By Brian Stankich
This Christmas Eve 10 PM service at Grace Episcopal Church will incorporate the use of incense to enhance our worship.
Incense is used in our culture in several ways: as a fragrance; for relaxation; and for celebration. Many churches use it as part of their worship as well, either regularly, or on occasion like we do.
The last time incense was used at Grace was at my ordination in February. When Dona and I worshiped at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Orlando for four years, we got used to incense being used at every service.
We use incense during worship in connection with our prayers. “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). We learn from Scripture the appropriateness of symbols and signs as a way to make our worship of our Lord more tangible.
The Bible speaks in many places about the use of incense.
God commanded Moses and Aaron (Exodus 30:1) to use incense daily in the tabernacle “an offering before the LORD throughout your generations” (30:8, NRSV). Israel was instructed to make its own incense combination for worship. “You shall not make it for yourselves; it shall be regarded by you as holy to the LORD” (30:37, NRSV).
King Solomon offered incense to God thrice annually (1 Kings 9:25).
Incense became a symbol of God’s greatness among his people around the world. “For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 1:11, NRSV).
Zechariah was offering incense to God (Luke 1:9) in the temple when an angel of the Lord appeared to him to tell him that he and Elizabeth would give birth to a son: John the Baptist.
Frankincense was given by the magi to the Baby Jesus as a gift to honor him (Matthew 2:11).
Revelation is perhaps the most explicit text showing us the importance of incense to be used throughout eternity, referring to incense as “the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8). “Another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; he was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the gold altar that is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel” (8:3,4).
On Christmas Eve I will have the privilege of offering incense during a worship service for the first time. Michael Ashley, our in house incense aficionado and Vestry member, will prepare it and process with it, functioning as the thurifer, swinging the thurible containing the incense, and then hand it to me. I will cense the altar as a way to respect Jesus Christ. I will cense you, the church, as a symbol of purity.
Some of you will experience incense for the first time. As you do, if may be different - the scent, the smoke, the lavishness. Use it to worship.
When you see the smoke, consider it an image of all the prayers of Grace Church going up to the Lord. When you inhale the scents, consider it a form of cleansing, as the Spirit of God continues to transform you into the person he wants you to be.
God is a great God who is worthy to be praised.
Spoiler alert: if you are allergic to incense or can’t stand it, please sit in a place to minimize the impact.
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