St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

How many cups did you say?

May I make my confession in this column, and admit that one of my biggest hates as a vicar is doing communion services? I don’t hate communion itself, but I hate the way it becomes so routine, so much a habit. So I’m always on the look-out for ways to restore some of the freshness it must have carried when Jesus first ate the Passover Meal with his disciples.

In Luke 22:17-22, for instance, there are two cups at the meal. Jesus says of the first “Divide this among yourselves - I will never drink of the vine again until the kingdom of God comes.” Then there’s the bread, and then, after the meal, there’s another cup with the words: “This is the new covenant in my blood.”

But how could you get two cups into the service without completely messing it up? Actually, the truth is even worse. A Jewish Passover meal had four cups of wine passed around. You think two is bad enough.

So I decided to try it when the Deanery Clergy Chapter met at Eccleshill in June. We borrowed some “Methodist” communion beakers from St Augustine’s, and began with a glass of orange squash with the words “The Lord be with you / and also with you”. Then for communion I invited everyone to sit in the chancel. Sherry glasses of grape juice were handed out and after Jesus’ words, drunk again with this response. Then half the Eucharistic Prayer, and the bread, and then the other half of the prayer and the communion wine (in a chalice, passed round).

And then, finally, the last cup can obviously be the coffee afterwards, so we had it in the narthex with Jaffa cakes and other goodies. (The full liturgy is set out below* if you want to inspect it).

What’s the point? Is it just a bit of a gimmick? Could it say anything to us about our relationship with God? Well, I can’t speak for everyone else, but I thought it brought out a lot more of the different aspects of Christ’s self-sacrifice on the cross. The drama of conflict is brought out as Jesus goes straight on to talking about his betrayer. And it made the connection between worship and chatting over coffee.

So when shall we do it on a Sunday, then? Aha! That’s for me to know, and you to guess.

John Hartley

* The liturgy didn't appear in the magazine, through lack of space, but we published it on the web site at the time and later incorporated it onto this page.

Lucan Communion
"… according to St Luke, but strangely Anglican?"

Notes. This service took place on Tuesday 8th June 2003 at a meeting of Calverley Deanery Chapter. The gospel reading from Luke 22 is incorporated into the eucharistic prayer, and since it was a Tuesday we weren't obliged to use the creed.

Rationale. Some scholars (e.g. John Wilkinson "The Supper and the Eucharist" Macmillan 1965) think the Last Supper was a Passover Meal, in which case it will have had four cups of wine. The two cups of St Luke's narrative are part of the evidence for this theory. But how could you do such a thing in a Church of England setting without ruining the whole flow of the service?

Practicalities. The first shared drink was orange squash in Methodist communion cups handed round in the nave. Everyone took a cup and waited, then the words were said, then we all drank together. At the Peace we all went into the chancel and sat in the choir stalls. The second drink was a non-alcoholic grape juice in sherry glasses handed round, and again we all drank together. The bread was a slice of supermarket-white, pre-cut into little pieces, and received in the choir stalls. The third drink was communion wine in the chalice, again received in the choir stalls. The fourth drink was coffee or tea served in the narthex room, and we again all took our first sip together. There were also Jaffa cakes and other goodies.

ORDER OF SERVICE

Welcome & Introduction

Hymn O breath of life, come sweeping ...

The first cup:

(The glasses of orange juice are distributed.)
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
(We all drink together)

Collect for purity

Collect Trinity 3

Epistle

Acts 2:14-21 read by two readers - one the narrator and one the prophet Joel.

Illustrated talk

This was a repeat of a previous Pentecost Sunday sermon, and you can find an abridged version in our parish magazine for June 2001

Credal Song

I believe in God: the Father, Son,
Holy Spirit, three in one ...
Words: John Hartley (see page 4.)
Tune: I'm a little teapot

Responsive Confession:

To each aspect of confession:
Father God
forgive us by your Son
and stir us by your Spirit

Intercessions Some led, and then a time of open prayer.

The Peace, and go to the chancel.

