WELCOME TO ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Transcription

1 WELCOME TO ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH AN INSTRUCTED EUCHARIST RITE II June 6, :00 am and 10:00 am

2 Beginning with the early church two thousand years ago Christians have gathered to celebrate and share fellowship on Sunday, the first day of the week. This was a departure from the earlier tradition of worship on Saturday, the seventh day, begun by the ancient Hebrews. The Book of Acts mentions the first day of the week, when we met to break bread (20:7). Sunday has now become known as the Lord s Day (Rev. 1:10). On that day we honor and participate in the sacramental practice of Holy Eucharist based upon our Lord s instructions at the Last Supper. It is described in the Gospels (Mt. 26:26-26, Mk. 14:22-24, Lk. 22:19-20). Paul recounted it in First Corinthians when he said, The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body that is [given] for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me (11:23-25). We share Eucharist together. There is no such thing as Eucharist with just a priest. At least one other person must be present, and all baptized persons may participate. We also have special physical movements and gestures. At St. Thomas our tradition is to sit to listen, stand to sing, and kneel to pray, although sitting or standing is acceptable if kneeling is difficult. In some churches the people stand to sing and pray, and only kneel for confession. There is more than one way of doing things. During the Eucharist the priest lifts his hands in an outstretched position, one of the ancient forms or prayer, called the orans position from the Latin praying. In the early church the entire assembly probably offered prayers or song in this way. In some churches today it is in regular use. Any worshipper at St. Thomas is free to raise their hands during song or prayer. We also see other gestures as we worship. In very high services it is traditional to briefly bow one s head every time Jesus name is mentioned, or there is a spoken pronoun referring to him. Some people at St. Thomas do this. People also on occasion make the sign of the cross at various times during the liturgy. This is an individual personal worship form, and is entirely optional. Some feel it heightens or enhances their devotion, others do not. The objective in all circumstances, however, is to worship the Lord in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:24). If we search our hearts we probably know if we are doing this. And if we are, we will be strengthened, cleansed, and refreshed. 2

3 AN INSTRUCTED EUCHARIST: RITE II June 6, 2010 The Word of God (Liturgy of the Word) After the announcements (8:00 am) and after the Entrance Hymn (10:00 am) Entrance Hymn The Church s one foundation Hymnal 525 Fr. Bill goes to the lectern and asks the people to be seated Today s service will be different. Deacon Dave and I will celebrate an instructed Eucharist. Dave will officiate for the Liturgy of the Word, and will pause at appropriate intervals so that I can offer commentary from the lectern. Then I will celebrate the Eucharist and Dave will provide the comments. Sometimes comments will come in advance to explain what will happen. At other times the comments will follow and discuss what just happened. Because of the additional time required, there will be no sermon. This division of effort also reflects the two parts of the overall service. We begin with the Liturgy of the Word, which emphasizes the Bible. This includes the Psalm and the readings, usually the sermon, the Nicene Creed, the Prayers of the People, and the confession. Deacon Dave will stand in front of the altar or kneel at his seat during this part. Then comes the Peace, which is the dividing point between the two parts. The Liturgy of the Table follows, which is the actual service of Holy Eucharist. I will move behind the altar for this. And before we start, I want to offer some definitions. Our service usually is called communion, or the Holy Eucharist. It also is referred to as the Lord s Supper, and the Mass. We call it communion because in it we commune or relate to God, and with each other as the Body of Christ. The term Eucharist comes from the Greek word meaning thanksgiving, and describes how we give thanks for God s salvation through Jesus Christ. I also will say something about what we are wearing. All of us are wearing albs (sp.), which are the white robes traditionally worn for this service. It is short for the Latin tunica alba, meaning white tunic. They can come with options such as a small hood, or lace or other decorations. The rope belt around the waist is called a cincture (sp.). It also can be a cloth band, like a wide belt, but we don t use those here. The stole is a mark of office used on sacramental occasions. Thus we wear it for Eucharist, but usually not for morning prayer. A priest s stole hangs straight, or can be crossed at the waist. A deacon s stole is worn diagonally. The stoles match the colors on the altar. A chasuble (sp.) is a poncho-like garment worn by priests during celebration of the Eucharist. It is optional, and I don t always wear it. Some say it emphasizes the importance of the Eucharist because it signifies the robe worn by Jesus at his arrest and passion, thus leading it to serve as the Yoke of Christ. Others say it 3

