The COCU Liturgy of 1968 A Model for Christian Celebration

The COCU Liturgy of 1968 A Model for Christian Celebration

AN ORDER OF WORSHIP On Sunday December 4, 1960, a sermon preached in San Francisco seized the imagination of people across the United States and much of the English-speaking world. Two of the highest profile Christian leaders in the nation Eugene Carson Blake, Stated Clerk of the United Presbyterian Church, and James A. Pike, widely-known Episcopal bishop conducted worship at Grace Episcopal Cathedral high atop Nob Hill. Pike, as bishop of the Diocese of California, was host pastor, and Blake was the guest preacher. Among the worshipers who crowded into this very large church that Sunday were delegates to the triennial assembly of the National Council of Churches, which was about to begin in that city. It is hard to imagine any gathering at that time that would have brought together such an impressive array of the nation s Christian leaders. Blake s sermon was the catalytic agent for a long period of significant ecumenical development. He declared that the time had come for churches to take decisive steps to move out of their divided way of life and become one church that could more fully manifest the gospel and serve the needs of the people of their land. His specific proposal was that his Presbyterian Church and Pike s Episcopal Church invite the Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ to join them in creating a new church that would be recognized globally as fully Catholic and fully Reformed. Already, Blake declared, these churches were sufficiently agreed in faith, worship, and other central issues, that they could achieve this long-sought but often-frustrated goal. Representatives of these churches soon established a process called the Consultation on Church Union (often referred to by its acronym COCU) and extended an invitation for others to join them. At the high point, nine American denominations were full participants in COCU and several others were active observers. (The names of these churches are listed below.) Early in the process COCU delegates turned their attention to worship in a united church. They asked one of the nation s best-known scholars in the history of Christian worship to write a paper that would help them discuss this topic and established a commission on worship to lead the Consultation in its reflections. In 1968 the Consultation published a small book with the title An Order of Worship for the Proclamation of the Word of God and the Celebration of the Lord s Supper with Commentary. The most important part of this magenta-colored book was the liturgy itself, presented in its fullest possible form, with several variations for use in a variety of settings. The commentary stated that one of its purposes of this liturgy was to help people from different traditions understand one another s values in worship. To accomplish this purpose, the order provided a form that is more fixed and traditional than those used by congregations accustomed to a more freely structured and ex tempore manner of common worship and, on the other hand, a greater openness and freedom for churches in which liturgical worship has been more inflexible. This new order of worship 2

was one of the first to adopt modern English, rather than Elizabethan forms, in prayer. The serious discussion of gender issues in English usage, however, had not yet begun. The liturgy was used in COCU gatherings and other ecumenical settings. Congregations in the churches participating in the Consultation did use the order of worship on special occasions. Seminaries and other academic and retreat communities also experimented with it. A number of important reviews were published. Because this liturgy came near the beginning of a highly creative period, however, it was soon supplanted by new liturgies as they emerged among the churches. Even so, the COCU liturgy continues to provide a constructive pattern with much good language for the church s thankful praise around the communion table. This special edition of the 1968 liturgy (with excerpts and additional comments related to the 1968 commentary) has been prepared as one way to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of COCU s beginning. The liturgy and most of the notes that followed are drawn directly from the original publication (with modest revision for the sake of greater inclusivity or clarity). A version of this liturgy with hymns, scripture readings, and sermon by John Dominic Crossan was prepared for use during the Turner Memorial Lectures, held in Yakima, Washington, October 4-5, 2010. Churches in the Consultation on Church Union at its highest point (1988): African Methodist Episcopal Church African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Episcopal Church International Council of Community Churches Presbyterian Church (USA) United Church of Christ United Methodist Church Edited by Douglas Dornhecker and Keith Watkins September 2010. Published online: http://keithwatkinshistorian.wordpress.com 3

AN ORDER OF WORSHIP THE PREPARATION Gathering Music (All who are able are invited to stand) The Greeting Revelation 1:4-6 Minister: People: Grace to you and peace, from the One who is, who was, and who is to come, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the Firstborn of the dead. To Christ--who loves us, and has freed us from our sins by the shedding of blood, and made us a kingdom, and priests to serve his God and Father: To Jesus Christ be glory and honor forever and ever! Amen. A Hymn of Praise THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD OF GOD An Old Testament Lesson: (The People seated) Psalm Response The Gospel The Sermon The Peace (All standing as able) (Silent reflection) Minister: May the Peace of God be always with you. And also with you. 4

