Welcome to Ask the Church, our series where we seek to answer your questions about church practice, theology, or worship in under five minutes. Today’s question is about the sign of the cross.
Actually, we’ve received this question from many people, so it’s obviously a good one to answer. The question is: Why would we do the sign of the cross? When should we do the sign of the cross?
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of when and how to do it, the first thing I need to mention is that the sign of the cross is not prescribed by Scripture. It is not necessary for salvation. You do not have to do the sign of the cross.
In that sense, it falls under the category of things that Paul, in both Romans and Colossians, says no one can judge you for—they are matters between you and God (Rom. 14:5–6; Col. 2:16–17).
That said, as long as we approach it knowing it’s not prescribed and we don’t judge one another for it, the sign of the cross is actually good for us.
That might sound strange, but here’s a basic, quick reason why—the theology.
All of us experience a fair amount of division between heart, mind, and body. This is not how we were created to be—it’s a result of the Fall. We all have moments when our hearts desire something our minds know is wrong. Or times when our minds and hearts desire something good, but our bodies don’t have the strength.
This internal division isn't how we were made. Heart, mind, and body are meant to work in unison. And not only were we not created to be that way—it's not the way we will be in the end.
When you read Revelation 4–5, and observe the worship of heaven, you notice that all aspects of being are involved: people fall down before the throne, throw their crowns, and cry out with their voices—heart, mind, and body united in worship (Rev. 4:10–11; 5:8–14).
So, anywhere we can begin to pull those parts together into worship is worthwhile—and the sign of the cross is one of those places!
Anglicans are good at physical worship in some ways. We probably kneel more than many other traditions, but we’re bad at it in other senses. We don’t lift our hands in worship the way a charismatic might. It’s good to learn how to use our bodies more—not just to unite heart, mind, and body, but because the body can stir the heart.
If your heart feels dry in worship, lifting your hands can actually change the posture of your soul. The body acts like a thermostat—it sets the temperature. And if you want the temperature of your heart raised in worship, using the body is one means of doing that.
Still, we need to recognize that any bodily action can become rote. The sign of the cross—what I would call a "little physical prayer"—can become mechanical. But so can verbal prayer. The same can also happen when we say the Creeds. The solution isn’t to discard the words or the action, but to rekindle the heart and mind so we’re not treating it as rote.
Now, the basic instruction for how to do the sign of the cross: you put your first two fingers and your thumb together. It’s forehead, middle of the torso, left over the heart, then right.
When should you do it? A simple rule of thumb: any time you hear the name of the Trinity. But even then, don’t let it become rote. Let it be a physical prayer—crying out to God with your body.
Some common moments in the service:
Invocation – At the beginning, when we say “Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” many people make the sign of the cross.
Absolution – When your sins are pronounced forgiven through Christ’s work on the cross, many recall that gift through the sign.
Sanctus – “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” recalling the One we proclaim as “blessed” (Matt. 21:9).
Eucharistic Liturgy – When the priest prays over the elements, tracing the sign of the cross as we ask they become for us Christ’s Body and Blood—and that He would "sanctify us also, that we might worthily receive", knowing it's only by the cross we might be sanctified.
Gospel reading – When we announce the Gospel reading, saying “The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to…” many trace a small cross on the forehead, lips, and heart using the thumb. This “little sign of the cross” is a prayer: "Change, by Your cross, my head, my mouth, my heart."
I hope this introduction to the sign of the cross helps. As always, if you have questions, send them to steven@incarnationrichmond.org.
Go in the grace of our Lord.