This article is eclectic in content and does not pretend to be consistent with any religious doctrine. The sacred cloth described herein belongs to various religious traditions.
Most textiles that are used in religious rites within churches in Europe, in the Middle East and in the New World are related in some way to the worship in the Israelites' Tabernacle as described in former articles on this topic. (See http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/text... and http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/text... .
That furnishings associated with worship in modern churches are based on ancient Judaic rituals and the associated furnishings is affirmed by Subdeacon Kirill Sokolov, 1994, in describing the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in San Francisco at http://www.holy-trinity.org :
"Along with the Divine Liturgy, the Church building bears testimony to a living continuity with Judaic worship and early Christianity.
Of significance is that the worship of the Apostles and followers of Jesus Christ was a modified version of Jewish synagogue and Temple worship. Synagogue worship structure consisted of a litany of prayers, a confession, eulogies, reading from the scriptures, a homily (sermon) and a benediction. The worship in the Temple in Jerusalem was characterized by the altar upon which were sacrificed offerings to God for the forgiveness of sins. The Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ replaced the sacrifices in the Temple with His sacrifice on our behalf, experienced through the ongoing participation in Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper). Synagogue worship took place in a simple building with a raised platform from which the Rabbi taught, an Ark in which the Scriptures were kept, and a veil which covered the Ark and before which a seven-branched candlestick burned. For the early Christians who continued the practice of Jesus Christ, the synagogue order with added elements of Temple ritual became the normal form of worship. Indeed, the Orthodox temple appears as a Christianized version of a Jewish synagogue."
The altar for animal sacrifice in the Tabernacle (later the Temple) in Judaic worship was replaced in the Christian tradition by an altar or table for the gifts -- the bread and wine which become the sacrifice of Christ's body and blood. A portable table suffices in some churches, when outfitted with communion vessels, and is called simply a "communion service."
But whether this special place is a modern table on wheels or a stationary ornate altar, the vessels for the elements of communion sit on an appropriate cloth, and often are covered by sacramental cloth as well. White linen is the preferred fabric, especially in the churches are influenced by Puritanism. If color is used, the preferred material is still linen. The altar is usually outfitted with a covering over the basic cloth, or in some churches with a "skirt" or "fall" or "frontal" to lend even more dignity to the celebration of the Christian mystery. One or both cloths will reach almost to the floor; the outer cloth may be colorful and ornate, but usually bears a simple embroidery of the cross or -- in the plainer churches, may be made of plain white linen.