The Prayers (All standing as able) Minister: In peace, let us offer our prayers, responding "Hear us, O God." With our voices we cry to you, O LORD; with our voices we make supplication to you. We pour out our concerns before you; we tell you of our pain and of the adversities of our world, praying Hear us, O God. For your church, that it may embody the compassionate spirit of Jesus who walked with people who were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, that we may extend his welcome to those who are threatening or unfamiliar, sharing both your grace and the sacraments of your love. Hear us, O God. For those in authority among the nations (and especially for the President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court of the United States), that, delivered from self-seeking, they may overrule unrighteous schemes, and govern with justice and mercy. Hear us, O God. (Additional thanksgivings and petitions for those in need from the leader and congregation, responding Hear us, O God.) Minister: Gracious God, Our Mother and Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the name of Jesus. We pray you, accept and fulfill our petitions, not as we ask in our brokenness, nor as we deserve in our unfaithfulness, but as you know and love us through Christ our Lord. Amen. THE LORD'S SUPPER The Offertory (All standing as able) Minister: Beloved in Christ, the Gospels tell us that on the first day of the week, the same day on which our Lord rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples in the place where they were gathered, and was made known to them in the breaking of bread. Come then to the joyful feast of the Lord. Let us prepare his table with the offerings of our life and labor. (The bread and wine are presented) (The people may be seated) Offertory Hymn (The offering is received) 5

Offertory Prayer: (All standing as able) Minister: Loving Spirit, may Jesus Christ our great High Priest receive these our offerings and be present with us as he was among his disciples, and make himself known to us in the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup. To you be praise and glory, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, now and forever. All: Amen. The Thanksgiving May God be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to God. Let us give thanks to the God of love. It is right to give our thanks and praise. We give you thanks, almighty and eternal God, always and everywhere, through Jesus Christ your Son, by whom you made this world and all things living and beautiful. We bless you for your continual love and care for every creature. We praise you for forming us in your image, and calling us to be your people. Though we rebelled against your love, you did not abandon us in our sin, but sent to us prophets and teachers to lead us into the way of salvation. Above all, we give you thanks for the gift of Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. In the fullness of time he took upon himself our nature; and by the obedience of his life, his suffering upon the cross, and his resurrection from the dead, he has delivered us from the way of sin and death. We praise you that he now reigns with you in glory and ever lives to pray for us. We thank you for the Holy Spirit who leads us into truth, defends us in adversity, and unites us out of every people in one holy Church. Therefore with the whole company of saints in heaven and on earth, we worship and glorify you, God most holy, and we sing with joy: Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. (People may stand, sit, or kneel) Holy One, most glorious and gracious God, we give you thanks that our Savior Jesus Christ, before he suffered, gave us this memorial of his sacrifice, until his coming again: 6

For in the night when he was betrayed, he 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 in remembrance of me." In the same way also after supper, he took the cup. And when he had given you thanks, he gave it to them and said: "Drink this, all of you: This is my blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for you and many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." Christ's death, O God, we proclaim. Christ's resurrection we declare. Christ's coming we await. Glory be to you, O God. Loving God, Mother and Father of all, show forth among us the presence of your lifegiving Word and Holy Spirit, to sanctify us and your whole Church through these holy mysteries. Grant that all who share the communion of the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ may be one in him, and remain faithful in love and hope until that perfect feast with him in joy in one eternal Kingdom. Gracious God, accept with favor this our sacrifice of praise, which we now present with these holy gifts. We offer to you ourselves, giving you thanks for calling us to serve you as your own people, through the offering of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; By whom and with whom and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory be to you, God almighty, now and forever. Amen. And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we dare to say: Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen. 7

The Breaking of Bread (Silence is kept while the bread and wine are prepared for Communion) Minister: "The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven." "The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation." The Communion Hymns during Communion An Act of Praise (All standing as able) Eternal God, we give you thanks for receiving our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and for feeding us with the spiritual food of the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Strengthen us ever with your Holy Spirit, that we may serve you in faith and love, by word and deed, until we come to the joy of your eternal Kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. The Dismissal The Peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of Jesus Christ. And the blessing of God, Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen. Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God. Recessional Music 8