4 simply is a matter of formality. If the stole is like a necktie, the chasuble is the jacket. Deacon Dave wears a similar garment called a dalmatic (sp.) which is an off-white or seasonally colored tunic that represents the office of deacon. This is a good time to mention why we have all these vestments, and flowers, and other trappings of worship. It can go as far back as the Old Testament when Hebrew law required animals to be sacrificed to God. Only unblemished animals could be offered. The Book of Malachi proclaims that anyone who held back good stock and sacrificed a sick or lame animal would be cursed. Thus, from the beginning God expected only our best. And so the Episcopal tradition also requires us to offer our best. We do not hold back or treat worship casually. Our worship requires planning, effort, and spiritual commitment. We utilize ritual, vestments, and formal prayers in order to honor God, and not as an opportunity to entertain ourselves. We just sang (at the 10:00 service we will have sung) the Entrance Hymn, or Opening Hymn, frequently called the Processional Hymn, as we enter the church. Its purpose is not only to start the service and begin to praise God, but also to put other things aside and gather our minds and bodies as a congregation into the common and shared activity of worship. Deacon Dave asks the People to stand and says Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen. The Officiant says the Collect for Purity Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. The People remain standing Deacon Dave just offered what is called the Opening Acclamation, to which you responded, and then he said the Collect for Purity. In the Opening Acclamation we greeted each other, and proclaimed the sovereignty of God and God s kingdom. It reflects our collective agreement that our hope is in God and the heavenly realms throughout eternity. The Collect for Purity has been in the Prayer Book since it was written in It asks God to open our hearts to him and to banish any worries or concerns that might detract from our worship. This leads next to singing (or saying) the prayer called the Gloria in excelsis. We dive right into acknowledging God, as Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and as Lord of our lives. 4

5 The following is said by invitation (8:00) or sung by musical cue (10:00) Gloria in excelsis Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. The Collect of the Day Officiant People Officiant The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. The Officiant reads the Collect. O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Ask People to be seated You just heard the familiar words, The Lord be with you and the responses that follow. This is called the Salutation, and is a common introduction to prayer in many settings. It helps focus the mind and heart on what follows. 5

6 Next was the Collect of the Day, which is a special reading that changes each Sunday. A Collect is a three part prayer with a predictable form. It begins with an acknowledgement of some attribute of God, or one of the persons of the Trinity, and usually ends with reference to Jesus the risen Lord. Sandwiched in between is the brief prayer. The content of the Collect of the Day often is related to the Bible readings, which come next. First Reading The people sit for the Readings and Psalm Lector A Reading from the first Book of Kings After the Reading, the Lector says The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God. Psalm 146 (The Psalm is read responsively by whole verse) Second Reading Lector A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Galatians After the Reading, the Lector says The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God. Alana waits for Fr. Bill to comment before the Sequence Hymn Reading and preaching on Scripture goes back to the earliest times of Christianity. In the Episcopal Church we have four readings each Sunday, two from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. These are listed in an official Lectionary that specifies readings used each Sunday in Episcopal Churches all over the country. On occasion we do not follow the lectionary, but mostly we do. The first Old Testament reading is from Hebrew Scripture, and next is a Psalm. Then follows a New Testament reading from one of St. Paul s letters or epistles, and the readings end with the Holy Gospel from one of the four biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. The Sermon often, but not always, is drawn from the Gospel. Because the Gospel recalls the words and teachings of Jesus Christ, it is read by a deacon if present, or otherwise by a priest, from the midst of the congregation. The congregation stands to acknowledge its significance. To further underscore its importance, we sing a hymn (at the 10:00 service) as the crucifer and torchbearers escort the deacon or priest into position. This happens next. 6

