Engaging the Soul and the Body

Among the various ecclesial traditions that trace their history to the Reformation, Anglicanism stands apart in the special emphasis it has placed on the form of the Church’s public worship or “Common Prayer.” This emphasis on form is not limited to the Book of Common Prayer’s highly structured approach to liturgy, but also encompasses a variety of material elements commonly associated with the liturgy that critics too often dismiss as “smells and bells.” These material elements, however, are not mere stylistic accoutrements. Rather, they are firmly rooted in the Bible and Tradition and reflect the Church’s understanding (or “theology”) of the body.

Human beings have always and everywhere struggled to comprehend the relationship that exists between the material world, which includes the human body and its five senses, and the nonmaterial or spiritual aspect of human existence, which transcends the body. For a Greek of Jesus’ time, the question often focused on the relationship that exists between the flesh and blood reality of a human body (matter) and the transcendent reality of a human soul possessed of memory, intellect, and will (spirit). Many ancient philosophers saw the two as existing in fundamental opposition to each another. For them, matter represented the decomposition of what had originally been spirit, or even (for the more mystically inclined) the evil work of some malevolent force (e.g., dualism). In either case, a human being was doomed to perpetual conflict as a spiritual soul trapped in a material body, with the only hope being to find the knowledge (Greek: gnosis) necessary to escape the entrapment of the material so as to return to the purely spiritual. In this light we can readily understand the skeptical bewilderment of Paul’s interlocutors on the Areopagus when he spoke of the resurrection of the body (i.e., matter) as something to be desired! 

The Bible, of course, offers a radically different view of the physical world. Genesis presents the entirety of creation, including matter, as a positive work of God. Indeed, the Genesis account of the six days of creation concludes: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31). For the people of the Bible, a human being was not at all a soul (spiritual) tragically trapped in a body (material). To the contrary, it was God himself who had figuratively joined matter and spirit (…then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7). Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Israel eventually came to look forward, not to the eventual discarding of the body (i.e., matter), but rather to its ultimate redemption. This is indeed the great hope of the Resurrection of the Body – foreseen by Daniel, made possible by Jesus, and preached by Paul!

For the people of the Bible then, to be fully human was to be both body and soul. Thus, the worship of Israel, prescribed by God himself, appealed to all five of our bodily senses.

The Five Senses in Biblical Worship

First, the worship of Israel appealed to the sense of SIGHT. God expressly directed that his invisible presence be made visible by means of the Ark of the Covenant, the Tent of Meeting, and ultimately, the Temple in Jerusalem. While God himself must not be made visible (idolatry), his presence in the midst of his people should be.

God directed that Israel attach fringes (tassels) to their garments as a visual reminder of their commitment to keep the Law: … and it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them (Numbers 15:39). Likewise, God directed Israel to put on phylacteries containing verses of scripture: You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes (Deuteronomy 6:8). The binding on the forehead made visible the need to meditate on the Law, while the binding on the hand illustrated the need to put the fruit of that meditation into action. God also directed that verses of scripture be prominently displayed on each doorpost to formally recognize God’s jurisdiction.

Second, the worship of Israel appealed to the sense of HEARING. In I Chronicles, King David makes elaborate arrangements to ensure that the worship of God in the sanctuary will be perpetually accompanied by singers and the playing of musical instruments. So too, even the most cursory reader of the Psalms cannot but be struck by the frequent mention of singing and the playing of musical instruments in connection with the worship of God. Also, the start of the Jewish civil year (ultimately to be known as Rosh Hashanah) is specifically to be marked by the blast of trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). In addition, the Law of Moses specifically requires that it periodically be read publicly before all the assembled people (Deuteronomy 31:9-13).

The worship of Israel also appealed to the sense of TOUCH. Kings and priests were installed in their respective offices by anointing them with oil  (e.g., Saul, David, Solomon, Aaron and his sons). Individuals were commissioned by the laying on of hands (e.g., Moses’ commissioning of Joshua to succeed him). Likewise those bringing an animal for sacrifice laid their hands on the animal before handing it over to the priest, who would make the offering.

Water repeatedly is used as a sign of purification throughout the Law of Moses, both for individuals and for objects. Also, ashes are used as a visible sign of affliction and penance.

The worship of Israel also appealed to the sense of SMELL. Fragrant incense was offered twice daily on a special altar placed directly in front of the Holy of Holies. Moreover, the Scriptures repeatedly describe food offerings made in accordance with the Law of Moses as a “pleasing aroma.”

