DOCSLIB.ORG

Iue/L,,.-1~ D ~BRIDE, Ph.D

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Iue/L,,.-1~ D ~BRIDE, Ph.D McCORMICK THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TOWARD A MORE OPEN AND WELCOMING TABLE: EUCHARISTIC THEOLOGY AND SOCIO-POLITICAL ETHICS IN THE REFORMED TRADITION A THESIS IN THE PRACTICE OF MINISTRY SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY by THE REV. ERIC 0. LEDERMANN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MAY2017 ~ iue/l,,.-1~ D ~BRIDE, Ph.D. REV. DR. JOHN D. SCHMIDT, Ed.D. Associate Dean of Doctor of Ministry Programs THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBMITTED WITH PERMISSION TO McCORMICK THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY FOR ITS DISTRIBUTION TO INTERESTED PERSONS ABSTRACT Eric O. Ledermann TOWARD A MORE OPEN AND WELCOMING TABLE: EUCHARISTIC THEOLOGY AND SOCIO-POLITICAL ETHICS IN THE REFORMED TRADITION Prior to 312 CE the Eucharist was a subversive act in protest of the exclusionary social, political, and economic stratification of the Roman Empire, and an eschatological statement of solidarity with those oppressed and marginalized by empire. Since the Church was adopted by the empire, it has suffered from a schizophrenic battle of identity between its collusion and its call to radical grace, hospitality, inclusion, and solidarity with those Empire seeks to marginalize. Using Cláudio Carvalhaes’ concept of "borderless borders," this paper challenges the Christian Church to consider the broader social, political, and ethical implications of Eucharist. A truly open table should be the hallmark and practice of the Church of Jesus the Christ, who ate with tax collectors and sinners. It should be a practice that guides our lives, individually and collectively, at all of our tables of fellowship, including the ones we still need to build. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Background ................................................................................................................................... 10 Research & Literature ................................................................................................................... 14 Greco-Roman Banquets ............................................................................................................ 15 Christian Banquets / Eucharistic Communion .......................................................................... 17 Eucharistic and the Reformed Tradition ................................................................................... 21 Ways of Living Influencing Ways of Believing ....................................................................... 24 Eschatological Imagination ....................................................................................................... 26 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................. 32 Objectives, Strategies, and Implementation .................................................................................. 35 The Project ................................................................................................................................ 37 Table Fellowship Narratives ................................................................................................. 37 Questionnaire ........................................................................................................................ 38 Sermon Series ....................................................................................................................... 39 Adult Education Class (outline) ............................................................................................ 40 Eucharist Experiments/Experiences ...................................................................................... 41 Border Fence Experience (UKIRK) ...................................................................................... 42 Stories of Exploration and Learning ............................................................................................. 44 The Radical Inclusiveness of God’s Love ................................................................................ 44 The Power of the Table ............................................................................................................. 45 Re-imagining the Eucharistic Table .......................................................................................... 46 Eucharist Beyond the Table ...................................................................................................... 47 Deipnon of Fellowship and Mutuality ...................................................................................... 48 Restructuring for a Eucharistic Life .......................................................................................... 49 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix A – Image of Typical Greek and Roman Banquet ....................................................... 56 Appendix B – Images of Un-Eucharistic Communion ................................................................. 57 Appendix C – Sermon Series: “Do This in Remembrance of Me” .............................................. 58 Part 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 58 Part 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 61 Part 3 ......................................................................................................................................... 65 Part 4 ......................................................................................................................................... 67 Part 5 ......................................................................................................................................... 70 Appendix D – Adult Christian Education Class Outline .............................................................. 74 Appendix E – Liturgy for Agape Feast: Redrawing the Borders of Love .................................... 82 Photos of the Agape Feast ......................................................................................................... 89 Appendix F – World Communion Eucharistic Liturgy ................................................................ 90 Appendix G – Reflection Narrative/Interview Request ................................................................ 