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The sign of the cross By JUSTIN KOLLMEYER I always like to share something about Lent with you at this time of year. With the beginning of Lent this past "Ash Wednesday", here's a thought for you to ponder. Lent is the "penitential season" in the "Church Year" (for those of us who use it). Lent consists of the forty days before Easter, not counting the Sundays. It recounts the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness tempted by the devil, and is a time of personal spiritual reflection, specifically meditating on what it means that Jesus died on the cross to pay for all our sins. Lent is a "40-day Revival" of sorts, for those of you who know a lot about what that is! One thing many Lutherans, Catholics, and Episcopalians do as a part of their spiritual life in Lent and all year round is to "make the sign of the cross" upon themselves. This is simply using one's hand to trace The Cross upon one's self, beginning at the forehead, tracing down to the chest, then crossing to the left shoulder and over to the right shoulder, and back to the center chest to complete making the "sign of the cross". This is usually accompanied by saying the words, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen". This can also be combined with "genuflecting", which is to bow to the knee as a sign of reverence and worship. Please understand that this is not a "hocus-pocus" good-luck charm. It has nothing to do with batting or attempting a field goal. It is simply an outward sign to help us remember the importance and meaning of Jesus' cross for our lives. Martin Luther, who began the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, did not want the practice of making the sign of the cross to cease, so he encouraged its continued use. In his "Small Catechism" (doctrinal teachings on the Six Chief Parts of the Christian Faith), he urged Christians to make the sign of the cross upon themselves regularly, such as before and after meals or prayers or devotions. He taught that we should trace the sign of the cross upon ourselves at the beginning and ending of each day, helping us to remember that we go to our daily tasks as "little Christs", and that we commend ourselves to God's keeping as we go to sleep. Clergy of many Christian denominations have long made the sign of the cross in the air "over" the congregation, especially at the announcement of forgiveness and the benediction. Now, more than ever, worshipers of many Christian "persuasions" are beginning to recognize this action as "not just Catholic". They're discovering that it belongs also to them. All Christians love the cross. We adorn our churches with this unique symbol. It's found on the spire, on the main front wall of the sanctuary, on the altar, on banners and decorations, in our church yards and on our church signs, as necklaces and jewelry, and on the walls of our homes. No other symbol is so widely used because the cross of Christ is the core of every Christian's story: it tells of the suffering and victory of our Savior. Like folding one's hands and closing one's eyes for prayer, tracing the sign of the cross is a worthy and beneficial habit to develop. So, if you're Baptist or Methodist or Presbyterian or Independent or Mega-Church or Country-Church, this could be a way for you to take a little "spiritual journey" this Lenten season. You know what they say, "Try it. You may like it." 'Just food for Lenten thought. Thanks for letting me share it. God loves you! And so do I!!
Kollmeyer is Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, located between Lowe's and The Pavilion on Hwy. 314 in Fayetteville. He invites anyone who may not have a church to come and try a Sunday Service at either 8:15, 9:30 (Contemporary), or 11:00. For more information log-on at www.popdove.com or call 770-461-3403. For special pictures log-on to http://www.fsfarchitects.com/NLfeb2003.htm.
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