A User's Guide to The Holy Eucharist Rites I & II

Christopher L. Webber

Description

Become a full partner in the worship of God using this guide which illuminates the theology, history, and practical concerns of the Holy Eucharist.

This guide is designed to help newcomers, confirmation classes, and lay members understand and appreciate the Episcopal liturgy. They invite the person in the pew to participate in the service, not merely as a spectator, but as a full partner in the worship of God in community.

Developed specifically to address the needs of inquirers and others not familiar with the Book of Common Prayer, this volume provides an easily accessible introduction to the liturgy. This guide shows how the Holy Eucharist has its roots in two ancient Jewish patterns of worship: the synagogue service and the seder meal.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Practice
• Christian Rituals
• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Church Publishing Incorporated
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 1997
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780819224897
• Langue: English

Extrait

A User's Guide to the Book of Common Prayer
The Holy Eucharist Rites I and II
Christopher L. Webber
Copyright © 1997 Christopher L. Webber
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.
Morehouse Publishing, 4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112
Morehouse Publishing, 445 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Morehouse Publishing is an imprint of Church Publishing Incorporated
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Webber, Christopher.
The holy eucharist, rites I and II
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 10: 0-8192-2214-X
ISBN 13: 987-0-8192-2214-3
1. Episcopal Church—Liturgy. 2. Lord's Supper—Episcopal Church.
3. Anglican Communion—Liturgy. I. Title.
BC 5949.C5W36     1997
264/.03036-dc21 97198055
Printed in the United States of America
08  09  10  11  8  7  6  5
Contents
Introduction to the Eucharist
Rite I and Rite II
The Holy Eucharist, Rite I
The Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Notes about Customs
Glossary
Suggestions for Further Reading
Index
NOTE: Because the text of Rite I is longer than the text of Rite II (even though the Penitential Order is included only with Rite II) and equal space has been given to both, there is more space available for commentary on Rite II. The commentary on Rite II, however, is often equally relevant to Rite I (and vice versa) so users of one Rite can often benefit by looking at the commentary on the other as well.
Introduction to the Eucharist
The Holy Eucharist has its roots in two ancient Jewish patterns of worship: the synagogue service and the seder meal. The first part of the eucharist is based on one and the second part on the other.
The first part of the eucharist, subtitled “The Word of God,” centers on the reading and proclamation of God's word. The Jews in exile in Babylon in the sixth century before Christ kept alive their sense of identity by reading the words of the prophets and the stories of their origins and history. Gradually the custom developed of reading prayers, psalms, and scripture in a regular pattern and from this the first synagogue service emerged. By the time of Jesus, the synagogue had a central place in every Jewish community.
It was expected that every adult male would be able to read the scriptures and to comment on them. Most American Christians are familiar with the way in which Jewish boys and girls today prepare for a bar mitzvah or bas mitzvah ceremony in which they become sons or daughters of the commandment, those who are able to read and teach God's word. We remember that Jesus was asked to fulfill that responsibility when he returned home to the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-20). Since many of the first Christians were Jews, it was very natural for them to continue to read the Hebrew scriptures and, at an early date, to begin to read their own writings as well.
Following this same pattern, in the Holy Eucharist, after opening prayers and hymns of praise, we are given two or three lessons interspersed with psalms or hymns or anthems which provide opportunity to reflect on what has been heard and to respond.
The sermon then provides opportunity to proclaim God's word in terms related to our lives today and the Creed enables the whole congregation to respond to what they have heard with a statement of faith.
The pattern for the first part of the service is as follows:
Opening hymn
Salutation
Gloria, Kyrie, or Trisagion
Prayer (Collect for the Day)
Reading (Old Testament)
Psalm, hymn, or anthem
Reading (Epistle)
Psalm, hymn, or anthem
Reading (Gospel)
Sermon
Creed
The second part of the eucharist, subtitled “The Holy Communion,” follows a different pattern. Scholars differ as to whether the Last Supper was a seder meal commemorating the Passover and deliverance from Egypt, but it is clear that the events of the Passover were very central to the meaning of what Jesus and the disciples did on their last evening together. If it was a full Passover celebration, the meal would have included roast lamb and bitter herbs and other symbolic food. But all formal Jewish meals included a giving thanks for the bread and cup, a breaking of the bread, and a sharing of the cup. The least we can say about the Last Supper is that it was a Jewish meal closely connected to the Passover celebration. The blessing and breaking of bread and the blessing and sharing of a cup of wine would have been observed as usual, but this meal must have been deeply influenced by the celebration of the Passover. Looking back, the disciples would have come to understand the deep relationship between the Passover celebration of those great acts through which God's people were set free from slavery, and the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus through which God has set us free from sin and death. Whenever the first Christians met to share a meal, they would have broken bread in the familiar way, and remembered those great events, and recognized with joy Christ's presence in their midst.
The pattern the first Christians followed is a very simple one which occurs over and over in the gospels and epistles: “He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples. He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them.” * Four actions are described: taking, blessing, breaking, and giving. The second part of the eucharist is just those four actions. It is an activity in which we take part, not a performance that we watch.
The pattern is as follows: He took bread (the cup) and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them The Offertory The Great Thanksgiving The Breaking of the Bread Communion
The words that accompany one of these four actions may require the better part of four pages, as the eucharistic prayers do, or a mere two lines, as does the breaking of the bread, but it is the action that matters. The words simply give expression to the action and provide means for the congregation to understand and respond.
The celebration of the eucharist is built around a fundamentally uncomplicated structure: there are two segments, one alternating readings and response, the other consisting of four simple actions. The ceremonies that embellish this pattern may be as elaborate as human art can imagine, but however elaborate they may be, they are intended to clarify the meaning and add dramatic impact. The eucharist can also be celebrated without vestments, music, or ceremony at the bedside of a hospital patient or, as the first Jamestown settlers did, on a plank nailed between two trees. Every celebration of the eucharist is a compromise between the glorious art that has been developed for it and the time and resources available to a particular congregation, but the simple basic structure of the service remains the same and should always be kept in mind.
 
