Thread: Consecrating New Church Doors Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Bookworm (# 11575) on :
 
Greetings all. I am in search of liturgical resources for use in a service at which we will bless some new church doors (the main front doors of our church, to be specific) given in memory of a priest of our parish.

A bishop will lead the service.

I've been through the BCP where there's a liturgy for dedicating a church, and instructions for using parts of of the liturgy (e.g. to dedicate just a new altar or new font), but nothing for doors alone.

Suggestions welcome! Many thanks in advance...
 
Posted by Ceremoniar (# 13596) on :
 
Neither the Roman Ritual nor the English Ritual, which is essentially an Anglo-Catholic translation of the major parts of the Roman Ritual (essentially the Collectio Rituum in English, for liturgical bibliophiles) has a specific blessing for church or any other doors. The blessing of anything would be used in this instance.
 
Posted by Martin L (# 11804) on :
 
Even in Lutheranism, the bishop would normally have something in mind. Call up his/her office and ask.

(Not sure where you are, hence the "her" above. The Book of Occasional Services in the US has a generic fill-in-the blank order of blessing that could be used. You can view large parts of that book at Google Books. I'd link, but I am on such a tiny keyboard now.)
 
Posted by The Silent Acolyte (# 1158) on :
 
Having recently been the skunk at a recent bid for made-up liturgy, I feel I need to slip into say that this question is just about as juicy as they come.

Just think about all the doors and gates in Holy Writ!

I'll be back with some themes and pericopes when I have more time.
 
Posted by Basilica (# 16965) on :
 
I'm going to presume that the service will be a celebration of the Eucharist.

The obvious way to do this would be to gather outside. You would do the liturgical greeting there: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Lord be with you. And also with you. I would then have the bishop briefly introduce the service.

After this, I would have a biblical reading. The obvious place for this is a passage from the Old Testament describing the furnishing of Solomon's Temple. 1 Kings 6 is probably the best choice. I would cut this down, and probably would have 1 Kings 14-18, 33b-35.

I would then do something like this:

B. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
C. Who made heaven and earth.
B. The Lord be with you.
C. And also with you.
B. Let us pray.
Almighty God, who caused Solomon to build a temple for your dwelling-place, whose doors were carved from juniper and overlaid with gold; + bless these doors, and consecrate them to your service. May they stand open to those who seek your way, and may those who enter by them in your service be free from every spot of sin. Through him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
C. Amen.

The bishop would then sprinkle the doors with holy water and cense them. After that, a hymn would be sung as the procession moved into the church: the altar party first, with the congregation following behind.

---

I've entirely made this up, but I think there probably are resources available for this kind of thing. This Roman-Catholic, American book of blessings seems to contain such a rite, but I don't have a copy and the online preview doesn't include the right pages.
 
Posted by Bookworm (# 11575) on :
 
You're all wonderful, thank you!

I should have said (for clarity) that the context will be our main Sunday eucharist, and we are Anglican (in New Zealand).

Am just off for lunch with the bishop who will be involved, and will see if he has suggestions/resources to offer as well.
 
Posted by PD (# 12436) on :
 
No need to make a dog's dinner out of it even though that tends to be the way these days!

Gather outside

Bless doors. Prayer of blessing - chuck holy water if you do that sort of thing.

Go in

Have Communion

PD

[ 04. July 2012, 04:55: Message edited by: PD ]
 
Posted by Amazing Grace (# 95) on :
 
I'm taking notes for when our new hall (including kitchen) gets dedicated. There will be a lot of holy water sloshed around if I have any say in the matter. I am quite sure I will be checking in with Eccles closer to time.

ETA: there will be new church doors involved in this project as well.

Since we almost did a Big Ooops when we got our new font by not checking the Bishop's timetable first, we will, of course, be checking THAT well in advance.

[ 04. July 2012, 05:19: Message edited by: Amazing Grace ]
 
Posted by JSwift (# 5502) on :
 
If you follow this link , about three-fourths of the way down the page there is a specific prayer for the entrance hall as part of a blessing for a home. Perhaps that will provide some assistance.
 
