Lenten traditions

[Michael Capon]

Our recently installed vicar has asked me the following:

"I am curious why Sanctus bells are not used during Lent at St. Joseph's.  And...why the font is covered during Lent.   I've never done that before - certainly makes me think but disturbs me at the same time".

I am assuming we cover the baptismal font because baptisms are not normally carried out during Lent?

I can give her no answer as to why these "traditions" exist at our church. Perhaps it the usual Episcopal Church response of "Well, ee've always done that".

Do you use Sanctus bells during lent, do you cover the baptismal font and what are your feelings/thoughts on the matter?

Mick Capon
Verger
St. Joseph's EC
Durham, NC

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http://www.norfolkboyinnc.blogspot.com

Peace starts with a smile

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[Hawkins Dallas g mail]

Michael:

IN the original catholic tradition Sanctus Bells helped people who did not speak latin to know when to respond during the liturgy. I grew up in the Canadian Anglican tradition and now serve at a Cathedral in Spokane WA. We do not use Sanctus Bells at St. John's nor do I believe they ever have used them. I think it would be nice to use them during Easter Vigil. I suppose that since we do not say or sing the Alleluia during lent that perhaps lent may not be the best time to use Sanctus bells, just a thought.

I suspect it simply is the tradition of specific churches to use them or not based on the preference of the clergy.

Dallas Hawkins

dallas.o...@gmail.com

(509) 241-0407 (Home)

(509) 499-4256 (Cell)

______________________________________________________________________________

Fear less, hope more.
 Whine less, breathe more. 
Talk less, say more. 
Hate less, love more, Bark Less, wag more...
 and all good things are yours.

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[Janet McAlister]

We do not use the Sanctus bell during Lent, although with previous rectors we did use them.  We have put away all the brass and silver vessels and use wooden items instead.  The processional cross is draped in purple tulle.  We do not cover the baptismal font because it stands at the entrance of the Nave open and filled with holy water.  It is available for anyone entering (or leaving) to bless themselves as a reminder of their own baptism.

Janet McAlister, Verger

St. Stephen's, Huntsville, AL

[Scott Crowell]

We cover all crosses and icons however the Stations of the Cross are not covered since they are used every Friday evening.  We drape in purple and then for Palm Sunday and Passion week all is draped in red.

 

 

Scott Crowell

The Parish and Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, an Episcopal Parish in the Anglo-Catholic Tradition, Hollywood, CA

[Michael Capon]

Good to hear of your own "traditions". We too cover the crosses - purple through to Palm Sunday, then red until the altar is stripped by the clergy on Maundy Thursday then with black. We use earthenware vessels throughout lent and even woven baskets in lieu of brass collection plates.

As always, I'm impressed by fellow vergers responses and of the wealth of knowledge in our community.

Mick Capon
Verger
St. Joseph's EC
Durham, NC

[Marcia Ransom]

No Sanctus bells at our church in the Great Plains in Lent....or any other time.

 

Our building, replacing the one destroyed by an arson fire,  is very new and a contemporary design. Salvaged and restored after the fire, is our memorable hand-crafted 15' mosaic Christus Rex. It is wall mounted and shrouded in burlap for Lent;. Because of its size   the fabric is gathered at the bottom edge and tied with hemp roping which is changed to red fabric for Holy Week.. Both processional cross  and the small cross topping of the virge are shrouded in plain linen.

 

The clergy and verger usually wear a rough, linen-y fabric (instead of purple) with the priest's chasuable having a cross-like design of black and red triangles representing nails or thorns. The. verger's tabbard is the same fabric with a border at the lower front of the same triangles.

 

Unfortunately, our rector had a coronary event two weeks ago and will be out until Easter Day. A retired priest in our congregation has been asked to preside at most services and does a fine job.

However, she is much shorter and the chasuable in the Lenten Array is just too much fabric to manage, so she wears her own purple silk and the verger has reverted to a dark blue plain tabbard over a homespun alb.

 

We also put away the silver and brass,  and for years used rough hand-made pottery vessels, but the chalices were thick and difficult to use without spillage, so this year we are trying out plain glass. Esthetically, not as good, but much more practical. Wish we could find a happy medium.

 

Lenten wine is a rough, dry red....very different for communicants and its use is not without complaint. Instead of real bread we go back to the old plain wafers (referred to by the children in the parish as the "fish food" bread).