Notes (Paragraphs below that are inset and italicized do not come from the original publication but have been prepared by the editors). The 1968 publication included forty pages of commentary and notes theological interpretations, explanations of the several parts of the liturgy, and references to the wide range of sources, ancient and modern, that had been included in the liturgy. In its first paragraph, the commentary states that the structure and content of the order conform in all respects to the pat terns of Christian worship that have evolved since ancient times in the traditions of both the Eastern and Western churches. Furthermore, they are consistent with patterns of worship authorized and recommended in the uniting churches of the Consultation on Church Union. Most of the following interpretation of the liturgy is drawn directly from the Commentary. Short portions of the much longer original have been chosen because they explain the shape and character of An Order of Worship. Omissions have not been indicated nor are excerpts joined together with ellipsis ( ). Italicized words in the text (other than Scripture references) indicate where the text has been edited. The following statement entitled The Meaning of the Lord s Supper was published as an appended note near the end of the commentary. In 1968, it was commonplace to refer to Jesus as Our Lord and to continue the New Testament practice of using this theologically complex title. Many Christians still refer to the church s central act of worship as the Lord s Supper, prefer ring this post-new Testament title to the more biblical Eucharist. The Meaning of the Lord s Supper Our Lord celebrated his last act with his disciples in his earthly life, and his first act with them in his risen life at a common meal, in and through which he gave himself. He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:35). So he continues, throughout all time, to make the grace and power of his presence known to those who believe in him, and who love and serve him, wherever they may be in all the world. The Lord s Supper is thus the unique and distinctive act of Christians that binds them by word and deed in a continual, living relationship with their Redeemer and Lord, and through him one with another. As the peculiar observance of the Church of Jesus Christ, it is both sign and sacrament of its unity, its mission, and its promise. 9

The many facets of meaning joined together in the Lord s Supper cannot be comprehended by any simple definition, much less by a single title. The full reality of the Church past, present, and future is exhibited in it. The Supper is a memorial feast that celebrates what Jesus Christ accomplished for the salvation of the world in his sacrificial life and death, and in his triumph over sin and death. In obedience to his command, Do this in remembrance of me (I Corinthians 11:24-25), Christian disciples recall with joy and thanksgiving the wondrous once-for-all gift of his redeeming work and promise of eternal life. They contemplate its inexhaustible mystery and benefit, and pledge themselves anew in commitment to its gospel. The Supper is no mere commemoration of a past and glorious event. Jesus Christ lives and abides with his Church forever. Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). The presence of Christ among his own, here and now, in grace and power and judgment, presiding and serving at his banquet table, is an inescapable reality for all who meet him in the Supper. It is, in fact, a holy communion. This living encounter evokes penitence, faith, love, joy. It mediates forgiveness, reconciliation, hope, encouragement, consolation, and spiritual strength. The Supper is Christ s immediate means of grace making up what is lacking, supporting what is weak, confirming what is good, and empowering what is needful. The Supper is also a real participation in the final end of the redeemed that Messianic banquet which the Lord prepares and makes ready in his Kingdom. Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). The new heaven and the new earth find anticipation here in this act, because it reveals the true end of our calling to reconciliation, obedience, and peace. Holy Communion is indeed the final purpose of God not only for all [hu]mankind but for all creation. To know that communion is to know the reality of the world to come. In the Supper our ascended Lord lifts up his embattled followers on earth into union with the triumphant hosts of heaven in adoration of the holy. An Order of Worship, 73-75 The Preparation About This Service Our approach to God in worship is always one of awe and expectation. It is mixed with joy and praise in his presence, with sorrow for our sins and praise in God s presence, and with hope in God s renewing grace and strength. The Greeting and Act of Praise: The Order of Worship begins with a formal exchange of minister and people, which is both a courteous acknowledgment of one another and, more importantly, a solemn reminder that God is meeting with God s people. The 10

greeting calls attention to the presence of God, who is both the subject and the object of our worship. The doxologies of the Greeting lead logically into more extended praise in hymn, psalm, or canticle. The earliest name for this service is Eucharist, which means Praise and Thanksgiving, for it is a joyful celebration of those who know they have been redeemed. Sometimes, however, the service takes place on a day or at a time of special fast or penitence. On such occasions the doxological opening may be sufficient, and the service may pass at once to an Act of Penitence An Order of Worship, 44-45 The COCU Liturgy included An Act of Penitence as a part of the basic outline for the service. Reviews of the liturgy, however, proposed that it be reserved for certain seasons of the church year. One suggestion was that this act would be an appropriate component in the Response to the Word. This anniversary version of the liturgy does not include an explicit penitential act but includes this theme in The Prayers. In most of the COCU churches, congregational singing is a primary means for congregational participation in the liturgy. In contemporary American society, church is one of the few places where people sing. The long-standing mode for this participation has been multi-versed hymns and gospel songs. In more recent years, other patterns of popular music have become widespread. Congregational song gives words to congregants, provides a continuo to the liturgy s melody, and helps to set the emotional character of the celebration. The shape of the service and the stable content of the words and actions connect every celebration to the Church s great tradition. The music connects it to the immediate lived experience of congregants. The Proclamation of the Word of God The Lessons and Sermon: Our approach to the presence of God in worship, by praise and penitence, makes us ready to hear and listen to God s Word. God speaks to us first. Only then are we free to respond with proper commitment in faith and prayer and gift of sharing. All Christian liturgies have this pattern. We begin with God s Word, then answer that Word, by God s gracious help, in offering ourselves one with another in total trust and obedience. The pattern was not invented by Christians. The synagogue gave us the plan: an order course of reading from the Scriptures, surrounded by devotions of praise and followed by exposition and application. The early Christians adopted the Jewish custom, and added readings from the letters and writings of apostles, prophets, and teachers. We have left flexible the number of lessons to be read, but note the fundamental importance of the one from the Gospels. In the Gospel, Christ speaks directly to us and acts out his saving 11

