St. James's Church, Cambridge, MA - Instructed Eucharist

The Rev. Laurie Rofinot and members of the St. James's Church School - November 12, 2006

(With thanks to the Rev. Martha Siegel, Trinity Church, Santa Barbara, CA, for original text, edited and adapted by L. Rofinot)

OPENING HYMN / PROCESSION

Good morning! Today is All-Community Sunday, a service we plan for a few times a year, when adults and young people are together for the entire worship service. This morning the children and youth are offering a step-by-step explanation of our service of Holy Eucharist - what, when and why we do what we do in worship. We're all invited to participate as we usually do, but instead of a sermon we will stop at various points of the service for a little instruction, a little history, a little explanation of the many elements of our Eucharistic liturgy. We hope it will shed light on our central act of worship, perhaps answer some of the questions you may have, and bring us all to a deeper spiritual appreciation of our life together in Christ.

Eucharist is the central act of our worship, as it has been for the Christian community since the very beginning of the church. For almost 2000 years, Jesus' followers have gathered to share bread and wine, obeying his commandment at the Last Supper to "Do this in remembrance of me." This remembrance is more than simply recalling an event in the past. It is a celebration of God's living presence in our midst, here and now. This day, and at every Eucharist, Christ is present and touches us in a special way as we gather as a community, hear the word of God, and share in the bread and wine.

"Eucharist" is a Greek word meaning "Thanksgiving." And the word "liturgy" means "the work of the people," something we all do together. In its long history, the liturgy of Holy Eucharist-- also known as Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper, the Divine Liturgy, and the Mass--has been celebrated in many different ways. In recent years many Christian churches have been interested in recovering the practices of the early church, and our liturgy is based on this ancient pattern. Although the words and gestures we use to express our worship of God may differ in different parishes, the basic liturgy is the same. Here at St. James's we seek to use language, both spoken and sung, which affirms God's embrace of all people, female and male, and affirms that men and women are equal. At the same time some historic texts, such as the Creed, that are widely known, have been left unaltered in our service.

The worship of God in the Eucharist is the work of the whole church--and each person, ordained clergy and layperson, has an important part to play. A priest presides at the altar, assisted by other priests or a deacon, and lay ministers serve as acolytes, read the lessons and lead the prayers of the people, bring the gifts of bread, wine and money to the altar, assist at communion, and offer healing prayers. All of us take an active part in the service, singing, responding, and praying, silently and aloud. Throughout the Eucharist, words, gestures, posture, and other symbols are used to express our worship of God. We will explain some of the history and meaning of these as we go along. Remember that any actions, such as making the sign of the cross, are optional and we should each do what is comfortable and meaningful for us.

The Eucharistic liturgy has two major parts-- the Liturgy of the Word and the Holy Communion. Each has a focal point--the Liturgy of the Word is proclaimed from the lectern and pulpit and the Holy Communion is celebrated at the altar.

The altar as the Holy Table has a tablecloth called a fair linen. On the altar are two candles, and on our biggest feast days we usually have more candles. Traditionally these represent the light of God's presence in the Holy Spirit, which came to the first Christians as fire and wind on the day of Pentecost.

We all have a part in preparing for the liturgy. While the congregation gathers and sits in prayer and meditation, or listens to the musical prelude, the presider and other worship leaders vest. Our vestments today are the ordinary clothes worn in first century Rome, which have come to symbolize the offices of the presider and assisting clergy. The basic vestment is the alb (meaning "white), which has its roots in the white robes or gowns used by baptismal candidates. The cincture or girdle is a symbol for purity and spiritual watchfulness. The stole may have had humble origins as a neck scarf or handkerchief, but has come to symbolize the sacramental ministry of a priest. It is usually the color of the liturgical season or a special occasion. Now, in the season of Pentecost, it is green. The chasuble originally was the outdoor cloak worn by both sexes in Rome. It has come to symbolize the yoke or mantle of Christ worn by the chief presider who represents Christ when presiding at the Eucharist.

The first main division of the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Word, comes almost directly from the services of the ancient Jewish synagogue. We stand as the ministers enter and we prepare for the Word of God with a hymn. This is followed by a gathering rite, in which the presider and people greet each other as Christians worshipping God together. Some people make the sign of the cross at this time as a reminder of their baptism. We pray for open hearts, so we may the know presence of God and give thanks for the good news of Jesus Christ. This is followed by a hymn of praise to God.


