Session 1 Lenten “Instructed Eucharist” 2024

Introduction: About the Eucharist

Use of Book of Common Prayer and the Bible

• BCP came out of the English Reformation 1549, some of it based on Roman missal

• Does not replace the Bible, but supplements it with a way for people to pray together, celebrate the sacraments, much of what is in the BCP comes from the Bible

• Standardized prayer for use across the realm, the English speaking world, now used by Anglicans in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury all over the world, in different languages

• If you are a member of the Anglican communion, wherever you are in the world you can understand what is happening in an Anglican service

Holy Communion

• Jesus’s instruction at the Last Supper

• 2 dominical sacraments, baptism (Mt. 28:19) and holy communion (Mark, Luke, John)

• Practice of the early Christian community during persecution

• Sabbath, first day of the week, day of the resurrection

• Principal service in Episcopal Church on Sundays

• 1979 BCP was a return to the practice of the early church of the 1st 4 centuries

• “ad fontes” a return to primary sources

Structured Liturgy

Our prayers have their roots from almost 2,000 years ago, and some of them from Judaism—order of worship, prayers, use of scripture, psalms, sermons, offerings, blessings

• This liturgy has been used since the days of the early church, comes to us through our Catholic heritage, similar to Eastern Orthodox liturgies

• What has been most helpful in all this time has been retained

• Liturgy as the ‘work of the people’

• All congregants fully participate, have a role in the service

• Baptized are invited to receive communion if they have received instruction in its meaning

• Role of priest/bishop—blessings, absolution, dominical sacraments—baptism and holy eucharist

• Role of deacon—assist in setting the altar, read the Gospel, dismissal

Two parts of the service

Word of God, Holy Eucharist

• First part prepares us to participate in the second part

• Protestant emphasis on Word, Catholic emphasis on Sacrament

• Anglicans—keep a balance

*“without the proclamation of the Word participation in Sacrament cannot be fully appreciated, without receiving the Sacrament the Word is left unfulfilled”

Preparation in the early church for baptism, unbaptized received instruction after the first part of the service while the baptized received communion

Questions?

If you are new to the use of liturgy, what is most strange for you? What is comfortable?

All 7 kinds of prayer are available

1. Praise (Gloria, Sanctus)

2. Intercession (prayers for others, prayer of the people)

3. Petition (prayers for self)

4. Confession (confessing one’s sins)

5. Self-oblation (offering self to God in the eucharistic prayers)

6. Adoration (prayers around the reception of communion)

7. Thanksgiving (post-communion prayer)

Use of Music

• Has always been important in worship for the people of God

• Described in the Old Testament, used by Israelites, timbrel, harp, tambourines, singing

• Different types—hymns, anthems, chanting parts of the service, instrumental music

• Traditional catholic church music, mass settings (ordinary vs. proper)

• Gloria/Kyrie, creed, sanctus, fraction anthem, Agnus Dei or Lamb of God

• Choral amens

Whole body of sacred music of the church that developed during the Renaissance

Other kinds of music Passions, Oratorios—like Handel’s Messiah, Gloria by Vivaldi

Anglican music—best known for our choral tradition, but also Anglican chant

English hymns very popular and beautiful, Christmas carols

Music is so intertwined with our liturgy that we would feel impoverished without it

Use of Prelude and Postlude music