The Sign of the Cross

I come from a tradition where the making of the sign of the cross by worshippers is rare. At the Good Friday service troday our Vicar, Mark made reference to it as part of the general talk on the cross for Good Friday and he asked me about the Orthodox way of making the sign of the cross. I could not quite recall what I had read- but had re-found the article and here is the relevant part. It does seem to me that if you are going to use such a symbol that it does need to be done properly and with and undsertanidng of the meaning. Here's the quote:

"To make the Sign of the Cross, we place the thumb and the
first and second fingers of our right hand together, representing
the Three Persons or Hypostases of the Holy Trinity. Next, we
fold the fourth and fifth fingers against our palm, representing
the two Natures of Christ, Who came down from Heaven to the
earth, in order to save mankind. Holding our right hand in this
way, we touch the tips of the three fingers to our forehead, our
abdomen, the right shoulder, and the left shoulder. We then put
our hand down to the side of our body.
Properly executed—and one should be careful to make it
slowly and with care—the Sign of the Cross has tremendous
spiritual power. This is because we are not only affirming our
faith in Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross at Golgotha, but confirming
our belief in the Holy Trinity and the Human and Divine
Natures of Christ, that is, the basic dogmas of the Orthodox
Faith.
The Sign of the Cross was such an integral part of Christian
life in the Early Church, that few direct references can be found
in the literature of the Early Church. It was an oral, living tradition
which every Christian took for granted, much like Holy
Baptism. 

The whole article is here: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/guidech1.pdf

Scripture Union Notes Sunday 10th April 2011

In view of all that is going on in the world - these notes today from this rather startling Psalm 58 seemed appropriate:-

¹ Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
   Do you judge people with equity?
² No, in your heart you devise injustice,
   and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

 ³ Even from birth the wicked go astray;
   from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
⁴ Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
   like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
⁵ that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
   however skillful the enchanter may be.

 ⁶ Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
   LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions!
⁷ Let them vanish like water that flows away;
   when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
⁸ May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
   like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.

 ⁹ Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
   whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.
¹⁰ The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
   when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹ Then people will say,
   “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
   surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

Here are the notes by Eduardo Ramirez :-

Today is Sunday, the Lord's Day, a time to slow down our daily

rhythm and consider the context in which we live. This consideration

may become somewhat uncomfortable, yet necessary, as we’ll see

in today's meditation. Place yourself in the psalmist’s place, as you

consider your emotions and reactions to the injustices around you.

In order to guide our meditation, let’s divide the psalm into

three sections. 

First, injustices are the product of human activity

(vs 1-5). We all have a human tendency to do the wrong thing, what

the apostle Paul calls 'sinful nature'. It is easier to see this ‘sinful

nature' at work in others; use this ability to see the injustices in

your environment. As the psalm does, look at the politicians in your

society, and remember that sinful nature manifests itself in human

intentionality, heart, hands, words, actions and decisions.

Secondly, some of our prayers flow out of the conditions we see

around us (vs 5-6). The reality of sinfulness and injustice will stir our

emotions and desires to bring things right. At times these emotions

may become very strong, and difficult to control. It is in these

emotions that we may find the source of our prayer life. We come

to God charged with emotions and attitudes that emerge out of real

circumstances. The wicked actions of some society leaders bring us

to our knees, with heavy hearts.

Thirdly, the 'righteous, live in hope (vs 10,11). The righteous are

individuals who trust and follow God in their personal alignment. They

are alert and vibrant, able to respond to events in their lives with strong

emotions. These are not emotions of desperation or determinism:

rather, they are emotions that reveal the new life coming from God,

which sees events and circumstances from God's perspective.

How was your experience of coming into God's presence with strong

emotions? Consider how your emotions and responses to injustices hell

you to be stronger in God’s path.