GATHERING RITE
HYMN OF PRAISE

The salutation, "The Lord be with you," and its response, "And also with you," is an ancient Jewish greeting. This is followed by the Collect of the Day, another brief prayer, which focuses on the theme for the day. There is a different collect for each Sunday and for various occasions. Many of them date from the fifth and sixth centuries. It is called a "collect" because it collects our thoughts and prayers into a particular theme for the day.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Please be seated. We have offered prayer and praise and are ready to hear the scriptures, the story of the mighty acts of God. The Lessons are picked from a fixed list of readings, organized into a three-year cycle, so we hear as much of the Bible as possible. Today we use the Revised Common Lectionary, though in past years we have used the Episcopal Lectionary found in the back of the Book of Common Prayer. The first lesson is usually taken from the Hebrew Scriptures, which we also call the Old Testament. This is followed by a selection from the Psalms. We usually sing the psalm, following the traditional practice of Jewish and Christian chanting in worship. The second lesson is usually from the Epistles, which are letters of St. Paul and other leaders of the early church. Following ancient Jewish custom, these lessons are read by representatives of the congregation.

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
PSALM
EPISTLE

Now comes the high point of this first part of the service, the reading of the Gospel, the Good News of Christ. This reading is often preceded by music. The Gospel is usually read by an ordained person as Christ's representative. The acclamation of the people before and after the Gospel reading comes from the early church. Some people make the sign of the cross with the right thumb on the forehead, lips, and chest at the beginning of the reading as a way of acting out the wish to think about Christ, to talk about Christ and to carry Christ's good news in their hearts. Because the Gospel is so important, we stand to hear it read.

ALLELUIA CHANT
GOSPEL

Please be seated. Ordinarily the sermon follows the readings and helps us to apply the scripture teaching to our own times and our own community. Today this commentary is taking the place of the sermon.

After the sermon we affirm our faith using the words of the Nicene Creed. This is a translation of the statement of the church's faith adopted by the councils of Nicea and Chalcedon in the fourth and fifth centuries. Some people may bow at the name of Jesus in the creed, as well as at other times in the service, reflecting the words of Paul, "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow." Some may bow at the mention of the birth of Jesus to give reverence to God's love for us.

NICENE CREED

The final section of the first part of the service is devoted to prayer. This was the historical place for the prayers as early as the second century. By the end of the fourth century these prayers had become a litany. Because these are the Prayers of the People, it is appropriate that they be led by a representative of the congregation. The priest sums up the prayers at the end of the litany with a collect. At specific points in the prayer everyone is invited to express their own petitions, intercessions, and thanksgivings silently or aloud.

We conclude our prayers with the General Confession, admitting to God, ourselves and each other that we all, as individuals and as a community, have fallen short of God's will for us. We claim our need for God's renewal in our lives. The presider assures us of God's love and forgiveness, making the sign of the cross at the Absolution. Some people respond by making the sign of the cross to show their acceptance of God's forgiveness and love.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
GENERAL CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION

The exchange of the Peace is not just a greeting, but an important symbol of God's gift of peace and a response to Jesus' command to be reconciled to each other before offering our gifts at the altar.

The Announcements, which follow the Peace, are sometimes long at our church, but they are also a way of expressing our sense of community. We invite one another to participate in the important ministries here at St. James's. We invite newcomers to make themselves known, and we also celebrate important milestones, such as birthdays, anniversaries and travels. Please stand.

EXCHANGE OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS

The second part of the service is called "The Holy Communion."
We have already met Christ as we have gathered as his people and participated in the Liturgy of the Word. Now, as we keep Christ's commandment in the Gospels to "Do this in remembrance of me," he makes himself present in the bread and wine. The Eucharist is a sacrament, an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace. Here the outward and visible signs are the bread and wine, the inward and spiritual grace is the Body and Blood of Christ, given to his people.

The Episcopal Church teaches the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The bread and wine remain as bread and wine, but after the Consecration Christ is really present in the elements of the Eucharist. So, in receiving Communion, we receive Christ.

This second part of the service begins with the Offertory. In the earliest days of the church each worshiper brought a small loaf of bread and a small bottle of wine and presented them to the presider to be pooled together and used in the communion. Later people also brought other offerings--food, animals, things that they had made. These were then distributed to the poor and used to support the parish clergy. Today we bring our money instead on most Sundays, and this, with the bread and wine, are brought to the table by representatives of the congregation. As we do this we offer ourselves to God--all of us--our souls and bodies, our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears and pain, our families and communities and world. We offer all we are. And we receive back God--to live in us, to heal and nourish us, so we can go forth from worship to do God's work in the world. The Offertory anthem is a chance for one of our several choirs to shine in singing praises to God.

OFFERTORY SENTENCE
ANTHEM

During the offertory a priest or deacon prepares the Holy Table or altar, with the help of the altar servers. We sometimes put the bread wafers or "hosts" on a silver plate called a paten. Wine is poured into a silver goblet called a chalice, and water is added to the wine. Christians have sometimes seen this mixing of water and wine as a symbol of the union of God and humankind in Jesus. The presider then washes his/her hands, a ceremonial act of cleansing and purity.