work in our midst. Each particular lesson contains, as it were, the whole Gospel by implication. Between the lessons, opportunity is provided, again in line with time-honored usage, for hymns or psalms or anthems to be sung or said. COCU s early years coincided with Vatican II, which means that many Protestant churches were revising their worship books at the same time that the Catholic Church was transforming its forms of worship. One of the places where the creative work of Vatican II influenced Protestant developments was in the use of the Bible. Catholic celebrations of the Eucharist would henceforth include three readings and the pattern was spread over three years instead of being repeated every year. The result was that over time worshipers would hear a significant body of scripture. While this significant diet from the Bible has continued as standard practice in Catholic Churches, many Protestant churches abridge this portion of their Sunday liturgy. The COCU liturgy modeled the full pattern of three readings with a psalm following the first one. This anniversary edition uses two, with a psalm between them. Many psalms are available as metical hymns; some contemporary hymnals, for example, carry as many as three or four hymns based on Psalm 23. Several recent hymnals provide psalms that combine portions sung by the congregation with other portions sung by cantor or choir. The Sermon comes naturally in a climactic place after the lessons, to expound their meaning and to apply their teaching to our immediate situation. True preaching is no mere human exercise of speech; it is a prophetic gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. It is announcement of God s good news and keeps that Word alive with power to evoke repentance, faith, love, and courageous witness. Preaching has many forms, but all of them aim at commitment to the gospel and understanding of its meaning and relevance to life now. Preaching therefore leads to response, both of the converted and the unconverted. Appropriate actions follow. First of all comes the response of faith, whether of those who now wish to unite with the fellowship of Christians in active discipleship, or of the fellowship itself in renewal of its own commitment and obedience. This may be done on the one hand by public incorporation into the Church through suitable ceremonies of initiation; on the other by corporate renewal of faith through hymn or creedal profession. In a sense, however, the entire service that follows is a response: not only the affirmation of faith, but the exchange of love and prayer, and above all the act of participation and communion in the Lord s Supper. An Order of Worship, 56-59 The Peace: Our response to God s Word is twofold: renewal of our faith and deepening of our love. It is not only what we say, but also what we do. The exchange of the Peace is a way of expressing our love for one another. The salutation of Peace (Shalom) was the first word of our risen Lord to his disciples (John 20:19). From the beginning, it became a distinctive aspect of Christian corporate worship, as one may see from the greetings of the New Testament letters. 12

When the Peace is expressed as part of the congregation s movement toward Communion, it presupposes that the bond connecting congregants is the reconciling Word of God, which already has been expressed in Scripture, Sermon, and Prayer, and now will become more fully present when Christ is made know to them in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:35). The character of the Peace differs significantly from the extemporaneous exchanges that occur in a time of greeting during the early portion of a service. The Prayers: Christian worship has always given a substantial place to prayer for God s blessing and assistance to all people in their several vocations and needs. There prayers embrace not only the world-wide companionship of the Church, but all of human society, and particularly those in positions of high responsibility for human welfare, justice, and peace (cf. I Timothy 2:1-4), whether they are Christians or not. The formal structure of these prayers has exhibited much variation. The outline of topics for this prayer of intercession and remembrance in all the liturgies includes: the Church, its ministers and people, its mission and its unity; the many vocations of men and women in their work and leisure; the suffering and sorrowful; those who are alienated from God and others; and the communion we have with the faithful departed and the saints. An Order of Worship, 60-63 The Lord s Supper The banquet of the Lord s Supper proclaims our commitment by what we do. It is the Church s response in deed to its faith in his Word. We do not merely remember Christ, we meet him now as he serves us, so that we may be strengthened to serve him. The Supper is an act of reconciliation of holy communion with God, with one another in Christ, and with all people for Christ s sake. Because of our communion here, the world will recognize that we have been with Jesus (cf. Acts 4:13). For this Supper must be the pattern of what all human life can be when it is reconciled in mutual sharing, forgiveness, love, and unselfish service. The Supper has a shape as does any banquet meal. We first set the table, we give thanks, we share with one another the table gifts. Though this is a ceremonial meal, it is no less real. The elements of bread and wine represent all food and drink for which we give thanks to God and then share in common. The meal nourishes us in our physical existence, it strengthens our corporate fellowship, it binds us to a common cause and witness. But we never do this of ourselves. Christ does it in us and for us, for he is the Lord and Servant of us all. An Order of Worship, 64 The Offertory: The Offertory is the setting of the festal table. It is an act in which the participants share, because the gifts laid upon it are their contributions out of the labor and vocations of their lives. The elements of the meal are offered on the table the bread and the wine which we make out of God s created bounty. These will be the substance of our meal. But we offer also many other gifts that will be used in the Church s 13

