An Instructed Eucharist
An Instructed Eucharist is one where the all the different activities are explained in detail.
THE MINISTERS ENTER IN SILENCE AND TAKE THEIR PLACES.
The reader/narrator begins the service: The very act of worship is both a
promise and a statement of the fact that Jesus is, and wants to be, Lord
of our lives whatever we are doing; wherever we do it; and however we
choose to do it. For the next hour and a half or so, we are going to share
together a time of worship - and it will be worship - but in the course of
that worship we are going to describe what we are doing and why we are
doing it.
At this point, I ask you to note the word “worship” itself. First, it
is an ancient contraction of the word “worthy-ship” In Christ’s
incarnation and blood, we stand worthy at the foot of His throne. Yet
there is a dimension of our “worthy-ship” to Christ that is, and ought
to be, pure awe. In this awe are both the joy of the Blessed of God, and
the fear of God as well, which lie at the very soul of Godly wisdom. Quite
revealing, and at the heart of what we are doing here, and it ought to be
every time we turn ourselves to the worship of God, is that the word in
scripture that is translated “worship”, whether in Hebrew or Greek,
means to prostrate oneself - to fall on one’s face - before God.
Worship, then, is to - spiritually if not physically - lay one’s whole self at the feet of Him Who is always merciful, always loving, and in Whose presence is total safety, yet in Whom also is all power and majesty. Worship is to submit all that we are and all that we have before Him Who gave it all for us. Because He alone is Who He is, this act is a joyful one, and it is meant to be enjoyed. God does not need our worship to be Who He is, but we need to worship Him to be fully who we are. The act of worship edifies, feeds, strengthens, and exalts the worshiper. The assumption is sometimes made by those who don’t really understand the Episcopal Church that Episcopalians don’t really worship - we just “read our prayers out of a book.” But nothing could be further from the truth!
The Book of Common Prayer means essentially the “Order of Worshiping Together”. It stands on Jesus’ promise that when two or three are gathered together in His Name He will be in the midst of them. But even more, when we are agreed in that which we pray, the Lord really does hear, and will indeed answer, those prayers in powerful ways. Though the believer should become familiar and comfortable with praying in the Spirit and from the heart, praying with one voice from the Order of the Prayer Book is a very valid approach to powerful prayer and worship. Faithful, not mechanical, Prayer Book worship draws its strength from not being controlled or sidetracked by daily concerns or spiritual “ruts” that a worshiper might otherwise get caught in. Though not always, relying only on “free” prayer can easily, especially in times of stress, draw more from the all-too-human mind of the prayer than from the healing heart of God.
The possibility is real that the worshiper may get stuck on a single well-worn theme or focus, and perhaps miss a few things that God may want to say or to hear, or even some of the gifts which God may want to give. In all prayer, where the worshiper is not in control of where his or her prayers may lead, God can be in control. Hence, our Anglican Common Prayer together, in one voice, can be extremely powerful! The roots of our worship, as Christians - and yes, as Anglicans too - are completely scriptural and apostolic. There is not a word in our Prayer Book that is not either a direct scriptural quotation, or that is not directly supported by scripture. And there is no ministry covered in, or by, our worship that is not completely founded on the ministry of Jesus Christ and His first Apostles. It is a rich and powerful tradition!
For nearly two thousand years, the worship of the Church has followed essentially the same format. It is based, first, on ancient Israelite temple worship, then on later Jewish synagogue worship, but it also reflects prophetic visions in scripture of the worship in Heaven itself and of the Kingdom that will come when Christ returns. The many denominations within the Body of Christ may at times put their emphasis on one or more of these forms that are different from others, but basically we all share the same bases for our coming before the Lord. Even the garments and robes - which we call vestments - that the clergy and other ministers use are based on ancient tradition. Their color depends upon the season of the Church Year. It is the practice of some clergy to say specific prayers during the various stages of vesting. They may be prepared prayers, or said extemporaneously, quietly or under their breath.
The act of dressing the Celebrant, or “vesting” as it is called, is symbolic of a preparation that moves the Celebrant and the worshipping people into a place apart from their everyday lives. It is not just any place apart, but in fact they move into the presence of God, in His Holy Temple, at His Holy Feast.
- The first vestment, which is not worn by all clergy, is the CASSOCK. This garment is a holdover from unheated stone churches; it was worn like an overcoat, and was, early on, made of heavy wool. A few are still made of worsted wool for use in cold climates, but here in our much warmer climate, the cassock is generally made of polyester or some light-weight material.
- The next vestment to be put on is the ALB. This vestment is derived from a temple garment, and its predominantly white color signifies God’s holiness. Interestingly, this same garment is worn by the officiant at the traditional Jewish Seder service at Passover. Wearing this garment, the Christian Celebrant represents us all in our sainthood in Christ, purified by the blood of the Lamb, cleansed and empowered in the Holy Spirit, and standing before the throne of God.
