Why don't Lutherans cross themselves?

[rd151]

I come from a brief Catholic background and the making of the sign of the cross was practiced during worship. Also Luther wrote we should use it as well and it dates back to very early Christian history as a valid practice. Yet when I attend the Lutheran church I don't see anyone crossing themselves at all and especially when the minister declares his blessing upon us in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit?

I want to cross myself, but if I do I would feel "looked upon" as an oddball by everyone around me? What is your advice and just why don't Lutherans cross themselves anyway when Luther himself said we should?

 

[Radiata]

My pastor does the cross at communion the blessing, and some other times. I can't remember ever doing it myself though. I think it's just replacing the word "catholic church" with "Christian church" in the apostle's creed. The main reason being to prevent confusion and in this case, maybe to separate us from other denominations. I'm most likely wrong, but that's my thoughts on it.

 

[DaSeminarian]

I come from a brief Catholic background and the making of the sign of the cross was practiced during worship. Also Luther wrote we should use it as well and it dates back to very early Christian history as a valid practice. Yet when I attend the Lutheran church I don't see anyone crossing themselves at all and especially when the minister declares his blessing upon us in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit?

I want to cross myself, but if I do I would feel "looked upon" as an oddball by everyone around me? What is your advice and just why don't Lutherans cross themselves anyway when Luther himself said we should?

Mostly it is an adiaphoron. It is neither commanded nor prohibited by scripture. I do it, but it is a matter of personal piety and an aid in my worship response to what Christ has done. I encourage people who want to do it, but I don't discourage or criticize those who do not. Too many Lutherans don't do it because they don't want to be considered papist or Roman.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Some do, some don't - it's kinda the same thing with kneeling.

To me, it's a personal choice. If you want to cross yourself, you should do so and not worry about looked at funny - and if someone does, then just tell them why you do it.

I don't cross myself mainly because it wasn't something that was taught or done at the Lutheran churches I went to growing up. Some churches use it as a further separation from the Catholic church - sometimes crossing ourselves can be more of an outward appearance thing than actually showing reverence. Hope that makes sense.

My ex-boyfriend crossed himself all the time. We went on a church tour in Canada and every church we went into he crossed himself as we were walking in and out. During a sermon at my church, he crossed himself every time the pastor said "Holy Spirit", and he crosses himself at every amen. When I asked him about it, he said he was making it known that he was Catholic. Kinda the wrong reason if you ask me...

 

[Jenna]

Yup, some lutherans cross themselves. It's funny, because my husband was Catholic, yet he doesn't cross himself. However, I was raised lutheran, and our daughter and I cross ourselves. There are only a couple people that I've noticed who cross themselves at church. It seems that so many people are either nervous about "standing out" or are afraid of "looking too Catholic". It reminds me of a joke that a visiting pastor told our congregation last Sunday...

What do you get when you cross an LCMS Lutheran and Jehovah's Witness?
.
.
.
.

Someone who knocks on the door, but won't talk!


It was funny, but at the same time, it does tend to run a little too true sometimes. It's hard to overlook the fact that so many people see Lutherans as being pretty stoic and closed-lipped. Apparently, these "many people" haven't met the folks in TCL. lol

 

[porterross]

We do cross ourselves. I cross myself pretty often, but only publicly during worship and I am not the only one in the congregation who does.

My mother does it, the Small Catechism encourages it, as does the new LSB, so when people say it's not Lutheran, whip out the SC and remind them of what they learned as confirmands.

 

[Melethiel]

I cross myself, and I'd say maybe a quarter of the people at my church do as well.

 

[AngCath]

I believe The Lutheran Handbook has instructions on how to cross yourself. That being one of my few exposures to Lutheran traditions of worship, I assumed it was typical.

 

[RadMan]

I believe The Lutheran Handbook has instructions on how to cross yourself. That being one of my few exposures to Lutheran traditions of worship, I assumed it was typical.

We have tradition but it's mostly on a personal basis. Tradition is adiphora for us.

 

[IowaLutheran]

I cross myself, and I'd say maybe a quarter of the people at my church do as well.

Ditto here.

 

[Confess]

I do it all the time.

