Making The Sign of The Cross (Videos and Early Church Father / Writer Quotes)

Jonaitis said:

1. God commands it.
2. God uses our prayers as instruments of his sovereign purpose.
3. It is a form of worship and a means to commune with God.
4. It is a means of grace for the growth of our faith.

Click to expand...

God doesn't command our prayers. God does command our worship.

Many of us object to it because we don't see a reason for it. It seems to be based on a superstitious belief that it will do something, or help something work. God doesn't need us to do that...

Click to expand...

Protestants often don't see a reason for many Catholic practices. God doesn't need us to do anything, really.

JacksBratt said:

I will bow out of this thread now before I say something that gets me reported.
Scripture tells us to be baptized, anoint each other with oil, lay hands on people, raise our hands... .but never hold our fingers in a certain way and waive our arms in front of us in a predetermined pattern...
There is no scripture that even comes close... no matter how much anyone twists or stretches it.

God Bless.

Click to expand...

We don't hold our hands in a certain way or wave our arms in front of us. But how about the end of Matthew "Go out, therefore, into all the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."?

R. Genevieve said:

I began making the sign of the cross before and after I prayed a few years ago as a sort of experiment during Lent, and I still make it today when praying in private.

It focuses my heart and mind. It reminds me of the importance of prayer and how incredible and powerful prayer is. Normally, my mind tends to wander a bit when I pray, sometimes to the point that I'll forget I was ever praying. The sign of the cross (as well as kneeling) reminds me of Who it is I'm talking to and that I need to listen to Him.

I also find it comforting. I'm fond of church tradition and history because they remind me that, as a Christian, I'm part of something bigger than just me. The sign of the cross is a tangible way I can remind myself of this when I pray.

Hope that helps!

Click to expand...

Great. Welcome to Christian Forums.

Jonaitis said:

I found prayer alone enough to comfort, encourage, and strengthen me in my trials and troubles, why do I need to make the sign of the cross? It is superstition you are believing in, and I think it is missing the point.

Marius, how were you able to look at EO/RCC and the early church in the New Testament and believe they are just alike? "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3)

Click to expand...

I can answer that question...I don't know about 'just alike', but 'very similar'. We believe as the early Church did. Exactly. Practices may be different.

General response to the thread, not to anyone specifically:

I make the sign of the cross because it draws me into the comfort of Christ and what I have in Christ and what He has done for me and given me.

I have no intention of being ashamed of Jesus, and so will continue to make the sign of the cross when I pray.

-CryptoLutheran

thecolorsblend said:

There's also no scripture that says something has to be codified in scripture before somebody can do it. But don't let that mess you up.

Click to expand...

Hey, I never said that there was anything wrong with doing it... just don't tell people that it is a required gesture or that it is promoted by any scripture.

Root of Jesse said:

We don't hold our hands in a certain way or wave our arms in front of us. But how about the end of Matthew "Go out, therefore, into all the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."?

Click to expand...

Baptism is openly and directly mentioned in the scripture, many times. It is also explicitly talked about by Christ.... Crossing yourself.... is not.

I find it offensive that people are taking scripture about the gospel and words of people who are not writers of the Canon, to promote an action that is not mentioned.

I have no issue with those that do it, want to do it or choose to do it... Just don't tell me that it is held to the same biblical standards as baptism.

JacksBratt said:

Baptism is openly and directly mentioned in the scripture, many times. It is also explicitly talked about by Christ.... Crossing yourself.... is not.

I find it offensive that people are taking scripture about the gospel and words of people who are not writers of the Canon, to promote an action that is not mentioned.

I have no issue with those that do it, want to do it or choose to do it... Just don't tell me that it is held to the same biblical standards as baptism.

Click to expand...

Except that it is spoken in the same sentence which explicitly told the disciples to go out and baptize. Crossing yourself is prayer. If you don't see it that way, don't do it.
By the way, who decided what the Canon would be? Catholics. TYVM.