The second cup:

(The glasses of grape juice are distributed.)
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfilment in the kingdom of God."
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." (Luke 22:14-18 NIV)
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
(we all drink together)

The bread:

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
Father, you made the world ...
(... the first half of Eucharistic Prayer E ...)
...may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.
On the night before he died
he had supper with his friends.
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to them, saying,
"This is my body given for you;
do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19 NIV)
The bread is passed round with the usual words of reception.

The third cup:

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
which is poured out for you.
But the hand of him who is going to betray me
is with mine on the table.
The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed." (Luke 22:20-22a NIV)
So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did ...
(... the rest of Eucharistic Prayer E ...)
... for ever and ever. Amen.
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:
Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
(Luke 11:2-4 - The Message, Eugene Petersen)
Every time we drink this cup
We proclaim the Lord's death until he comes
(the cup of wine is passed round with the usual words)

Post-communion Prayer Trinity 3

Hymn Shine, Jesus, Shine

Dismissal and go to the narthex

The fourth cup:

(Tea / coffee is served and everyone takes a cup.)
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
(We all drink together)

POSTSCRIPT

On the back of the service leaflet appeared a quick quiz:

True or false? Ten things you didn't want to know…

The bread and wine and collection are brought to the front half way through the service because God's blessing is conditional on us offering first.
The priest has to consume the bread and wine after the service because Cranmer didn't want him opening a whole bottle of wine and taking most of it home to have with his Sunday dinner.
The reason churches use wafers for communion is because they don't go off.
The reason the C of E insists clergy should use an authorised Eucharistic Prayer is because it doesn't trust their doctrine if they were allowed to pray extempore.
The Book of Common Prayer calls the top table an Altar and so should we.
The purpose of the coloured cloths over the plate and cup is to keep the dirt off. After all, Psalm 84 shows that even the OT Temple had roof problems.
Churches have wooden communion tables instead of stone ones because they're cheaper.
If they add a bit of water to the cup of wine, that's in order to dilute the taste.
When St Paul wrote about discerning the body of Christ in communion services, he was referring to our understanding of the specialness of the bread and wine.
You can date the rise of daily eucharistic celebrations in the medieval church by looking at regulations for the celibacy of the priesthood.

(A prize of a little piece of bread for the most correct answers.)

