To learn more about the Instructed Eucharist, please contact The Rev. Martha Siegel .

THE INSTRUCTED EUCHARIST
Trinity Episcopal Church
1500 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
http:/www.trinitysb.org

Edited by The Rev. Martha A. Siegel

Here at Trinity, the Eucharist is the central act of our worship, as it has been for the Christian community since the very beginning of the church. Throughout the ages, Christ's followers have gathered to share bread and wine, obeying Jesus' commandment at the Last Supper to, "Do this in remembrance of me." This remembrance is more than simply recalling an event in the past, but rather words and actions that bring Christ alive in our midst. 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.

This morning we will be participating in our usual service, but instead of a sermon we will stop at various points to explain what is going on and why. Hopefully this will help to answer some of the things you have always wondered about the Eucharist.

Eucharist is a Greek word meaning "Thanksgiving." In its long history, the liturgy of Holy Eucharist-- also known as the Holy Communion, the Lord's supper, the Divine Liturgy, and the Mass--has been done in many different ways. The last fifty years have been a time of liturgical renewal, as many denominations have examined their services and gone back the basic structure of the liturgy that was used in the early church. Our liturgy is based on this ancient pattern, as is the Roman Catholic mass and the liturgies of many other churches in the Anglican communion. Although the words and gestures we use to express our worship of God may differ in different parishes, the basic pattern of the liturgy is the same. While the pattern remains the same, the words have been continually updated throughout Christian history to reflect changes in language and in our beliefs about God and one another. Here at Trinity we seek to bring the language of our worship into conformity with the principles of biblical theology that affirm that the personhood of God embraces all that is truly female and male, and that men and women are equals. At the same time some historic texts, such as the Lord's Prayer, that are widely known and loved, have been left unaltered.

The word "liturgy" literally means the work of the people and the liturgical renewal has
reemphasized the importance of this shared ministry. The worship of God in the Eucharist is the work of the whole church--and each person, clergy and lay, has an important part to play. A priest presides at the altar and lay ministers serve as acolytes, read the lessons and the prayers of the people, and assist in the administration of the communion. All of us take an active part in the service, singing, responding, 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 Ministry of the Word and the Holy Communion. Each has a focal point--the Word of God is proclaimed from the pulpit and the Holy Communion is celebrated at the altar.

The altar as the Holy Table has a table cloth called a fair linen. During the procession two candles are brought into the church and placed on it. Traditionally these represent the light of Christ's presence.

We all have a part in preparing for the liturgy. While the congregation focuses in silent prayer and meditation the presider vests.

Our Eucharistic vestments today are the ordinary clothes worn in first century Rome. Over the years they have come to symbolize the office of the presider and assisting clergy.

The basic vestment is the alb. Originally, it was a common Roman garment. In the early church the newly baptized were clothed in a white garment as part of the baptismal rite and the alb came to symbolizes this baptismal dress. The cincture or girdle became a symbol for purity and spiritual watchfulness.

The stole may have had humble origins as a neck scarf or handkerchief, but has come to symbolizes the sacramental ministry of a priest. It is usually the color of the liturgical season or a special occasion. Now, in the Epiphany season, 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 presider is now vested and the Liturgy is about to begin.

The first main division of the Eucharist, the Word of God, comes almost directly from the services of the ancient Jewish synagogue. Like the ancient church, we follow the practice of the synagogue, standing for prayer and praise and sitting for instruction. 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 baptized the the name of the Trinity. Some people make the sign of the cross at this time as a reminder of their baptism. The gathering rite continues as we acknowledge that we have come together in the presence of God and give thanks for the good news of Jesus Christ. This is followed by a hymn of praise to God.

HYMN / ENTRY
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 is the collection of the prayers of a group of people.

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 lectionary which provides a three year cycle of readings. 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 chant the psalm, following the traditional practice of Jewish and Christian worship. The second lesson is usually from the Epistles, which are letters from the earliest years of the Christian 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.

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.

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, which is the form we normally use. Because these are the Prayers of the People, it is appropriate that they be led by a representative of the congregation. The distinctive presiding role of the priest is expressed by her / his summing 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 a community, have fallen short of God's will for us and acknowledging our need for renewal in our lives. The presider assures us of God's love and forgiveness, making the sign of the cross at the Absolution. Many people respond by making the sign of the cross to signify their acceptance of God's forgiveness and love.

