To Bow and To Bend: 12 Acts of Reverence

The following are 12 Acts of Reverence, all of which are always appropriate in church, and any of which you may want to experiment with during this season of Lent.

1. Pray as you Enter Church — Saint Francis used to teach his brother monks always to say a prayer of blessing as they enter the Lord’s House. As you enter the worship space, become aware of the awesome nature of what occurs there. Either speak some short prayer of a sentence or two asking God to bless what happens there, or simply let your prayer be your awareness of God’s presence.

2. Bring Food for the Hungry — At the Offertory we are giving the “firstfruits” of our labor to the Lord. This is most often money. But as you come to worship also bring a can or box of food for the hungry and let your offerings be to the Lord and his people.

3. Reverence the Cross — As you are about to enter your pew, look up and become aware of the cross. Then honor the significance of that symbol with a small bow or curtsy. Some reverence the cross each time they move in or out of the pew or cross in front of it. This is appropriate, just as it is also appropriate to reverence the cross once as you first encounter it and a final time as you leave.

4. Pray Before the Service Begins — Our liturgical style of worship is so distilled and powerful that at times you may feel it began without you, such is its almost immediate emotional height. Prepare yourself to enter worship with silent prayer. What should you pray? Using a visual image, think of opening yourself and giving all the fragmentation, busyness and brokenness of yourself to God to receive and take off your shoulders in this time. Become what people call “centered” meaning that your attention stops wandering and rushing, but becomes slow and deliberate and you become calm and able to truly listen and truly connect with the words that you speak.

5. Bow as the Cross Passes You — This sign of reverence is ancient and simply shows an honoring on your part of the significance of that symbol of death become our eternal symbol of redemption.

6. Following the Lessons — If you usually read along with the lessons, sometimes consider merely listening to them. Remember that for many centuries people could not read. Their experience of the scriptures was only aural. If you usually listen to the scriptures only, consider reading along. You may find that in seeing the words and structure new meaning is available to you.

7. Cross Yourself at the Gospel — The Gospel is the “Good News” in direct translation. It is the good news of what God has done in Christ. As the gospel is presented (e.g. “The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark.”) many people will make three small crosses with their thumbs, one on their forehead, one on their lips and one on their heart. This action is like a sealing of ourselves as we say, “May it always be on my mind, on my lips and in my heart.”

8. Challenge and Grace — As a simple way of meditating on the scriptures, look for the challenge of whatever kind that is present in the passage and then look for the word or demonstration of God’s grace. When considering the crucifixion the challenge might be that we are not always delivered in times of great distress. The grace might be that even through suffering God is working out a greater redemption.

9. Position in Prayer — When a person says, “I don’t know” they may throw their arms open showing emptiness. When a person says, “I was so ashamed” they may close themselves up with face downcast showing deep humility. All the prayers of our service can be prayed in such positions as well. You might pray openly with your face upwardly cast and arms open, showing praise and openness to God. You might pray with deep humility, bending your head and closing your arms. Both are always appropriate. Consider both as you pray.

10. Cross Yourself When Blessed — When forgiveness of sins is pronounced by the priest he or she often make a sign of the cross in the air, signifying that it is through the cross that we are forgiven. In the same way at the end of the service the sign of the cross is made during the blessing. When this symbol is made signifying forgiveness or blessing the people may seek to cross themselves, as a sign of owning, receiving and accepting this blessing.

11. Bow at the Name of Jesus — In ancient practice people bow at the name of Jesus, particularly during the liturgy. This shows reverence and a subscription to Christ’s Lordship over us.

12. Movement is Prayer — The standing, kneeling and sitting of the liturgy are not simply pragmatic. Many churches do not incorporate nearly as much movement as the Episcopal church. But we recognize that movement is prayerful and that the position of our body affects the state of our mind and heart