 

Our Stations were commissioned  and worked in clay and wood by a local artist.  His splendid execution literally puts the walker into the anguish of Passion Event itself.

 

I was at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco week before last and was surprised that much less "toning down" seemed obvious, at least to me. The celebrant was garbed in a rough burlap-type chasuable, but the numerous other clergy seemed to be in ordinary garb. The processional cross was not covered. Five vergers were used in procession....or rather four vergers and a beadle.

 

This is a very interesting thread and Ive run on too long. I could've stopped after the first paragraph, but as my husband would say, just didnt know when to stop. Others' customs are endlessly interesting to me, so I hope not to have driven you all off by extraneous commentary.

 

Shalom,

 

Marcia

 

[Janine Tinklenberg]

We cover the brass crosses in purple until Palm Sunday, when it is exchanged for red, but still use our silver chalice for Eucharist. Plain wooden bowls rather than brass for the offertory. We still ring our sanctus bell, though. We leave the "Glory be to the Father" and response out after the Psalm during Lent. We don't cover our font, but it is wooden and has a cover of it's own, so maybe that's why? We actually have not had a Eucharist this Lent as our regular supply priest took a tumble in his yard and tore a ligament in his ankle and is now in a cast. Thankfully, the priest who was scheduled to do our Palm Sunday and Easter service (our regular priest goes to Florida at Easter, though that is off now too, poor man!) is going to step in for him until he is back on his feet. So this Sunday will be the first time we have sung  the Kyrie since Lent began. Janine Tinklenberg, whose verge is now on its way, thanks to an anonymous donor on this list, thank you so much! St. Elizabeth's, Redford, MI --- On Sat, 4/2/11, Marcia Ransom <mra...@cox.net> wrote:

[Michael Capon]

Thanks for all your viewpoints. It does seem that individual churches have "traditions" of their own.

My next question is regarding incense. After several years incense-free we would like to bring this "tradition" back, but several members, including choir members, have had problems in the past with allergies and the like. Do any of you use any "allergy friendly" incense? If so, where do you purchase it?

Thank you in advance dear fellow vergers.

Mick Capon
Verger
St. Joseph's EC
Durham, NC

On Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 5:53 AM, Susan Keith <howln...@yahoo.com> wrote:

We use the Sanctus bells for almost every service.  In fact, I cannot remember a Eucharist in which they were not used.  I don't think anyone has truly given thought to why they are used and what they represent.  They simply have been used for over 8 years that I know of and no one questions there use.

 

As for the Baptismal Font being covered, our font lives in the back of the church except for Baptisms, and so is uncovered every week so that anyone who wishes to can take advantage of the blessed water in it.

 

Susan

---

From: Michael Capon <mick....@gmail.com>
To: Vl...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sat, April 2, 2011 11:51:29 AM
Subject: [V-List] Lenten traditions

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[Hawkins Dallas g mail]

Michael: 

During Easter, we use the Thurifer and incense at 11 AM , and do not use it at all at 8 AM, so we can have an incense free service for those with allergies. Since there is no allergy free incense, that is the way we deal with it. Or  it is suggested that the persons with allergies can sit in a chapel or transept during the procession and recessions.

Dallas Hawkins

dallas.o...@gmail.com

(509) 241-0407 (Home)

(509) 499-4256 (Cell)

______________________________________________________________________________

Fear less, hope more.
 Whine less, breathe more. 
Talk less, say more. 
Hate less, love more, Bark Less, wag more...
 and all good things are yours.

[david moltke-hansen]

The Lenten bulletin of St. Mary's, Asheville, states: 

Sunday worship during Lent has a character of penitence and is more somber than at other times of the year.  In the sermons and hymns of Lent one hears a great deal about sin and repentance.  Music tends to be simple and in a minor key.  Following ancient custom during Lent we refrain from using flowers, bells, incense, and the word alleluia.  On the Alter our normal silver Cross and candles are replaced by a simple wooden set.  We remove or cover most of our adornments as a way of fasting from the pleasure they bring and as a way of focusing our attention on the centrality of the Cross.  

The liturgical color of Lent is purple which is meant to be a color of sorrow and a reminder of the royal robes placed on Christ after his trial.  [Yet, today, Rose Sunday, the priest's vestments were rose colored.]

Our Lenten liturgy at St. Mary's begins with the Penitential Order which includes the Decalogue or Ten Commandments instead of the usual sprinkling rite in remembrance of baptism.  Instead of singing the Nicene Creed it is said.  As a reminder of the wilderness journey of the Children of Israil and the tempting of Christ in the desert the Baptismal font is left dry.  (Holy water is still available in the holy water stoup next to the door.)