- Next, the Celebrant puts on the CINCTURE, which is basically just an ancient belt, or girdle, which is often just a piece of rope which closes the garment. It symbolizes the Christian’s purity, which comes in Christ, and also the girding of the loins of the believer with the Truth of God’s Word, in which he or she ministers.
- Then comes the vestment called a STOLE, from the Greek word stolein, which was the Greek name for the burial wrapping on Jesus when He was laid in the tomb, and which was set aside when He rose. It also signifies the yoke of Christ, which the Priest has vowed to wear. So vested, the officiating ministers usually, and properly, gather together before beginning the Holy Eucharist, to ask that the Lord cleanse and protect them as they dare to repeat His words, and to ask the Holy Spirit to empower the worship which is to follow.
A true act of the Spirit, it is the way people should always come into the presence of a king, though it may or may not always involve and actual, physical, parade or procession. This act of ascents is itself an act of worship, reminiscent of the procession which our Lord led into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It is a regal procession, because we serve a real King. Perhaps we should note here that when we enter the Nave in preparation for the service as congregants, we too are processing into the presence of the King when the presence of the Reserved Sacrament is signified by the candle burning in the Sanctuary. We should conduct ourselves as being in the presence of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord and Savior, because we truly are.
OPENING HYMN(S)
When we have taken our places for worship, we usually begin with an Acclamation of Praise.
THE SALUTATION AND COLLECT FOR PURITY
It is in praise that we come most quickly into God’s presence, and it is of course His presence which we seek in our worship. After the Collect for Purity, in which we pray to God for the purity and worthiness to worship Him, comes the Gloria in Excelsis or other Song of Praise. The Gloria is the ancient song which recalls the song of the angels on the night of Jesus’ birth, and the unceasing worship of the angels in heaven. But today, because we are now in the Season of Lent, we will use the Kyrie Eleison, or “Lord Have Mercy”. As we take up this song, we join with the Heavenly Host in their prayers for mercy.
THE GLORIA/KYRIE ELEISON
Our next act of worship is called The Collect of the Day. It is a prayer which we pray together, or which is prayed in our name, for us. It lifts up to the Lord the particular theme or concern for our worship on that particular day. Frequently, it touches on the sermon which will be preached, and it always seeks to tie together the scriptures which we will be reading in our service of worship. Our loud AMEN at the end signifies our agreement before the Lord, of what we pray.
THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY
Ours is a scriptural church. We are never far from the Word of God. Our readings are nearly always selected from a three-year cycle of readings called “The Lectionary”. And they usually contain one reading each from the Old Testament, the Epistles, and finally the Gospels. This cycle of readings will, in three years, cover most of the Bible. It’s a sort of “through the Bible in three years” course. After each reading we acknowledge it to be the “Word of the Lord” and give thanks for what we have heard. There is usually a Psalm read between the first two readings, and a hymn sung before the reading of the Gospel. This is to acclaim and to celebrate God’s Word to us, to help us bring that Word into our own hearts, and to lift up our hearts - again, in praise - to the Giver of that Word.
OLD TESTAMENT READING
PSALM
EPISTLE
GRADUAL HYMN AND GOSPEL PROCESSION
We stand to hear the Gospel, which has been brought into our midst for our better hearing. This is a part of the sitting, kneeling, standing, and sitting again that we tend to do in our liturgical church. Basically, we can remember it this way: We stand to praise, proclaim, sing, or hear the Gospel. We sit to listen, and we kneel or stand to pray. In the ancient churches and synagogues, there were no seats, and no kneeling pads, so the people stood in the position in which the priest stands to celebrate when they prayed. The Church has come back to that understanding, and it is now considered proper to pray either standing or kneeling. But it should be noticed that when the rubric - the words printed in italics which are the “directions” - says people, it is speaking collectively. No one is going to throw you out the church door if you don’t observe this, but what it means is that if the others around you stand to pray, then it is proper for you to do the same; and by the same token, when those about you kneel to prayer, then you ought to consider doing the same thing.
We stand to hear the Gospel read, because the Gospel is the Good News of Christ; it is not just about Him. And our Gospel reading always contains a quote directly from His lips. He is certainly worthy of our honor - and so we stand to hear His words.
