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For Presiders:
The Meaning of Word & Signs

by The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

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Seeing a red cross + in the middle of any bold text initiates nearly an automatic stimulus-response for a Presider to raise that arm high to bless something or someone. However, not all such cross appearances signal a blessing gesture in response.  If the meaning of the words and the meaning of the sign are to have any depth and understanding for church-goers, then it is important for Presiders to think through each occasion where cross signs occur.

One such place that seems to have caused some confusion for some Presiders is in the opening of the Order for Confession and Forgiveness in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) prior to the Entrance Hymn.  There the Invocation is spoken by the Presider, inviting the presence of the triune God into the midst of the congregation to hear their confessions and receive their praises and thanksgivings in worship. And so the Preider speaks the words, "In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit." To which the people, respond "Amen." But where does the Pastor execute the sign:  upon him/herself or upon the congregation as a blessing?

To find that answer, you must review the opening rubric in the worship book, which reads thus:  "All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins [i.e. the words of invocation]."  Clearly the rubric envisions something of a joint action by both Presider and congregation in which:

1. Everyone, including the Presider, remembers their baptism by signing themselves with the cross, and

2. The Presider, rather than blessing the congregation, leads the people in this ancient action of invoking the name of the triune God by signing her/himself together with the people.

Not only does the rubric suggest this, but a close look at the contexts where cross signs are indicated helps a Presider to identify the action that is best suited for each cross sign.

Note, for example, how the words of the Benediction are outward directed, from the Presider to the worshiper: "Almighty God ... + bless you." "The Lord bless you ... and + give you peace."  Nearly all cross signs that are blessings will make use of the word "bless."  The same is true in the blessing of objects:  "Bless these branches and those who carry them."  "Bless us as we dedicate this ..."

Similarly, at the Absolution, the words are again directed outward from (or through) the Presider to the worshiper: "I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness ... + ."  "In the name of  + Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven."

And so, accordingly, the action accompanying the benediction, blessings and absolution is a signing of the cross over those or that which is being blessed.

But the words at the Invocation are different:  they are not outward directed from Presider to people, but are directed toward God by everyone, including the Presider, as they call upon the triune God to be present.  It is the joint invoking by pastor and people, accompanied by the ancient sign of invocation, a cross made on oneself, made by all, including the Presiding Minister. The signing is the hallowing of oneself as we all come into the presence of the most holy God. Indeed, this is such a joint action that Philip Pfatteicher suggests in the Manual on the Liturgy that, "The congregation may say the invocation with the minister."

There is another really important point regarding the context of the Invocation in the Order for Confession and Forgiveness.  The cross signing at the pronouncement of the absolution is a really important signing.  It needs to be immediately understood for all its power by those receiving it.  "In the name of  + Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven."  If, however, the Presider has blessed the people at the Invocation and then used this same sign of blessing two paragraphs later, then how are members of the congregation to distinguish one signing from the other, when they surely both looked the same and sure did come close together?  Do we have adquate answers for those questions?

Words and signs are important in the liturgy, and these should be thought through thoroughly so that they clearly communicate the meaning behind both word and sign.  That is what this liturgy website is dedicated to.

It helps when all recognize that the Invocation is not a blessing but a joint inviting of the presence of the triune God into our midst by Presider and people, accompanied by the ancient sign of Invocation, a joint signing of ourselves with the cross.  Then this allows the word and sign at the absolution to stand alone in all its power as the Presiding makes the sign over the people and pronounces the word of forgiveness.  By separating these occasions into two different actions -- self-signing at the Invocation and Cross-blessing at the Absolution -- it maximizes the focus of the moment in the liturgy and eliminates potential questions when the same sign is used two times in a short time span.

SUGGESTION: Given this connection of Baptism and confession, it is most appropriate that the Brief Order be led by the Presider at the Baptismal Font. Then, while speaking the Invocation, the Presider can touch the water in the font and make the sign of the cross upon her/himself. Word and action thus make bold the connections.