Smells and Bells?

The expression "smells and bells" has often been used among Anglicans and others to refer to high celebrations of the Eucharist using incense and small altar bells. Technically speaking, both practices are adiaphora or indifferent matters, which may or may not be used to embellish a particular service, Recently, I have heard several comments on these matters and have decided to add my observations.

First, let us turn to the use of incense. Incense also has a long history in many religions, including the Jewish Temple. Incense has several uses: the smoke symbolizes  prayers rising heavenward, it has been a costly (sometimes lovely) offering to divine honor. Frankly, it has also been used as a practical cover for the smells of ancient sacrificial cults or for musty church buildings.

Before Constantine, incense seems to have been avoided by Christians because of the association with the pagan emperor cult. After the fourth century, Christian use of incense seems to have slowly increased, and in the medieval Latin Church, it became associated with scholastic theories of the Mass. For this reason, beginning in the sixteenth century, Anglicans tended to abandon the use of incense in worship. Despite occasional exceptions, incense did not make a come back among Anglicans till the nineteenth-century Tractarian and Ritualist movements. Since then, some Anglicans have seen incense simply as an aesthetic embellishment; others have viewed it as a serious affirmation of spirituality.

There is also another consideration regarding incense. Some people (including the writer) may have allergic and asthmatic reactions to strong scents including incense. A number of Anglicans have told me of such adverse physical reactions. So if a cleric or congregation wants to use incense on occasion, people should know in advance, and there should be another service without incense for those incense harms. 

Secondly, let us and consider bells. Bells have a long history in many religions. They have been used to get attention, to express sorrow, to express joy, and to mark especially significant moments. In Western Christianity, the Sanctus or altar bells date from the Middle Ages, and their increasing use seems related to the history of certain medieval theories of the Eucharist. They have been rung at several points, particularly at each "holy" in the Sanctus and before and after Christ's Words of Institution. Some Anglicans over the centuries have opposed the use of altar bells at the Eucharist. Some have simply viewed them as a disruption in quiet services. And some Anglicans are fond of altar bells as audible reminders of important liturgical points.

To conclude, smells and bells are adiaphora or optional. They may be uplifting for some people in some services, or they may be distracting to some. But ultimately, they are optional, and their use or omission is not necessarily an expression of doctrine.

Easter 2017

I often find myself a little lost for words about Easter. The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the overwhelming expression of divine power and grace in all human history. Sermons, hymns, and liturgies are important and humanly necessary responses, and yet they only scratch the surface. So for me, the reading of a resurrection Gospel and basic prayers of thanksgiving, including a simple early Communion service, make the point as well as the largest and most theatrical liturgies.

The Lord is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

Thoughts on Good Friday- John 18-19

I did not manage to observe Good Friday the way I planned. Unexpected events disrupted my schedule. Nevertheless, I did hear some impressive homilies/meditations and music over the media. In my drives, I also dropped in on two services. The clergy and others who make these services possible are to be commended for their efforts and their witness to the cross of Christ. And it was important to me to be present for at least short times in churches with other Christians who were also thinking of Christ's sacrifice for our salvation.

Most importantly for my spirituality, there were a few moments when I really meditated on some of the collects and the Passion Gospel from St. John. My heart and mind focused on the meaning of it all. I prayed the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us sinners") for myself, my family, and all people, and a sense of simple gratitude for divine love and grace flooded over me. So although  my personal plans for spending the day were derailed, God still used Good Friday to speak to me. Thanks be to God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the mighty and fearsome deeds of redemption and for His loving grace!

Palm Sunday?

Most contemporary Christians, even those who do not use many rituals/ceremonies,  know the Sunday before Easter as Palm Sunday. And on the first day of the week before Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection, the Gospel account of people praising Jesus and waving or strewing palm branches (in Matthew 21 and other places) is lovely and meaningful. As believers, we certainly think that Jesus was the Christ and deserved to be honored as a king coming in peace. So reading the Palm Gospel is appropriate, and there is nothing inherently wrong with having a few leaves of palms or other tress in commemoration.

Unfortunately, there are problems associated with this day from the first century onward. The crowd that praised Jesus did not really understand or appreciate Him. Five days later, some of the same people may have been yelling "crucify him."
In addition, from about the 8th century, the medieval church got carried away with the ceremony of the Palms. It became more and more elaborate, and in the popular consciousness overshadowed the more ancient liturgical emphasis of the Passion Gospel. So it should not be surprising that in 1549 Archbishop Cranmer tried to shift the emphasis. The ceremony of the Palms was abolished, and from then through 1662, Anglican Prayer Books simply called the day "The Sunday next before Easter." Even the American revision of the Book of Common Prayer in 1928 remained subdued in calling the day "The Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday."

Over the years, it seems that we have seen a repeat of the medieval developments. Ceremonies, palm leaves, music, and processions have become more and more widespread and elaborate. And in many Anglican and other churches, these cute rites have come to overshadow the Scriptural, ancient Catholic, and Reformation emphasis on Christ's Passion. While there are positive elements in observing Palm Sunday, one can see why Cranmer felt obliged to abolish it.