Many women in the Diocese of the Rio Grande are
members of the Altar Guild in their churches. For a long time it was the only ministry women could be involved in close to the altar. That is changing now, of course, and some altar guilds need new members because women (and men) are becoming active in other aspects of liturgical life.
According to the National Altar Guild Association website, the “Altar guild is a ministry of service that has
its roots in the historical Hebrew tradition of the Levites. We are a part of
those people who have been set aside for service. When we offer ourselves to
serve at the altar, we are offering ourselves to God as a living prayer.”
Many people think of the altar
guild as ‘those dear, fussy, (old) ladies who iron the linens for the altar.’ Scanning over
just a few of the articles on the National Altar Guild Association website will
give you an entirely different perspective, as will conversations with any
altar guild member! One recently told me that she loved the quiet preparation
time on Saturday morning. “Before I leave the church, I go to the back and look
it over, just to be sure everything is ready for company!”
That viewpoint is found in the words of he Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano,
Bishop of Long Island. “When we think about hospitality and welcome in
churches, we most often think of greeters, ushers and newcomers committees. But
the fact is that the first work of hospitality comes in the ministry of the
altar guild — long before anyone walks into the church for the celebration of
the liturgy…Women and men diligently and prayerfully working to create an
atmosphere and space that welcomes the people of God into the mystery of an
encounter with the Trinity, and with each other in the particular worship style
of the local congregation…Welcome and hospitality [in the church] begin in the preparation for liturgy. It begins the week before when an altar guild member launders the purificators, irons the corporals and makes certain of the liturgical color. It is created when silver is polished; wine is poured and sufficient bread is put in place. In each action, the altar guild person prayerfully says “welcome” to the people of God. Their actions say loudly, “we care that you are coming to worship with us and we want you, the guest, to know how much we care about our worship of the Trinity…The holiness of this work is not found solely in the function of cleaning and putting things in proper place. It is understood in the being of each person who dedicates prayer and time to welcome all who come seeking a connection to God and each other.”
The Rt. Rev. Henry Nutt Parsley, Jr., Bishop of Alabama states, “Elaborate silk hangings, embroidered vestments, polished silver and brass, well-tended candles and elaborate banners, infinitely varied flower arrangements — these are the mainstays of altar guild ministry. [While] it is certainly true that we must never let the fabric of the church become the most important thing…beauty is indispensable. We need to cherish it in the church. The scriptures tell us tirelessly of the glory of God and the beauty of holiness. We worship and adore the creating God who made a world filled with beauty and whose heavenly realm is ravishingly glorious. To be sure, our altars are but poor reflections of God’s vast, eternal glory, but they are reflections. They point beyond themselves to the great mystery and to the beauty at the heart of things.
Seeing a well-arrayed altar and sanctuary each Sunday morning and at weekday services fills us with a spirit of joy and gratitude. It lifts up our hearts. This vision of eternal reality through earthy things renews us for ministry and service in the world of great need and struggle. Such holy beauty inspires us to strive to make the world a more lovely and loving place…The beauty of God’s altar, lovingly tended by altar guild members day after day, across the church, gives us glimpses of that same joy for which we were created. The joy of God. It is easy to forget in your day to day duties, but to be on the altar guild is to be part of something big. You help us know the beauty and joy of God that keeps us going, that keeps us loving and serving, until we see face to face.”
Perhaps you are wondering what
ministry you are called to in the church. Maybe it’s time to take another look
at the “fussy ladies ironing the linens for the altar” and be part of something
bigger and holier than you can now imagine. Are your hands needed for the
ministry of welcome, hospitality, and service that is Altar Guild? Check out
the Altar Guild website further to see if you are inspired to be part of this
ministry.