* Feeding the five thousand and the four thousand (Matthew 14:9, 15:36, Mark 6:41, 8:6, Luke 9:16, john 6:11); the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20); the road to Emmaus (Luke 24-30) and I Corinthians 11:23-25.
Rite I and Rite II
Language: The most obvious difference between Rite I and Rite II is the language. Rite I uses the language of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England: the language of Shakespeare, the King James Version of the Bible, and the first English Prayer Book. This language is part of the heritage of the English-speaking world and still adds a sense of mystery and “special-ness” that can enhance and deepen the experience of worship. Rite II uses more contemporary language. Some will prefer the greater clarity of Rite II while others will prefer the sense of mystery conveyed by Rite I. Both are aspects of our relationship with God but no human language can adequately express both the closeness to us of the God who enters the world and the infinite mystery of the God who created it.
Form: While the outline or structure of the two Rites is the same, the prayers of Rite I provide less opportunity for congregational participation and there are fewer alternatives.
Theology: The emphasis of the first English Prayer Books was much more heavily on human sin and God's judgment. Rite II attempts to restore the emphasis of the early church on human thankfulness for God's love and forgiveness. Here again, both emphases are aspects of our relationship with God; the difficulty for human beings is to hold both these aspects in balance or to include both in any one service.
The Holy Eucharist: Rite One
The Word of God
A hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung .
The people standing, the Celebrant may say People Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
In place of the above, from Easter Day through the Day of Pentecost Celebrant People Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
In Lent and on other penitential occasions Celebrant People Bless the Lord who forgiveth all our sins. His mercy endureth for ever.
The Celebrant says
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen .
The Word of God
The first half of the eucharist centers on the Word of God, read to us from the Bible and proclaimed to us from the pulpit.
Entrance and Salutation
Most events begin as people gather and greet each other. Clergy, choir, and acolytes may enter in a formal procession with a hymn or other music to mark the beginning of the service in a dramatic way. When all are in place, a formal greeting is exchanged. The words of this greeting change during Easter and penitential seas