Altar Bells

[Archivist]

I visited an ELCA church this past Sunday. During Communion they used altar bells. I have seen these used in Roman Catholic churches before, but never in a Lutheran church. My home church (also ELCA) does not use them, nor do any of the Lutheran churches of family members that I have visited. Is this common practice? Have I been missing something?

 

[Archivist]

BTW, while this was an ELCA church, I would be interested in responses from those who are members of LCMS and other Lutheran bodies.

 

[Tigger45]

The only other time I've seen alter bells used outside of the RC was at an Anglican church ACNA.

 

[Commander Xenophon]

Do you mean sacring bells? That are rung when the Eucharist is consecrated? Anglicans sometimes use them. They were also introduced into the Eastern Catholic ("Uniate") churches as a "Latinization" but have since Vatican II mostly been removed.

The idea is the bells are rung at the Words of Institution to symbolize the change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of our Lord.

I like the sound of them myself. Of course in the Greek church we would have to ring them later in the service, in the epiclesis.

 

[Archivist]

Do you mean sacring bells? That are rung when the Eucharist is consecrated? Anglicans sometimes use them. They were also introduced into the Eastern Catholic ("Uniate") churches as a "Latinization" but have since Vatican II mostly been removed.

The idea is the bells are rung at the Words of Institution to symbolize the change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of our Lord.

I like the sound of them myself. Of course in the Greek church we would have to ring them later in the service, in the epiclesis.

Ive always heard my RC friends call them altar bells, but I presume they are the same as sacring bells. I had just never seen a Lutheran Church use them before. I did like the sound.

 

[Tigger45]

Ive always heard my RC friends call them altar bells, but I presume they are the same as sacring bells. I had just never seen a Lutheran Church use them before. I did like the sound.

I like how they grab everyone's attention with a reverend hush that fills the sanctuary.

 

[Commander Xenophon]

I like how they grab everyone's attention with a reverend hush that fills the sanctuary.

I think this liturgical grabbing of attention is important, whether we do it with sacring bells, or by intensifying the music on the organ or in my church from the chant stand, as we move into the Anaphora and approach the Consecration. At about the Sursum Corda, the pressure needs to build, and the words of institution should be climactic, whether spoken or sung.

In my church, oddly, we believe the Epiclesis is what is consecratory, but unlike in the Oriental churches, we don't sing it. It's a private prayer of the priest. So the liturgical climax of the consecration is the same in Lutheranism and the Greek church. The Copts and Syriacs on the other hand do sing their epiclesis, with the West Syriac Rite featuring a dramatic chant by the priest "Answer me, O Lord!"

Regardless though of where we believe the consecration happens, I think we might agree as a general principle or canon of liturgics, that this moment should be climactic, and the attention of the congregation should be absolutely laser-focused on it.

 

[Arcangl86]

I've only seen it once in a Lutheran context, and I've been to quite a few smells and bells churches.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

I've only seen it once in a Lutheran context, and I've been to quite a few smells and bells churches.

Not quite like that. In Lutheran Tradition, it was moved from the words of institution to the recitation of the Our Father in the Service of the sacrament. While widely disused, one LCC Congregation a few miles from me have two bells; the smaller of which is still rung during the Lord's Prayer. In rural areas, for those who were unable to attend service due pressing farm work, or as shut-ins, when they hear the bell, they would join in the prayer, thus in absentia, still participating in the service. An ELCIC parish in the same village also retains this practice.

 

[Arcangl86]

Not quite like that. In Lutheran Tradition, it was moved from the words of institution to the recitation of the Our Father in the Service of the sacrament. While widely disused, one LCC Congregation a few miles from me have two bells; the smaller of which is still rung during the Lord's Prayer. In rural areas, for those who were unable to attend service due pressing farm work, or as shut-ins, when they hear the bell, they would join in the prayer, thus in absentia, still participating in the service. An ELCIC parish in the same village also retains this practice.

It's interesting. The church I was referring to had like a tiny chime at the verba, but then at the Lords Prayer rung the big bells in the tower.

