On the Sign of the Cross

[Jacob Dahlen]

SOURCE: THE OLD ORTHODOX PRAYER BOOK
Let this also be known: It behooves every Christian to know how to cross himself properly in the form of a cross; how great of a mystery lies in joining of fingers; and why we are called Christians. Let everyone born again in the laver of regeneration mark this well, lest unbelievers laugh or mock us, and lest heretics overcomes us in argment and put us to shame with their unclean words. Truly, the Lord had mercy and has not despised us, but rather He has looked upon us mercifully from His holy place on high, and given us a new name; that is, to be called Christians. ...Behold, then, how we Christians are called by a new name, just as He saud through the same Isaiah to his new servents, "And they shall come and see My glory. And I will leave a sign apon them."(Isa 66:18-19) And as the Lord said, so has He done; He has left as Sign, the precious Cross...
...It is also clear from other witnesses: that the Apostles of Christ, as well as the martyrs, made thesign of the precious Cross upon themselves with their hands. Therein, says the holy fathers, us glorified the mystery of the holy and undivided Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Holy Baptism, the three-day burial and Resurrection of Christ is shown by three immersions in water; as the Apostles says, "So many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into death." And further: "That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."(Rom 6:3,4).

 

[Jacob Dahlen]

In like manner, in the sign of the precious Cross, this excellent sacrament of the faith teaches us to know a mystery. For the joined fingers together - the thumb, the ring finger and the littel finger - confesses the mystery of the three divine hypostases, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God in three Persons, while joining together the other two fingers - the forefinger and the winddle finger - and extending them signifies the mystery of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who is perfect God and perfect Man. Slightly bending the middle finger confesses the mystery that the Son of God bowed the heavens and came down upon the earth and became man for our salvation. Thus, having Joined these twi fubgers, we first place them on the head, or on the forhead; we confess that He Who is our true and eterunal Head gave us Himself as head over all Churches; that is over His body. Next, we place them on the belly, confessing His decent to earth; we clearly proclaim His conception withour seed in the most pure womb of the Mother of God and His dwelling there for nine months, for He alone passed through her womb as the sun through glass, without damaging her verginity by his birth.

 

[Jacob Dahlen]

Then, we place them on the right shoulder; we confess the He sits and the right hand of God the Father, until His enemies are made His footstool. Finally, we place them on the left Shoulder, Signifing that He will come again for judgement and will render unto those on the left everlasting punishment, but unto those on the right everlasting life. Thus having signed ourselves with the Signed of the precious Cross, we bow before God in adoration, beseaching Him to deliver us from the lot of those on the left and to grant us His blessing.

 

[Jacob Dahlen]

My statement to anyone who refuses to cross them self properly, this is not an official statement from of Church itself..:
Therefore if anyone fails to cross them self in the above manner, let him be Anathema, for such do the unbelievers laugh and mock, the heretics overcome and put to shame with their unclean words, and the demons rejoice at.

 

[nate]

Sounds good to me.

 

[Jim1999]

Sounds like superstituous nonsense to me. We crossed ourselves in the Anglican church and went from left side to right side then vertical, saying Father, Son, Holy Spirit. I don't think it matters which direction,,,the words count.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[JFox1]

We Lutherans make the sign of the cross during worship services, usually when having Communion. We start from the left, then the right, then vertical.

 

[tragic_pizza]

Presbyterians don't, but I fail to see anything at all wrong with it.

 

[Claudia_T]

Since I keep getting accused of using Ellen White as my source for doctrine, I think I may as well post this.

When I read what this catholic sign of the cross really means and I read what Ellen White says, it really makes me pay more attention to the "spirit" of this signing of the cross and what it seems to be all about.

It seems to me like it is a kind of thing used to make catholics pray for their so-called "enemies" or "heretics" to be killed. Thats what I see in it.