The exchange of the Peace is like a hinge, joining together the two parts of the service. It concludes the Word of God by expressing the reconciliation we experience in hearing God's word, praying, and confessing our sins. At the same time it anticipates God's initiative in the second part of the liturgy when Christ will be present in our lives in a special way. 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 are another way of expressing our sense of community. Please stand.

NICENE CREED
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
GENERAL CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION
EXCHANGE OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please be seated. 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 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, 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 the service to do God's work in the world.

After the offertory sentence an acolyte prepares the Holy Table. Often we have special music while the money is being collected. Members of the Congregation, representing all present, bring forward our offerings of bread, wine, and money. Water is added to the wine because Jewish table wine was always watered before use. Christians have sometimes seen this mixing of water and wine as a symbol of the union of God and humankind in Jesus. The presider washes his/her hands, a ceremonial left over from the days when the priest handled produce and animals at the offertory.

OFFERTORY SENTENCE
ANTHEM
HYMN
PREPARE ALTAR, RECEIVE GIFTS AND WASH HANDS

We have completed the offering of our bread and wine, our sacrifices of money, our prayers, and our true selves. We can now move on to the next part of the Holy Communion, the sacramental meal which originated with the religious meals of the Jewish people. Jesus gave such meals new meaning at the Last Supper. There he did four things-- took bread and wine, gave thanks over them, broke the bread, and gave the bread and wine to his followers to eat and drink. These four actions are repeated by the presider as she/he takes, blesses, breaks and gives the bread and wine in response to the command of

Christ to "do this in remembrance of me." As we do 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.

Often the presider begins by naming our special intentions for the day. This is another way of gathering our prayers and concerns and bringing all part of ourselves and our world to the altar.

The four actions of the Holy Communion are accompanied by the words of a Eucharist Prayer. There are many forms of this prayer. Here at Trinity we use Eucharistic prayers from the Supplemental Liturgical Materials of the Episcopal church.

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 was used in the very earliest Christian communities. This is followed by an extended thanksgiving for the work of God in creation and throughout history.

We continue with the Sanctus, "Holy, Holy, Holy. . .", another ancient song of praise and thanksgiving. 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, and all prayers of consecration, are 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 "memorial," which commemorates the passion, resurrection and ascension of Christ; and the epiclesis, the petition which asks 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. This connects us to the action at the altar and signifies our openness to the action of the Holy Spirit within us.

While the presider speaks for all of us in the Eucharistic prayer, we actually join with her/him at certain points including the Sursum Corda and Sanctus and the Amen at the end. We affirm that it is our corporate prayer which is being offered when we join together in saying the Lord's Prayer.

During the Prayer of Consecration the presider has taken up the bread and wine and blessed it, completing the first two Eucharistic actions.

The third action is the Fraction or the Breaking of the Bread. Here there is a period of silence and we sing a short hymn as the presider breaks the consecrated bread.

The fourth action, giving the bread and wine, takes place in the invitation and administering of these elements to the congregation. 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. Now standing is again becoming the norm in many places.

During this time we sometimes join in singing hymns. After receiving communion there is
an opportunity to join with a team to pray for thanksgiving, healing or other concerns for ourselves or others.

Here at Trinity everyone is welcome to receive communion. To receive the bread, place the palm of the right hand over the left. When the chalice is presented, grasp the base 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 administering the chalice will take it from you, dip it in wine, and place it on your tongue. If you do not wish to receive the consecrated wine from the chalice, cross your hands over your chest.

The response to the words, "the Body of Christ, the bread of heaven" and "the Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation," is "Amen. "

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

GREAT THANKSGIVING
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
COMMUNION

After all have received communion, the remaining elements are taken to the sacristy and consumed so that no part of the consecrated bread or wine remains. Some of the sacrament 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. A perpetual light burning nearby reminds us of the presence of Christ as represented by the consecrated bread and wine, because he said, "This is my body" and "This is my blood."

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 are then dismissed -- sent out to do God's work, acting out what we have just celebrated, God's real presence in our lives. Our concluding hymn is not called the closing hymn but rather the dismissal hymn because the Eucharist is never closed or ended but continues out into the world.

POST COMMUNION PRAYER
BLESSING
DISMISSAL
HYMN