 

[Albion]

These bells (not ones in the steeple) are something of an affectation when used in non-RC churches such as the ELCA and in Anglican churches. The purpose, as used in Catholic churches, is to draw the attention of the congregation to the sacred moments in the liturgy, and that means Transubstantiation. Of course, neither the ELCA nor the typical Anglican church holds to that belief, but both have their share of pastors and parishes which want to be 'more Catholic' in style.

With these bells, you are likely also to have elaborate vestments, postures, and so on, and many people in such parishes would take the approach of saying that these all add solemnity or dignity, and they consider this to be good. They would say that they themselves attach no doctrinal assumptions to their use. This is true, I'd say, but nevertheless, that's the origin.

 

[Commander Xenophon]

These bells (not ones in the steeple) are something of an affectation when used in non-RC churches such as the ELCA and in Anglican churches. The purpose, as used in Catholic churches, is to draw the attention of the congregation to the sacred moments in the liturgy, and that means Transubstantiation. Of course, neither the ELCA nor the typical Anglican church holds to that belief, but both have their share of pastors and parishes which want to be 'more Catholic' in style.

With these bells, you are likely also to have elaborate vestments, postures, and so on, and many people in such parishes would take the approach of saying that these all add solemnity or dignity, and they consider this to be good. They would say that they themselves attach no doctrinal assumptions to their use. This is true, I'd say, but nevertheless, that's the origin.

The ELCA does believe though that the body and blood of our Lord becomes present in the Eucharist in, with and other the species of bread and wine, does it not? I read this was something Martin Luther insisted on in debates with other Protestants like Zwingli and Calvin.

 

[Commander Xenophon]

Not quite like that. In Lutheran Tradition, it was moved from the words of institution to the recitation of the Our Father in the Service of the sacrament. While widely disused, one LCC Congregation a few miles from me have two bells; the smaller of which is still rung during the Lord's Prayer. In rural areas, for those who were unable to attend service due pressing farm work, or as shut-ins, when they hear the bell, they would join in the prayer, thus in absentia, still participating in the service. An ELCIC parish in the same village also retains this practice.

This is a beautiful and pious custom.

 

[Albion]

The ELCA does believe though that the body and blood of our Lord becomes present in the Eucharist in, with and other the species of bread and wine, does it not?

Yes, but that's not the point I wanted to make. The raison d'etre of these bells in a Lutheran church is that they are borrowed from Roman Catholic practice; and the reason they are found there relates to the deeply supernatural idea that Roman Catholicism attaches to the Mass--a renewed sacrificing of Jesus Christ, a miraculous transformation of bread and wine into literal flesh and blood by the words of the "alter Christus," the priest, at the altar, etc. It was to call the congregation to attention at these critical moments.

All the Lutheran churches believe in the Real Presence, it's true, but why the bells? It's not something inherent in Lutheranism or the Lutheran liturgy; the practice has been imported (in the minority of churches where that's happened) because of them having a similar feeling. Not the same understanding, but one that is alike in thinking it a good idea to call the congregation to focus on the Consecration and Elevation, etc. It's not because Lutherans are in complete agreement with the Catholic position on the nature of the sacrament or of the officiant.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Yes, but that's not the point I wanted to make. The raison d'etre of these bells in a Lutheran church is that they are borrowed from Roman Catholic practice; and the reason they are found there relates to the deeply supernatural idea that Roman Catholicism attaches to the Mass--a renewed sacrificing of Jesus Christ, a miraculous transformation of bread and wine into literal flesh and blood by the words of the "alter Christus," the priest, at the altar, etc. It was to call the congregation to attention at these critical moments.

All the Lutheran churches believe in the Real Presence, it's true, but why the bells? It's not something inherent in Lutheranism or the Lutheran liturgy; the practice has been imported (in the minority of churches where that's happened) because of them having a similar feeling. Not the same understanding, but one that is alike in thinking it a good idea to call the congregation to focus on the Consecration and Elevation, etc. It's not because Lutherans are in complete agreement with the Catholic position on the nature of the sacrament or of the officiant.

No bells like this in any of the Extraordinary Form Masses that I have been to; there it is the tower bells.

I heard once that the reason they were brought into use was so the big bells did not shake the daylights out of the masonry in the towers.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

This is a beautiful and pious custom.

Alas, my present Chruch does not have a tower or a bell.