Posted by Michael Astley (# 5638) on :
 
Verses 6/7 to 10 of Psalm 23 seem apt here. They have appeared in numerous rites throughout the history of the progression of worship whenever there was something to do with doors and entry. I think that the Armenian rite uses these verses when the Gifts are carried through the doors of the altar, and the Byzantine Rite uses them at the consecration of a church, after the outdoor procession, when entry is demanded into the church. The current Greek tradition has these verses declaimed by the priest as he knocks on the doors of the church with a Cross at Easter, symbolising Christ's shattering the gates of Hades to release the righteous dead.

I love these verses.

It seems quite apt to somehow incorporate this into a blessing of church doors.
 
Posted by Basilica (# 16965) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Michael Astley:
Verses 6/7 to 10 of Psalm 23 seem apt here. They have appeared in numerous rites throughout the history of the progression of worship whenever there was something to do with doors and entry. I think that the Armenian rite uses these verses when the Gifts are carried through the doors of the altar, and the Byzantine Rite uses them at the consecration of a church, after the outdoor procession, when entry is demanded into the church. The current Greek tradition has these verses declaimed by the priest as he knocks on the doors of the church with a Cross at Easter, symbolising Christ's shattering the gates of Hades to release the righteous dead.

I love these verses.

It seems quite apt to somehow incorporate this into a blessing of church doors.
Yes, Psalm 24 (as it is in the Hebrew Bible, the numbering followed by most Anglicans) would be ideal. The same thought occurred to me late last night! You could perhaps say the psalm as you go in through the doors into the church.
 
Posted by dj_ordinaire (# 4643) on :
 
Perhaps a Sermon on 'Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way', as I heard preached in reference to the doors of the Holy House at Walsingham a few years back? 'Knock, and it shall be opened unto you' would seem appropriate. Psalm XXIV, of course, and 'Fling wide the gates' from Stainer's Crucifixion to follow.

Conclude with:

quote:
O God, make the door of this church wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship; narrow enough to shut out envy, pride and strife. Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block for children, nor to straying feet, but rugged and strong to turn back the tempter's power. God, make the doorway of this house the entrance to your eternal kingdom. Amen.
...and recess to that well know organist's standard, Fantasia on a Theme by Bob Dylan.

Simples!
 
Posted by Martin L (# 11804) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by dj_ordinaire:
...and recess to that well know organist's standard, Fantasia on a Theme by Bob Dylan.

Simples!
Or anything by The Doors. Break on Through, perhaps.

One must have the bishop give the new doors a few whacks with the tip of the crozier.
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:
quote:
Originally posted by dj_ordinaire:
...and recess to that well know organist's standard, Fantasia on a Theme by Bob Dylan.

Simples!
Or anything by The Doors. Break on Through, perhaps.

One must have the bishop give the new doors a few whacks with the tip of the crozier.
But please, NOT "Light My Fire."
 
Posted by Martin L (# 11804) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
But please, NOT "Light My Fire."
Of course not. That is appointed for the Solemn Introit of the Paschal Candle at the Great Vigil of Easter.
 
Posted by Bookworm (# 11575) on :
 
The bishop coming is a BIG Dylan fan so much appreciated all those suggestions. [Smile]

I will try to report back on how things shaped up on the big day!
 
Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:

One must have the bishop give the new doors a few whacks with the tip of the crozier.
Some years ago, I was in the choir at a local parish for the installation of their new rector. We were all standing around outside, ready for the procession. Our bishop raised the crozier and THWOCK! THWOCK! THWOCK! - knocked on the door -- leaving three perfect hemi-episcopal dents. It was apparently a fairly new door, and the donor wasn't entirely pleased with the remodeling effort. The last time I was there the dents were still present, but the commemorative plaque that they'd talked about hanging wasn't there.
 
Posted by Martin L (# 11804) on :
 
That is a good point to be made. In the video to which I linked earlier, it does appear to me that the bishop is making marks when he strikes the door.

