Church Bells And Little Boy Dancing: Chiming Of The Church Bells

• published: 18 Oct 2015
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Church Bells And Little Boy Dancing: Chiming Of The Church Bells It may take the enchantment, wonder and bewilderment of a little boy playing in the street to remind us of the significance of church bells chiming all over the world. The origin and purpose of ringing church bells dates back to AD 400 when Paulinus of Nola first introduced bells in association with a church. In AD 604 Pope Sabinianus officially sanctioned bells’ usage. By the early Middle Ages, church bells had become common in northern Europe, reflecting the influence of Irish missionaries. The Eastern Orthodox Church has a long and complex history of bell ringing. The custom is particularly sophisticated in the Russian Orthodox Church. The primary purpose of ringing church bells today is to signify the time for worshippers to gather for a church service. Many Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran churches also ring their bell tower bells three times a day, summoning the faithful to recite the Lord’s Prayer. This tradition was influenced by the Jewish practice of praying three times a day. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the Lord’s Prayer was prayed three times a day in the early church. However, the Bible makes no mention of this, and it would appear that the Catholic Church was trying to supplant the Amidah of Hebrew tradition. The thrice-daily ringing of church bells also resembles the Islamic tradition of the adhan in which the faithful are called to prayer from a minaret. Bells are also rung during most Catholic and High Church services. A small hand bell or set of hand bells (called altar bells or sanctus bells) is rung shortly before the consecration of the bread and wine and again when the elements are shown to the people. Not all Anglican churches follow the Catholic traditions surrounding the Eucharist. The High Anglican Church is very similar to Catholicism, but the Low Anglican Church is closer to Protestantism in several ways. The idea that the sound of bells ringing has spiritual value is thought to have originated with pagan winter celebrations in which bells were rung to drive out evil spirits. Some churches still refer to the so-called apotropaic power of bells in their descriptions of sanctus bells. The belief that bells drive away demons is pure superstition. In later centuries, bells were rung on Christmas Eve to welcome Christmas with a 'joyful noise' (Psalm 95:1; 98:4). Of course, bells are sometimes used as musical instruments in their own right, and many church services feature the music of bell choirs - Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/church-bells.html LINKS History Of Bellringing http://www.bellringing.org/history/ All About Bells http://www.theologic.com/oflweb/forkids/bells.htm Why Do Churches Have Steeples? http://www.kencollins.com/answers/question-16.htm Learning To Ring Church Bells - Campanology http://www.bellringing.org/learntoring/ Central Council Of Church Bell Ringers http://www.cccbr.org.uk/