How to Lead a Service of Holy Communion: Appendices

Transcription

1 How to Lead a Service of Holy Communion: Appendices This is a page from the Norwich Diocese Handbook showing how to set up the communion vessels. It is a bit more fussy than many people want to be. You might not fold the corporal into ninths, as the first diagram shows, though this does fit it into the burse! You could dispense with the burse altogether and set up the table before the service (or within the service) with just a corporal laid straight on the table. Likewise, you can dispense with what is shown in the third diagram and go straight with the second diagram. There is a clearer diagram and some other web resources on this on the next page.

2 pall paten purificator chalice The diocese of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich has a very useful leaflet on this here: %20for%20%20the%20Eucharist%20.pdf There is more detailed information and lots of pictures here:

3 Here are some more photos of how to set up the communion table taken in the former chapel of Diocesan House, Diocese of Norwich thanks to Gordon Darley for taking these. This is a simple and basic way of doing it.

4 This shows the layout when you come to the eucharistic Prayer You could cover the chalice and paten with a purificator or corporal before or after the eucharistic prayer

5 And here is how it looks with a burse (the smaller square on top) and veil (the larger square cloth). NB these come in standard liturgical colours; you usually put the purificators inside the burse. Some people stand the burse up on the communion table when you come to the eucharistic prayer. Personally I find this fussy and don t do it.

6 And here is a (moderately) smiley vicar presiding in the orans position. This is the ancient position for prayer (for clergy and congregations). NB another of my own preferences: only have on the communion table what you need only the text of the service and not a pile of books, for example. I also keep the alms dish / money off the table.

7 How to turn a page in the book while presiding. so you don t look as if you are indicating to turn right.

8 And don t kneel down / genuflect behind the table or you will look like John the Baptist s head on a plate!

9 Elevating the bread and wine as a dramatic gesture.

10 I sometimes hold up both bread and wine at the end of the eucharistic prayer (during the doxology, if the prayer I am using has one.)

11 Susanna Gunner supplied this material on Fractions from St James's, Piccadilly devised/used when Donald Reeves was Rector: Donald Reeves used these at St James's Piccadilly in the 1980's and moving around the four sides of the altar as he broke bread with each of the four prayers. We break this bread for all human beings, whatever their faith or belief... for those who follow the path of the Buddha, or worship the God of the Hindus, for our sisters and brothers in Islam, the Jewish people from whom we come, for the people of the primary religions, the diversity of peoples within the Christian Churches, and for those who know, but do not, as yet, recognise or name God: that we may know God as One. We break this bread for the great green earth - for all the wealth of produce it provides to feed and clothe us. We call to mind our responsibility for stewardship for our planet, that, with wisdom and care, the original blessing of God's creation may be preserved. We break this bread for those who have no bread - the starving, the homeless and the refugees - for those who seek asylum in this city, that, with passion, struggle and engagement, we may find justice for the poor and this planet be a home for all her people. We break this bread for the broken parts of ourselves - the wounded child in all of us; for our broken relationships - our suspicion of those different from ourselves that we may know the wholeness that is in Christ. Charles Read comments: The first of these raises big questions about Christianity and other faith, but may be rewritten as follows perhaps: We break this bread for all human beings, divided by faith or belief... For other Christians from whom we are separated. For those of non-christian faiths whom God loves and for whom Jesus died, For those broken and hurt by religious conflict and for those who know, but do not, as yet, recognise or name God: that we may know God as One.

12 Invitation to Communion The following is based on liturgy from the Iona Community: This is the table not of the Church but of Christ. It has been made ready for those who love God and who want to love more. So come, you who have much faith and you who have little. You who have been here often and you who have not been for a long time. You who have tried to follow and you who have failed. Come, not because I invite you. It is Christ who asks you to meet him here. The following is adapted from The Baptist service book: Come to this table not because you must but because you may. Come trusting not in your own goodness but in the grace and love of God. Come because you love the Lord a little and would,like to love him more. Draw near then with faith.