Finally, the worship of Israel appealed to the sense of TASTE. The annual celebration of the Passover was marked by a ritual meal consumed by all present. Likewise, those bringing “peace offerings” to the sanctuary were invited and expected to consume a portion of the offering.

All the same, the prophets of Israel insisted again and again that the material was no substitute for the spiritual in the service of God. True worship must embrace both soul and body. Likewise, Jesus presumes the value of the three traditional pillars of Jewish practice (i.e., prayer, fasting, and almsgiving) in his Sermon on the Mount, but underscores that those actions are meaningless if detached from their true spiritual meaning. That is to say, Jesus did not see the material and the spiritual as inherently incompatible. Indeed, Jesus prescribes the use of matter for the two foundational sacraments of his Church – water for baptism and bread and wine for Eucharist.

The Five Senses in Anglican Worship

Accordingly the Church continued to use matter in connection with its worship from its earliest days. Gradually, this use of matter was expanded to encompass a wide range of practices that appealed to the senses. The Anglican Church stands apart from other Churches of the Reformation in the degree to which it has preserved many of these ancient practices in its liturgical life. Thus, Anglican practice invites the active engagement of worshipers both in soul and body by appealing to all of our senses.

Anglican practice invites the active engagement of worshipers both in soul and body by appealing to all of our senses. Share on X

First, Anglican worship engages our sense of SIGHT. Anglicans traditionally have designed Church structures so as to be readily identifiable and clearly distinct from comparable secular structures. Thus, the Church building is clearly set apart as sacred space — the place where the Body of Christ, who is the true temple of God, assembles to meet its Lord. The interior of an Anglican Church always features a cross or a crucifix, a visual reminder that the Church herself was born of the water and blood that flowed from the side of Christ on the cross.

Candles make use of fire, a powerful traditional symbol of the presence of God throughout the Bible (e.g., the burning bush and the pillar of fire during the Exodus), as a reminder that God is present in the midst of his people when they assemble to worship.

The changing colors of vestments and various accoutrements visually mark the feasts and seasons of the Christian year. 

Anglican worship engages our sense of HEARING. Bells call the faithful to assemble for worship (etymologically, the Church is the assembly of those “called out” and brought together) and sometimes are used inside the Church to highlight key moments of the Eucharistic Liturgy.

Anglican worship is almost always accompanied by music, whenever possible. Indeed many Anglican Churches use chant to facilitate the congregational singing of Biblical texts.

Those visiting an Anglican Church from an Evangelical background often are surprised at the prominent place devoted to the systematic and public reading of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as an integral part of the service. The Scriptures are not just preached, but read to the assembled congregation 

Anglican worship engages our sense of TOUCH. The work of the Holy Spirit in ordination and confirmation is marked by the laying on of hands

Those baptized are anointed with oil (Greek: “christened”) as a sign that they have been called in their baptism to share in Christ’s own priestly anointing (the source of the priesthood of all believers). The sick too are anointed with oil as part of the rite of healing, as directed by the Letter of James (5:14)

The opening of the penitential season of Lent is marked by the imposition of ashes on the foreheads of those committing to prepare themselves by prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and other spiritual disciplines for the upcoming celebration of Holy Week and Easter. 

God made each one of us an integrated combination of body and soul and Jesus claims Lordship over both. Share on X

The faithful make the sign of the cross as a reminder that they belong to Christ through baptism and so are marked and sealed (cf. Ezekiel 9, Revelation 7). Often the sign of the cross is made with Holy Water upon first entering the sanctuary. Likewise the congregation is sometimes sprinkled with Holy Water at the Easter Vigil as a sign of the renewal of its baptismal covenant.

Anglican worship engages our sense of SMELL. The sweet smell of incense, which represents our prayers rising before God (cf. Psalm 141:2), is used on special occasions to mark their solemnity. Balsam oil is added to the olive oil used for chrism to make it fragrant.

Finally, Anglican worship engages our sense of TASTE. Anglicans have always placed a premium on the faithful sharing both the bread and the wine of the Eucharist.

In summary, for Anglicans “matter matters!” God made each one of us an integrated combination of body and soul and Jesus claims Lordship over both. For centuries, the Anglican Tradition has offered a powerful witness to this fundamental truth by inviting us to worship in spirit and in truth in a manner that engages both soul and body. Put differently, from an Anglican perspective, let us not oppose in worship what God has joined together!

Photo Credit: Allec Gomes