Sunday and Maundy Thursday, a symbolic reminder of Jesus’ Why Do We symbolizing Jesus’ blood, shed death rather than his true body for us, and black paraments and blood which he gives to us. Do That? used on Good Friday. Our The altar and pulpit congregation follows the paraments match the stole worn This is the third in a series of alternate custom of having the by the pastor. A pastor’s stole articles on Lutheran customs and altar bare of paraments on Good represents a yoke used to carry practices. Do you have an idea for a church practice you would like Friday. burdens. This symbol of the explained? Suggest it to Pastor Green paraments during the responsibility and authority of Becker. Epiphany and Pentecost seasons the pastoral office is first placed symbolize the spiritual growth on a pastor when he is ordained. Paraments God gives to the church and to In Lutheran churches, the each believer. Crucifix altar, pulpit and lectern are Red paraments used on A crucifix is a cross with a usually hung with paraments, Pentecost and Reformation body (corpus) on it. In some that is, the colored cloths with Sundays symbolize the work of churches, only empty crosses symbols on them. These the Holy Spirit. For this reason, are seen. At the time of the change with various church red is also used for the ordina- reformation, some non- seasons and occasions as a tion and installation of pastors. Lutheran churches adopted a visual reminder of what we are Red paraments may also be form of the ten commandments celebrating in our worship. seen when a Saint’s day falls on which is understood to prohibit Paraments, like church seasons a Sunday during Epiphany or any form of “graven images”. and holidays, are a custom Pentecost seasons. This leads some to reject which developed through the Unless there is a special day crucifixes along with any centuries of church history, and being observed, the color for statues. which Lutherans and some weekdays is the same as the While the empty cross is protestants felt no need to previous Sunday. Because the seen as a reminder of the eliminate. paraments reflect the worship resurrection (Jesus is no longer During Advent, blue focus of the church at large, on the cross) a crucifix reminds paraments, the color of the sky, they are not changed for us that we are saved by Jesus’ symbolize hope in the coming baptisms, weddings, funerals, incarnation, that is, that he took savior. Some churches still etc. on a human body and physically follow the older tradition of Paraments accentuate the died for us on the cross. using purple for Advent, as altar, which, in Lutheran On some crosses, letters are during Lent. churches, is a central visual seen, such as INRI, the White paraments during focus in worship. It is the place abbreviation for the Latin Christmas and Easter symbolize for prayer, praise, offerings and phrase, “Iesus Nazarini, Rex joyful celebration of the work the celebration of Holy Iudeorum”, translated, “Jesus of of our Savior. White also used Communion. An altar is a Nazareth, King of the Jews”, for other days focusing on the symbol of sacrifice, which Jesus which is the sign that was work of our Lord, such as fulfilled for us by his death on placed above Jesus’ head. The Epiphany, Jesus Baptism, the cross. In non-Lutheran cross on our altar has the letters Maundy Thursday, etc., and for churches it may be seen as “Ihs”, an abbreviation of the Thanksgiving worship. simply a table such as was used Greek spelling of Jesus. Purple paraments during at the last supper. Non- Lent symbolize repentance and Lutheran communion tables or the royalty of our savior king. their paraments may bear the Hear the Lutheran Hour: Sun., Some churches have scarlet words “Do this in remembrance 6:00 PM, KJLY, 107.1 FM of me”, which reflects the belief paraments used for Palm that Holy Communion is simply