Jacky’s Thought and Prayer

Have you ever wondered about some of the unusual words used in the Anglican Church, which might leave visitors scratching their heads?
The word Anglican appears in the Latin phrase Anglicana ecclesia libera sit from the English political charter, the Magna Carta, signed by King John in 1215, meaning the Anglican Church shall be free.
How well do you know the following words?

Acolyte:  A lay volunteer who assists the priest in worship, also known as a “server”.
Alb: A full-length white robe that was the basic liturgical garment of the early church.
Cassock: A black robe worn by priests or deacons. Lay readers, choir members and acolytes also wear cassocks.
Censer: A vessel in which incense is burned on charcoal.
Chasuble: An oval-shaped liturgical vestment worn by the celebrant during Communion.
Ciborium: A cup which resembles a chalice, except that it has a removable lid. It is used to hold Communion wafers during the Eucharist.
Corporal: A square piece of linen cloth that is laid on top of the altar cloth at Communion.
Crosier (also Crozier): The bishop’s hooked staff, which is carried in a procession and held when giving the absolution or blessing. It is a symbol of pastoral office.
Elements: The bread and wine of Holy Communion.
Fraction:  The part of the Communion liturgy when the celebrant breaks the Communion bread.
Hassock: A thick cushion, or “kneeler” used in the pews, often embroidered by church members.
Narthex:  A lobby inside the main entrance to a church. (Latin, from the Greek narthex, meaning giant fennel, stick or casket…. Perhaps because the entrance way resembles a hollow stem?)
Paten: A shallow dish used to contain the consecrated bread during Communion.
Sexton:  A person who looks after the church building and grounds, traditionally also acting as bellringer and grave digger.
Vestry:  A room attached to a church used to keep vestments in; a body of parishioners; a meeting of the members of a parish.
Unction: The process of anointing someone with oil, especially for healing the sick.
These are but a few of the wonderful and rather mysterious words we encounter in the Anglican Church. We cherish our rich heritage, but at the same time it is vital that we also make our worship accessible to all…especially newcomers…and don’t become too distracted by the past. For example, our 9:30 service uses contemporary language as a way of de-mystifying some of the traditional liturgy. I recently came across an ancient symbol among the Ashanti people. Sankofa is portrayed as a bird in flight (often a chicken), moving forward with a clear sense of direction, but its head is turned to the rear. Sankofa looks at its past, gleaning wisdom from its heritage, getting strength and courage as it moves forward. American Bishop Michael Curry, Primate of the Episcopal Church, suggests that participation in “The Jesus Movement” is an exercise in Sankofa, whereby we look back at the same time as looking forward. This indeed calls for a fine balance between “then” and “now”. Are we up for the challenge?
                                                                   

Prayer
Dear Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to seek for any reward, except that of knowing that I do your will.
 
St Ignatius of Loyola