The Episcopal cathedral in Chicago has a rather large plate for the doorknob and lock. The current bishop (and I presume the former ones as well) takes care to strike the plate, and not the door itself. Frankly, the plate is replaceable. It is certainly not original, and quite utilitarian. I tried to find pictures, but I'm afraid it is so uninspiring that the internet appears not to contain any.

[ 06. July 2012, 21:16: Message edited by: Martin L ]
 
Posted by JSwift (# 5502) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by basso:
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:

One must have the bishop give the new doors a few whacks with the tip of the crozier.
Some years ago, I was in the choir at a local parish for the installation of their new rector. We were all standing around outside, ready for the procession. Our bishop raised the crozier and THWOCK! THWOCK! THWOCK! - knocked on the door -- leaving three perfect hemi-episcopal dents. It was apparently a fairly new door, and the donor wasn't entirely pleased with the remodeling effort. The last time I was there the dents were still present, but the commemorative plaque that they'd talked about hanging wasn't there.
He was probably visualizing the rector's head when making those "taps".
 
Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :
 
There used to be a church (now closed) in New York City with John 10:9 carved over an interior doorway up near the Altar.
 
Posted by Bookworm (# 11575) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by basso:
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:

One must have the bishop give the new doors a few whacks with the tip of the crozier.
Some years ago, I was in the choir at a local parish for the installation of their new rector. We were all standing around outside, ready for the procession. Our bishop raised the crozier and THWOCK! THWOCK! THWOCK! - knocked on the door -- leaving three perfect hemi-episcopal dents. It was apparently a fairly new door, and the donor wasn't entirely pleased with the remodeling effort. The last time I was there the dents were still present, but the commemorative plaque that they'd talked about hanging wasn't there.
Hmm... the bishop will be warned. Given how much we're spending on the new paintwork I don't really want it dinged on the first Sunday the doors are in use!
 
Posted by Amazing Grace (# 95) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by JSwift:
If you follow this link , about three-fourths of the way down the page there is a specific prayer for the entrance hall as part of a blessing for a home. Perhaps that will provide some assistance.
I've got it bookmarked - our construction project will give us a new kitchen, hall, and nursery.
 
Posted by (S)pike couchant (# 17199) on :
 
This is a difficult question, because the Pontificale Romanum assumes that the doors will be included in the consecration of the church; my instinct, however, would be to adapt that rite and so something like the following:



[ 08. July 2012, 20:21: Message edited by: (S)pike couchant ]
 
Posted by Spiffy (# 5267) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by basso:
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:

One must have the bishop give the new doors a few whacks with the tip of the crozier.
Some years ago, I was in the choir at a local parish for the installation of their new rector. We were all standing around outside, ready for the procession. Our bishop raised the crozier and THWOCK! THWOCK! THWOCK! - knocked on the door -- leaving three perfect hemi-episcopal dents. It was apparently a fairly new door, and the donor wasn't entirely pleased with the remodeling effort. The last time I was there the dents were still present, but the commemorative plaque that they'd talked about hanging wasn't there.
How to patch dents in a metal door.
How to patch dents in a wooden door.

Just in case Their Excellency the Bishop gets a little... forceful.
 
Posted by Michael Astley (# 5638) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by (S)pike couchant:
With the exceptions of the requirement that it be the deacon on the inside giving the response and that the knocking is done with the crozier rather than a Cross, this is precisely the Greek paschal ceremony that I mentioned further upthread, right down to the number of repetitions.

As this is likely a late mediaeval custom (for it does not appear in the Slavic books), I wonder whether it was imported from the Roman consecration rite.
 
Posted by Michael Astley (# 5638) on :
 
Further to previous...

My suspicion is that the Roman Pontifical would give the psalm verse from the Vulgate, which would not translate into English as "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors..." but rather something more akin to "Lift up your heads, O ye rulers/princes, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors...".