Root of Jesse said:

Except that it is spoken in the same sentence which explicitly told the disciples to go out and baptize. Crossing yourself is prayer. If you don't see it that way, don't do it.
By the way, who decided what the Canon would be? Catholics. TYVM.

Click to expand...

Can you post the verse and indicate where, taken in context.. they are said to have made the sign of the cross?

Jonaitis said:

A Roman cross that was used to execute criminals is suppose to scare demons? The name of Jesus is enough to scare demons as we read in the book of Acts.

Click to expand...

Jonaitis, what you don't understand that a Roman cross made by the hands of men that was used for killing people, God has now used for the Good of the People, now this is what scares/SCARED the demons away. It reminds the demons of how Jesus through dying on Cross saved and saves Many.

Jonaitis, most importantly you should ask yourself, why are you ALSO SCARED of the Cross? It is always wrong to have something in Common with those who are against the Cross of Christ. (food for thought).

Pan De Vida

JacksBratt said:

Can you post the verse and indicate where, taken in context.. they are said to have made the sign of the cross?

Click to expand...

Jacks Brat, Are you serious? The Verse you seek takes place at the Crucifixion.

JackBrat, stop being a Brat. Jesus Christ made the Sign of the Cross with His Own Body by stretching out His arms while being nailed to the Cross. Now if Christ can make the sign of the cross with His own body then we can AT LEAST make the sign of the Cross with our right hand.

Those Christians who are afraid to make the sign of the cross, are they true Christians? Yes, they are! However, they are afraid to do so for fear that they may look like a Catholic! Am I right? Christ is Catholic for sure, again he made the sign of the Cross with His own Body.

Do not be afraid to make the sign of the Cross in public, yes, it will make you look like a Catholic, but It also means you are a Christian proclaiming the Lord by making the sign of the Cross.

“I asked Jesus, ‘How much do you love me?’ And Jesus said, ‘This much.’ Then He stretched out His arms and died.”

Won't it be a Grace from God if we all can be called to make the sign of the Cross one day with our own Body, like Christ and like St. Peter for us that would be a true Martyrs Death, the best sign of the Cross we can ever make for the Glory of God. Amen Amen

Pan De Vida

David Cabrera said:

History shows it is the Real Blood and Body of Jesus

Click to expand...

Evidence for your claim, please. "History" can't do anything, just like "Science" never "tells us" anything. Those are examples of reification. There is only evidence, interpretation, and experience and response.

I'd be delighted to learn from you what evidence you have found personally compelling on this point and your reasons for why you find it personally convincing.

Monk Brendan said:

Protestants and Evangelicals in Russia do make the sign of the Cross.

Click to expand...

I suspect alot of Lutherans there do, and they have been there for centuries. My pastor was actually baptized in a Ukrainian church in Pennsylvania.

In my own congregation, some people do make the sign of the cross still, but we would never force anyone to do so. The pastor also makes the sign of the cross over us in declaring the Absolution.

PanDeVida said:

Jacks Brat, Are you serious? The Verse you seek takes place at the Crucifixion.

JackBrat, stop being a Brat. Jesus Christ made the Sign of the Cross with His Own Body by stretching out His arms while being nailed to the Cross. Now if Christ can make the sign of the cross with His own body then we can AT LEAST make the sign of the Cross with our right hand.

Those Christians who are afraid to make the sign of the cross, are they true Christians? Yes, they are! However, they are afraid to do so for fear that they may look like a Catholic! Am I right? Christ is Catholic for sure, again he made the sign of the Cross with His own Body.

Do not be afraid to make the sign of the Cross in public, yes, it will make you look like a Catholic, but It also means you are a Christian proclaiming the Lord by making the sign of the Cross.

“I asked Jesus, ‘How much do you love me?’ And Jesus said, ‘This much.’ Then He stretched out His arms and died.”

