Many Anglicans believe that Jesus is present in a special way in the Holy Communion bread and wine that have been prayed over by a priest (the "Blessed Sacrament").
For centuries there's been a tradition of keeping some Blessed Sacrament bread aside, particularly so that it can be taken to those who are ill or house-bound. In this context it is called "Reserved Sacrament" because some has been kept aside after a Holy Communion service.
Reserved Sacrament is considered so special that it needs to be kept somewhere secure. It's also felt that it needs to be kept somewhere fittingly special. For that reason it's usually locked inside a little cupboard in the church wall called an aumbry. (Aumbry simply means 'closet' or 'chest'.) In some buildings the aumbry sticks out from the wall, and in others it fits into an alcove within the wall. Sometimes in Church of England church buildings it;s covered by a tiny curtain.
Just like the royal flag flies over the palace when our Queen is in residence, a candle burns near the aumbry when the special physical presence of Jesus in the blessed communion bread is 'in residence'.
Occasionally Anglicans talk about the Reserved Sacrament being in a 'tabernacle' rather than in an 'aumbry'. This word is more common among Roman Catholics. Tabernacle means something like 'tent'. In this context it usually refers to the Blessed Sacrament being inside a free standing metallic box rather than set into the wall. See the photo below:
The word 'tabernacle' might remind you of some Old Testament passages when the Israelites in the wilderness encountered God's physical presence within their their tent of worship, and more specifically within the Ark of the Covenant. God's physical presence had powerful effects on those who went near it! Later when they built a more substantial temple, they believed God was in the Holy of Holies in a powerful physical way.
Christians believe that Jesus was and is the ultimate place of God's physical presence on earth. Now that Jesus has risen and ascended to Heaven we believe that he is spiritually present everywhere, particularly within each Christian, but many Christians of different traditions also believe that the risen Jesus is present to us in a physical way in the bread and wine of Holy Communion.
Does the idea of Jesus having a physical presence on earth have any effect on you? Does it make you want to acknowledge or make use of that physical presence in your own spiritual life?
Different Christians make Jesus' physical presence a part of their prayer life in different ways. Some simply gain comfort from the fact that many church buildings have Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament 'residing' within them. Some meditate on the power of this quiet hidden physical presence of Jesus within our neighbourhoods and cities.
As you may well have seen, some Christians make a gesture when they enter a church building to acknowledge Jesus' physical presence. You might have seen people bowing or genuflecting (touching one knee to the ground) in the direction of the aumbry of tabernacle.
Some Christians find it powerful to sit near an aumbry or tabernacle to pray. This is particularly common among Roman Catholics but some Anglicans find it spiritually helpful and profound too.
Sometimes, rather than staying hidden inside a cupboard or box, the Blessed Sacrament is put on show in a 'monstrance' (from the word 'to show'). A monstrance is like a special holder for a consecrated communion wafer. Most commonly it has metallic rays coming out of it in every direction (see the photo below).
When the Blessed Sacrament is put on show like this, many Christians find it a very powerful form of prayer. Many experience a physical closeness to Jesus in this kind of prayer that they don't experience when they pray at home. Also, many Christians find it gives them space to meditate on the significance of the bread and wine they receive at Holy Communion and on the relationship with him that Jesus invites us to. This kind of prayer is often called 'Eucharistic Adoration' or 'Exposition'. The significance isn't in the wafer (that would be idolatry!) but in the belief that Jesus is present in the wafer in a very special and physical way. Many catholics testify to the power of having a heart to heart conversation with Jesus in their minds or hearts during this form of prayer.
This might seem very strange to someone who hasn't tried it or experienced it before. I knew someone who couldn't really cope with the thought of this kind of belief or prayer but when they tried it they were so overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus and a sense of adoration and worship that they found themselves on their knees before the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance for quite some time.
Some of this might feel very strange or uncomfortable to you if you're not used to it. Alternatively this might sound like an area of spirituality that you would like to explore more. Here are various things you might do to experiment for yourself with this kind of spirituality...
Experiment ideas:
Does your church building have an aumbry? If you're not sure, you might like to look out for it next time you're there. If you know that your church building does keep the Blessed Sacrament in a special place but it's presence never meant that much to you before reading this, you might like to notice how it feels being aware of it next time you're near it.
If you haven't done so before, how does it feel acknowledging Jesus' physical presence or even slightly bowing towards the aumbry as you enter your church building?
Does having a focal point for Jesus' physical presence help you? Or in your own experience does it seem to conflict with the fact that Jesus is spiritually everywhere or present in all Christians?
If you don't have an aumbry or tabernacle in your church building you might like to experiment with visiting a building that does have one to see whether or not it has any effect on you.
If you're used to Anglican church buildings but not Roman Catholic ones, you might find it interesting to walk into a Roman Catholic church building to experience the difference. Often in Church of England buildings the aumbry is somewhat hidden in the corner, whereas in Roman Catholic church buildings the tabernacle is often the main focus of the building. How does that feel to you?
You might try praying next to an aumbry or tabernacle. Does it feel any different to praying at home?
If you can, you might like to look out for a church holding a 'Eucharistic Adoration' hour, or "Holy Hour" or "Exposition and Benediction". This is when Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is put on the altar in a monstrance for people to look at and pray in front of. This form of prayer is more common in Roman Catholic churches but it is observed in some Anglican churches. At some churches these special prayer times are quite 'busy' with set prayers whereas at other churches they allow you just to sit praying in silence in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It depends where you go. Several Anglican convents and monasteries do a simple quiet form of 'Eucharistic Adoration' once a week.
Don't worry if this isn't for you. Some Christians find all of this extremely powerful. Other Christians really struggle with it or just find it does nothing for them. This blog is all about just being open to new things and experimenting with what helps you spiritually.