Ceremonies.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume X, Issue 12, 1 May 1920, Page 5

Ceremonies.

In resuming these ; Articles we take the opportunity to thank several cor--respondents for letters of appreciation, and to assure a few other equally; esteemed . eon'espondents who do ; not, appreciate them that all people are not alike, do riot think alifce^, do iibt love, the same things nor find" spiritual help m the ,same things, otherwise this would be a very drab world. -We wish everybody could read. Percy Dearmer 's ' f Art of- " , God loves beauty, else why did He make it? Is~ it not reasonable to ..worship God imßeauty as well-as m Holiness?, Can we give top much care to; thebeautifying of our churches and services 1 ? Can we offer anything but the best and loveliest . in our worship/of God, who has given us -so richly to v enjpy the beautiful things of nature? . _We think that failure to appreciate the value of order, comeliness, and beauty m Church ceremonies and ornaments must arise from an inadequate conception of the appeal, wljich religious art makes to ,.' the/ souls of artistic people^. and of the gpeat assistance which art leands to "devotion.. The story of Vladimir's conversion given on page 8. of the January "Churchman," is an instance of what frequently, happens on a smaller scale when people who are seeking God are touched by the beauty of appropriate ceremonial. ;And just as .beauty attracts, ancjf is a help to devotion, so ; ugliness repels and is a hindrance to worship. As good manners m". ordinary conduct spring from humility: and. gentleness of heart, so the ceremonies of worship are an putward expression of the inward- coriceptioa we -have of God. ' The Seraphim veil their, : faces and: the elders* fall, down before the throne, but the proud men.: and the stiff-necked say their prayers squatting on their seats or loungiiig m their pews. In private^ men naturally express their devotion m their own way, but m public worship, where all pray together, there - must be some rules of ceremonial, otherwise we should have confusion. In these articles we are endeavoring to set out the rules which' are either' laid- down

by the Church or have become common custom from long experience of their value. ' j Our' last article dealt with general rules as to worship. This "month we, begin a few remarks upon the . Cere- ■; monies at Holy Communion. Jn the:' great Eastern Liturgies ",,the r priepafaction for the Eucharist, especially -the 1 preparation, of the elements m the Chapel of Prothesis, is a most elaborate ceremony, but m our own liturgy the preparation is.notvmen'.'■^■ned; yet some preparation is ne.cessary. Before the service the-Sac-ristan has placed upon the Credence " or 'shelf the cbalice and paten, a- Cruet of Wine, another of water and a box of some kind containing the bread; (see our issue, April, 1919). The wine must be real wine, that is, the fermented juice of grapes, preferably red; "unfennented wine" is not wine at all. The; bread should be unleavened, a mixture of pure flour, salt and water, baked m loaf form and cut m slices, or m the form of a biscuit, marked m squares so as to be easily broken, without crumbling. Single wafers are commonly used, but the use of them obscures the significant ceremony of "breaking of the bread" which is a part of the original institution by Our Lord, and is important, as signifying the participation of the communicants m the one broken Body of Christ. * . In the Eastern Church specially made leavened bread is used for the Blessed Sacrament. The rule of the West has been to follow our Lord's example and use unleavened bread. The Church of England, however, to avoid contention on a point that is. not of vital importance, allows the use of leavened bread provided it is the best and purest wheat bread than can be conveniently got. Bread which contains alum and potatoes cannot be said to be "pure wheaten" bread," though m many cases it is the best that can be got from the ordinary baker. Much, of it is very crumbly it requires to be pressed and marked m squares with a knife so that it may, be easily broken without; making crumbs. Unleavened "bread specially made for the purpose is certainly far better and is m accprd'ance. with the rule of the Church rather than with the exception..