The problem with many older (mid 20th century and earlier) English-language academic books about liturgy or academic translations of actual liturgical books is that, when they give portions of the psalter, they tend not to translate them from the source text but rather substitute an existing English translation of the portion of the pertinent psalm (usually the King James text or Coverdale). The problem with this is that King James and Coverdale are translated from the Masoretic psalter, which the original liturgical books would never have contained, and this sometimes clouds the relevance of the use of the psalm at that particular point.
 
Posted by (S)pike couchant (# 17199) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Michael Astley:


My suspicion is that the Roman Pontifical would give the psalm verse from the Vulgate, which would not translate into English as "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors..." but rather something more akin to "Lift up your heads, O ye rulers/princes, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors...".
Quite so.

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Astley:



The problem with many older (mid 20th century and earlier) English-language academic books about liturgy or academic translations of actual liturgical books is that, when they give portions of the psalter, they tend not to translate them from the source text but rather substitute an existing English translation of the portion of the pertinent psalm (usually the King James text or Coverdale). The problem with this is that King James and Coverdale are translated from the Masoretic psalter, which the original liturgical books would never have contained, and this sometimes clouds the relevance of the use of the psalm at that particular point.
I think a distinction should be made between academic and liturgical translation. The editors of the Anglican Breviary use Coverdale and the Authorized Version, a choice they justify precisely because their work was intended for devotional rather than scholarly use.
 
Posted by Michael Astley (# 5638) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by (S)pike couchant:
I think a distinction should be made between academic and liturgical translation. The editors of the Anglican Breviary use Coverdale and the Authorized Version, a choice they justify precisely because their work was intended for devotional rather than scholarly use.
Yes, I certainly agree with you about the need to draw a distinction between books with these different purposes when looking at their content. However, I would suggest that an intention for devotional use is even stronger a reason for retaining the clarity of the intention of the psalms in their respective places. Academic study of liturgical texts is, after all, a far second to the engagement of the person in prayer.

(None of this is any criticism of you, of course - it's just that your quotation above touched on something that occurs to me as I become more and more familiar in my own prayer life with the LXX.)

As the you have mentioned the breviary, and as western Compline is one of my favourite offices, I'll take an example from there. In both east and west, especially in monastic use, Compline is the time when we are called to focus on our own mortality, on the Last Judgment, and on our hope in the Resurrection and the age to come. There is little that is more sobering than the eastern bedtime prayer that opens "Is this bed to be my coffin?"

We see it strongly in western forms of Compline. In some forms, there is the responsory "Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit", itself picked out of one of the Compline psalms. We sing in other forms the Nunc Dimittis, repeating St Symeon's prayer that he may now depart this earthly life in peace, having beheld Christ. Unusually for the Divine Office, we have a confession of sins in Compline. The psalms are clearly chosen to focus the heart as well: exhortation to feel remorse in our beds for evil thoughts, prayer for freedom from shame in the age to come, commiting our spirit into the hands of God.

Keeping the focus on hope in the Resurrection, Psalm 4 concludes with "In peace, in the same place, I shall lay me down and sleep; for Thou, O Lord, alone, hast made me to dwell in hope". This is what would have been known to generations of monastics (and perhaps some of the laity) every night for centuries as they closed their eyes with this focus. Yet things like the Monastic Diurnal use the Masoretic version of psalm 4, which has the rather more insipid "Thou, O Lord, alone, hast made me to dwell in safety." There's nothing wrong with praying for safety, of course, but that isn't why the psalm is used at this place in prayer, but rather for a calling to focus on our death and hope in the Resurrection.

In Sarum, after Communion on Good Friday, the Cross and the Sacrament are placed in the sepulchre, symbolising the burial of the Lord. The priests kneel and sing the familiar "In peace, in the same place, I shall lay me down and sleep; for Thou, O Lord, alone, hast made me to dwell in hope". The reference to awaiting the Resurrection would have been obvious to anybody familiar with Compline and the use of psalm 4. Yet the Warren translation of the missal completely obliterates this by using "safety", making it sound as though they'd just tucked the Saviour up, nice and snug, in bed for the night.