Won't it be a Grace from God if we all can be called to make the sign of the Cross one day with our own Body, like Christ and like St. Peter for us that would be a true Martyrs Death, the best sign of the Cross we can ever make for the Glory of God. Amen Amen

Pan De Vida

Click to expand...

Then, why don't you, instead of waiving your hands in front of you with your fingers arranged just so.... stretch our your arms... just like Christ did?

JacksBratt said:

The "word of the Cross" is the gospel. In those days, the cross was a terrible sign of torture. It would never be worn as it is today as a sign of Christ's work and associated with Christianity. If you were to wear a cross on a chain around your neck, you would have been looked at as being odd and unusual.

Click to expand...

I wonder sometimes where peoples Christian consciences have gone when they say stuff like this. Scorning the Cross is simply not recognizable as Christian to anybody who has actually studied history. It was rather heretics and schismatics that embraced such notions, as the Watchtower Society did.

We venerate the Cross and use the sign of the Cross and wear the Cross to remind us of the One who conquered sin and death through his suffering.

FireDragon76 said:

I wonder sometimes where peoples Christian consciences have gone when they say stuff like this. Scorning the Cross is simply not recognizable as Christian to anybody who has actually studied history. It was rather heretics and schismatics that embraced such notions, as the Watchtower Society did.

We venerate the Cross and use the sign of the Cross and wear the Cross to remind us of the One who conquered sin and death through his suffering.

Click to expand...

I understand that.. Truly I do.

What I said was.. If you were to wear a cross, around your neck at the time of Christ's crucifixion.. people would have looked at you like you were insane or morbid..

At that time, it was not the symbol of Christ's work.. it would be the same as wearing a guillotine symbol around your neck today.

JacksBratt said:

I understand that.. Truly I do.

What I said was.. If you were to wear a cross, around your neck at the time of Christ's crucifixion.. people would have looked at you like you were insane or morbid..

At that time, it was not the symbol of Christ's work.. it would be the same as wearing a guillotine symbol around your neck today.

Click to expand...

But we don't live in the 1st century. Nor do we understand the Cross as signifying a pointless torture.

FireDragon76 said:

But we don't live in the 1st century. Nor do we understand the Cross as signifying a pointless torture.

Click to expand...

I get that.. I was responding to (at least I think you are referring to my post inquiring about biblical support for "signing" the cross) that the term about the cross, in the context given in the post in question, was in regards to the words about Christ's work on the cross..

I have never seen any scripture that tell us to perform the sign of the cross in front of our bodies.

I see no problem with people doing it... I just don't like people telling others that it has any sort of significance in enhancing prayer or any "power".

Kind of like folding our hands to pray... I guess.... (I was told that telling kids to do this..kept them form poking and pinching other kids and kept them focused on the prayer.... IDK)

JacksBratt said:

I get that.. I was responding to (at least I think you are referring to my post inquiring about biblical support for "signing" the cross) that the term about the cross, in the context given in the post in question, was in regards to the words about Christ's work on the cross..

I have never seen any scripture that tell us to perform the sign of the cross in front of our bodies.

Click to expand...

So? Unless you subscribe to a regulative principle, that's not an issue. There's nothing that forbids it, either. It's just another way to pray.

I see no problem with people doing it... I just don't like people telling others that it has any sort of significance in enhancing prayer or any "power".

Click to expand...

Does prayer have power?

Kind of like folding our hands to pray... I guess.... (I was told that telling kids to do this..kept them form poking and pinching other kids and kept them focused on the prayer.... IDK)

Click to expand...

Folding your hands can be a pious practice. We usually do that when we use a kneeler at church to pray. So is holding your hands facing upward, which is an even more ancient way to pray (our pastor still does this, and sometimes some people in our congregation do as well). Both have their place.

JacksBratt said:

Then, why don't you, instead of waiving your hands in front of you with your fingers arranged just so.... stretch our your arms... just like Christ did?

Click to expand...

That would interesting.