Exploring Holy Communion

Holy Communion Today.

A three course banquet of word, sacrament, and being sent out.

Course leader’s notes

Aims of this course

To enrich our engagement with God through word and sacrament.

To note how Holy Communion is biblically based and that scripture runs like a deep mineral vein through the service.

To reflect on the theology that is expressed in the eucharist.

To aid our appreciation of the form and content of the eucharistic orders of service.

To deepen our experience of the service.

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To enable us to speak more knowledgably about the parts of the service.

To explore how receiving Christ in his sacrament enables us to be his body in the world.

To consider how we might respond in everyday life to the pattern of the eucharist.

Format for the three parts

Attendees need a copy of the service booklet for Order One as it is used in their parish or benefice, including the full text of a eucharistic prayer. Prayer B is a useful choice. The attendees’ sheet which is at the end of this document may prove useful.

This booklet offers the leader some insights and comments on the component parts of the service. It is divides into three parts: Part 1 Coming together and being fed by God through his word, Part 2 Being fed by Christ in his sacrament, and Part 3 Being sent out. Depending on how much of the material one wants to use and reflect on the course can last for two or three sessions. (While there are 22 refection/discussion points, the course leader needs to use their discretion as to which to use.)

Introduction

In the New Testament we find what is most commonly now called the service of Holy Communion has a number of titles. Acts 2.42 speaks of “The breaking of the bread”, which was one of the defining characteristics of the very early Christians. The word “Communion” is used in 1 Corinthians 10.16, with “The Lord’s Supper” being found in 1 Corinthians 11.20. Justin Martyr (100-165) used the term “Eucharist” which means thanksgiving. The service is sometimes called “The Mass” from the Latin missa, which had its origins in the Emperor’s court where is was used as a term of dismissal. The command Ite missa est or Go forth the mass is ended reminds us that we are to go from this service to make incarnate what we have just

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celebrated. This title for Holy Communion reminds us that it is from this service that we are sent out to be God’s agents in the world.That there are a number of titles remind us that there are a range of views regarding the service sand its meaning. Roman Catholics believe that the bread and wine that are offered in the Eucharistic Prayer become the actual body and blood of Christ and the service involves another form of sacrifice. They believe that although the bread and wine physically remain the same, they are transformed beyond human comprehension into the body, blood soul and divinity of Jesus. According to this point of view Christ is utterly present in His sacrament which should elicit a response of reverence, adoration, and awe. Protestants believe that Jesus made his sacrifice on the cross and see the service as remembering that event. The commemoration of Jesus’ death and resurrection are the main emphasis for Protestants. The Church of England is designed to broad enough that aspects of both Roman Catholic and Protestant thinking on the eucharist may be held with integrity.

The Eucharist is essential to the life of the church as: In it we obey Christ’s command to ‘Do this’. It celebrates Christ’s saving work on the cross. It has a fascinating and rich history of which we are now a

part, and it connects us with those disciples at Emmaus on Easter Day who knew Jesus in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24.30-31).

It anticipates the inclusive hospitality of the Messianic Banquet, as envisioned in many places in the bible including Isaiah 25.6-10 and Revelation 19.7-9.

Christ is the host at the meal and founder of a new covenant which has commitment and love at its heart.

It reminds us of Christ’s continuing sharing of his life and love and serves to strengthen us and motivate us for his service in the world.

It brings all of life into the realm of the sacred, not least in our prayers and in the offertory.

It has the potential to convert people, for example Charles Simeon was converted at Holy Communion at Easter while

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Richard Coles, the pop star who is now an Anglican priest and broadcaster, was converted at a High Mass in Saint Alban’s Holborn in London.

As with other meals where God is thanked it reminds us of our dependency on God.

The magnetic attractive potential of the richness of the liturgy points to a ‘God who passes all understanding’ which reminds of the utter mystery of God who yet comes to us in Christ.

Regular attendance at this service can remind us what God has done for us, develop our belief and trust in him, and increase our faithfulness as followers of Christ. In and through the service we are drawn into God’s story and gradually we can be transformed that we may be his ambassadors modelling peace, joy, justice, forgiveness, freedom and life for the sake of all in God’s world.