THE GOSPEL READING
After the readings follows the Sermon, or Homily. This is where we listen for the way in which the Lord, through His Ministers, is opening the Word for us. It is sometimes explanation, sometimes a study of the words themselves, sometimes pure exhortation, prophecy, encouragement, or out-and-out evangelism. The sermon is an outreach of the Holy Spirit, meant to give us new knowledge, understanding, courage, hope, or wisdom in the ordering of our everyday living, and exhortation in our life of service to the Lord. The preacher prays before it is delivered, either aloud or silently, and - it is hope that - it will be long enough to fully deliver its point, and short enough to keep the faithful awake. For this particular service, however, there will be no Sermon as such; since this commentary more than adequately does the job, both from the points of view of explanation and length!
After hearing the Word of God read, and then preached, an appropriate response is to proclaim God’s glory, dominion, power, and honor. Hence, on most Sundays we will recite the Nicene Creed, an ancient Christian statement of belief, immediately after the Sermon. This statement of the Faith hails from the Council of Nicea, which was held early in the 4th century. It is a simple act of praise to God, proclaiming His nature and His glory: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It reminds us of Who God is, what He has done in sending His Son to us as a human man, what He is doing in our lives this day, and what He promises to do in the future. The Creed is a statement of faith which we should confess boldly, and proudly.
THE NICENE CREED
After preparing ourselves, through hearing the Word of God and proclaiming His Glory in the Creed, we are then ready to move into our Intercessory Prayers, where we talk to God about our needs and those of others. In these prayers we focus our worship for the benefit of ourselves and others: those we share this life with, both believers and unbelievers. We offer prayers on behalf of the Church, the world, this nation, our own community, those in need of special prayers, our special thanksgivings, and for those who have already entered into God’s presence through the death of their bodies. As we pray these prayers, we should always take care to pray, really pray. We need to be sure that we are truly taking sufficient time - never hurrying - to let the Lord guide our hearts to add appropriate petitions, intercessions and thanksgivings, beyond the printed outline. We should never add something merely to be noticed in our prayers, or to cut off someone else in their intercessions. The leader should make sure that there is time for all of us to offer the prayers of our own hearts along with the ones which are written, before moving on.
We have six different sets of Intercessory Prayers in the Prayer Book, and we are free to use whichever set may seem most appropriate at a particular time. There are other approved prayers which may used from time to time, also.
THE INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
After the Prayers, we are called into the General Confession. It is especially appropriate to kneel before the Lord at this point, offering up our sins for His forgiveness, and offering forgiveness for those who sin against us. It is in this manner, most of all, that we prepare ourselves to really receive the gift of the Holy Communion which is soon to follow. Christ reminds us that when we have something against another, we should not attempt to offer our gifts until we are reconciled with our brother or sister in Christ. The Confession is a very appropriate place to clean our own spiritual house - that we can confess only our own sins, not those of our brother or sister!
The Celebrant, or the Bishop if he or she is present, as a part of his or her sacramental role in representing Christ and His Church, stands after the General Confession to pronounce Christ’s forgiveness to those who truly repent of their sins.
THE CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
After the Confession, we move into the Peace. This is a specifically, and uniquely, Christian action whereby we act out the Lord’s will that His Peace should truly be among us. It is not the coffee hour, nor is it time to catch up on the latest gossip or the sports scores. It is, though, a way to prepare ourselves, having been forgiven of our sins, for the Lord’s presence in His Body and His Blood. It expresses, in a concrete way, the reconciliation of God’s people with each other. We can pass the peace by merely exchanging the words, by shaking hands, by giving a warm hug, or even a sincere and warm smile. Any of these are appropriate, and no one should feel uncomfortable in expressing the Peace in any or all of these ways. Sometimes, the Peace is moved to the end of the service. This is especially appropriate for times when it may be expressed “with gusto” by the worshipers, such as in a group where the presence of the Holy Spirit may be strongly present.
THE PEACE
Next comes the time when we really offer up to the Lord the stuff of our lives to be made new in Him - from our tithes and offerings of money, our gifts of food for the food pantry, to the bread and wine that He will make into His Body and Blood. This is also a time in which special offerings may be made, and items for worship and private devotion may be blessed by the Celebrant.
You will notice that this may be the time when the Celebrant puts on the final vestment, which is called the Chasuble. Putting on this ancient outer garment symbolizes and acts out the putting on of God’s mantle by the Celebrant, signifying God’s anointing for the acts of consecration which will follow. Putting it on at this time recalls and proclaims that the Lord is the true officiant at the Altar, and the Priest now represents Jesus, not himself, in the celebration of the Mass. Some clergy prefer to enter the church wearing the chasuble, even to preach wearing it, although it is not a preaching vestment. Others prefer to put it on at this time, while the preparations for the Holy Meal are being made. Then, as before any important meal, the Table is set.
