How many Anglicans, Clergy and Laymen turn to the east at church or home oratory to recite the creeds?
My parish always faces east for the Creeds. My home altar is on an east wall, so here at home it's automatic!
The Anglican mass I attend is said ad orientem, that is, facing the liturgical east. In other words, the priest is facing the altar together with the congregation.
The Church I attend always turn to the Altar during the Creed!In fact I can't think of a Church where they don't do this!
The Anglo-Catholic church I visited on the vigil of St. Luke, for evensong, seems to practice this. All four of us were in the quire, 2 vs. 2, but when it came time for the Apostles' Creed, they turned toward the ad-orientem altar (which is actually at the West end ). It's quite a moving experience, not to be staring at each other, but to face forward as one crew of one battleship, looking toward the captain who is leading from the bow: Christ, who leads us in being the first to conquer death, and the firstfruits of the resurrection. It doesn't matter which compass direction we face... so long as we are solidly One, alleluia.
All Anglican churches I've seen at least have the liturgical East. Also, my old parish was constructed to the east, so ad oriented was automatic.
No need as God is everywhere so why turn? I do not know which way the church building is facing but not something I am concerned with since I believe God is everywhere
The reasoning was that Christ, being our Sun and Light, was believed to be coming again from the East, whence the sun rises. It's pious mystical worship and practice. Perhaps God looks favourably on such intimate worship? Perhaps not.
pious mystical and practice are the three words that describe a certain ring to the tone that takes away that God is everywhere if that is what we truelly believe. I haven't heard of turning to the east to say western creeds. Though I do know or rather am aware of that is why churches face a direction and why gravestone face directions but in the past people didn't know as much as we supposedly do today and surely we can get over that, that kind of past reasoning no longer matters. We are keeping to it for old time sake may be, for tradition etc but in reality....I would like to think that God looks favourable on all styles of worship that are meant as worship and forgives the unlearned in their attitudes towards that term tradition.... Yes God does look as favourably on initmate worship which we can do publically or alone... How our positions are is not a concern for God but how our 'Hearts' are and he be concerned about the pious who believe in routine and visual outwardness because they could well be missing God through their search in routine as they are more concerned on what is right rather than being with God. If they are finding God then that is okay and God will be the only one who knows which of us find Him. Our actions do not need to show that we are being with God when in intimate worship with Him. But in all fairness to the pious, the church did used to teach that abc lead to God where as the approach today can be more simplisitic and as simplistic as one wants it to be or needs it to be if the pious way does not work for us..... Is what I think. I think?
Dear lady, you may well be right, it is certainly a more relaxed world today and our behaviour within and without church draws attention to this fact! However, I was taught to stand up when a lady entered the room, I was taught to treat all women as I would have other men treat my mother and sisters. Ordinary life, I think was much better then with a certain amount of politeness, seats on buses to be given to the old and the ladies.Hats raised on passing or meeting. In a way it was a defence zone around us and gave us time . I think it was a more civilised world and I've always imagined it was brought about by the reverence we showed to our Lord in Church. Further, as it ebbs away, I think we will lose our Church withit! Eventually!