Wednesday, March 25, 2009
To venerate or not to venerate: that is the question
On Good Friday, we have a service entitled "Veneration of the Cross and Liturgy of the Passion". This is taken from Common Worship's Good Friday Liturgy (though the service isn't called that in the relevant booklet), and includes this as part of the introduction (also not part of the booklet):- During this service a crucifix is brought into the Church and we all have the opportunity to come forward in prayer and adoration. As the crucifix is brought in we proclaim "This is the wood of the cross" remembering that our crucifix is a spiritual help in contemplating the Cross of Christ. As we come forward we gently kiss the feet of our Lord and Saviour, or bow our heads, and give thanks for the tremendous gift of Christ who shared our humanity and suffered with and for us.
Unluckily, I have some major problems with the service theologically. The first two are easily dealt with: there is no confession or absolution before receiving of the sacrament. I'm very unhappy about this, but we're going to have a hymn with a confessional element, and I think we'll put in an absolution.
The third issue is a more major one for me. I'm unhappy about the veneration of the cross. To me, it feels like idolatry. I know I'm coming over all Protestant on this, but I think this is an extension of one of my first major theological feelings, when I was very uncomfortable about a Roman Catholic service I once attended of Corpus Christi, where the host was processed - paraded - around the cathedral. A clergy friend of mine (from a more catholic tradition than mine) notes that:
- [t]he first dictionary definition [of "veneration"] says "a feeling of profound respect for someone or something". Surely we can have profound respect for the representation of the cross because of what it represents.
- This is the wood of the cross, on which hung the saviour of the world.
- All come, let us worship.
The veneration of the cross is an old tradition - and a catholic one. There's nothing wrong with that, but I feel that the liturgy that's been put together within Common Worship goes too far towards what I believe are the errors of (certain types of) (mainly Roman) Catholic practice.
I know that I'm in danger of condemning practices which are very helpful for many people, and I'd stress that I enjoy ceremony and tradition and liturgy in many instances. But this feels like a step a little too far for me. It's made me think hard about other aspects of my worship - receiving a blessing before the Gospel reading (is it the book that's being blessed, or the reader and the reading?), kissing my stole before putting it on (is this to allow me to reflect on the responsibility I am taking on, or veneration of an object?) - but I think that's a good thing. In many ways, I'm a reformation protestant - or Reformation Protestant - but I need to understand how (and whether) that can be reconciled with more recent theological insights.
I see all of this as part of my growth and development as a minister: I appreciate comments and thoughts. And prayers, of course.
Labels: catholicism, liturgy, theology
When it comes to veneration of the cross, I kind of see your issue. But we don't worship the cross. We boast in it, we rejoice in what Our Lord achieved on it. To venerate is to honour, or to regard with reverence - not to worship.
...and that from a Methodist whose tradition is devoid of the richness brought by symbol. We might not have so many questions and conundrums, but we loose much more!
On Corpus Christi you might find this of interest.
(Whether or not you can be attached to the cross is a whole other question - somebody pass me a hammer).
Secondly, you have a problem with the liturgical response "This is the wood of the cross, on which hung the saviour of the world. Come let us worship." I disagree that the obvious answer to the question of the object of our worship is the wood of the cross. The phrase "Come let us worship" is used across the breadth of Christian tradition and has been for centuries and ALWAYS refers to God. I accept that A legitimate reading of the text is that it is the wood of the cross which is the object of worship, but an equally legitmate (and correct) reading of the text is that it is the saviour of the world, who hung on the cross, who is the object of our worship. It was precisely because of the possibility of this confusion and for the benefit of those with an unnuanced theology that I wrote that introduction, stating that "As the crucifix is brought in we proclaim "This is the wood of the cross" remembering that our crucifix is a spiritual help in contemplating the Cross of Christ. As we come forward we gently kiss the feet of our Lord and Saviour, or bow our heads, and give thanks for the tremendous gift of Christ who shared our humanity and suffered with and for us."
Finally, I think we should always keep in mind that what is going on here is not just a cerebral act but a physical and emotional one. You have stated before how important it is to kneel in worship and that you, and your congregation, have gained great benefit from your adopting of this posture - for example when leading the litany on Ash Wednesday. When you did so, you did it in front of the Altar, not because you were worshipping the wooden table, but because it was an appropriate focus for your worship of God. (You could have, just as easily, knelt in front of the broom cupboard, but you didn't). On Good Friday it does us no harm at all to get down on our knees before God and remember the great sacrifice that was made for our sake. And if the crucifix is the catalyst which enables people to do this then bring it on!
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