As you can see by our images on this site, that when you enter our Parish Church the first thing that hits you is the Altar - and that is right, as the Altar is to be (or should be) the most important furnishing in a church. The reason for this is because it is the focus of our worship, and for that purpose the church building exists for the Altar – not the Altar for the building – no Altar, no church - just an assembly room.
There is also another important point, because the Mass is where Christ Himself comes to us in the Eucharistic Sacrifice – for that is the central act of our worship. Again and again we are reminded that in the voluntary offering of Himself, Christ is the Priest, the Sacrificial Lamb, and the Altar. For that reason the Altar in our church, represents our Lord, and why it is reverenced. You see this reverence with the Priest and servers bowing to the Altar, every time they walk pass it, or when arriving and leaving, and that is done before and after the Mass, and also during the celebration. It is devout Anglican custom of worshippers as they arrive and leave the church. We are not reverencing a piece of furniture, an ordinary table, but Christ our Lord.
All Altars at their consecration are anointed with the oil of Holy Chrism on the five crosses carved into the top of the Altar, to signify the five wounds. of Christ. It is because of this understanding that the Altar is adorned in in beautiful brocades, according to the feast or season of the Church’s year. So, the Altar, representing Christ our King and Priest, who is robed in honour that is due to Him. It also is used to give visual prominence to the Altar in the building. This royal vesting is emphasised on Maundy Thursday when the Altar is dramatically stripped of all its vestments and linen, as Christ was stripped and laid bare on Good Friday. There is, however, an exception where churches have an Altar of fine marble with mosaic decoration or carving (like St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane). The custom then is to dress the altar bleached linen with simple Passion designs (as in Westminster Abbey). In addition the Crucifix is in a central position behind the Altar to remind us of our Priest, Sacrifice and Altar.
Christ is also the Light of the World.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness;
That was the true Light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
We represent that in an array of candles, which echoes the vision in the first chapter of the Book of Revelation.
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstand and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
The candles are not there to help the Priest to read the order of the service..
There is another aspect of our celebration of the Mass, because the Altar is seen in its full splendour with singing of the order of service, the architectural structure of the church – ours is simple, but none-the-less helps to emphasize the centrality of the Sanctuary and the Altar. There is the ceremonial of the vested Priest and assistants. The censing of the Altar also adds emphasis – we are not trying to fumigate for silverfish and cockroaches – but honouring our Lord Himself. The words of blessing the incense make that clear, ‘May this incense be blessed by Him in whose honour it is burnt’.
We are fortunate in our church to have a church that maintains the tradition and the wisdom and reasoning of how to use an Altar.