For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
When I served as rector of Truro Church, I made a point of asking newcomers about their experience of our worship – what worked and what didn’t? Early on, I heard many of the same comments – while they appreciated the music and the preaching, they got lost in the liturgy. It was too complicated, and we used too many different books. In response, I decided to arrange an “Instructed Eucharist,” during which I would give a series of brief teachings as the service progressed, explaining what we were about to do and why.
On the appointed day, I opened the service with a brief explanation that we would be talking about worship as well as doing it. I said that as people made in the image of God, we have an innate desire to worship. The only question is what will be the primary focus of our attention. In the Christian tradition, our focus is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The central act of Christian worship is the celebration of the Eucharist (from the Greek eucharistia, “thanksgiving”), variously called Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, or the Liturgy of the Mass – and it has many parallels with the Jewish Passover. Jesus is the host, we are the invited guests, and, at its best, eucharistic worship should be the most glorious, transcendent experience this side of heaven.
I explained that the service has two distinct parts – Word and Sacrament – and I made a few brief comments about the history of the various collects and prayers that are a regular part of the liturgy. Some of these prayers – such as the Collect for Purity – have been prayed from as early as the 11th century, and the Kyrie Eleison – usually sung during Lent and Advent – is the most ancient phrase of the liturgy still retained in the original Greek. We then paused and listened to a musical Call to Worship, giving opportunity for personal prayer and preparation. Then came the entrance procession, while singing the opening hymn.
Once everyone was seated in anticipation of the various Scripture readings, I stated that our liturgy is not only designed to provide an order for our corporate worship but also to encourage everyone’s participation. Worship is never intended to be entertainment, or a ‘spectator sport,’ but rather an opportunity for everyone to be engaged and transformed as we offer ourselves to Almighty God. I reminded everyone that one of the unique aspects of Anglican liturgy is that millions of people all over the world follow the same form of worship on a given Lord’s Day.
I then said a few words about the readings that were about to follow, reminding everyone that this pattern of readings from Scripture, including Psalms and interspersed with hymns, comes directly from our Jewish roots – this was the way worship was conducted in the synagogue tradition. The common lectionary that we follow is a three-year cycle designed to protect the church from clergy who want to preach only from their favorite texts! It also enables us to hear most of the major themes of the Bible over the three years and gives us a balanced diet from the Word of God.
I explained that the climax of this particular segment of the service is the Gospel reading. The tradition of standing when the Gospel is read is an ancient one that comes to us from around 400 BC, when Ezra the priest brought the Law to the people of Israel after the rebuilding of the Temple, during the time of Nehemiah. We are told that when Ezra opened the book, “All the people stood up, raised their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground” (Nehemiah 8:5,6).
We don’t usually get that excited, and perhaps we should, but we do acknowledge the importance of the Gospel and the unique way in which it symbolizes the presence of Christ in the world by a Gospel procession. Most weeks the procession consists of a simple walk to the center of the platform by the priest or deacon who is reading the Gospel. On festival days, we have a more dramatic Gospel procession that includes the cross and torches. All of these symbols remind us that God took the initiative and came into the world to show us His great love.
Next came the sermon, and since I had already been doing a lot of preaching – somebody counted at least three mini-sermons – I didn’t preach a regular sermon, but I did talk about its purpose. A sermon is a word from the Word about the Word. Every Gospel sermon will ultimately have the person of Jesus as its subject or it is not complete … and every sermon should prompt a response. I did remind them that the congregation always has an active part to play during the sermon … to listen and pray!
The ministry of the Word concludes with the recitation of the Nicene Creed, a summary of the faith of the church, and the creed comes down to us in the form we have used through more than 1600 years. I asked them to notice that it begins, “We believe,” reminding us that this is the faith of the community, not a solitary invention. The creed has remained a steady rock amid many storms of controversy. Some of it is wrapped in mystery, and some of it we do not completely understand. But day by day, our lives test its great proclamations; and year by year, the darkness of our minds gives way to a more certain light.
We were now getting ready for the second half of the service, with a time of prayer, and this would be a good place to pause this letter and prepare for next week.
Your brother in Christ,
+Martyn