PREPARE ALTAR, RECEIVE GIFTS AND WASH HANDS

We have completed the offering , we can now move on to the next part of the Holy Communion, the sacramental meal that originated with the religious meals of the Jewish people. Jesus gave this meal a new meaning at the Last Supper. The Gospels tell us that he did four things-- took bread and wine, blessed and gave thanks over them, broke the bread, and gave the bread and wine to his followers to eat and drink. Today, the presider repeats these four actions, as he or she takes, blesses, breaks and gives the bread and wine, responding to the command of Christ to "do this in remembrance of me." As we participate in this, human time is set aside. We are there with Jesus, as we re-live the "mighty acts of God," re-calling back into our time his life and death and resurrection.

The four actions of the Holy Communion are accompanied by the words of a Eucharist Prayer. There are many forms of this prayer, found in our Book of Common Prayer and in the Supplemental Liturgical Materials of the Episcopal Church. Today we are using the second Eucharistic Prayer in the book Enriching Our Worship.

We begin with the Sursum Corda--Latin for "Lift up your hearts." This is an ancient Jewish dialogue prayer that Jesus and his followers may have prayed at the last supper, and it was used in the very earliest Christian communities. Then the presider gives thanks, on behalf of the people, for the saving work of God in creation and throughout history.

We continue with the Sanctus, the "Holy, Holy, Holy. . .", another ancient song of praise and thanksgiving, found in the book of Isaiah. In the Sanctus we join our thoughts and prayers with "Angels and Archangels and with all the company of Heaven," reminding us that communion in the body of Christ knows no boundaries of time or space.

This hymn is followed by the Prayer of Consecration. This is based on the Jewish blessing over bread and wine and includes three essential parts: the words of Institution said by Jesus at the Last Supper; the Anamnesis, Greek for "remembering" or "memorial," which commemorates the passion, resurrection and ascension of Christ; and the Epiclesis, a prayer asking God to send the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine and on all of us gathered as the body of Christ. Some people make the sign of the cross during this prayer, signaling the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.

The presider usually speaks for all of us in the Eucharistic prayer, but today we young people will pray part of it, on behalf of all of the people. As the prayer ends, we say together "Amen," meaning "so be it," or "may it happen." Then it is time for our joyous singing of the Lord's Prayer, the prayer that Jesus himself taught us, one of the first prayers we learn as children and remember our whole lives.

After a period of silence the presider breaks the consecrated bread, called the Fraction, and we all affirm our oneness in Christ in the Fraction Anthem.

Finally, the giving of bread and wine takes place at the altars. We come forward to receive them, an action reminding us of our Christian journey. It was the ancient custom of the church to stand for corporate prayer and to receive communion. It was not until the late middle ages that the posture for prayer was changed to kneeling. Today we have the option to do either.

To receive the bread, hold out your right hand cupped in your left hand. To receive the wine, grasp the base of the chalice to assist in guiding it to your lips. If you do not wish to drink from the chalice continue to hold the host in your hand and the person serving the chalice will let you dip it. If you do not wish to receive the consecrated wine from the chalice, cross your hands over your chest. Please response to the words, "The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven" and "the Blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation," by saying "Amen." Some people cross themselves before and after receiving this sacred meal.

After receiving Communion anyone may pause in the baptistry to pray with a prayer team in thanksgiving, or for healing or other concerns, for others or ourselves. During this time we also join in singing hymns and listening to choir anthems

We will now stand and begin the Great Thanksgiving. There will be no more commentary until we have all received Communion.

GREAT THANKSGIVING (clergy and youth)
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
COMMUNION

After all have received Communion, the remaining elements are returned to the altar, where some may be set aside to take to those who are sick or homebound. This reserved sacrament is placed in a small locked cupboard called an aumbry or tabernacle, found on our chapel altar. A perpetual light burning nearby reminds us of the presence of Christ in the consecrated bread and wine

When all is in order the presider leads us in the Post-Communion Prayer, which expresses our gratitude for the sacrament we have received and looks forward to our service to God in our daily lives. After the prayer, the presider blesses us, making the sign of the cross. Some people make the sign of the cross in response, signifying their openness to receive the blessing of God and their willingness to share it with the world. We then sing a concluding hymn as the clergy and choirs process out. Finally, we are dismissed by a priest or deacon, who says "Go forth." We are sent out to do God's work, acting out what we have just celebrated, God's real presence in our lives.

POST COMMUNION PRAYER
BLESSING
DISMISSAL
HYMN