[Joe Sturdevant]

For a number of years I used Gloria Incense, the P (Powder) blend, from Catholic Supply fairly successfully for this purpose.  It contains less resin and therefore is less irritating, and because it’s a powder it gives a good amount of smoke right away and dissipates quickly. Some people refer to it as hypo-allergenic.

 

However, we still had some complaints from time to time, especially when we got a little too enthusiastic with the amount we were using. 

 

Then, some years ago George Carlson in Florida published his recipe for a cinnamon/clove mixture that he was using instead of traditional incense, and I’ve used it ever since.  I can’t remember George’s original formula, and if he’s on the V-list perhaps he’ll share it.  What I do is grind equal amounts of dry cinnamon stick and cloves in a coffee grinder, about six to eight ounces total.  I grind it until it’s just a little coarser than ground coffee, takes maybe 20-25 seconds.  I put it into a plastic zip-lock bag, and then add drops of water and mix it until it’s slightly moist, but doesn’t clump.  Then I add 8 or 10 drops of Oil of Cinnamon.  George also recommended Oil of Clove, but I’ve never been able to find any.  That gives it a very nice, fresh cinnamon aroma.

 

We get plenty of smoke but it doesn’t hang in the air, and we get zero complaints.  We still use the Gloria for major celebrations like Palm Sunday and Pentecost, but we used the cinnamon the rest of the time.  Last Christmas Eve I got brave and used the Nazareth from Holy Cross, thinking no one would notice.  Bad decision.  Won’t be doing that again.

 

Good luck reviving your tradition.

 

Joe Sturdevant

Verger, Master-of-Acolytes

Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd

Tomball, TX

(713) 256-3684

joe.stu...@swbell.net

 

From: vl...@googlegroups.com [mailto:vl...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Michael Capon
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2011 6:52 AM
To: Susan Keith; Vl...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [V-List] Lenten traditions

 

Thanks for all your viewpoints. It does seem that individual churches have "traditions" of their own.

[David Deutsch]

Also, before the Reformation (when the word became all important),
most churches and cathedrals had no pews. The congregation stood and
milled around. The priests were behind the rood screen chanting in
Latin. While the congregation studied the statuary, stain glass
windows, or gossiped, the Sanctus bells offered a loud cuing method as
to what was happening and where things stood in the Eucharist.
David Deutsch

On Apr 2, 11:51 am, Michael Capon <mick.ca...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Our recently installed vicar has asked me the following:
>
> "I am curious why Sanctus bells are not used during Lent at St. Joseph's.
>  And...why the font is covered during Lent.   I've never done that before -
> certainly makes me think but disturbs me at the same time".
>
> I am assuming we cover the baptismal font because baptisms are not normally
> carried out during Lent?
>
> I can give her no answer as to why these "traditions" exist at our church.
> Perhaps it the usual Episcopal Church response of "Well, ee've always done
> that".
>
> Do you use Sanctus bells during lent, do you cover the baptismal font and
> what are your feelings/thoughts on the matter?
>
> Mick Capon
> Verger
> St. Joseph's EC
> Durham, NC
>
> --

> *http://www.norfolkboyinnc.blogspot.com*
>
> *Peace starts with a smile*
> *
> *
> *P Please consider the environment before printing this email*

[Hawkins Dallas g mail]

Here s a web site that is supposed to have incense that is allergy free

http://www.monasteryicons.com/monasteryicons/Monastery-Incense_A2.html?g_ad=1&gclid=COLWxd3TgKgCFWUbQgodCmt0rA

Dallas Hawkins

dallas.o...@gmail.com

(509) 241-0407 (Home)

(509) 499-4256 (Cell)

______________________________________________________________________________

Fear less, hope more.
 Whine less, breathe more. 
Talk less, say more. 
Hate less, love more, Bark Less, wag more...
 and all good things are yours.

On Apr 3, 2011, at 4:52 AM, Michael Capon wrote:

[Michael Capon]

Thanks to everyone for these observations. I opened "can of worms" I think, but it's great to hear how other churches differ. Although they certainly do wherever us Episcopalians worship, we are held together by God's great love for us, the welcome we are bound to receive and by the BCP.

Peace e with you,

Mick Capon
Verger
St. Joseph's EC
Durham, NC