94 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 96 Dedicated to my wife and children, that they may find in the Church a community of welcome and encouragement in their faith journeys, to those who struggle to find a community to which they can belong, and to the Christian Church that she may continually discover new ways of being in the world for the sake of the oppressed and marginalized. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am thankful to the community of Christian faith at University Presbyterian Church in Tempe, Arizona, for their tenaciously questioning and progressive spirit, their deep and searching Christian faith, their willingness to take risks, and their support in my pursuit of a Doctor of Ministry degree. I am thankful for the faculty and staff at McCormick Theological Seminary for the opportunity to be stretched and challenged in my faith and the practice of ministry through the Doctor of Ministry program. I especially want to thank the Rev. Dr. John E. Schmidt, my dedicated advisor, who challenged me and encouraged me, often in the same breath. The Rev. Dr. Jeff Japinga, director of the D.Min. program at McCormick through most of my work, was always supportive, encouraging, and understanding, and made sure there was coffee available for those long days of class time. Even more so, he presented himself as a partner in our endeavor, always ready to go out for a beer to talk about whatever we needed to talk about. The Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes was instrumental in giving focus and shape to this project with his counsel and his writing. His unwavering support was a strong encouragement along the way. You are an amazing teacher in the Way of Jesus, and a blessing to the Church—even as you challenge her to continue the struggle to broaden her perspective. If there is one person who has been most supportive and encouraging to me, even in my discouragements, it has been my wife, Sindy. She has pushed me and challenged me, and appropriately threatened me (lovingly) when I even hinted at not finishing. You are my best friend, my confidant, and the love of my life. I thank God constantly for bringing us together. I am also thankful for the support of my children, Sam and Dani. They encouraged my study and worked really hard to be quiet when daddy had to read, study, and write. You two continue to amaze me with your exploration and insights into the world. I know I can be hard on you sometimes. But, as so many parents say, it is because I love you, want the best for you, and believe God has blessed you and that you are capable of so much in this life. I trust that God will continue to guide you and encourage you to hone your gifts, discover new ones, and shape your contribution to the communal whole. Unfortunately, for too many worshipers today, the Sunday ritual enactment of the Lord’s Supper,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bread and Wine. Even Though I Am Sure Jesus and His Disciples Drank Wine the Night of the Passover… Traditionally, the Passover Seder Involved Wine
    FIXING THE FAMILY FEAST 1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34 We’re a month removed from the holidays, and I’m sure you enjoyed the time you spent with your family. But family get-togethers can be stressful. Ask any police officer, and he or she will tell you family fights become more frequent around the holidays. Researchers say 75% of us have at least one family member that annoys us. And when forced to interact with that person it doesn’t always go so well. Arguments break out… Disagreements occur… Even fights erupt… I read of a recent incident in Point Marion, PA. According to his mother, George is a usually an easy-going guy. But when his daughter-in-law, who was cooking him dinner, served baked chicken rather than fried chicken it set him off. George thought the chicken was too dry. Apparently, he verbalized his complaint. The family dinner turned violent when the daughter-in-law picked up a chair and threw it at George. The fight spilled out onto the sidewalk in front of the house, where neighbors and police finally got involved. Well, welcome to the dinners hosted by the Church at Corinth! When the Corinthian Christians came together to eat and share a meal the results weren’t much better. Rather than a celebration - rather than a happy convocation - their church-wide pot lucks had become a time of tension, and greed, and quarreling, and division. M1 This is what Paul addresses in the second half of 1 Corinthians 11… His goal is to fix their family feast! Verse 17, “Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.” Paul has been addressing troubles in the Church at Corinth, and beginning in Chapter 11 he discusses problems involving their public assembly.
    [Show full text]
  • The SPIRIT of GRACE GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH 820 Howard Street PO Box 596 Carthage MO 64836 417-358-4631 Fax 417-358-6775 [email protected] Gracecarthage.Org
    EASTER 2013 The SPIRIT of GRACE GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH 820 Howard Street PO Box 596 Carthage MO 64836 417-358-4631 fax 417-358-6775 [email protected] gracecarthage.org BLESSING BRICKS From the Rectory: The Very Rev. Steven C. Wilson For $30, you can honor friends & family in our Bible garden with an en- The single most important event which matters... graved paving brick. See the in the Christian calendar is the Christianity hinges on the his- “Great Triduum,” the three day re- toric details of these days. No one display in the Parish House. membrance of Christ’s death, burial of any real historical merit ques- and resurrection which runs from tions what has just been de- Sunday sunset on Maundy Thursday night scribed. It’s not what people be- • Eucharist 8 & 10:30 to shortly after sunrise on Easter lieved, nor what happened, which • Acolyte Practice 10 morning. In it, a series of services are in dispute. It’s the meaning, • Sunday School 9:15 • Choir Practice 9:45 which have no opening or closing the “why.” • La Santa Misa 12 lines flow into one another, moving The tomb is empty—and that’s • Estudio Biblico 1:30 from tragedy to exhaustion to tri- rather unusual. It requires a faith Monday: Fr Estes in umph in a seamless whole. If we did response. Faith that the apostles • Narcotics Anonymous 7 it “right,” we’d never stop the ser- were frauds who spirited the Tuesday: Fr Wilson in vice during those hours. But even corpse away, that the cowards • Men’s Social @ St Luke’s 9:30 Episcopalians have to sleep some- who ran from the police suddenly • Coro en Espanol 5 times, right? became master con men.