work of mission and love. These share also in the blessing and useful purpose of this meal. The liturgies of all churches provide for hymns and anthems or appropriate texts from the Scriptures to be said or sung during the offertory ceremonies. An Order of Worship, 65 The Thanksgiving: Before we partake of the gifts on the table, we give God thanks. This custom and privilege were taken over by the early Christians from the Jews, and conform to our Lord s own giving of thanks to his Father, before he broke the bread, and gave it and the cup to his disciples at the Last Supper. The Thanksgiving is an essential part of every celebration, and in every liturgy ancient and modern it is the primary text that gives definition and meaning to what we are doing. Hence the early Christians called the entire rite Eucharist, from a Greek word meaning thanksgiving. When we thank God for a gift, we thereby acknowledge that it is God s, to be used for God s purpose. And so in many traditions this great Thanksgiving is commonly called a Prayer of Consecration. The elements and indeed the entire action, take on a new significance by open and solemn recognition of the author and giver of all good things, and above all for what these elements and this action represent to us by the redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Thanksgiving is a recital of the wondrous works of God the whole gospel is summarized in it. In the ancient Jewish thanksgiving at formal religious meals, such as Jesus offered at the Last Supper, the recital had three themes: praise to God for the creation and God s providence over our lives; thanksgiving for God s calling and care of God s chosen people; and petition for the consummation of God s purpose in the coming of the Kingdom. Christians took over this form and transposed it into a confession of their own faith in Christ as the final revelation of God s love and grace, both now and in the world to come. The text of this Thanksgiving is newly composed and does not conform verbally to any of the thanksgivings in use among our churches. It is nonetheless a variation upon an old and time-honored theme. An Order of Worship, 66-67 The text of this prayer has been emended slightly for use on this occasion. Four versions of the Words of Institution are recorded in the Bible. They provide a record of the way that Jesus modified the traditional language of the meal so that from that time onward he would be remembered every time that his friends and followers broke bread and drank from the cup of blessing. At a time of conflict in the church in Corinth, Paul recounted these words which he had received from the Lord and handed on to you (1 Corinthians 11:23). In accordance with Jesus instruction that they Do this in remembrance of me (1 Corinthians 11:26) the churches have included these words as a necessary part of their communion liturgies. In churches of the Reformed Tradition, they have often been used as the beginning portion of the liturgy of the table, repeated as a warrant or presentation of the authority by which this action is being done. Many churches have used the words of institution as the text recited during the breaking of bread and pouring of the cup in preparation for the act of communion. The pattern with longest historical precedent is to include them in the eucharistic 14

prayer as the central portion of the remembering of Jesus. This is the pattern following in An Order of Worship. The Breaking of Bread: And when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it. The one loaf must be broken, the one cup must be poured out, if they are to be shared. This is the mystery of communion. The precious thing has value only as it is expended. Christ gave his life that life might be received. The secret of all spiritual gifts is that they increase in power only as they are spent in service. An Order of Worship, 69 The Communion: The consummation of the service is in the communion. Like the offertory, it is an act of all the people present, and its meaning is exhibited in the act itself. It does not need many words. Yet devotion is often assisted by suitable texts which are sung during this ceremony, whether by the congregation or by a choir. An Act of Praise: We give thanks not only before, but also after meals, and especially at a feast such as this, with its extraordinary blessing. It may take the form of a hymn or a prayer or both. The Dismissal: The communion does not end here. It sends us forth into the world to serve and bear witness. But we do not depart without the assurance of God s peace and blessing, and the certainty of the aid of God s Holy Spirit. An Order of Worship, 70-71 15