by Burnell Eckardt

In churches of the Reformed or Baptist tradition, one commonly finds communicants staying in their pews as the trays are passed down the line, in much the same fashion as the offering plates. Communicants take a piece of bread, and hold it until all have received theirs, and then when the minister says, "Take, eat," all eat at the same time. Then comes the tray of wine cups, after which the tray is passed again to receive the empty cups.

In Lutheran churches, by contrast, communicants come forward to the altar to receive the Lord's Supper, as is also the case among Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglicans or Episcopalians. Why?

This custom reflects the understanding of our participation in the Sacrament, that it is not a symbolic gesture. It truly is Christ, and therefore we, according to ancient custom, receive Him with the reverence that befits this faith.

Interestingly, many (though not all) of the churches who have the practice of staying in the pews for communion also have the custom of "altar calls." Altar calls are invitations to come forward and "accept Christ" into one's life. But those who come forward receive nothing. They might get "slain in the Spirit," falling down as if in a trance, or, in the less emotion-driven settings, they might simply stand at the front while prayer is said. Then they might get a hug.

What a telling comparison: in one case (the latter) people come forward to give their lives to Jesus, while in the other, they come forward to receive their lives from Jesus. For in the Sacrament we receive the forgiveness of sins, where, according to the catechism, "there is also life and salvation." Here is a stark contrast, then, between what essentially amounts, on the one hand, to doing something (accepting Christ) to "get saved," and on the other hand, doing something (coming forward for the Sacrament) because of what you already believe, namely that Christ is giving Himself to you there.

Does the difference matter? Surely the answer is clear.
 

The folding of hands is, traditionally, the placing of hands palm to palm (as opposed to the interlocking of fingers). The pastor and others in the chancel during the Divine Service should hold their hands this way whenever their hands are not otherwise occupied. People at prayer or approaching the altar may also fittingly have hands folded palm to palm.

To fold the hands is actually the liturgical "clapping" of the hands, as it is written in the 47th Psalm, "O clap your hands, all you people." As everything is to be done decently and in order, as the Apostle says, we do not indiscriminately clap our hands, as if to applaud in the Service. Such "clapping" is in our culture meant for showing appreciation or praise for someone. But since the Divine Service is not from our culture, but rather has, as it were, a culture of its own, a heavenly culture, we are not customarily given to employing cultural expressions of praise in the Church. So we would not "clap" for God in the way that we clap at a concert. Rather, the Divine Service calls for a different kind of "clapping," one of profound reverence, which does not make noise or indiscriminate movement. The liturgical equivalence of such "clapping" is, simply, the folding of the hands palm to palm. Such "clapping" is always directed toward God.

More significantly, folded hands are manifestly not working hands; they are resting hands, hands which are not doing anything. This is an expression of faith, then, that we trust not in our own works or accomplishments, but rest in the works which Christ has accomplished for us. As the hymn writer has said it, "Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling." So then, empty hands, hands not at work, are held palm to palm, as if to say without words, "I rest in the works of Christ; He has said to me, 'It is finished,' and therefore I am confident that God will hear my prayers without my doing or earning anything at all. All has been earned; all has been done! This I believe, and I boast in the works of Christ alone; therefore, when at prayer I will gladly fold my hands to show that these hands would not wish to obscure the work of Christ; far be it from these hands to attempt to make God hear me; rather, I know that He will hear me for His own name's sake; for His name is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and this name was given to me in Baptism. Therefore, I will follow the Psalm, which says, 'Be still and know that I am God.'"