    [Show full text]
  • Holy Week Booklet
    HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE OF SERVICES PALM SUNDAY: 8AM Blessing of the Palms & Holy Eucharist 10AM Liturgy for Palm Sunday & Holy Eucharist WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK: 7:00PM Service of Tenebrae MAUNDY THURSDAY: 7:00PM Agape Meal & Holy Eucharist Stripping of the Altar and Vigil GOOD FRIDAY: 12:00 Noon: Seven Last Words from the Cross as told through Prose, Poetry, and Music including Communion from the Reserved Sacrament HOLY SATURDAY: 9:00AM Liturgy for Holy Saturday followed by preparing the Church for Easter and baptism instruction EASTER SUNDAY: 6:00AM Sunrise Vigil Followed by a casual breakfast 10AM Family Service with Flowering of the Cross Holy Baptism, and Holy Eucharist followed by the Easter Egg Hunt Journey into Holy Week A Guide to Understanding an Ancient Tradition Christ Church, Episcopal 380 Sycamore Avenue Shrewsbury, NJ 07702 The Reverend Lisa Sauber Mitchell, Rector The Reverend Victoria Cuff, Deacon Ms. Chris Psolka, Organist/Choirmaster www.ChristChurchShrewsbury.org [email protected] 732-741-2220 As is our tradition, the Collections during Holy Week are designated for the Church in Jerusalem. Checks should be made out to the “Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society”, with “Holy Week Offering” on the Memo line of the check. “The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia. Who for our sake hung upon the Tree; Alleluia, alleluia. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.” Dear friends, Holy Week is unique in the experience of the Church. From Palm Sunday to the Day of Resurrection (Easter) those who determine to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his first disciples will find themselves slowly entering a realm unlike any they have known before.
    [Show full text]
  • “A Few Thoughts: “ Consubstantiation Vs Transubstantiation...”
    “A few thoughts: “ Consubstantiation vs Transubstantiation...” 28/10/18 I speak in the name of Jesus the Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. A few years I ago I was asked to take a service in a well known protestant church in the City Bowl. The service went off without hitch. I was the Assistant Priest to St Michaels and All Angels in Observatory at the time. This had also been the parish largely responsible for my formation as an ordinand, Deacon and Priest. After the service had finished and I had completed my greetings at the front door to the church, I gathered my belongings and made my way to the church hall to join the parishioners for tea. As I walked past the kitchen I was quite shocked to notice the sacristans pouring the consecrated grape juice from the Mass back into the bottles. Furthermore, the consecrated bread squares were simply tumbled back into a non-descript container in the kitchen. I stopped for a second and paused, not sure what to do. Should I say something? I decided to look the other way. This was not my church. I was a guest here. What the experience did do for me in that split second is challenge me as to what my beliefs were when it came to the Blessed Sacrament. I was immediately reminded of the training I had received at university on the idea of consubstantiation vs transubstantiation. However, before we unpack these academic terms within the context of communion, I feel it may be prudent for us to reflect for a moment on our general understanding of the Eucharist, what it means to us and how the theology works around this crucial sacrament.
    [Show full text]
  • 'It Is Bread and It Is Christ's Body Too': Presence and Sacrifice in The
    ‘It is Bread and it is Christ’s Body Too’: Presence and Sacrifice in the Eucharistic Theology of Jeremy Taylor Paul Andrew Barlow PhD, MA, BSc, PGCE A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dublin City University Supervisor: Dr Joseph Rivera School of Theology, Philosophy and Music July 2019 ii I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of Doctor of Philosophy is entirely my own work, and that I have exercised reasonable care to ensure that the work is original, and does not to the best of my knowledge breach any law of copyright, and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Signed: ID No.:15212014 Date: 15th July 2019 iii iv And yet if men would but do reason, there were in all religion no article which might more easily excuse us from meddling with questions about it than this of the holy sacrament. For as the man in Phaedrus that being asked what he carried hidden under his cloak, answered, it was hidden under his cloak; meaning that he would not have hidden it but that he intended it should be secret; so we may say in this mystery to them that curiously ask what or how it is, mysterium est, ‘it is a sacrament and a mystery;’ by sensible instruments it consigns spiritual graces, by the creatures it brings us to God, by the body it ministers to the Spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • The Catholic Doctrine of Transubstantiation Is Perhaps the Most Well Received Teaching When It Comes to the Application of Greek Philosophy
