is attributed to King David and has its roots in the Second Temple Period. It later finds retentions in the Septuagint and Armenian Scriptures.
Anglican Iconography | Christ Enthroned.
Images of the Blessed Virgin and Child (Seat of Wisdom iconography) enthroned are typically paired with images of our Lord enthroned and the two often sit opposite each other. The former representing the frailty of the humanity Christ assumed from His blessed mother, with the latter depicting Him in kingly glory representing His divine majesty. The question as to what Marian imagery an Anglican parish would commission is quite obvious: Our Lady of Walsingham. There is perhaps no other distinctly Anglican rendering of our Lady other than the Laudian depiction found above the South Porch of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin – which is by no means as famous. There is a less obvious question for Anglican parishes, however: what is a suitable companion to Our Lady of Walsingham? Surely, an image of Christ enthroned is the ancient precedent, but is there a distinctly Anglican rendering?
Anglican Iconography | Our Lady of Walsingham.
Although sacred images have a long and lasting legacy within the Anglican Tradition, “icons” (in the Byzantine style) are rather new. Yet, they are everywhere. For small parishes, these icons are simply more accessible than traditional Western statuary. Byzantine iconographers are ubiquitous and this places “icons” well within the reach of any parish’s beautifying efforts. There is nothing wrong with this, but it does require caution and attention to detail. The real difficulty with purchasing Anglican icons is acquiring ones that remain faithful to the tradition without feeling overly “Eastern.”