First, we spread a fine linen cloth called the Corporal because it holds the Body of the Lord. Then there is a Chalice, which symbolizes the Chalice which Jesus used at the Last Supper; the Paten, or Plate, which represents the Plate from which Jesus took the bread; and a Purificator, basically just a clean linen napkin, with which we clean the Chalice. The pure white linens symbolize the purity of Christ, and that what we do in His Name is washed clean in the Blood of His Sacrifice. The carefully set table, with candles and the Elements - the bread and the wine which are brought to the Altar as part of the offerings of the People, is a clear representation of the Feast in Heaven at the banquet of the Lamb, when He comes in Power and Glory at the end of the age.
THE TABLE IS SET DURING THE OFFERTORY ANTHEM OR QUIET INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
When all the preparations are complete, we are ready to take part in what has been, throughout the history of Christianity, the central act of Christian worship - the celebration of the Holy Communion, Holy Eucharist, Mass, or the Lord’s Supper. We now bring forth the bread and the wine, along with the other offerings, while the Congregation sings a hymn of praise. And when all is set before Him, offered, and in place, we all stand before the Altar, which symbolizes our standing before His throne, as well as His Messianic feast.
THE OFFERTORY SENTENCE
THE OFFERTORY INGATHERING
THE OFFERTORY ANTHEM OR SOFT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
VESTING AND PRAYER
THE OFFERTORY HYMN AND THE OFFERTORY PROCESSION TO THE ALTAR
The Priest begins leading what is known as the Great Thanksgiving (the Greek word Eucharist, from which we often name the service, means Thanksgiving). By our responses, we join in the prayer, and receive for ourselves His Consecration, to truly receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and the Blessing He intends for us to receive.
The Congregation should sound a loud and convincing AMEN! at the end of the Consecration. This is called THE GREAT AMEN for an excellent reason. When the Prayers of Consecration are completed, the whole Congregation is invited to the Lord’s Table, or Altar, where each receives the Bread and the Wine with great reverence. As Anglicans, we believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Consecrated Bread and Wine - what we refer to as the REAL PRESENCE OF CHRIST. Which is why we receive it, NOT take it, with reverence, putting our hands together, either kneeling or standing as the Lord bids us and as our physical condition allows. Our Communion is open to every Baptized Person who receives the Holy Communion in their own Church. We should begin communicating our children on the same day they are Baptized. Children Baptized as infants who are growing up in the Church should never be able to remember the first time they received Communion.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
THE GREAT AMEN
THE LORD’S PRAYER
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
THE FRACTION ANTHEM
COMMUNION OF THE CELEBRANT
COMMUNION OF THE MINISTERS AND ACOLYTES
COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
COMMUNION HYMN
When all have received the Sacrament, the Altar ministers wash the communion vessels, taking care that any leftover elements are either consumed or placed in the tabernacle. We recognize, in the care given, even with the dirty dishes, that God is truly present and that His presence deserves the highest honor we can pay Him. Even the leftover elements, should there be any, are respected and protected. They are never thrown into the sink or trash can, although they may be placed on the ground or burned in a loving and careful manner, so that they return to the earth just as our own bodies eventually do. During this period, we may sing a hymn, listen to an anthem, or just quietly continue our prayers of thanksgiving. Then, when all has been made ready, we offer a final Thanksgiving prayer for His gift of Himself to us, once again, in His Holy Communion, by repeating what is usually known as the Post-Communion Prayer of Thanksgiving. In this prayer we acknowledge God’s presence, thank Him for the blessing He has just given us, and ask that He empower us, through His gift of this Holy Eucharist, to serve Him in the world outside this church building, to which we shall shortly return.
We are, in truth, strangers and sojourners in the broken and corrupt world which surrounds us there. But in the Eucharist, we are again strengthened and empowered and fed to bring a little piece of God’s Kingdom wherever we go. As the Daughters of the King say, “I am but one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.” Our Lord’s Great Commission to us says, in essence, “Go, and do something for My Kingdom.” And this sending, you will note, is the last part of our Post-Communion Prayer.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
After the prayer we have just prayed, the Priest pronounces God’s Peace, and His Blessing, upon us. Then we prepare to go forth in the power that God has given us through His Son, and in the Holy Spirit. This we do by singing, and by processing - and note that we are NOT recessing, for this would require us to back down the aisle - out into the world. For it is into the world that Jesus has commanded His Church to go, bringing His Blessing and His Peace, which we have now received, to those who do not have it, and yet need it even more than we do.
PEACE OF GOD/BLESSING
We now stand to sing the Processional Hymn. As the cross processes by, we turn because we are going to follow it out into the world. After the hymn, when we hear the words of dismissal, let us respond with great joy and great gusto, “Thanks be to God! Alleluia, Alleluia!”
THE CLOSING HYMN AND PROCESSION
THE DISMISSAL
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