[Magdalen] Church layouts, was Re: Religion Without God

Fri Jan 2 08:15:50 UTC 2015

I was thinking of the various ways of portraying Christ on the cross, and
thought back to the crucifix of Gruenewald that is one of the most painful
portrayals I've seen.  Pieces of thorn and debris are stuck in Our Lord's
skin, and he is grostesquely misshapen in death His lips are blue in death,
though his eyes are open, fixed in death.  It was supposedly made for a
hospital of incurables, but the thing which struck me when I viewed it
recently for the first time in a few years was that it actually is not
nearly as bad as the true image of the events would have been. I remembered
it as much more horrific than it was (even though Gruenewald does a superb
job of portraying the agony and the ugliness of the scene). If we are true
to the events and how they happened, then there was no burial, since part
of the crucifixion was the humiliation visited on the body even after
death. What was left of the body was eaten by scavenging animals. This is
why, with all the digging going on in the Jerusalem area and its
surroundings, only one crucified corpse has been found. The myth about
Joseph of Aramathea is just that -- a myth.  Nobody ever "went boldly to
Pilate" and lived to tell about it.

People attempt to reject the image of Christ on the cross which is, of
course not subject to rejection at all if one takes the faith seriously. I
cannot see into people's minds, as so many others can, but I would guess
that most people just are not able to take in the horror of the
crucifixion, and they simply don't want to think about it very much, if at
all. Perhaps that's why people become abusively angry when they see a
crucifix. Obviously there is a lot of emotion involved.

And the empty cross has a LOT going for it.  It points to the resurrection,
which some folks wish to see as the central point of Easter, and the empty
cross certainly is technically much easier to produce.  I mean, take two
broken pieces of material of any kind and stick them together at their
centers of mass and at a right angle to each other, and voila, you've got
an empty cross.  And it speaks poignantly to the fact that this cross has
not triumphed.

Even though the usual crucifix is actually very bland, it still is visually
disturbing.  A friend of mine recalled with horror and embarrassment how,
in a manic episode, he wandered into a Roman Catholic cemetery and
encountered a full-size crucifix. Our Lord spoke to him, "Get me down from
here!" and my friend, who happened to have a chainsaw in his truck, cut the
crucifix down, leading to long-term inpatient stays. But the similarity of
his vision to Francis' vision is startling.

When this discussion started, I thought of the church where Mom and Dad
last worshiped in Bonita Springs (FL). It has a huge crucifix in its
sanctuary.  However, on looking at pictures, I find this crucifix has a
nice solution.  It is Christ on the cross, but in posh robes. Or vestments,
for some, I suppose.

The active rejection of the image of the crucifix is puzzling to me. I see
this image almost everywhere.  There's a larger than life crucifix at Holy
Cross Monastery which I walk past every time I come to rehearse with
Kairos. A similar image in in the chapel and at other places around the
facilities.  I used to have a small crucifix around my neck all the time,
many years ago in a universe far away.

One can choose one's favorite images, and one can make that choice on the
basis of a desire not to be overly disturbed by images of horrific pain and
violence. However, the crucifixion is about the only event in Our Lord's
life that can be pointed to with any confidence that it actually
transpired. Aside from the fact that you just don't make that stuff up,
everyone agrees on it as well.  Not even the supposed basis of the
eucharist (communion) is as well attested. Seems people would honor that.
But mileages vary, of course.

James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better
for people coming behind you, and you don’t do it, you're wasting your time
on this Earth.”  -- *Roberto Clemente

On Thu, Jan 1, 2015 at 2:34 PM, Clarissa Canning <canplum at gmail.com> wrote:

> Our little church in Cold Lake is already decorated as Anglo Catholic.  The
> Statues are wood in front. The back one is painted. Mike removed the
> stations put back for Lent left then when someone said something.  The main
> crosses plain brass. the was a nice crucifix by saccrustry door he took it
> down to lessen the  Anglo effect.  i decided not to argue it was the only
> item he could remove & felt strongly about it.
> On Dec 31, 2014 11:54 PM, "Kate Conant" <kate.conant at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Here's our crucifix (in the center behind the altar):
> >
> > http://www.greatbluecircle.com/images/50th-Liturgy01.jpg
> >
> > It is, of course, moveable:  it is carried in procession on the night of
> > Holy Thursday and then placed on a stand on this side of the iconostasis.
> >
> > Kate
> >
> > "What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and
> walk
> > humbly with your God?"
> > Micah 6:8
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 31, 2014 at 6:59 PM, Marion Thompson <
> > marionwhitevale at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Gorgeous.  Both.
> > >
> > > Marion, a pilgrim
> > >
> > > On 12/30/2014 10:56 PM, Scott Knitter wrote:
> > >
> > >> One characteristic Anglo-Catholic thing we don't seem to have in our
> > >> church is a crucifix on the wall (or pillar, or whatever) behind the
> > >> pulpit. "We preach Christ crucified." But perhaps that's because the
> > >> Calvary triptych atop the lacy wrought-iron rood screen is close
> enough.
> > >> Here's the outside crucifix...photo posted on Flickr by a guy from
> > >> Milwaukee... https://www.flickr.com/photos/wrokic/5898477754 And a
> view
> > >> of the rood... https://www.flickr.com/photos/27815318@N05/3139616576
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> >
>