It demonstrates significant counter cultural aspects, including:o We strive to be a community of gospel values rather

than a room full of individuals.o Offering us depth and mystery instead of functionality

and simplicity.o Rather than relying on ourselves it opens us to

receiving from God.o Instead of promoting ourselves we seek to be humble,

open and generous.o An antidote to the fragmented and distracted nature of

many 21st century liveso Instead of multi-tasking activity we set time aside to be

with Christ and both to learn from him and receive from him.

Reflection point: What words would you use to describe what the service of Holy Communion means to you?

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Components of Common Worship Holy Communion Order One

Part 1 Coming together and being fed by God through his word

In the Gathering the priest and people

Greet each other in the Lord’s name

By saying, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” the president reminds us that we are here to meet God who is the Father who so loved the world that he sent his son, Jesus, to teach us how to live and how to love and to bring about the world’s salvation; and the Holy Spirit who comes to inspire us and strengthen us to follow the way of Christ today.

“The Lord be with you”, is a form of greeting which Christians have used for hundreds of years. In scripture we find it in Ruth chapter 2 where Boaz greets the reapers using these words and it is how the angel Gabriel greets Mary in Luke chapter 1. We acknowledge that the Lord, Jesus Christ, is present among his people. By saying the response, “And also with you” together, we’re stating that we are worshipping as a body of people – the body of Christ - rather than as each person alone.

The alternative Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you is drawn from the New Testament and this greeting is found at the start of the two letters to Timothy. (In every other letter Paul uses grace and peace.) Grace reminds us of the rich, abundant nature of God, mercy is of one of the key divine attributes as illustrated in the response of the waiting father in the parable of the prodigal son, while peace speaks of the wholeness that Christ offers to all who will receive him.

Both these forms are simple and deeply scriptural which act as a mutual prayer.

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Reflection points: Many other activities such as sporting events and formal meetings have ways of beginning. Do you think there ae any similarities between them and the start to this service?

Can you think of any other greetings, or other suitable ways for beginning an act of Christian worship?

May use the Prayer of Preparation

This prayer, which dates from the 8th century, and has been known as the Collect for Purity, reminds us that Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” in the Beatitudes, while the psalmist asks God to create a clean heart and a new and right spirit in Psalm 51. Psalm 37 speaks of taking delight in the Lord and him giving us the desire of our hearts. And Psalm 44 states the God knows the secret of the heart. The First Letter to Timothy in chapter 1 speaks of love that comes from a pure heart. In Hebrews 4.13 we read that before God no creature is hidden, but we all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

In this prayer we are acknowledging some important truths: we cannot hide from God (Psalm 139), we are not worthy of God as we are, and only he can make us fit for himself by filling us with his Holy Spirit. It draws on the Jewish concept of thinking with our hearts, and Paul, in Romans 12.1-2 speaks of the need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We ask that we may be re-shaped and opened to God in and through our act of worship.

Reflection points: What ideas or concepts might you use when preparing to encounter God?

What are we bringing in our hearts when we come to Holy Communion? What are we prepared to offer to God that it and we may be transformed by him?

Confess their sins and are assured of God’s forgiveness

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Having stated our desire to be open God, we are invited to acknowledge our sins. These damage us, our relationships with other people, and our relationship with God. Sin enters the human story in Genesis chapter 3, while God’s people sin in the wilderness, perhaps most notoriously in creating the Golden Calf in Exodus 32, and the need to make an offering for sin is prevalent in Leviticus. In Matthew chapter 3 people come to John the Baptist to be baptised and to confess their sins, while in Acts chapter 2 Peter tells people to repent and be baptized that their sins may be forgiven, and they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, indicating that it is repentance and forgiveness that enables us to receive from God.

Jesus practises forgiveness and states that he has come to call sinners in Matthew chapter 9. In John chapter 20 Jesus tells his disciples that if they forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them.

A look at the media reminds us that ours is a fallen and damaged world. Sin is both an aspect of the human condition and part of our own lives. It distorts us. We all have the potential to harm both ourselves and others. We are less human when we fail to love God and others and to receive love.

