St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

In our "Questions to the clergy" slot, John will try to answer any query you throw at him, without hesitation, deviation or repetition...

Move table and change clothes?

Q. Why have churches nowadays moved their altars so that vicars stand behind them facing the congregation, and why don’t you wear those lovely coloured robes which vicars used to wear?

A. Both these questions are about what we think is going on in the church service.

In the medieval church the priest used to face the table with his back to the people while he prayed (spoke to God), and he used to face the people when he spoke to them. The layout imagined that God “lived” at the east end of the church, and at communion God was particularly in the consecrated bread and wine. The priest stood between God and the people, and represented each side to the other.

As Jesus is our servant and our king, and as the priest stood in Jesus’ place, it was right for the priest to wear symbols of this. So he would wear the stole (a symbolic towel, representing the towel Jesus wore at the last supper to wash the disciples’ feet), and the chasuble (a “kingly robe” meaning Jesus’ glory).

At the Reformation the Protestant church realized these had been mistaken ideas. God does not dwell in one particular part of the building - and indeed we are all the “body of Christ” when we gather to worship him. Jesus is the only mediator between God and people. The priest can be a teacher (like Jesus) and he can be a servant (like Jesus), but he isn’t to be elevated or put on a pedestal of glory like Jesus. The communion service is not a sacrifice, but a fellowship meal of remembrance; so that table is not an “altar”, and the celebrant should face God who is present in the congregation.

So the modern arrangement reflects all these changes. The priest doesn’t stand “between” God and the people: s/he acknowledges the people as being the body of Christ by facing them. S/he can wear the scarf and hood (symbols of academic life) because the task of the ordained ministry is to teach us to know God for ourselves. Or s/he can wear the stole (towel) as a sign of being a servant; but not the chasuble, as only Jesus is king. The table is for having a meal round, and is therefore moved so you can get behind it, and it is not called an “altar” any more.

Although we tend to think some of these changes are quite recent, many of them go back to 1552, a mere 450 years.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. July 2002, Page 8.
Home Page. Index of articles. Questions: index, Resurrection, Lord's Prayer, Apocrypha, Creationism, Change, Wedding Blessings. In this issue: (July 2002) Vicar's Letter, On TV, Wildfire, Question.	In our "Questions to the clergy" slot, John will try to answer any query you throw at him, without hesitation, deviation or repetition... Move table and change clothes? Q. Why have churches nowadays moved their altars so that vicars stand behind them facing the congregation, and why don’t you wear those lovely coloured robes which vicars used to wear? A. Both these questions are about what we think is going on in the church service. In the medieval church the priest used to face the table with his back to the people while he prayed (spoke to God), and he used to face the people when he spoke to them. The layout imagined that God “lived” at the east end of the church, and at communion God was particularly in the consecrated bread and wine. The priest stood between God and the people, and represented each side to the other. As Jesus is our servant and our king, and as the priest stood in Jesus’ place, it was right for the priest to wear symbols of this. So he would wear the stole (a symbolic towel, representing the towel Jesus wore at the last supper to wash the disciples’ feet), and the chasuble (a “kingly robe” meaning Jesus’ glory). At the Reformation the Protestant church realized these had been mistaken ideas. God does not dwell in one particular part of the building - and indeed we are all the “body of Christ” when we gather to worship him. Jesus is the only mediator between God and people. The priest can be a teacher (like Jesus) and he can be a servant (like Jesus), but he isn’t to be elevated or put on a pedestal of glory like Jesus. The communion service is not a sacrifice, but a fellowship meal of remembrance; so that table is not an “altar”, and the celebrant should face God who is present in the congregation. So the modern arrangement reflects all these changes. The priest doesn’t stand “between” God and the people: s/he acknowledges the people as being the body of Christ by facing them. S/he can wear the scarf and hood (symbols of academic life) because the task of the ordained ministry is to teach us to know God for ourselves. Or s/he can wear the stole (towel) as a sign of being a servant; but not the chasuble, as only Jesus is king. The table is for having a meal round, and is therefore moved so you can get behind it, and it is not called an “altar” any more. Although we tend to think some of these changes are quite recent, many of them go back to 1552, a mere 450 years. John Hartley
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