Sign of the Cross at Protestant Service

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A few weeks ago, my aunt passed away. Her memorial service was held in a Baptist church because she was a Baptist. During the service, the pastor made a few critical comments about Catholicism (ex: went on a rant about purgatory) which I found very inappropriate for a memorial service to begin with, but especially because her husband of 20 years is a Catholic? That’s another story though.

Anyway, when we would pray during the service I’d make the sign of the cross because I do that every time I pray. This pastor gave me an odd look, as I was sitting in the front row. I was wondering if this is considered inappropriate or disrespectful at a Protestant service? :confused: I don’t frequent Protestant services (this was actually my 2nd time ever attending one) but I just wondered what the etiquette was as far as that is concerened. Thank you!
 
Well, if they are as anti-Catholic as they sound, they probably don’t like it.
More tolerant Protestants, like United Methodists, typically don’t care. At the Methodist church that I attend frequently (I have a complicated church situation at the moment, involving both Methodist and Episcopal churches as well as the Catholic church I’m trying to join!), the pastor says “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” a lot, and I cross myself. I know he doesn’t mind. Some Methodist pastors actually make the sign of the cross, but it’s not common. Lutherans do it a lot more, and Episcopalians (and other Anglicans) do it all the time.

Whether you were guilty of a breach of etiquette I’m not sure. Since her husband is Catholic and obviously you and other family members are as well, and the pastor went out of his way to criticize Catholicism, I don’t think he would have any right to complain. You were just expressing yourself in worship as a Catholic, without attacking or criticizing anyone.

I think this is one of those cases St. Paul talked about with the “weaker brethren.” In some circumstances it might be wiser not to make the sign of the Cross, but in others it might be a necessary witness. I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule, but under the circumstances you describe I think you did the right thing.
 
chloebelle said:
A few weeks ago, my aunt passed away. Her memorial service was held in a Baptist church because she was a Baptist. During the service, the pastor made a few critical comments about Catholicism (ex: went on a rant about purgatory) which I found very inappropriate for a memorial service to begin with, but especially because her husband of 20 years is a Catholic? That’s another story though.

Anyway, when we would pray during the service I’d make the sign of the cross because I do that every time I pray. This pastor gave me an odd look, as I was sitting in the front row. I was wondering if this is considered inappropriate or disrespectful at a Protestant service? :confused: I don’t frequent Protestant services (this was actually my 2nd time ever attending one) but I just wondered what the etiquette was as far as that is concerened. Thank you!
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That depends on the Protestant service in question. In High Church, liturgical Protestant circles ( such as Lutheran and Anglican), some people will indeed make the sign of the Cross in remembrance of their Baptism, when the Three persons of the Holy Trinity are invoked. In churches with a more Pietistic bent, such as Baptist and Presbyterian churches, making the sign of the cross for prayer would be a little out of place, as these traditions normally don’t include making the sign of the cross before and after prayer.
 
LutheranScholar said:
That depends on the Protestant service in question. In High Church, liturgical Protestant circles ( such as Lutheran and Anglican), some people will indeed make the sign of the Cross in remembrance of their Baptism, when the Three persons of the Holy Trinity are invoked. In churches with a more Pietistic bent, such as Baptist and Presbyterian churches, making the sign of the cross for prayer would be a little out of place, as these traditions normally don’t include making the sign of the cross before and after prayer.
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In certain Anglican circles, one also crosses oneself at the elevation of the consecrated elements, or the absolution, or selected other points.

Anglicans being hard to pin down, to be sure.
 
GKC said:
In certain Anglican circles, one also crosses oneself at the elevation of the consecrated elements, or the absolution, or selected other points.

Anglicans being hard to pin down, to be sure.
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Indeed, a motley crue.
 
chloebelle said:
A few weeks ago, my aunt passed away. Her memorial service was held in a Baptist church because she was a Baptist. During the service, the pastor made a few critical comments about Catholicism (ex: went on a rant about purgatory) which I found very inappropriate for a memorial service to begin with, but especially because her husband of 20 years is a Catholic? That’s another story though.

Anyway, when we would pray during the service I’d make the sign of the cross because I do that every time I pray. This pastor gave me an odd look, as I was sitting in the front row. I was wondering if this is considered inappropriate or disrespectful at a Protestant service? :confused: I don’t frequent Protestant services (this was actually my 2nd time ever attending one) but I just wondered what the etiquette was as far as that is concerened. Thank you!
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I’m just wondering did he give you the odd look before or after the anti-Catholic rant?
 
