postures and gestures in worship (part 4: the posture of sitting)
Didn’t think there is anything special to sitting while praying? Well, as a matter of fact there is. Just as the postures of standing and kneeling convey specific spiritual intentions and are mentioned in the Scriptures and by the Church fathers, so is the seated posture.
References to sitting
The Scriptures mention prominent figures adopting this posture not only in prayer but also at significant moments.
For instance in the second book of Samuel, David learns that he is not destined to build a house of worship, a temple for God, but that rather God has a bigger plan for him by building him and his family into a royal house, a royal dynasty.
Upon learning this, David enters into God’s presence: “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord, and what is my house that you have brought me thus far?” (2Samue 7:18). David then offers a relatively lengthy prayer to God.
It’s a posture then that’s suitable for an extended period of meditation, contemplation, and for prayerful listening.
And so in New Testament, we also find a description of this posture in the account of Martha’s and Mary’s encounter with Jesus.
In the gospel according to Luke, as Martha chose to tend to the housekeeping, Mary chose the better portion and sat at Jesus’ feet, listening. “[Martha] had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying” (Luke 10:39). Mary here adopts the posture of a student, a disciple, sitting at the feet of the master--the teacher--prayerfully listening.
One of the Church fathers, St. Augustine, to his credit of course, knew it is much better to sit while being instructed, and so he mentioned this in his work “On Catechizing the Uninstructed”:
In addition these passages, sitting is also described as the posture of rulership.
For instance, in the Hebrew Scriptures, we have a description of the heavenly liturgy, with God Himself in this posture:
And in the book of Revelation, there is another description of the heavenly liturgy as in Isaiah, with the main participants taking on the posture of rulership, of sitting:
The significance of this posture as a sign of rulership is also found in the Gospels. Notice the posture of the mother of Zebedee’s sons, James and John, as she pleaded with Jesus. She kneels before Jesus (kneeling which is the posture of supplication and petition, as mentioned in part 3), and asks “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom” (Matt. 20:20-21).
In another Gospel passage, Jesus again refers to sitting as an indication of rule and dominion: “How can they say that the Messiah is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’’” (Luke 20:41-43).
And at his trial, Jesus’ response to the high priest Caiaphas features this posture: “From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64).
"Sitting" as "dwelling with"
Considering all of this, interestingly, St. Augustine in his “On the Creed,” points out that there is more to sitting than just a sign of rulership. Sitting he claims also suggest “dwelling with,” or “living with.” He writes:
What Augustine then is saying is that when in the Creed we say that Jesus is “seated at the right hand of the Father,” we are pointing more to the fact that the Son now “dwells” with the Father.
Along with Augustine another Church father, St. Ambrose, wrote a lengthy reflection on the meaning of being “seated” at the Father’s presence with the Son, which is the rightful place of all believers. In his “Exposition of the Christian Faith,” he shows how this privilege is offered to all of humanity, in particular to those who follow Jesus as disciples:
Together with the Scriptures and the Church fathers, the General Instruction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) directs us when the posture of sitting is appropriate at Mass, thereby pointing to its significance: “They should sit during the reading, before the Gospel, and during the responsorial psalm, for the homily and the preparation of the gifts, and if this seems helpful, during the period of silence after communion.”
What the posture expresses
All these references point to sitting as a posture that expresses receptivity and attentiveness. Note the posture of Mary who sat at the foot of Jesus as he taught.
Along these lines, the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy said of this posture: "Sitting is the posture of listening and meditation, so the congregation sits for the pre-Gospel readings and may also sit for the period of meditation following Communion."
And so we sit as we listen to the word of God proclaimed to us and we sit as we listen to the word of God being broken for us at the homily.
Moreover, it is a posture that points to rulership, of being co-heirs with Christ who is now seated at the Father’s right hand. And so in a way we demonstrate this when we deign to sit in God’s own house, “dwelling” with him in his abode, to use St. Augustine’s use of the word “sitting” as “dwelling.”
And as David, along with your own personal experience and mine will attest, this is the most comfortable and therefore suitable posture for lengthy periods of prayer and contemplation.
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Vermeer,
The National Gallery of Scotland
(coming up in part 5: gestures in worship)
References to sitting
The Scriptures mention prominent figures adopting this posture not only in prayer but also at significant moments.
For instance in the second book of Samuel, David learns that he is not destined to build a house of worship, a temple for God, but that rather God has a bigger plan for him by building him and his family into a royal house, a royal dynasty.
Upon learning this, David enters into God’s presence: “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord, and what is my house that you have brought me thus far?” (2Samue 7:18). David then offers a relatively lengthy prayer to God.
