The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia Part 23

4. "My G.o.d, My G.o.d, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

5. "I thirst." {280}

6. "It is finished."

7. "Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit." (See THREE HOURS'

SERVICE.)

Wors.h.i.+p.--Our word _wors.h.i.+p_ is the modern form of the early English word _worths.h.i.+p_. And while the word was originally used to denote honor or respect paid to any one worthy of it, it came in time to be used exclusively of the giving of honor to G.o.d, of which He above all others is worthy. Thus we have the word applied almost exclusively to what we now call Public Wors.h.i.+p. By this is meant the united homage of the members of the Church rendered to G.o.d as their Almighty King. And it is to be noted that whilst G.o.d accepts the wors.h.i.+p of each individual or family, yet He loves more the Public Wors.h.i.+p of His Church, for we read in the Book of Psalms, "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob." While this is very manifest to any careful student of the Bible, yet in these our days there is nothing so misunderstood as the nature and obligation of _Public Wors.h.i.+p_. So much so is this the case it has been declared that Wors.h.i.+p is a "Lost Art." This has come to pa.s.s, no doubt, from the misapprehension of the purpose of this "a.s.sembling of ourselves together." The common idea is that we go to Church to "hear preaching." But preaching is not wors.h.i.+p, nor is it the chief purpose of our coming together in the House of G.o.d each Lord's Day. We come together _to wors.h.i.+p_, and the true idea of wors.h.i.+p is to give, to render homage. Wors.h.i.+p is an unselfish offering. It is giving G.o.d the praise. It is the grateful homage of grateful creatures to Him who {281} has blessed them and preserved them. Preaching is but an incident of such an a.s.sembly gathered for such a purpose, and oftentimes is not really necessary.

It is also to be noticed that the Church's true wors.h.i.+p is the Holy Communion; all other services are but adjuncts to the one service appointed by our Lord Himself. In the Primitive Church an ordinary Christian would not have considered that he had kept the Lord's Day as a day of wors.h.i.+p if he had not attended a celebration of the Holy Communion. When, therefore, our people grasp these Scriptural ideas, then no longer can it be said that wors.h.i.+p is a "Lost Art"

among the American people. (See HOLY COMMUNION; also RESPONSIVE SERVICE.)

X

X.--The letter X resembles the shape of the Cross of St. Andrew, which has come into quite prominent notice as being the badge of the BROTHERHOOD OF ST. ANDREW (which see).

X P.--These letters belong under this head only in appearance as they are in reality the first two letters of the Greek word _Christos_, meaning "Christ." The X is the Greek letter _Chi_ and is equivalent to the English letters "ch"; the P is called _Rho_ and is the same as the letter "r;" they thus represent the first three letters of the word _Christ_. These two Greek letters are used in Church decorations either separately or as a monogram, as a symbol or emblem of our Lord. {282}

Y

Y Cross.--By reason of its shape, the Cross embroidered on the CHASUBLE (which see) is called the Y Cross, and is intended to represent the outstretched arms of our Blessed Lord on the Cross, and symbolizes the Sacrifice which He there offered for the sins of the whole world, of which the Holy Eucharist is the perpetual Memorial.

Year.--(See CHRISTIAN YEAR.)

Yule.--The old English name for CHRISTMAS (which see). A word of doubtful origin.

Yule Tide.--The season or time of Christmas.

Z

Zealot.--One of a fanatical Jewish sect, which prevailed in the time of our Lord. In the New Testament, this name is given to one of our Lord's Apostles, namely, ST. SIMON (which see).

Zuchetto.--The name give to a skull cap worn by the clergy instead of the biretta; when worn by a Priest the color is black, but that worn by a Bishop is purple. {283}