    Bucknell University Bucknell Digital Commons Honors Theses Student Theses 2010 The aC tholic Doctrine of Transubstantiation: An Exposition and Defense Pat Selwood Bucknell University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.bucknell.edu/honors_theses Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Selwood, Pat, "The aC tholic Doctrine of Transubstantiation: An Exposition and Defense" (2010). Honors Theses. 11. https://digitalcommons.bucknell.edu/honors_theses/11 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses at Bucknell Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Bucknell Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My deepest appreciation and gratitude goes out to those people who have given their support to the completion of this thesis and my undergraduate degree on the whole. To my close friends, Carolyn, Joseph and Andrew, for their great friendship and encouragement. To my advisor Professor Paul Macdonald, for his direction, and the unyielding passion and spirit that he brings to teaching. To the Heights, for the guidance and inspiration they have brought to my faith: Crescite . And lastly, to my parents, whose love, support, and sacrifice have given me every opportunity to follow my dreams. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction………………………………..………………………………………………1 Preface: Explanation of Terms………………...………………………………………......5 Chapter One: Historical Analysis of the Doctrine…………………………………...……9
    [Show full text]
  • Easter Resources (Selected Titles – More Will Be Added) Available To
    Easter Resources (selected titles – more will be added) available to borrow from the United Media Resource Center http://www.igrc.org/umrc Contact Jill Stone at 217-529-2744 or by e-mail at [email protected] or search for and request items using the online catalog Key to age categories: P = preschool e = lower elementary (K-Grade 3) E = upper elementary (Grade 4-6) M = middle school/ junior high H = high school Y = young adult A = adult (age 30-55) S = adult (age 55+) DVDs: 24 HOURS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD (120032) Author: Hamilton, Adam. This seven-session DVD study will help you better understand the events that occurred during the last 24 hours of Jesus' life; to see more clearly the theological significance of Christ's suffering and death; and to reflect upon the meaning of these events for your life. DVD segments: Introduction (1 min.); 1) The Last Supper (11 min.); 2) The Garden of Gethsemane (7 min.); 3) Condemned by the Righteous (9 min.); 4) Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate (9 min.); 5) The Torture and Humiliation of the King (9 min.); 6) The Crucifixion (13 min.); 7) Christ the Victor (11 min.); Bonus: What If Judas Had Lived? (5 min.); Promotional segment (1 min.). Includes leader's guide and hardback book. Age: YA. 77 Minutes. Related book: 24 HOURS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: 40 DAYS OF REFLECTION (811018) Author: Hamilton, Adam. In this companion volume that can also function on its own, Adam Hamilton offers 40 days of reflection and meditation enabling us to pause, dig deeper, and emerge changed forever.
    [Show full text]
  • Different Ways Christians Have Understood Baptism and Eucharist
    4 Ways Christians Have Understood Communion Sacramental Views Eastern Orthodox — “real presence” of unspecified mode Transubstantiation Consubstantiation Receptionism Memorialism the bread is no longer bread, but the bread is not only bread, but the bread is truly the body of the bread is a symbol for us to truly becomes the body of Christ is also truly the body of Christ Christ for those eat with faith remember the death of Jesus Held by Held by Held by Held by Roman Catholics Lutherans, high-church Anglicans Reformed, low-church Anglicans Baptists, nondenominational Big idea Big idea Big idea Big idea When a priest consecrates, the When a priest consecrates, the When a believing person eats Christ doesn’t give us special inner substance of bread and Spirit makes Christ present in the consecrated elements, Christ is grace in Communion; He already wine are transformed into the elements. As in the incarnation, truly present in those people. He gave us grace when we came to body and blood of Christ. The the supernatural does not is neither "in" the elements, nor him in faith. During Communion bread is merely a "veil." exclude the natural. present merely like other times. we remember that. Anglican take Anglican take Anglican Take Official quote Not taught. “After the Accepted. “The true body and Accepted. “The body and blood Not taught. “The members of consecration of bread and wine, blood of Christ are really present of Christ is then, not corporally the Church, by the sacred use of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Supper of our Lord under or carnally, in the bread and bread and wine, are to true God and true man, is truly, the form of bread and wine and wine; but is really, and commemorate together the really, and substantially are there distributed and spiritually, present to the faith of dying love of Christ; preceded contained in the sacrament of received.” (Augsburg Confession) believers in that ordinance.
