The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-21
4 MODEST DANISH CHAPEL.
p,rUALISTIC FORMS OF WORSHIP
OBSERVED THERE.
I, IL Especially Devoted to Danish Sailors.
as Gifts Of Carved Ships Attest--t
Has Services Similar to Those Of
Catholic and Episcopal Churches.


Occupying the lower floor OF a modest
rcd brick house in Brooklyn Ia the Chapel
A, our Saviour. devoted to the use Of the
Danes OF the Lutheran religion 1t is
asneciauy dedicated to Danish sailors. as
me wonderfully carved wooden ships that
hang from the ceiling OF the church show.
None Of them was present yesterday, how
ever, in the congregation that went to the
morning service. 1t began at half past
10 and continued two hours.
The services OF the Danish Lutheran
church are interesting, because they pre-
serve many ritualstic features common
TO the services in the Roman Catholic and
the advanced" or ritualistic parishes OF
the Episcopal church. Yet the Lutheran
church in Denmark, as elsewhere, is frankly
Protestant. making no claim to a place
in the Catholic Church, which the adj
vanced Episcopalians contend Is composed
Of the Roman, Anglican and Greek
branches Nor does it claim to share in
the continuity of the Apostolic succession.
although abroad it has an episcopate,
which ia no more, however, than an adj
mnistrative expedient.
The Episcopal parishes called rituals
tic use the lights, incense and vestments
common in the Roman Catholic Church,
because these features Of ritual are claimed
as the common property Of all three
branches OF the Catholic Church The
Roman Catholic Church denies the valid
ity of Anglican and Greek orders. although
the Greek Church, in recent years, mas
recognized the priesthood OF the Angh-
can and the Episcopal churches in Eng
land and this country, and priests OF the
Greek Church frequently attend the SER
vice in the ritualstic churches here.
But the Lutheran Church in Denmark,
plorying in it's absolute Professionalism, has
gone right along through the centuries
using in it's public services much OF the
ritual of the Roman Catholic Church, and
making not the least claim to the right
to use this service because it belonged
to the Catholic Church. 1t rejected nearly
every doctrine that these ritualstic devices
are supposed to symbolize but it keeps their
outward and visible signs. They have
been carried, too, into all the countries that
tho Danish Lutheran Church has invaded
to look after it's children.
In the Danish West Indies and in this
country the ritual exists in these churches
Just as it has in the mother country since the
Reformation, and it was there before that
time in the Roman Catholic Church In
addition to the Brooklyn chapel, there is
one in The Bronx.
Tho Chapel of Our Saviour occupies one
OF two red brick dwellings in quiet resi-
dental street Of Brooklyn One enters the
church through what was evidently the
drawing room OF the house. 1t has been
altered slightly, but serves as a roomy. vesti-
bule. Separated by folding doors is the
church. Thick, painted rafters support
the pointed roof Through the windows,
only the upper parts Of which are stained.
the trees and vines in the adjoining yards
are visible. .,
The congregation Of the church rs said
to number 100 and there Is room for $50
in the comfortable pews The church was
opened In 1873 and the red brick house
made ecclesiastical in appearance oy means
\ cross that covers the entrance. The interior
of the church in spite Of it's use Of ornaments
and ritual. suggests Roman Cathoiio
,turch much less than the ritualistic Epis-
copal parishes of this city do. There are,
for instance, no evidences that the SacIa-
ment is reserved, Over the altar is paint =
np Of Jesus Christ with the words, Come
unto me" painted on it in Danish.
In the centre OF the altar is gilt CROSS.
At each end Of the altar. over which hangs
red velvet cloth embroidered in gold,
stands a thick candle, these two being the
mass or eucharistio lights, always lit at
the celebration of the mass in Roman
Catholic churches and now legalized in the
English Church, On the altar, between the
two candlesticks, are small bows OF
flowers.
Although no celebration Of the commu-
mon took place yesterday morning, the
| lights we're lit. That would never happen
| in a rit,lalistic or Roman Catholic church.
These two lights in those two churches
| have only one significance. They mean
that the mass Is being celebrated There
is no tabernacle on the altar, so reservation
| is not possible But as the Lutheran Church
| holds the Protestant doctrine on the sub
| Jet Of the communion, this would not be
| possible
The ritual of this Danish Lutheran Church
differs in another important particular
from that of the rituaistic Episcopal and
the Roman Catholic. Yesterday was the
fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, when, in
accordance with all tradition OF ritual,
the color for the priests vestmeents, that
il to say the stole, chasuble and maniple,
as well as for the altar hangings, should
have been green, except in churches dedl-
Gated to the Virgin Mary, in which pale blue
is employed. But yesterday all the altar
hangings were red, and that color they
remain throughout the year. There are
no early celebrations OF the communion
as there are in other churches which use
. lIt SdIllf TlIuuI
Hanging over the altar rail yesterday
was the chasuble worn by the pastor OF the
parish when he celebrates the communion
II ia also Of red velvet, similar in form to
the chasuble used in the Roman Catholc
Churches. Under this Is worn white
alb, such as the priests OF the ritualistic
and Roman Catholic churches wear at the
mass.
There was no communion yesterday
so Pastor Andersen who said morning
prayer, read the Bible, preached and bap,
tiz I'd several babies, who We're ca rled ny
to the front by their faxen-haired elders
wore long black silk gown and stin
white linen ruff that rose almost to his
ears. There Is no choir in the church
and the woman organist leads the singing.
The congregation Is entirely free from
any resemblance to the congregations
found in any other ritualistic churches
The men and women sing the hymns and
the long selections from the Psalms. They
rise when the preacher reads from the
pulpit the text Of the sermon But they
remain in the seats while they sing. The
pastor made the sign OF the cross when he
pronounced the benediction, but not
sign Of the cross was made by any member
Of the congregation.
In some OF the German lutheran churches
there are candles on the altar But none OF
them retains so much Of the Roman ritua
as one sees in the Danish churches. Al
the ritual in the Roman Catholic and the
ritualistic services centres about the
Blessed Sacrament. and that springs from
the Real Presence, or Reconsideration