commissioning
Laying on of Hands in Israelite and Early Christian Worship
The Christian church has practiced the laying on of hands in the context of worship since apostolic times. In the New Testament, three purposes are associated with this act: healing, the impartation of the Holy Spirit, and commissioning for service.
Symbolic Objects in Biblical Worship
Together with symbolic actions and structures, biblical worship incorporates symbolic objects. Sometimes these are real objects, physically present in the place of worship. Sometimes they are verbal symbols of things not physically present. And sometimes they are both, either at the same time or at different times. Such objects include the ark of the covenant, books and scrolls, anointing oil, the lamp, incense, blood, the bread and cup, and the cross.