 

[porterross]

I do it all the time.

Split personality?

 

[Melethiel]

I do it this way:

 

[porterross]

I do it this way:

As do I, without the head covering.

 

[Tofferer]

I do the "Up, Down, Right, Left" thing. It feels natural to do it that way.

 

[RadMan]

Unfortunately I think some people do it ostentatiously.
I don't do it at all for that reason.

 

[Confess]

Split personality?

I didn't even realize. LOL!

 

[Zecryphon]

I do the "Up, Down, Right, Left" thing. It feels natural to do it that way.

See, and I do it, up, down, left, right, cuz that feels natural to me. But I've always been weird. LOL

 

[Qoheleth]

Crossing oneself was practiced by Christians from the earliest centuries and may go back to apostolic times. We know that is was already a common ceremony used daily in A.D. 200, for Tertullian writes: "In all undertakings -- when we enter a place or leave it; before we dress; before we bathe; when we take our meals; when we light the lamps in the evening; before we retire at night; when we sit down to read; before each task -- we trace the sign of the cross on our foreheads." St. Augustine (A.D. 431) speaks of this custom many times in his sermons and letters.


It is one of the traditional ceremonies that was most definitely retained by Luther and the Lutheran Church in the 16th-century Reformation. Luther prescribed in his Small Catechism under the heading: "How the Head of the Family Should Teach His Household to Bless Themselves in the Morning and in the Evening." He says, "In the morning when you rise (In the evening when you go to bed) you shall bless yourself with the sign of the holy cross and say: In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen." Again in his Large Catechism he recommends that parents should instruct their children to cross themselves for the purpose of recalling their divine Protector in moments of danger, terror, and temptation. This ceremony is also still authorized in many present-day Lutheran service books.


Crossing oneself is done by puting the fingers of the right hand to the forehead, to the breast, and to the left and right shoulders, with the words, "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." By doing this we profess our faith in the Triune God and in our redemption through Christ crucified. But it is more than a profession of faith; it is a prayer in action of thanksgiving or for blessing to God the Father, in the Holy Spirit, through our one and only Mediator, Jesus Christ. The sign of the cross may also be made from the right to the left shoulder. This is the older form, which has been retained in the Eastern church.


In the church's worship it is a laudable custom to cross ourselves at the beginning and end of all services and at the following places in the Service or in the Order of the Holy Communion Service: During the opening words, "In the name etc."; at the end of the Absolution; at the beginning of the Introit; at the end of the Gloria in Excelsis; when the Gospel is announced (At this point the sign is made with the hand closed, using the tip of the thumb, upon the forehead, lips, and breast.); at the end of the creed; during the Sanctus at the words, "Blessed is He"; after the consecration at "The peace of the Lord"; when we receive the holy body and precious blood of Christ; when the minister says, "Depart in peace"; and at the end of the Benediction.


The holy cross is the symbol of our salvation. We were signed with it when we were baptized. It is the sign by which the church blesses people and things. By it we become part of the wonderful history of our faith and companions in the company of the saints. It is right that we should make the sign of the cross frequently and to glory in it, saying with St. Paul, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Gal. 6:14)
(Paul H. D. Lang, Ceremony and Celebration, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO, 1965)


Among all the ancient writers there is indeed frequent mention of the sign of the cross. ...at the time of Tertullian and afterward the Christians with their fingers formed a transverse figure like a cross in the air, and in this way identified themselves. It was...a profession and reminder that they believed in Christ crucified, and that they were placing all their hope and confidence in Him. (Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, Part IV [Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986], p. 94)






I thought this was interesting




Q

 

[Mary of Bethany]

I hope it's okay to post in here - it's just a fellowship post - has nothing to do with Orthodoxy.

I grew up Baptist, which of course, is very much against making the sign of the cross or any other outward, physical "sign" of worship. But I remember thinking that it would be nice to be able to make the sign of the cross, and I used to "sneak it in" sometimes when I was by myself, just to see how it felt.

Anyway, it seemed like a good thing to "sign" yourself as a follower of Christ, which is how I saw it. Of course, I ended up believing in sacraments, too, so I guess I wasn't a very good Baptist.

Mary