The psalms are honest about the place of sin in the human condition. In Psalm 51 the psalmist states that, “My sin is ever before me”. To acknowledge our sin is an important part of both taking responsibility and of acknowledging our own failings and struggles. Paul articulates this well in Romans 7.15, “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate”. By recognising where and how we have sinned, and believing that God loves us, and that Jesus saves us from sin’s ability to destroy us, the prayer of confession helps us both to say sorry and to turn away, or repent, from what we have got wrong. In the First Letter of John 1.8-9 we read, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us and cleans us from all unrighteousness”.

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The cross is absolutely central to forgiveness so when the president declares the pardon, and makes the sign of the cross over us, we not only hear of God’s desire and ability to mend our behaviour, but are reminded that its only through the sacrificial work of Christ crucified that we can be forgiven. In Matthew 26:28 we read of Jesus, at the institution of Holy Communion saying over the cup that “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”, while at this crucifixion In Luke 23.34 he asks the Father to forgive. In 1 Peter 2.24 we read that Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds we have been healed. To hear and receive absolution can stop us being overcome by the potential of sin to damage us and others.

To ask for forgiveness and for it to be granted to us, can enable us to forgive ourselves and others. Being forgiven can give us strength in dealing with our own particular temptations. Instead of living in a twilight zone of guilt and despair we are enabled to offer ourselves as beacons of light and hope.

Reflection points: Why do you think that as individuals, and as the human race, we find it so hard to ‘master sin’?

How might we help people to engage with the concepts of sin and forgiveness in today’s culture?

The concept of ‘being forgiven’ can be hard for some people. How might we address this? What do you think it means to sin against God and to be forgiven by God?

May say or sing the Gloria

A natural response to hearing God’s forgiveness is to thank and praise him, which we do by singing or saying the Gloria. It originates from the 4th century and is partly based on the angels' song in the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2. In Daniel chapter 4 we find Nebuchadnezzar “praising, extolling and honouring the King of heaven” after God has restored him to his throne, while in John chapter 1 John the Baptist

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sees Jesus coming toward him and declares, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.

A dictionary definition of “Glory” is “praise, honour, and thanksgiving”, which is what we are offering God as we sing or say the Gloria. Passages such as Ephesians 1:20-23 and Colossians 1:15-20 emphasise the rule of Christ with the Father and Philippians 2 quotes Isaiah that ‘every knee will bow’.

In the 16th century Archbishop Cranmer moved the Gloria to the endo of the service where it served as a response to receiving the sacrament.

Reflection point: In what other ways might we praise, honour and thank God?

Keep silence

In a noisy and often over-stimulated world silence can be of great value. Being silent before God and with each other can remind us that God often speaks and acts out of the silence, as in his great works of the creation and the resurrection. In the psalms we are told to be still which indicates that it is only in stillness and silence that we can know God. For example, in psalm 62 we read ‘For God alone my soul waits in silence’, and in 1 Kings chapter 19 it is out of the sound of sheer silence that Elijah hears the voice of God. In Zechariah chapter 2 we read, “Be silent all people before the Lord for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling”, and in Revelation chapter 8 “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour”.

Silence in worship has the potential to develop our thoughts and prayers and to deepen our relationship with God and each other.

Reflection point: In what ways does silence help you develop your relationship with God?

And pray a Collect.

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We are invited to pray silently together before the president prays the Collect, or ‘collecting prayer’, which gathers up all our silent prayers as the people of Christ. Collects have a specific format or style which dates from at least the fifth century. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was a master at translating and creating collects for the 1549 and 1552 Prayer Books.

A collect usually has six aspects:1. An address to God the Father.2. Reference to a quality of God or one of his saving acts.3. A petition which is usually a request on behalf of those in

the congregation or the Church.4. The aim or desire of the petition.5. An ending showing that the prayer is being offer to God

through Jesus Christ.6. A trinitarian doxology: ‘who is alive and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever’.

Here are two examples:

The Collect for Advent Sunday

Almighty God,give us grace to cast away the works of darknessand to put on the armour of light, from Romans 13.12now in the time of this mortal life,in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; from Philippians 2.7that on the last day,when he shall come again in his glorious majesty see Matthew 25.31to judge the living and the dead, from Acts 10.42we may rise to the life immortal;through him who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.

