BuiltWithNOF

Notes for Instructed Eucharist:

Preparation:

  • Readying the church (altar guild, merry maid)
  • Prayer


Space always wins:

  • Narthex: from Greek for “small case;” where catechumens, candidates for baptism, and penitents used to sit
  • Nave: either from Latin navis (ship, symbol of Christianity) or corruption of Greek naos (temple)
  • Rood screen: a partition of stone or wood, often richly carved and decorated, that separates the chancel from the main part of a church: it is surmounted by a crucifix (rood), and was an important feature of medieval churches, though in England many rood screens were destroyed at the Reformation
  • Chancel/Sanctuary
  • Altar
    • Started off wood
    • Stone altars began with celebration of Eucharist of tombs of martyrs
    • Until 1977 all RC altars contained relics
    • Liturgical movement (late 19th century on): altars moved out, Eucharist central
    • Fair linen on it
  • Tabernacle: holding reserved sacrament hence sanctuary candle lit

 

Liturgy: What the people do

  • 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
    • sitting for instruction
    • kneeling for confession
  • Holy Communion
    • Eucharist: “thanksgiving”
    • Seems similar to Roman Catholic rite: same roots
    • Used to be less frequent until Liturgical Movement of early 20th century
  • Silence


When services were held in homes, they used to start with The Lord be with you/peace be with you, but now we’re more formal (in church, not homes), so we start with a hymn.
 

We stand as the ministers enter and we prepare for the Word of God with a hymn.
 

Bow at the procession of the Cross.
 

Gathering rite:  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. (Opening acclamation: depends on the season.)
 

Collect for Purity:

  • Dates from 11th century
  • Initially said only by priest during entrance hymn
  • Then became part of public rite
  • We ask to be purified so that we can worship and serve God rightly. 


Canticle (chanted hymn):

  • Gloria in excelsis
    • one of the oldest Christian hymns
    • dates as early as the 2nd Century. It means ÒGlory be to God on high.Ó
    • By the 5th Century, it was sung at all festal celebrations of the Eucharist. We sing it on Sundays, except those in Advent and Lent and on all major feasts
  • Kyrie
    • dates to the 4th century
    • used during penitential seasons.


Collect of the day

  • Concludes the entrance rite and introduces the Liturgy of the Word.
  • The name collect is derived from the idea that the petitions of the congregation are collected in a single prayer by the celebrant.
  • The collect is preceded by a greeting from the Celebrant. In the early Church, the liturgy began with these words. 
     

Lessons:

  • Early church: gospel, then epistle (in place of sermon, to interpret gospel)
  • From Middle Ages until 20th century, just epistle/hymn/gospel (thus little OT)
  • Lectionary
    • 3 years: Matthew, Mark, Luke
    • Paired passages


Sequence hymn

  • First appeared in the 10th Century.
  • It helps to accompany the preparations for the gospel procession--putting incense into the thurible, the line-up of those in the procession, the blessing of the deacon who will proclaim the gospel, and towards its conclusion, the actual procession to the middle of the church.
  • Some split the verses before and after the gospel


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.


Gospel comes into the midst of the congregation.
 

Nicene Creed:

  • Based on the Council of Nicea (4th century)
  • introduced in worship from about the 5th Century
  • Bowing
    • at the reference to the incarnation, our belief that the Son of God became man in the person of Jesus, as we say the words ÒBy the power of the Holy Spirit.Ó
    • 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."
  • Recited on all Sundays and major feasts, except Baptism


Prayers of the People (or Intercessions):

  • An ancient feature of Christian Liturgy (4th/5th centuries)
  • Six forms in Rite II, one in Rite I


Confession:

  • The ancient liturgies of the Church didn't contain anything like a general confession of sin.
  • Repentance, when needed, was something a person did before coming to the Eucharist. Usually, this would have involved a public confession before the bishop.
  • In the course of the Sunday Eucharist, the sign of reconciliation with God and one's sisters and brothers was not a general absolution, but rather the exchange of the peace.
  • Priest kneels, too
  • The priest declares that God forgives, not the priest
  • Omitted in Easter season


Peace:

  • dates back to New Testament times
  • a sign of love, affection, and greeting
  • also a sign of reconciliation and, in the early church, unwillingness to exchange it with any other member disqualified one from participating in the Eucharist and receiving communion.
  • like a hinge, joining together the two parts of the service


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.


Second Part of Service: Holy Communion

  • Sacrament: physical symbol of inward reality
  • Understanding
    • Receptionism
    • More on this in Episcopal Church 101
  • Water added to wine
    • Jewish table wine was always watered before use
    • symbol of the union of God and humankind in Jesus
  • Washing of priest’s hands
    • Since 4th century
    • Partially because he may have handled raw meat
    • Symbolic of purity of heart
  • Orans posture
    • The gesture with which Jesus and his disciples would pray
    • from the Latin orare, Òto pray.Ó


Sursum Corda:

  • “Life up your hearts” in Latin
  • An ancient Jewish dialogue prayer that Jesus and his followers may have prayed at the last supper
  • Was used in the very earliest Christian communities (since 3rd century)


Proper Preface:

  • Early church tried to have different prayers for each Sunday
  • Beginning in the 8th century, they made things a bit easier by having the same basic prayer, but with a special preface for each season


Sanctus:

  • the hymn that begins Holy, Holy, holy
  • began in the 4th Century as an opportunity for the whole congregation to sing.
  • First part is from Isaiah 6:3. Bowing symbolizes our approaching the Holy of Holies.
  • Second part (“Blessed is he”) quotes what people said when Christ came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.


Here we have the option to kneel or stand, standing being the more ancient practice. 


Eucharistic Prayer:

  • related to the thanksgiving chanted over the cup of wine at the conclusion of the Jewish Seder
    • thanks and praise for God's creating the world
    • for redeeming Israel and making them his people
    • supplication for his continued mercy and protection.
  • 2 prayers in Rite I, 4 in Rite II
    • Different emphases: A redemption; B incarnation; C naturalist; D summary
  • All remember the Last Supper:
    • take, bless, break, give
    • would have used matzah (unleavened bread)
  • All ask God to send the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine (cross elements)
  • Also ask God to sanctify us
    • 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.


Fraction:

  • Just as Jesus broke bread that night
  • Larger priest’s wafer which is symbolically broken at the Fraction for everyone to share
  • Omit “Alleluia” in Lent


Prayer of Humble Access:

  • mandatory (and said by the priest alone) until 20th century.
  • Now only in Rite I


Agnus Dei:

  • “O Lamb of God”
  • Dates from 4th century


Receiving communion:

  • Until ~1000 AD people stood
  • You may also kneel
  • Who?
    • Must be a baptized Christian
    • Some churches require confirmation


Blessing:

  • As the priests in Israel and the apostles in their letters did


 Dismissal:

  • Latin de and mittere – sent from, on a mission
  • Dismissal hymn, not closing Hymn, because Eucharist is never closed or ended and continues out into the world

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