7 Sequence Hymn My faith looks up to thee Hymnal 691 The People stand for the Sequence Hymn and remain standing for the Gospel Holy Gospel Deacon People The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke Glory to you, Lord Christ. After the Gospel, the People respond as follows: Deacon The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise to you, Lord Christ. Deacon Dave returns and stands in preparation to lead the Creed The Sermon The sermon usually comes at this point. Today, these comments on our liturgy are the sermon. Next will follow the Nicene Creed, which begins as a three part statement of our belief in God, first as Father, then as Son, and then as Holy Spirit. In the last four lines we conclude by affirming our belief in the universal church, God s forgiveness, our own resurrections, and eternal life. It is an ancient statement that encompasses all of the basics of our corporate and collective faith, and for that reason each part begins with the words, We believe. At St. Thomas we consider the Gospel, Sermon, and Creed to be a seamless unbroken liturgical unit joined by common threads of Scripture and faith, and thus no music is interspersed among the three parts. The hope is that you will keep in mind the preceding part in preparation to hear the next part. The Nicene Creed Deacon Dave invites congregation to reaffirm its faith in words of the Creed We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, 7

8 begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. (Deacon Dave is seated. Fr. Bill remains at the lectern) The Prayers of the People are next, and are offered for ourselves and others. There are six different forms of prayers in the prayer book, and each form must cover six elements. They are the church itself, the nation, the welfare of the world, local concerns, those who suffer or are in trouble, and the departed. Additional prayers may be added. At St. Thomas we add a prayer for stewardship, and today I will conclude with a prayer about the oil leak in the Gulf. But the six elements always form the basic structure no matter which form is used. The Prayers of the People The People kneel and pray responsively Let us pray for the Church and for the world. 8 Form IV

9 Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world. Silence Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer. Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another and serve the common good. Silence Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer. Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory. Silence Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer. Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us. Silence Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer. Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation. Silence Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer. We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom. Silence Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer. 9

10 Strengthen us in our spirit and faith to be good stewards of our blessings as we work for the well-being and fruitfulness of this parish. Silence Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer. The Leader returns to his or her seat and kneels. The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect. O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people; in the multitude of your mercies, look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for help; for you are gracious, O lover of souls, and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen This concluding collect gathers the prayers and reaffirms them as our petitions, intercessions, and thanksgivings to God. This sets the stage for the confession and absolution, which is part of preparation for the Eucharist. One of the purposes of the Eucharist is to receive the inward and spiritual grace of God s forgiveness for not being obedient to his will. But to receive forgiveness we must be repentant, and to be repentant we must confess. That is why there is a period of silence before we say the written words of the confession. We can silently call to mind those things that trouble us. The absolution reflects one of the attributes of ordination to the priesthood, which is authority to declare God s forgiveness of the truly penitent. This means we must come to communion with contrite and open hearts if we wish God s grace in the Eucharist to actually work within us. God knows our hearts, and we must be honest before God. Receiving our Lord in communion can be a spiritually risky business if one is not in the peace of God. The Confession and Absolution The Deacon says Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. Silence is kept. All say together Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; 10

11 we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. The Priest stands and proclaims the absolution Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The Congregation is seated for monthly birthday and anniversary blessings (After the blessings) We now will exchange the peace, which is the end of the Liturgy of the Word and prelude to the Liturgy of the Table, or the Eucharistic service. The formality of the service is set aside and we greet our neighbors. The words Peace be with you, or Christ s peace, or something similar are traditionally used, but any Christian greeting is acceptable. Because this is a division between two basic parts of the service, it also is a time in some churches when the Priest makes announcements. In the past at St. Thomas, announcements have been at the beginning of the service so that the continuity of the overall service is maintained. But there have been suggestions to do announcements just before the peace. (Show of hands on preferences) The Peace All stand. The Celebrant says to the people Celebrant People The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you. The Ministers and People may greet each other in the name of the Lord. The People remain standing as the gifts are brought forward. The Celebrant says The Holy Communion (Liturgy of the Table) Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his name; bring offerings and come into his courts. Psalm 96:8 (another Offertory sentence may be used). 11

