Bells and Smells (Church Nerd 2)

Peter Sellers in Heavens Above! (1953)

The Church Nerd (2)

Bells & Smells

People have asked about the occasional use of incense and chimes or bells, wondering about the rationale and symbolism of these practices.  Both stem from our understanding of what Christian worship is:  an adaptation of Jewish worship forms from the Temple of Biblical times.   Just as we use the Psalms—the ancient Prayer Book from the Temple—as a major part of our worship, so also we use various practices from it as a way of expressing thanks and honoring God.  We do this because we see ourselves in continuity with Judaism, not in completion with it or as its replacement.

The ritual sacrifices of Biblical Judaism ended when the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 C.E.   But Christians have always read their Hebrew scriptures with a thought of how Old Testament practices and rules applied to them also.  So though we do not generally observe the Jewish Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, Saturday, we observe the “Lord’s day,” Sunday, in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus on that day.  Yet we have often observed Sabbath-like practices on Sunday, like resting and not working.  Similarly, the ancient traditional branches of Christianity have seen in the Eucharistic Feast not only a meal in remembrance of Jesus, but also a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered to God.  That’s why we Episcopalians call our lead ministers priests rather than simply pastors or ministers: because they offer sacrifice at an altar (not just a “holy table”).  We often call our Eucharistic bread a “host,” from the Latin word meaning “sacrificial victim.”  That’s also why we tend to wear special vestments for the Eucharist.  Our use of alb, stole, and chasuble (dalmatic for deacons) recalls the special holy clothing worn by the priests of ancient Israel and dictated in exquisite (painful?) detail in chapter after chapter in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. 

Several different kinds of sacrifices were offered in the ancient Jewish Temple:  slaughtered animals, grain, oil, and wine, and incense.  In addition to an altar for burning slaughtered sacrificial animals, there was an altar of incense.  This helped cover the smells associated with the slaughter and burning of animals, but also served as an offering in and of itself.  Just as the grain, oil, and wine offerings are reflected in our Eucharistic offering of bread and wine, so also we offer incense on occasion.  It is a symbol for our prayers ascending, to be sure, but also is itself an act of worship.  It is embodied prayer. 

There are many passages—both in the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament that portray clouds of incense rising to heaven as prayers, and of offerings to help please the heart of God: 

May you accept my prayer like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering! (Psalm 141:2)

From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:11)

Another angel holding a golden censer came and was stationed at the altar. A large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne. (Revelation 8:3)

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take the censer, put burning coals from the altar in it, place incense on it, and go quickly into the assembly and make atonement for them…”   (Numbers 16:46)

They will teach Jacob your ordinances and Israel your law; they will offer incense as a pleasant odor, and a whole offering on your altar. (Deuteronomy 33:10)

Ointment and incense make the heart rejoice, likewise the sweetness of one’s friend from sincere counsel. (Proverbs 27:9)

Of course, when such ritual and spiritual practice was not accompanied by service to others and justice, all such sacrifice and observance was brought into question:

 Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?”
says the Lord.
I am stuffed with burnt sacrifices
of rams and the fat from steers.
The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats
I do not want.  …
Do not bring any more meaningless offerings;
I consider your incense detestable! …
Stop sinning!
Learn to do what is right!
Promote justice!
Give the oppressed reason to celebrate!
Take up the cause of the orphan!
Defend the rights of the widow! (Isaiah 1:11-17)

A similar practice from Old Testament times that we use today in Christian worship is the use of sound to attract attention and focus the mind.  Embroidery of bells was included in the priestly robes.   The high point of the Day of Atonement ritual in Judaism to this day remains the sounding of the Ram’s horn, the Shofar, to call the people to repentance.    This is a primitive practice that predates the casting of metal bells as a sound-producer.  In Church, we use bells outside to call the faithful into worship services.  And inside the church, we use chimes or bells on occasion to mark the start of ending of worship.   Within the rite of Holy Eucharist, a bell or chime has traditionally been sounded at various points to draw people’s attention:  the singing of the Sanctus, the elevation of the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine after the words of institution, and at the Great Amen that concludes the Eucharistic Prayer. 

Given the constrained space at Trinity and our aging population that often suffers from respiratory sensitivity to smoke and fragrances, we limit our use of incense to six principal services for Sundays and holidays, and use it during the week for morning prayer only on greater feasts or specific commemorations of saints associated with its use.  We seek to limit the amount so that it can be smelled but does not cause distress.  We always seek to have an incense-free option available (usually the 8 a.m. worship serves this role.)  After the Easter Sunday 10 a.m. Festal Eucharist this year, I was very happy to have several parishioners come to me and say that it seemed to them that we had gotten the mix and amount right, so that they could experience this ancient prayer practice without physical distress.  Keeping with the generally simple and non-complicated ceremonial used at Trinity, we limit the use of the chime in principal Eucharistic celebrations to a single tone sounded at the Great Amen. 

Grace and Peace.