The Collect for the Baptism of Christ

Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son,

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anointing him with the Holy Spirit: from Mark 1.10 and 11grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, from John 3.5that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; from Romans 8.5; and Galatians 4.5through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.

Reflection points: What might you want to say in a Collect for Christmas?

How might you use the six parts of a Collect in one’s own prayers?

In the Liturgy of the Word the priest and people

Proclaim and respond to the word of God

The regular readings of parts of Scripture has been a constant part of worship for both Jews and Christians. In chapter 8 of the book of Nehemiah Ezra brings the book of the law of Moses and reads it to the men and women present from early morning until midday, while Jesus is recorded as reading from Isaiah in Luke chapter 3.

A vesicle and response to the Old and New Testaments are used across the worldwide church and it is said that the words which we translate as ‘The Word of God’ (Verbum Die) are attributable to Pope Paul VI, the response of ‘Thanks be to God’ has a long pedigree going back to at least the eighth century.

The responses, “This is the word of the Lord”, and “This is the Gospel of the Lord”, are in the present tense to remind us that God speaks today through the reading and hearing of the Word. (In the Orthodox Church at the reading of the Holy Gospel people are invited to Be attentive.)

We sit for the first readings as this is a more reflective part of the service. We stand for the gospel reading both as a sign of

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respect and to acknowledge that it is here that we learn more about the living Word of God, Jesus Christ.

Paying due heed and attention to the scripture readings have always been important as we try and discern what God wants to communicate to us. Origen of Alexandria, (184-253) an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian in his Homilies on Exodus 13.3 wrote “Accustomed as you are to attend the divine mysteries, you know how carefully you receive the body of the Lord and reverently make sure that no crumb drops to the ground, lest anything of the consecrated gift be lost … but if you exercise such concern in taking care of his body, and rightly so, how can you think it a lesser crime to neglect the Word of God than to neglect his body?”

Saint Jerome, (347-420), wrote, “The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and deep enough for theologians to swim in without ever reaching the bottom”.

Reflection points: What helps you to be attentive to the readings?

Is there a portion of Scripture that you particularly enjoy being heard read out loud?

There is a long history of preaching, with good examples being Jonah preaching to the citizens of Nineveh which resulted in them believing God and repenting, Peter addressing the crowd in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and we are told that his hearers were ‘cut to the heart … and they welcomed his message and were baptized’. Peter also preaches to Cornelius’s household in Acts 10 and we read of Paul preaching in Acts 13 and 14 and there is his speech to the Athenians in front of the Areopagus in Acts 17.

A sermon can shed new light on God’s word and our own lives.

Reflection point: What makes a good sermon for you?

Express the faith

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The creed, from the Latin to believe, is the first part of our response to the readings and sermon. The creed is a concise, formal and authorised statement of the important doctrines of the Christian faith which binds us back into the early church. It also speaks of what we believe about God, his nature, and his actions, and acts as a distillation of the truths about God we discern in the bible. We are not a group of separate individuals talking about our own personal faith. Rather we state what we, as one body, believe in one God. The creed reminds us of our commitment to the faith of which the bible readings and sermon have given us insights. This version of the creed is known as the Nicene Creed which was adopted in the city of Nicaea, which is in present day Turkey, by the First Council of Nicaea in 325, with the council being a gathering of bishops summoned by the Roman Emperor Constantine I.

Reflection points: What might you want to say in a credal statement about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?

For the next session please choose a hymn or worship song that expresses some aspect of what you believe about God and come along prepared to say a few words about it and why you have chosen it.

Pray for the church and for the world

Interceding or praying for others is a common feature in the bible. We read of Moses' praying for water at Rephidim and victory over Amalek in Exodus 17. In the gospels two of the most striking examples of intercessory prayer are when Jesus prays for Peter in Luke 22 and for those who are crucifying him in Luke 23. In the epistles we find that prayers are to be offered for the sick by the elders of the church in James 5, Paul praying for the Ephesians in chapters 1 and 3, while in 1 Timothy there is a command “That supplications, prayers, intercession, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions”. It is usual to include people and situation specific to the local church and parish.

We offer our intercessions today as part of this ongoing tradition and because Jesus himself prayed to our heavenly

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Father. We believe that God wants and values our prayers, and that he can work through them.