 

[Commander Xenophon]

Yes, but that's not the point I wanted to make. The raison d'etre of these bells in a Lutheran church is that they are borrowed from Roman Catholic practice; and the reason they are found there relates to the deeply supernatural idea that Roman Catholicism attaches to the Mass--a renewed sacrificing of Jesus Christ, a miraculous transformation of bread and wine into literal flesh and blood by the words of the "alter Christus," the priest, at the altar, etc. It was to call the congregation to attention at these critical moments.

All the Lutheran churches believe in the Real Presence, it's true, but why the bells? It's not something inherent in Lutheranism or the Lutheran liturgy; the practice has been imported (in the minority of churches where that's happened) because of them having a similar feeling. Not the same understanding, but one that is alike in thinking it a good idea to call the congregation to focus on the Consecration and Elevation, etc. It's not because Lutherans are in complete agreement with the Catholic position on the nature of the sacrament or of the officiant.

Just as a point of reference, that what you attribute to Roman Catholicism, in my opinion, and correct me if I am wrong, my Lutheran friends, represents the organic traditional expression of faith of the Lutherans, at least during the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy as it is known, before the ascendancy of the Pietist and Rationalist movements of the late 18th century, except they believe the sacrifice is purely a divine sacrifice and the bread and wine remain physically united with the body and blood. But the theology of the mass is extremely similiar and Martin Luther vehemently denied having abolished the mass or having departed in any radical away from RC eucharistic doctrine concerning what the Eucharist actually is.

Also note that the RC view is largely shared by the ancient churches of the East; by us, by the Copts, Syrians, and other Orientals, and by the Nestorians of Iraq and Persia. Like the Lutherans we all have our own "twist" on it, but there is essentially a continuity of belief unmitigated by anything like the Black Rubric from your tradition.

Now I dont know enough about the modern day ELCA to know if they are still adamant about that, or if Pietism opened the door to a broader range of interpretations (also the forced union of Calvinists and Lutherans in Prussia from which the LCMS and a large chunk of the United Church of Christ, basically the non-Puritan portion, emerged). I dont know how herchurch, also known as Ebeneezer Lutheran Church, in the Bay Area, might describe the Eucharist, for instance.

 

[Commander Xenophon]

Alas, my present Chruch does not have a tower or a bell.

But, if you have traditional worship, you have the start of this. Belltowers come later.

My favorite Western style campanology is Austrian; there is a wonderful bell foundry in Innsbruck I toured, You should buy one if their bells if you ever can afford a tower. They are beautifully toned to a single note (in EO campanology, our bells are toned to a range of notes, making a distinctive sound, and sadly I dont think the Orientals or Nestorians really have campanology owing to Islamic oppresssion making it impossible for them to have bell towers in most places).

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

But, if you have traditional worship, you have the start of this. Belltowers come later.

My favorite Western style campanology is Austrian; there is a wonderful bell foundry in Innsbruck I toured, You should buy one if their bells if you ever can afford a tower. They are beautifully toned to a single note (in EO campanology, our bells are toned to a range of notes, making a distinctive sound, and sadly I dont think the Orientals or Nestorians really have campanology owing to Islamic oppresssion making it impossible for them to have bell towers in most places).

The ELCIC and Catholic Churches do, and their service time is the same as ours, so, in the summer with the windows opened, we hear their bells.

I'll go with "Lutheran Economy".

 

[Albion]

Just as a point of reference, that what you attribute to Roman Catholicism, in my opinion, and correct me if I am wrong, my Lutheran friends, represents the organic traditional expression of faith of the Lutherans, at least during the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy as it is known, before the ascendancy of the Pietist and Rationalist movements of the late 18th century, except they believe the sacrifice is purely a divine sacrifice and the bread and wine remain physically united with the body and blood. But the theology of the mass is extremely similiar and Martin Luther vehemently denied having abolished the mass or having departed in any radical away from RC eucharistic doctrine concerning what the Eucharist actually is.

Yes, but none of this really matters when it comes to the question here about why you'd find these bells in use in a Lutheran church.

The practice is an old Catholic one and is done for a reason. The use of these bells has more recently been adopted by a minority of Lutheran (and Anglican) congregations/parishes because they favor the general idea, although not the exact same theology concerning the liturgy and the priesthood as accounts for the historic Catholic use of these bells. That's it.