UMC here, & I cross myslef for prayer. Any body who doesnt like it…is welcome to dislike it.🤷
You were grieving for your deceased loved one & should be allowed to express yourself as you normally would.:byzsoc: :byzsoc: :byzsoc:
 
Zooey said:
I wondered that too… If so, he needs to be ashamed of himself. The rant was totally out of line to start with.
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I agree it was totally out of line, but I find the timing of the odd look interesting either way. If it was before the rant, was it a reaction to the OP’s making the sign of the cross, if after was he thinking about his attack on Catholics when he noticed the OP signing the cross. It has no bearing on the nasty behavior of the Baptist preacher, he was wrong either way. But I will entertain the thought that if it was after he may have felt regret over his rant, though I still think regret is unlikely since he had to be aware of the affiliation of the deceased’s spouse.

I’m sorry to add that this is the attitude I have experienced often through out my life from Baptists and Evangelicals.
 
When in Rome and the reverse…

I remember in my Church of England youth attending the Catholic wedding of a cousin. He, as they said, “Had ‘turned’ for her.”

When the time came for prayers,I started to kneel, to be dug quite brutally in tender places by my aunt’'s elbows and told off for “all that mumbo jumbo”

It happens. Please do not let it make you fight back in the wrong way. After the service I did try to explain to my aunt re RC being there before C of E,

Not that that matters either. It really does not.
 
Be yourself.

Non Catholics can attend a Catholic mass and not participate and nobody cares. We are adults and adults understand that we are not all cut from the same cloth.

This pastor ranting on purgatory at a funeral sounds like someone who is extremely insensitive and needs to develop a little tact.
 
I recall my surprise, 15 or so years ago, when I learned that Lutherans make the sign of the cross.

Incidentally, when I was half way through the OP, I thought I was going to read that a Baptist church had the sign of the cross and thought “Wow, even Baptists?” 😊
 
Zooey said:
UMC here, & I cross myslef for prayer. Any body who doesnt like it…is welcome to dislike it.🤷
You were grieving for your deceased loved one & should be allowed to express yourself as you normally would.:byzsoc: :byzsoc: :byzsoc:
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Certainly, there was no harm, no foul, and you should do as you wish.

But don’t enter into prayer with the almighty with the disposition of “they need to get over it”.

When entering into prayer, yes, our concerns should not be how others perceive our relationship with God, but neither should we take the attitude of they “need to get over it”, or that we don’t care about their feelings.

Anyone objecting to you making the sign of the cross has an issue with humility, which is contrary to the Gospel message…but the “like it or lump it” approach might speak of our own lack of humility, in that we personally feel picked on…think Beatitudes…be happy if others think poorly of you for your righteous actions, for you will be greatly rewarded.
 
chloebelle said:
A few weeks ago, my aunt passed away. Her memorial service was held in a Baptist church because she was a Baptist. During the service, the pastor made a few critical comments about Catholicism (ex: went on a rant about purgatory) which I found very inappropriate for a memorial service to begin with, but especially because her husband of 20 years is a Catholic? That’s another story though.

Anyway, when we would pray during the service I’d make the sign of the cross because I do that every time I pray. This pastor gave me an odd look, as I was sitting in the front row. I was wondering if this is considered inappropriate or disrespectful at a Protestant service? :confused: I don’t frequent Protestant services (this was actually my 2nd time ever attending one) but I just wondered what the etiquette was as far as that is concerened. Thank you!
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I see no reason why members of one Christian faith tradition feel the need to disparage another. Mutual respect as followers of Christ should be the order of the day.
 
Adonia said:
I see no reason why members of one Christian faith tradition feel the need to disparage another. Mutual respect as followers of Christ should be the order of the day.
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Amen Sister!

Out of about a dozen parishes in my area, I can only think of one where the sermons get that polemical – and even there I think it is more subtle than the aforementioned Baptist preacher.
 
Neofight said:
Certainly, there was no harm, no foul, and you should do as you wish.

But don’t enter into prayer with the almighty with the disposition of “they need to get over it”.

When entering into prayer, yes, our concerns should not be how others perceive our relationship with God, but neither should we take the attitude of they “need to get over it”, or that we don’t care about their feelings.
**
Anyone objecting to you making the sign of the cross has an issue with humility, which is contrary to the Gospel message…**.but the “like it or lump it” approach might speak of our own lack of humility, in that we personally feel picked on…think Beatitudes…be happy if others think poorly of you for your righteous actions, for you will be greatly rewarded.
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:confused:
 
Lenten_ashes said:
Be yourself.

Non Catholics can attend a Catholic mass and not participate and nobody cares. We are adults and adults understand that we are not all cut from the same cloth.

This pastor ranting on purgatory at a funeral sounds like someone who is extremely insensitive and needs to develop a little tact.
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yup.
Some “witness” eh?
 
Btw, if I’m alone in the car and pass any Christian church, I cross myself. If I pass a Jewish temple or synagogue I put my hand on my heart.
 
Adonia said:
I see no reason why members of one Christian faith tradition feel the need to disparage another. Mutual respect as followers of Christ should be the order of the day.
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You are soooo right. Thank you. I will also state that how we react when we feel we have been slighted is a true indicator of what is really in our own heart and life.
 
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