The Beauty Of God’s House – A Few Small Points

Trowel & Sword. A.I. De Graaf, October/November 1964

Preamble: In this article, published over two months, Rev. de Graaf sets out to clarify what may be regarded as two of the lesser, albeit solemn “traditions” of the worship service of the day. It may well be that some churches today no longer even follow these traditions but their importance back in 1964 were such that Arent felt compelled to write an explanation for their use. It begs the question: “Does every person attending a worship service in the CRCA in 2024 know and understand why we do what we do”? There was obviously some misunderstanding and/or confusion in 1964 and it would not at all surprise if there are Reformed church members, (including elders and even ministers), with misconceptions about certain aspects of the worship service today.

The Beauty Of God’s House

Can one make difference in liturgical matters between big and small points? Can one say that, “Word and Sacraments” being the focal objects of Reformed Worship, the rest is just unimportant? Or is it so that all we do in the solemn meeting of the congregation with her Lord, must be done decently and in order, and – for that reason must be understood by all people?

I think that we all can agree on the answer. And therefore I would like to mention a few small items which give me the idea that some do not quite understand what’s going on. Maybe I can be of some help here.

The two points, are:

1. The handshake of minister and elder before and after the service.

2. Eyes shut during salutation before and benediction after the service?

1. THE HANDSHAKE OF DELEGATION.

As a little boy, and right up to the time when I as a student dipped a little deeper into liturgics, I always thought that the handshake of elder and minister in the church had the following meaning: BEFORE: “Dominee, the Lord strengthen you”.  AFTER: “Well done!” I think I am not a wild guesser when assuming that 75% of our people, including the office bearers, think this is what it means.

This, however, calls for some problems, in case it were true. Not so much the handshake before the service (I actually know of elders who say “STERKTE!! (strength) when ‘administering’ it!). But surely the one after, in case the minister might have said objectionable things in the pulpit. What is the poor elder to do? He feels upset because he does NOT agree. Must he hastily set up a whispered conversation in Session, say, during the final hymn, whether he shall shake the hand of “approval”, or not? But what if Session does not sit together like often is the case? Must he refuse in his own responsibility? But what if he was mistaken, and after all only misunderstood a certain passage, or what if the rest of Session appears to uphold the minister’s words? A thorny problem!

And a problem which is needless, because THE HANDSHAKE DOES NOT AT ALL MEAN TO CONVEY AN ON-THE-SPOT APPROVAL MADE IMPROMPTU BY THE ELDER. It conveys, before and after the service, that SESSION which IN ITS ENTIRETY is responsible for the service, DELEGATES the minister to do his job” ON BEHALF OF SESSION. Afterward this is again expressed: “You stood there on our behalf, you and we are together”. This is the historical view. And in a country where MINISTERS have – like in the Presbyterian Church the right of the pulpit all alone, and where the local session has not that right to call him to task in that way, it is the more significant. Often people who commented upon this “foreign” custom offered thus a splendid opportunity to tell a bit about the corporate responsibility of Session for the ministry of the minister. So the handshake means: “Dominee, you are doing (or: have been doing) this holy work on our behalf: we are together in this…”

But then what in case of the minister who says things or does them, which the elder-of-duty cannot agree with? Even in that case it is clear: the handshake should be given. But this means then: “We, the Session, the WHOLE SESSION (not just the one elder who can be mistaken just like the one minister can) shall look into the matter: Your sermon is our sermon, too: we may not just for reasons of personal kindness leave this matter: You and I, we are appointed JOINTLY by God to feed this flock”, Then the very handshake implies that the minister may and must be called to task by his elders, and, in case he is proved to be unscriptural, the very handshake implies that Session must insist that he make amends from the Pulpit as soon as this can be done.

This, and no other, is the meaning of the handshake. It is good that everyone in our Churches realise this: It is the delegation, and not just the approval. Of course the elder himself, and the whole Session for that matter, can ALSO express prayers for strength before, and warm grateful appreciation afterwards, but these are ADDED notes, not the real intention.

2. EYES OPEN OR SHUT DURING SALUTATION BEFORE – AND BENEDICTION AFTER SERVICE 

I think again, that at least 75% would answer the question in the above title with “shut of course”. But then I submit they are mildly mistaken. When the service begins there is opportunity for silent prayer, when we together draw to the Lord and commit the service to Him, making special mention before the Throne of the minister who needs anointing from on high, something which he himself cannot always publicly do.

Then the words “Our help is in the name of the LORD…” are the sign to OPEN THE EYES. This is not a prayer. It is a proclamation. It is to relay again the promise of the Lord that where 2 or 3 are together in His Name, there He is in the midst of them with blessing, with fulfilment, with grace. After that the SALUTATION follows. This is not a benediction, with two uplifted hands, like will follow at the END of the service. It is a greeting for that is what “salutation” means. In the old christian church this was more evident as the minister said: “THE LORD BE WITH YOU”, to which the congregation REPLIED by “and with your spirit”, The type of greeting as it was done by Boaz meeting his servants on the field and like Jesus himself used when entering the meeting of His church after Easter: “Peace be unto you”.

The minister lifts ONE hand in the manual of greeting, and, if we think it is not dignified enough to greet back in the Name of the Lord or even lift a hand too, at least we could look one another in the eyes! It is a greeting, not a prayer! Fancy me coming into your lounge room saying ‘good morning” and you reacting by closing your eyes!

What then about the blessing at the end of the service? Is that a prayer? Is that a wish we lay before God’s throne? No, it is not, We have already prayed before for the LORD’s peace and light and grace upon us. But the benediction is more: it is a proclamation on behalf of Almighty God that His favour DOES rest upon His covenant people. The priest in the old Testament was to pronounce (!) that benediction after the offering was made which was a condition for God’s favour (and that offering means Christ as He is preached in the service) and after he had been at the golden altar of incense where the prayer was made on the strength of that offering (which means Christ). The benediction was not a mere repetition of that prayer. The Lord Jesus (Matt.6) warned against repetitions. After the prayer the priest was to go out and pronounce the benediction (think of the story of Zacharias, Luke 1).

During such a pronouncement of God’s favour in Jesus we must not look to the ground, nor shut our eyes (by the way did you notice how often the body then reacts to these shut eyes by yawning? I do have my eyes open and never do the people yawn as much as during the benediction. Maybe my colleagues will comfort me by saying that I had better be glad they don’t during the sermon!).  “But our eyes should be lifted up.

The minister is to lift his hands over the congregation, thus reminding them of the hands of Jesus lifted up as He went to heaven to pray for them (Luke 24) and surely the effectual prayer of This Righteous Man availeth much (James 5!). Let us look then, and rejoice! For God’s promises are pronounced and very sure. Blessed are we indeed, whenever we claim them in living faith!

A.I. DE GRAAF

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