It’s a posture then that’s suitable for an extended period of meditation, contemplation, and for prayerful listening.
And so in New Testament, we also find a description of this posture in the account of Martha’s and Mary’s encounter with Jesus.
In the gospel according to Luke, as Martha chose to tend to the housekeeping, Mary chose the better portion and sat at Jesus’ feet, listening. “[Martha] had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying” (Luke 10:39). Mary here adopts the posture of a student, a disciple, sitting at the feet of the master--the teacher--prayerfully listening.
One of the Church fathers, St. Augustine, to his credit of course, knew it is much better to sit while being instructed, and so he mentioned this in his work “On Catechizing the Uninstructed”:
“For who can endure our arrogance when we fail to make men who are our brethren, or even those who are not yet in that relation to us (for our solicitude then should be all the greater to get them to become our brethren), to be seated in our presence, seeing that even a woman sat as she listened to our Lord Himself, in whose service the angels stand alert?”
In addition these passages, sitting is also described as the posture of rulership.
For instance, in the Hebrew Scriptures, we have a description of the heavenly liturgy, with God Himself in this posture:
“In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts’” (Isaiah 6:1).
And in the book of Revelation, there is another description of the heavenly liturgy as in Isaiah, with the main participants taking on the posture of rulership, of sitting:
“At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads” (Rev. 4:2-4).
The significance of this posture as a sign of rulership is also found in the Gospels. Notice the posture of the mother of Zebedee’s sons, James and John, as she pleaded with Jesus. She kneels before Jesus (kneeling which is the posture of supplication and petition, as mentioned in part 3), and asks “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom” (Matt. 20:20-21).
In another Gospel passage, Jesus again refers to sitting as an indication of rule and dominion: “How can they say that the Messiah is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’’” (Luke 20:41-43).
And at his trial, Jesus’ response to the high priest Caiaphas features this posture: “From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64).
"Sitting" as "dwelling with"
Considering all of this, interestingly, St. Augustine in his “On the Creed,” points out that there is more to sitting than just a sign of rulership. Sitting he claims also suggest “dwelling with,” or “living with.” He writes:
"’He ascended into heaven:’" believe. ‘He sitteth at the right hand of the Father:’ believe. By sitting, understand dwelling: as [in Latin] we say of any person, ‘In that country he dwelt (sedit) three years.’ The Scripture also has that expression, that such an one dwelt (sedisse) in a city for such a time. Not meaning that he sat and never rose up? On this account the dwellings of men are called seats (sedes)?’”
What Augustine then is saying is that when in the Creed we say that Jesus is “seated at the right hand of the Father,” we are pointing more to the fact that the Son now “dwells” with the Father.
Along with Augustine another Church father, St. Ambrose, wrote a lengthy reflection on the meaning of being “seated” at the Father’s presence with the Son, which is the rightful place of all believers. In his “Exposition of the Christian Faith,” he shows how this privilege is offered to all of humanity, in particular to those who follow Jesus as disciples:
“Rightly then is the woman checked, who demanded what was impossible, as a special kind of privilege from Him the Lord, Who of His own free gift granted not only to two apostles, but to all the disciples, those things which He had adjudged to be given to the saints; and that too without a prayer from any one, as it is written: "Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Together with the Scriptures and the Church fathers, the General Instruction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) directs us when the posture of sitting is appropriate at Mass, thereby pointing to its significance: “They should sit during the reading, before the Gospel, and during the responsorial psalm, for the homily and the preparation of the gifts, and if this seems helpful, during the period of silence after communion.”
What the posture expresses
All these references point to sitting as a posture that expresses receptivity and attentiveness. Note the posture of Mary who sat at the foot of Jesus as he taught.
Along these lines, the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy said of this posture: "Sitting is the posture of listening and meditation, so the congregation sits for the pre-Gospel readings and may also sit for the period of meditation following Communion."
And so we sit as we listen to the word of God proclaimed to us and we sit as we listen to the word of God being broken for us at the homily.
Moreover, it is a posture that points to rulership, of being co-heirs with Christ who is now seated at the Father’s right hand. And so in a way we demonstrate this when we deign to sit in God’s own house, “dwelling” with him in his abode, to use St. Augustine’s use of the word “sitting” as “dwelling.”
And as David, along with your own personal experience and mine will attest, this is the most comfortable and therefore suitable posture for lengthy periods of prayer and contemplation.
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Vermeer,
The National Gallery of Scotland
(coming up in part 5: gestures in worship)
posted by dixerit at 4:50 PM
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