Reflection points: What do you think is important in a prayer of intercession within a Holy Communion service?

What do you think are the essential elements in the intercessions, such that they may truly be ‘The prayers of the people’?

Part 2 Being fed by Christ in his sacrament

In the Liturgy of the Sacrament the priest and people

Exchange the Peace

The word ‘peace’ has a variety of meanings in the bible including wholeness, fulfilment, harmony between people, and the absence of war. It is God who is the ultimate source of peace. The first words that Jesus says to the disciples on the evening of Easter Day, in John’s account of the resurrection (John 20.19) are, “Peace be with you”. Saint Paul writes of peace with God coming through Jesus Christ in Romans 5 and he asks that the God of peace will sanctify the early Christians in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 5.23).

The act of reciprocal giving and receiving of a sign of peace is commended in Romans 16.16, 1 Corinthians 16.20, 2 Corinthians 13.12, 1 Thessalonians 5.26 and 1 Peter 5.14. In some early Christian communities it was seen to act as the conclusion to the intercessions while others placed it after the eucharistic prayer where it is part of the preparation for receiving the sacrament. It can also be part of the service’s conclusion.

How the peace is shared requires some sensitivity as not only are there some people, such as those who are autistic, who do not like touching strangers or being touched, but there are also those who are not tactile. There are also people who do not appreciate what they perceive to be kind of fake chumminess.

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In the Orthodox Church the response to the greeting “Christ is in our midst”, is “He is and always shall be.”

Reflection points: In what ways do you think a congregation could show peace?

What does it mean to give and receive peace?

Prepare the table

The collection of money or alms and the bringing of bread and wine have been a feature of eucharistic worship since at least the second century. In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5, Jesus teaches that if there is something unresolved one should work for reconciliation before offering one’s gift. The words used, including ‘Yours Lord is the greatness …’, originate in what King David said to God, in 1 Chronicles 29.10-11, after the people had given generously for the construction of the Temple. In 1 Corinthians 16.1-4 Paul gives instruction on the taking of a collection. Giving for his church is a reminder of God who is the supreme example of generosity.

It also provides us with an opportunity to express our thanks to God. All our gifts of money are brought forward and dedicated by the president. This represents the offering of our work and the gift of ourselves. We all know that money matters, and at one level, it shows that we mean business. What we give is a reminder of how important a place we give to God and his church in our lives. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus says that you cannot serve God and wealth, while in 1 Timothy chapter 6 Paul declares the love of money to be a root of all kinds of evil.

The offering of symbols of our daily work in our money, and the bread and the wine, can remind us that we ourselves and the bread and wine need to be transformed by God that we can continue Christ’s costly work of self-offering in and for the world.

In an age where people use less cash and many give via the

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bank, there can be merit in providing tokens that can put in the collection.

Reflection point: Might there be other things to represent our lives that could be included at this point of the service?

Pray the Eucharistic Prayer

In the opening dialogue one of the aims is to establish the relationship between the worshippers and God. In Lamentations 3.41 we read, “Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven”, which implies an aligning of our hearts with God. Giving thanks indicates that what is being introduced is a prayer of thanksgiving. (The alternative His Spirit is with us reminds us that the Holy Spirit is present throughout this prayer, and this is particularly clear in Eucharistic Prayer B.)

The word Preface originates in the Latin word for proclamation or telling of something. It serves to remind people of what God, the model of faithfulness, has done and also why thanks are to be offered. The great variety of prefaces in Common Worship enable different emphases of God’s works and his relationship with the church to be made.

We are all invited to respond in the Sanctus and Benedictus not just on our own but with the whole company of heaven. ‘Holy, holy, holy Lord’ is derived from Isaiah 6.3 and Revelation 4.8, while ‘Blessed is he who comes on the name of the Lord’ comes from Psalm 118.26 and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. See Mark 11.9-10 for example. They remind us of the greatness and distinctiveness of God and are designed to elicit a response of awe.

At the Epiclesis, we ask God the Father to send the Holy Spirit that the bread and wine may be made for us the body and blood of Christ. In some eucharistic prayers there is a second epiclesis on and for those present.