The Great Controversy, page 568, EG White
Chapter Title: Liberty of Conscience Threatened

There is a striking similarity between the Church of Rome and the Jewish Church at the time of Christ's first advent. While the Jews secretly trampled upon every principle of the law of God, they were outwardly rigorous in the observance of its precepts, loading it down with exactions and traditions that made obedience painful and burdensome. As the Jews professed to revere the law, so do Romanists claim to reverence the cross. They exalt the symbol of Christ's sufferings, while in their lives they deny Him whom it represents.
Papists place crosses upon their churches, upon their altars, and upon their garments. Everywhere is seen the insignia of the cross. Everywhere it is outwardly honored and exalted. But the teachings of Christ are buried beneath a mass of senseless traditions, false interpretations, and rigorous exactions. The Saviour's words concerning the bigoted Jews, apply with still greater force to the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church: "They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." Matthew 23:4. Conscientious souls are kept in constant terror fearing the wrath of an offended God, while many of the dignitaries of the church are living in luxury and sensual pleasure.
The worship of images and relics, the invocation of saints, and the exaltation of the pope are devices of Satan to attract the minds of the people from God and from His Son. To accomplish their ruin, he endeavors to turn their attention from Him through whom alone they can find salvation. He will direct them to any object that can be substituted for the One who has said: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.
It is Satan's constant effort to misrepresent the character of God , the nature of sin, and the real issues at stake in the great controversy. His sophistry lessens the obligation of the divine law and gives men license to sin. At the same time he causes them to cherish false conceptions of God so that they regard Him with fear and hate rather than with love. The cruelty inherent in his own character is attributed to the Creator; it is embodied in systems of religion and expressed in modes of worship. Thus the minds of men are blinded, and Satan secures them as his agents to war against God. By perverted conceptions of the divine attributes, heathen nations were led to believe human sacrifices necessary to secure the favor of Deity; and horrible cruelties have been perpetrated under the various forms of idolatry.

 

[BobRyan]

Semiramis (Ishtar) had the people cross themselves with a "T" in the same way for her son "Tamus".

interestingly - we see no reference to this man-made tradition at all in connection with the NT Bible authors OR with the OT saints.

 

[Eliyahu]

Stauro may mean Crucifixion but the shape of it is uncertain. It could be like a simple tree, some says. Anyway Cross was an instrument, but the most important thing is Jesus Christ Himself, the Personality Jesus Christ.
Cross was an instrument to kill the Messiah, the Sinless person, the Lamb of God.

If Jesus Christ was killed by a Gun, will you worship the Gun? Will you hang up the gun on the wall and pay respect to it?

 

[Melanie]

Originally posted by Eliyahu:

If Jesus Christ was killed by a Gun, will you worship the Gun? Will you hang up the gun on the wall and pay respect to it?

Catholics do not worship the cross but we do worship Our Divine Saviour who did indeed die on a cross, crowned with thorns beaten and bloody at the hands of men and the whips that were used to torment Him.

I wear a crucifix as a reminder of that sacrifice of Love for me, in a hope I will not stray in my daily life.

 

[mcneely]

Originally posted by Eliyahu:
Stauro may mean Crucifixion but the shape of it is uncertain. It could be like a simple tree, some says. Anyway Cross was an instrument, but the most important thing is Jesus Christ Himself, the Personality Jesus Christ.
Cross was an instrument to kill the Messiah, the Sinless person, the Lamb of God.

If Jesus Christ was killed by a Gun, will you worship the Gun? Will you hang up the gun on the wall and pay respect to it?

Good point.
The symbol of the cross has been used as an inspirational symbol for Christians, but it definately shouldn't be worshipped. But that's religion, I guess. You know you're on the wrong path when the focus is taken off of Christ.

 

[Eliyahu]

Actually I tolerate somehow the wearing of Cross or having the Mark of Cross somewhere at the church, but I don't put much value on it.

When Israel was led Apostasy by making Calf Idol, they did it in remembrance of Jehovah and they called that Calf as Jehovah who led them out of Egypt, in order to visualize Him. Read the followings:

Exodus 32:4-5
4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf : and they said, These be thy gods(Elohim=God), O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD(Jehovah).

 

[Eliyahu]

Originally posted by Briony-Gloriana:
Catholics do not worship the cross but we do worship Our Divine Saviour who did indeed die on a cross, crowned with thorns beaten and bloody at the hands of men and the whips that were used to torment Him.

I wear a crucifix as a reminder of that sacrifice of Love for me, in a hope I will not stray in my daily life. [/QB]

As I said, I accept it or tolerate it as in the acceptable range.It might be quite OK.

If Jesus died by gun, many people may have been carrying guns!

Gun may protect you more than simple metal Cross!

 

[Chemnitz]

We Lutherans make the sign of the cross during worship services, usually when having Communion. We start from the left, then the right, then vertical.

Huh, you must have had a different tradition than I was taught. We started with the verticle at the forehead and ended with the horizontal over the heart. In our worship class we are taught to do the mirror image when doing the invocations or blessings so that the cross ends over the congregations heart.