12 The People are seated. Alana waits and does not yet start the Offertory Anthem, and Fr. Bill continues: But first, (if not seated) I ask the congregation to be seated, and the ushers to remain where they are as Deacon Dave now begins some commentary on the second part of the service, the Liturgy of the Table, or the Holy Eucharist. (Deacon Dave goes to lectern) The Eucharist begins with the Offertory sentence Fr. Bill just gave, and continues as the Choir sings an Offertory anthem, which is a musical offering to God. And although part of the Offertory is the gathering of money we return to God as stewardship in thanksgiving for his blessings, there is more to it. We also bring to the altar our offering of bread and wine to be consecrated so that we can share in the real presence of Jesus Christ when we receive that bread and wine later in the service. In the early church people brought their own bread and wine to be consecrated by the priest or bishop. Today, the church does it for you. Also, during the Offertory Anthem I will prepare the altar for the Eucharist. This is a traditional function of deacons. Once the table is set, one of the people assisting at the altar will pour water into a little bowl, called the lavabo bowl from the Latin wash, and Fr. Bill and I will wash our hands. This is symbolic and indicates that we come to the Altar with clean hands and pure hearts. Then the ushers bring the collection plates forward, and Fr. Bill will lead us in proclaiming that everything we have comes from God as our Creator, and therefore everything we give was first given to us. (Dave prepares the Altar) Alana and the Choir begin the Offertory Anthem Offertory Anthem Representatives of the congregation bring the People s offerings and the People stand while the offerings are presented and placed on the Altar. Eucharistic Prayer B The Celebrant and the people remain standing. Celebrant People Celebrant People Celebrant People The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise. This dialogue between you all and Fr. Bill is called the Sursum Corda, which is Latin for Lift up your hearts. It sets the stage for the rest of the Eucharist, 12

13 which consists of four distinct actions inspired by Christ at the Last Supper. They are first, to take; second, to thank; third, to break; and fourth to give. The taking already happened when the bread, wine, and other offerings were brought to the altar and dedicated to God. The thanksgiving follows next, and is the formal Eucharistic Prayer that ends with the Lord s Prayer. Then comes the breaking, also called the fraction, when Fr. Bill holds up the large wafer and divides it in two. This breaking of the bread is in preparation for the last step, giving it to the congregation. The Book of Common Prayer contains two optional Eucharistic prayers in Rite I, and four in Rite II. Each have different emphases suited to the church seasons, although any prayer may be used at any time. Today we are using Eucharistic Prayer B, which is one of the oldest and goes back to the fourth century church. Please note that when Fr. Bill continues he will refer to the Holy Spirit. There is an explanation for this. The Celebrant proceeds It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In fulfillment of his true promise, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven, lighting upon the disciples, to teach them and to lead them into all truth; uniting peoples of many tongues in the confession of one faith, and giving to your Church the power to serve you as a royal priesthood, and to preach the Gospel to all nations. This part of the prayer has what is called a preface for the seasons, and today we used the preface for the season of Pentecost, which is why it referred to the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. For purposes of comparison, the preface for the recently concluded Easter season emphasized the resurrection. The next season on the church calendar is Advent, and that preface will anticipate Christ s coming again. These prefaces lead us next to sing what is called the Sanctus, which is Latin for Holy. Recognizing this all-encompassing holy aspect of God is essential to our thanksgiving. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name: Celebrant and People say (8:00 am) and sing (10:00 am) Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. 13

14 Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The people stand or kneel. Here is where the various Eucharistic prayers begin to differ. A unique aspect of Prayer B is that it recognizes how God s redemptive work in the Old Testament is in continuity with God s saving work in the New Testament. This will be evidenced by references to the prophets and Israel, and to the meaning of what Christ did for us. Then the Celebrant continues We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life. At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or lay a hand upon the elements to be consecrated. On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. (sanctus bells ring) The bells you just heard are called Sanctus Bells, or Holy Bells, and are rung at St. Thomas on three occasions to underscore and emphasize three essential parts of the Eucharistic Prayer. The first two are at the end of the two parts of what is called the Institution Narrative, which memorializes Christ s action in instituting the Eucharist. The first part was with the bread, which we just heard, and the second part will be with the wine, as you will hear next. After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me. (sanctus bells ring) Therefore, according to his command, O Father, Celebrant and People sing (say at 8:00 am) the Memorial Acclamation 14