The institution narrative is drawn from 1 Corinthians 11.23-25 which is the earliest account of the Last Supper to be written down. It also draws on the three gospel accounts of the Last

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Supper, such as ‘This is my body’ from Matthew 26.26-29. That there are differences in the New Testament may remind us that different views of interpretation of the Last Supper have been a feature of the church from the outset.

A key concept here is that of remembrance – recollection or anamnesis - of what Jesus did with his disciples and that he commanded those who follow him to undertake these specific actions in remembrance of him. (The concept of remembering serves to render the past action of God into the present as a living reality.) It is more than memory or recollection. ‘Through making the memorial of the events we are asking that their saving power may be made present to us here and now’ (J. D. Crichton, in The Study of Liturgy, 26).

Use of Jesus’ words and actions also indicate what many in the church believe, namely that that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ in accordance with Jesus’ own words.

Ignatius of Antioch, in c.A.D.110, wrote that if one did not believe “That the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savour Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which God the Father, in his goodness, raised up again” then one was a heretic.

The acclamations are an affirmative response by the whole congregation to the work of Christ in his death and resurrection.

At the conclusion or doxology, from the Greek words doxa or glory and logia or saying, is a short hymn of praise to God. Revelation 4.11 and Philippians 2.5-11 are good examples of such hymns.

Reflection point: On this occasion which part of the Eucharistic prayer draws you closest to God?

Pray the Lord’s Prayer

This prayer is found in both Matthew’s gospel at 6.9-13 and Luke’s 11.2-4 but it is the Matthean version that is most commonly used in divine worship. To pray the prayer Jesus

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taught after obeying his commandment has both logic and merit, with both the prayer and the sacramental action making specific mention of bread.

Reflection point: Today which part of the Lord’s Prayer speaks to you most?

Break the bread

In 1 Corinthians 10.16-17 we read, “The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread”, which points towards the potential unity of all Christians in Christ. Acts 2.42 speaks of the first Christians breaking bread. Some scholars see this action as a reminder of Christ’s body being broken on the cross.

Receive communion

The Agnus Dei or Lamb of God comes from the words of John the Baptist in John 1.29 and 36 where Jesus is recognised as the one who takes away the sin of the world. This can remind us that recognising the identity of Christ is an essential part of our faith. (These words have been used for many centuries to cover breaking the consecrated bread.)

Common Worship offers a number of invitations to come and receive our Lord in his Blessed Sacrament which have elements of encouragement and direction. The concept of invitation is an important part of the Gospels. Jesus wants the children to come to him in Mark 10.14. In Matthew 11.28 he invites all those who are weary and carrying heavy burdens to come to him and he will give them rest. He invites two of John the Baptist’s disciples to come and see when they ask him where he is staying in John 1.38-39.

The phrase Blessed are those who are called to his supper are drawn from Revelation 19.9 which speaks of the marriage supper of the Lamb, while Lord I am not worthy ,,, shall be healed come from the centurion whose servant is ill in Matthew 8.8.

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The president invites us to share the bread and wine, which Jesus identifies as his body and blood, his very self. As we come forward we can recall that Jesus is also inviting us to share in his commitment to God and his kingdom. (Interestingly the words ‘The bread of heaven in Christ Jesus’ date back to at least the third century.)

The Prayer of Humble Access, an Anglican prayer from the first Prayer Book of 1549, draws on the words of John the Baptist who, in Matthew 3.11, describes himself as being unworthy to carry Jesus’ sandals, the story of the centurion who, in Matthew 8.5-17, while recognising his own unworthiness still asks Jesus to respond, and on the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15.21-28, who in desperation for help for her sick daughter, asserts that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table. In 1 John 1.7 there is reference to being cleansed by Jesus’ blood.Reflection point: What might you pray as you go to receive Holy Communion?

Keeping silence together after we have received the sacrament provides time and space for quiet prayerful thankful appreciation and reflection.

The prayer we use after communion is designed to express our response to what we have just received in the holy sacrament, a response of thankfulness, offering and preparedness to be sent out. Paul refers to presenting one’s body as a living sacrifice in Romans 12.2.

Archbishop Cranmer’s first prayer after communion speaks of our “offering and presenting ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice”, while his second prayer after communion asks God to “assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in”.

