Bowing to tradition?
Conrad Gempf on his blog, talks about self-expression and tradition giving examples of good tradition, one that pushes or entices you to an act of grace rather than falling victim of one’s own selfish deire to get even, take advantage or gain from chance in a game of skill. This idea of tradition bringing out the better side of us perhaps goes some way to understanding why people bow, kneel [genuflect] when entering, leaving or passing the alter in church.
This custom has been one that has puzzled me for a while, since arriving at Rippon College, Cuddesdon for my ordination training. Coming from low evangelical background, these body movements were a puzzle and in fact boarder on idolatry. My first thoughts were “Well they seem no more crazy than sticking your hands in the air during singing.†This obviously has more meaning you might say, but even casual observations show that some songs do it better than others and generally you have to wait until the chorus or the second verse before it is appropriate to ‘lift them high’.
My second thought concerns an observation made by at fellow staff member at my last job [Holy Trinity Hazlemere]. He, Alan, observed that we more often than not fall into worship. We move straight from notices to full blown intimacy without as much as a by-your-leave.
In reaction to these I have been developing a practice of pausing an lowering my head when entering a pew and when leaving it. Not because I am not worshipping in my whole life nor because I think there is any more ‘real’ presence at the altar or reserve sacrament than any other particular place. It is more to do with what is going on in my heart: I am here, in this building in this pew, intentionally to listen, pray and acknowledge God’s grace in my life. It is to mark the beginning and end of this intentional time of becoming aware of God’s presence.
Now I come to Conrad’s observations. This tradition, that I have picked up from other people playing the same game as I am, indeed encourages and entices me to both acknowledge the grace shown to me and respond in an appropriate thankful way acknowledging the Godhead behind it. And in a BTW, showing other people that I am aware of what I am doing in the pew.