15 We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory; The words we just sang (said) are called the Memorial Acclamation. It recalls the core of our faith. In Eucharistic Prayer A we call it the mystery of faith as we proclaim Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. It is similar in Prayer B as we said We remember his death, we proclaim his resurrection, we await his coming in glory. This sets the stage for the next part, when Fr. Bill will touch the vessels of bread and wine as part of a request that they be sanctified. This is when, according to our tradition, the bread and wine become holy. I will say more about this later. The Celebrant continues And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine. We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with Thomas and all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation. By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN. (sanctus bells ring) This leads to the Lord s Prayer and the end of the Prayer of Thanksgiving. You might note that the AMEN you just said was in all capital letters, the only place where it occurs that way in the Prayer Book. It may joyously be proclaimed, and fittingly is intended to punctuate the end of the most important sacramental prayer in the Prayer Book. The Sanctus Bells are rung for the final time to emphasize the significance of the prayer. And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say (8:00 am) sing (10:00 am), Continue with the Lord s Prayer on page

16 People and Celebrant Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Breaking of the Bread The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept, and then the Celebrant says Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia. The Celebrant says the following Invitation The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving. This breaking reminds us of Christ being broken on the cross, and although his bones were not actually broken in order that that prophecy could be fulfilled, it nevertheless represents his sacrifice for us. At this point in the service we believe Jesus Christ is present in the holy bread and wine, but we don t know how it happens. It is a mystery. The bread and wine still are bread and wine, but a sacramental transformation has occurred so that by partaking of it Christ comes to all who receive. And it is sufficient to receive either the bread, or the wine, or both. Your service bulletin indicates that all baptized persons are welcome to receive Holy Communion. To receive bread, place right hand in left, palms facing up. To receive wine, you may drink from the chalice by assisting the chalice bearer in guiding it to your lips and tipping the chalice. Or you may intinct by dipping your bread in the wine. If you choose not to receive communion, you may come forward to receive a blessing. Place your arms across your chest, forming an x over your chest, which will indicate that you desire a blessing. The ministers receive the Sacrament in both kinds, and then immediately deliver it to the people. 16

17 The Bread and the Cup are given to the communicants with these words The Body (Blood) of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life. (8:00 am) or with these words (at 10:00 am) The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven. The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. After Communion, the Celebrant says Let us pray. Celebrant and People Almighty and everliving God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. This concluding prayer is a reminder that as Christians we are strengthened by the Eucharist and empowered by the Holy Spirit to go into the world to do our Lord s work. Jesus left the church behind to continue his ministry when he ascended into heaven, and so we are his hands and feet, his eyes and ears, and his mouth and words to represent him to each other and the community. If the church is taking communion to anyone who is ill or infirm immediately after this service, they come forward now and are sent on their mission. At the conclusion (after the Recessional Hymn at 10:00 am) I will dismiss the congregation. This is a traditional function of deacons and it is consistent with a deacon s vows to serve those in the community. This concludes the instructional part of the Eucharist. We hope it has been informative. Thank you for your attention. 17

18 Sending of Lay Eucharistic Visitors If any Lay Eucharistic Visitors are scheduled to take Communion to those who are ill or infirm they shall come forward at this time and stand at the rail to receive the elements and to be sent. The Celebrant says In the name of the people of St. Thomas, I send you forth bearing these holy gifts, that those to whom you go may share with us in the communion of Christ s body and blood. We who are many are also one body because we all share one bread and one cup. In Christ s name you take this bread and cup to those who cannot be with us. The Celebrant blesses the people, saying The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen Recessional Hymn Holy God we praise thy Name Hymnal 366 The Deacon, or the Celebrant (if the deacon is not present), dismisses them with these words People Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia 18

19 St. Thomas Episcopal Church The Rev. William R. White, Rector The Rev. Dave Duggins, Deacon Mrs. Debbye Jones, Administrative and Financial Secretary Mrs. Alana Rutledge, Director of Music Mrs. Catherine Tibbs, Director of Sunday School Miss Ashton Hourin, Director of Nursery and Child Care Vestry 2010 Patty Hourin, 10, Senior Warden Don Ball, 10, Junior Warden Lou Crowe, Treasurer of the Parish Gwen Montjoy, Clerk of the Parish Tyrone Sartin, 10 Frank Cuervo, 12 Nancy Boice, 11 Janis Floyd, 12 James DeDeaux, 11 Darlene Park, 12 Don Young, Diamondhead Circle (228) (PH) Diamondhead MS (228) (FX) 19