Our final prayers mirror the Collect and the prayer of preparation as we acknowledge what God has done and what we are now called to do, namely to be his ambassadors in the world (2 Corinthians 5.20).

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Reflection point: What might you want to say in a Post-Communion prayer?

Part 3 – Being sent out

In the Dismissal the priest and people

Depart with God’s blessing

The word blessing in the Bible indicates the bestowing of God’s goodwill.  In Genesis 1:22  God blesses the sea creatures and birds, telling them to be fruitful and multiply. In Genesis 1.28, God gives a similar blessing to Adam and Eve, adding that they were to exercise dominion over creation. While blessing is often perceived to be in material things such as long life, crops and peace, in Proverbs blessing is seen to result in wisdom. At the end of Luke’s gospel Jesus lifts up his hands and blessed the disciples. His visible action emphasises the physical from of the blessing. We have encountered the crucified and risen Christ in and through this service and we go out marked by his cross which serves as a public demonstration of God’s goodness and love towards people

The words of the well-known blessing, which begins with “The peace of God which passes all understating …” are derived from Philippians 4.7 which reads, “The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”, while ‘knowledge and love of God’ are referred to in Hosea 6.6.

Reflection point : What does it mean to you to be blessed by God?

The final words of dismissal are not invitatory but are a command. In Deuteronomy 12.12 the Israelites are told that God requires them to fear him, to walk in his ways and to love and serve him with all their hearts and with all their souls.

In the farewell stories at the end of the gospels there is instruction to not stay. In Mark 16.6-7 the women are told to not be alarmed but to go, and in John 20.21 Jesus says to the

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ten disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. The dismissal reminds us that our role is to and be Christ in the world and for the world which we can only do having honestly and humbly received him in this service.

Saint Augustine (354-430) wrote, “You are the body of Christ: that is to say, in you and through you the work of the Incarnation must go forward. You are meant to incarnate in your lives the theme of your adoration – you are to be taken, consecrated, broken and distributed, that you may be means of grace and vehicles of the Eternal Charity”.

Reflection point : How in the next week might you personally ‘love and serve the Lord’?

The ministers and people depart.

At the Confirmation service the bishop says these words:Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?With the help of God, I will.

Will you persevere in resisting evil,and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?With the help of God, I will.

Will you proclaim by word and examplethe good news of God in Christ?With the help of God, I will.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all people,loving your neighbour as yourself?With the help of God, I will.

Will you acknowledge Christ’s authority over human society,by prayer for the world and its leaders,by defending the weak, and by seeking peace and justice?With the help of God, I will.

May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith,that you may be rooted and grounded in love

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and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.

Reflection point : In what ways might your church be able to respond to these questions?

Additional discussion point

It has been said that the service of Holy Communion can be a vehicle for transforming us. How might this occur?

Charles Chadwick

Department of Mission June 2019.

Material in this course is taken from the Common Worship resources which are © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000) (including the Psalter as published with Common Worship).

Exploring Holy Communion

Holy Communion Today.

A three-course banquet of word, sacrament, and being sent out.

Components of Common Worship Holy Communion Order One

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In the Gathering the priest and people

greet each other in the Lord’s name

may use the Prayer of Preparation

confess their sins and are assured of God’s forgiveness

may say or sing the Gloria

keep silence

and pray a Collect.

In the Liturgy of the Word they

proclaim and respond to the word of God

express the faith

pray for the Church and for the world

In the Liturgy of the Sacrament they

exchange the peace

prepare the table

pray the Eucharistic Prayer

pray the Lord’s Prayer

break the bread

receive communion

At the Dismissal priest and people

depart with God’s blessing

go into the world.

At the Confirmation service the bishop says these words:

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Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?With the help of God, I will.

Will you persevere in resisting evil,and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?With the help of God, I will.

Will you proclaim by word and examplethe good news of God in Christ?With the help of God, I will.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all people,loving your neighbour as yourself?With the help of God, I will.

Will you acknowledge Christ’s authority over human society,by prayer for the world and its leaders,by defending the weak, and by seeking peace and justice?With the help of God, I will.

May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith,that you may be rooted and grounded in loveand bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.

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