It isn't a tremendously huge deal but I think that it was a poor choice made by the translators of these books to use a translation of the psalms that was known to be different from the source texts.

[ 10. July 2012, 07:23: Message edited by: Michael Astley ]
 
Posted by Barnabas Aus (# 15869) on :
 
A simple remedy, adopted by a church in a neighbouring parish when the metropolitan of the province was to visit their newly renovated building, was to attach a plate [in this case made of wood to match the door] to the west door painted in the same shiny new colour, upon which the archbishop was to knock with his crozier.
 
Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
For Psalm 24:7-10, get yourself over to the Scottish Psalter 1650 or at least Church Hymnary. The choir should have a field day with that.

Tune is St George's Edinburgh in DCM irreg with coda, which should give you some clue to it not being a straight forward congregational piece.

Jengie
 
Posted by Papouli (# 17209) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Michael Astley:

With the exceptions of the requirement that it be the deacon on the inside giving the response and that the knocking is done with the crozier rather than a Cross, this is precisely the Greek paschal ceremony that I mentioned further upthread, right down to the number of repetitions.

As this is likely a late mediaeval custom (for it does not appear in the Slavic books), I wonder whether it was imported from the Roman consecration rite. [/QB]
Sdn Michael, it's interesting that you have seen this at a Greek Church at Pascha, because our rubrics allow no place in which the clergy are even trying to enter closed doors! After the lighting from the Eternal Lamp, the bishop and clergy exit the holy Altar, and go outside for the Gospel and Christos Anesti, but the doors are specifically to remain open for all of this.

At the consecration of a new church, there is indeed a triple procession around the temple, and then the dialogue with Psalm 24(23) between the bishop and the priest inside. Then, the doors are openened, not by the clergy, but by the "godparents" (primary benefactors) of the new church. If I knew how to post a link, I would to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America service of consecration (maybe once I figure out more Ship techniques)!
 
Posted by Michael Astley (# 5638) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Papouli:
quote:
Originally posted by Michael Astley:

With the exceptions of the requirement that it be the deacon on the inside giving the response and that the knocking is done with the crozier rather than a Cross, this is precisely the Greek paschal ceremony that I mentioned further upthread, right down to the number of repetitions.

As this is likely a late mediaeval custom (for it does not appear in the Slavic books), I wonder whether it was imported from the Roman consecration rite.
Sdn Michael, it's interesting that you have seen this at a Greek Church at Pascha, because our rubrics allow no place in which the clergy are even trying to enter closed doors! After the lighting from the Eternal Lamp, the bishop and clergy exit the holy Altar, and go outside for the Gospel and Christos Anesti, but the doors are specifically to remain open for all of this.

At the consecration of a new church, there is indeed a triple procession around the temple, and then the dialogue with Psalm 24(23) between the bishop and the priest inside. Then, the doors are openened, not by the clergy, but by the "godparents" (primary benefactors) of the new church. If I knew how to post a link, I would to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America service of consecration (maybe once I figure out more Ship techniques)! [/QB]
This is very interesting.

Could there be different local traditions within the wider Greek tradition as there among the Russians, do you think? The practice that I described as Greek practice comes from the Brookwood monastery, which inherited its customs, I believe, from Holy Transfiguration, Boston.

While Brookwood is now Old Calendarist, they were for some years under ROCOR while retaining their Greek traditions, a handful of which are to be found at my parish due to my parish priest having learnt some of his liturgics there and our parish having been founded under the care of the monastery. (These things seem fewer each year - it is mainly just in Holy Week now that there is a vestige of that link).

The Antiochian Liturgikon also gives the Psalm 23 exchange outside closed doors, but at a different point: they do the Great Litany of Paschal Matins while still outside the closed doors, and only then are the psalm verses read.
 
Posted by Papouli (# 17209) on :
 
I think the difference is between the Typikons (rubrics) of St Sabbas (used by monasteries and the Slavic churches) and of the Great Church of Christ. Greek parish churches follow the latter, and thus wouldn't have the priest knocking on the door.

I apologize if we've hijacked this thread!
 


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