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. August 2003, Page 2.
Home Page. Index of articles. Worship: index, Creed 2, Humble Access, HC prayers, Braille & Tapes, How many cups? In this issue: (August 2003) Bruce, 4-cup HC, Song, History, Homosexuality, Bradford Logo.	How many cups did you say? May I make my confession in this column, and admit that one of my biggest hates as a vicar is doing communion services? I don’t hate communion itself, but I hate the way it becomes so routine, so much a habit. So I’m always on the look-out for ways to restore some of the freshness it must have carried when Jesus first ate the Passover Meal with his disciples. In Luke 22:17-22, for instance, there are two cups at the meal. Jesus says of the first “Divide this among yourselves - I will never drink of the vine again until the kingdom of God comes.” Then there’s the bread, and then, after the meal, there’s another cup with the words: “This is the new covenant in my blood.” But how could you get two cups into the service without completely messing it up? Actually, the truth is even worse. A Jewish Passover meal had four cups of wine passed around. You think two is bad enough. So I decided to try it when the Deanery Clergy Chapter met at Eccleshill in June. We borrowed some “Methodist” communion beakers from St Augustine’s, and began with a glass of orange squash with the words “The Lord be with you / and also with you”. Then for communion I invited everyone to sit in the chancel. Sherry glasses of grape juice were handed out and after Jesus’ words, drunk again with this response. Then half the Eucharistic Prayer, and the bread, and then the other half of the prayer and the communion wine (in a chalice, passed round). And then, finally, the last cup can obviously be the coffee afterwards, so we had it in the narthex with Jaffa cakes and other goodies. (The full liturgy is set out below* if you want to inspect it). What’s the point? Is it just a bit of a gimmick? Could it say anything to us about our relationship with God? Well, I can’t speak for everyone else, but I thought it brought out a lot more of the different aspects of Christ’s self-sacrifice on the cross. The drama of conflict is brought out as Jesus goes straight on to talking about his betrayer. And it made the connection between worship and chatting over coffee. So when shall we do it on a Sunday, then? Aha! That’s for me to know, and you to guess. John Hartley * The liturgy didn't appear in the magazine, through lack of space, but we published it on the web site at the time and later incorporated it onto this page. Lucan Communion "… according to St Luke, but strangely Anglican?" Notes. This service took place on Tuesday 8th June 2003 at a meeting of Calverley Deanery Chapter. The gospel reading from Luke 22 is incorporated into the eucharistic prayer, and since it was a Tuesday we weren't obliged to use the creed. Rationale. Some scholars (e.g. John Wilkinson "The Supper and the Eucharist" Macmillan 1965) think the Last Supper was a Passover Meal, in which case it will have had four cups of wine. The two cups of St Luke's narrative are part of the evidence for this theory. But how could you do such a thing in a Church of England setting without ruining the whole flow of the service? Practicalities. The first shared drink was orange squash in Methodist communion cups handed round in the nave. Everyone took a cup and waited, then the words were said, then we all drank together. At the Peace we all went into the chancel and sat in the choir stalls. The second drink was a non-alcoholic grape juice in sherry glasses handed round, and again we all drank together. The bread was a slice of supermarket-white, pre-cut into little pieces, and received in the choir stalls. The third drink was communion wine in the chalice, again received in the choir stalls. The fourth drink was coffee or tea served in the narthex room, and we again all took our first sip together. There were also Jaffa cakes and other goodies. ORDER OF SERVICE Welcome & Introduction Hymn O breath of life, come sweeping ... The first cup: (The glasses of orange juice are distributed.) The Lord be with you and also with you. (We all drink together) Collect for purity Collect Trinity 3 Epistle Acts 2:14-21 read by two readers - one the narrator and one the prophet Joel. Illustrated talk This was a repeat of a previous Pentecost Sunday sermon, and you can find an abridged version in our parish magazine for June 2001 Credal Song I believe in God: the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, three in one ... Words: John Hartley (see page 4.) Tune: I'm a little teapot Responsive Confession: To each aspect of confession: Father God forgive us by your Son and stir us by your Spirit Intercessions Some led, and then a time of open prayer. The Peace, and go to the chancel. The second cup: (The glasses of grape juice are distributed.) When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfilment in the kingdom of God." After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." (Luke 22:14-18 NIV) The Lord be with you and also with you. (we all drink together) The bread: Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give thanks and praise. Father, you made the world ... (... the first half of Eucharistic Prayer E ...) ...may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son. On the night before he died he had supper with his friends. And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19 NIV) The bread is passed round with the usual words of reception. The third cup: In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed." (Luke 22:20-22a NIV) So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did ... (... the rest of Eucharistic Prayer E ...) ... for ever and ever. Amen. As our Saviour taught us, so we pray: Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. (Luke 11:2-4 - The Message, Eugene Petersen) Every time we drink this cup We proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (the cup of wine is passed round with the usual words) Post-communion Prayer Trinity 3 Hymn Shine, Jesus, Shine Dismissal and go to the narthex The fourth cup: (Tea / coffee is served and everyone takes a cup.) The Lord be with you and also with you. (We all drink together) POSTSCRIPT On the back of the service leaflet appeared a quick quiz: True or false? Ten things you didn't want to know… The bread and wine and collection are brought to the front half way through the service because God's blessing is conditional on us offering first. The priest has to consume the bread and wine after the service because Cranmer didn't want him opening a whole bottle of wine and taking most of it home to have with his Sunday dinner. The reason churches use wafers for communion is because they don't go off. The reason the C of E insists clergy should use an authorised Eucharistic Prayer is because it doesn't trust their doctrine if they were allowed to pray extempore. The Book of Common Prayer calls the top table an Altar and so should we. The purpose of the coloured cloths over the plate and cup is to keep the dirt off. After all, Psalm 84 shows that even the OT Temple had roof problems. Churches have wooden communion tables instead of stone ones because they're cheaper. If they add a bit of water to the cup of wine, that's in order to dilute the taste. When St Paul wrote about discerning the body of Christ in communion services, he was referring to our understanding of the specialness of the bread and wine. You can date the rise of daily eucharistic celebrations in the medieval church by looking at regulations for the celibacy of the priesthood. (A prize of a little piece of bread for the most correct answers.)
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