    [Show full text]
  • Agape Feast Meal Liturgy
    AGAPE FEAST MEAL LITURGY YOU WILL NEED: Bell (or similar sound), bread of any kind, water, a lit candle, and food of any kind you wish to share with those present. If you don’t have a bell, try using sounds from your phone to call you to this brief worship time before a meal. You could also use wind chimes! SOUND OF THE BELL SONG: We are one in the Spirit, we are One in the Lord. We are one in the Spirit, we are One in the Lord; and we pray that all unity may one day be restored. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love. THE BLESSING OF THE MEAL LEADER: How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony! (Psalm 133) Welcome to this meal, in the name of Christ. We come to share in God’s love. PEOPLE: We come to share our food and our lives. LEADER: We come to break bread together, and open ourselves to each other. PEOPLE: We come to express our faith and our thanks. LEADER: May God bless this food and this fellowship. PEOPLE: As we share our food, we give thanks for this abundance, and we remember those who do not have enough. LEADER: May God give food to those who are hungry. PEOPLE: May God give us a hunger for justice, and a determination to serve those who hunger for food. SETTING THE TABLE LEADER: On the table in the midst of this community with whom Christ is present we set symbols to remind us of his promises to us: READER 1: A candle, to remind us of the way, “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life”.
    [Show full text]
  • Do This in Remembrance of Me…» E Sacrificial Aspect of the Eucharist In
    Kjetil Kringlebotten «Do this in remembrance of me…» e sacrificial aspect of the Eucharist in the systematic theology of Wolart Pannenberg and Joseph Ratzinger Master’s esis in Christian Studies (40 ECTS) NLA University College, Bergen, fall 2012 Supervisor: prof. dr. theol. Svein Rise 2 FOREWORD Working with any subject is not something done in isolation, and here I would like to first thank God, who must always be our first priority. I would also like to thank my supervisor, Svein Rise, for words of encouragement and for valuable insights, due in part to his expertice in one of my figurants, Gunnar Innerdal for valuable feedback on my paper on method (attachement 1), and those I have not only studied with, but been good friends with over the last four to five years. A special thanks goes to Ole Christian Martinsen, who has been active in the same ecclesial milieu as me, and who has worked with similar themes as I have, and Karen Marie Hovland, who has herself worked with Pannenberg, and has helped me in my attempt at grasping his theology. A great thanks goes to my fellow ‘inmates’ at my student home Collegium Sta Sunniva, and to my parish in Sandviken. Allow me to finish with some words from Scripture: Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord.
    [Show full text]
  • Glory to God in the Highest “ Luke 2:14A
    CCS“ Glory to God in the highest “ Luke 2:14a Love God. Love People. Extend the Gospel. Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Nov-Dec 2018 INSIDE 1 Meet Our Team 2 Pastor Pete’s 1:1 3 Prayer Points 4 Calvary Women Our Vision 6 Forge 7 KSM 8 Groups To be used of God for the purpose of His glory and His plan for our community 9 Calendar and beyond. We do this by intentionally 11 Thankful and purposefully gathering corporately 12 Kids Corner and in small groups to worship God, 13 Calvary Kids unconditionally love all people, and seek to live out and extend the Gospel of the 14 Missions Kingdom of God, through Jesus Christ. 15 LTN 16 Featuring You 18 Get Connected 19 Get Involved 20 Upcoming 21 Thank You 1 OUR MEET TEAM Pastoral: Staff: DAVID GRISANTI LAURYL ARMSTRONG Missions Pastor Bookkeeper JOSH LOTT LIBBY ARMSTRONG Associate Pastor Upper Elementary Teacher PETER VOORHEES DAWN BALDERRAMA Lead Pastor Administrative Assistant MALISSA BERTELLA Elders: Office Administrator PETER BERTELLA DAN BRIGGS Facilities Manager MIKE BURTON JULIA BURRIER ISAAC HOLMES Lower Elementary Teacher SEAN LYNCH JOHN CARTER Design and Video DON RICHARD ANDREA CORBRIDGE IT Staff: Ministry Operations Lead NATHAN PAGAARD PETER BERTELLA Worship Leader BRYCE CORBRIDGE ROBERTA STEEN Nursery Teacher MEET OUR TEAM 1 November and December tend to be the months that fill up our calendar the most and the fastest. It is one of my most favorite times of year. The weather turns colder, pumpkin spice everything hits the stores,we make our Thanksgiving and Christmas plans, you might play in the annual turkey bowl at the local park, brave the crowds during black Friday shopping, we have our various Christmas parties we attend, and then we decompress during the in-between time of Christmas and New Year’s Day.
    [Show full text]
  • The Centenary Lecture Given at Edinburgh on 11Th and at Aberdeen on 12Th November 1982 by the Rev Principal a Raymond George
    CENTENARY LECTURE: Some New Anaphoras Compared THE CENTENARY LECTURE GIVEN AT EDINBURGH ON 11TH AND AT ABERDEEN ON 12TH NOVEMBER 1982 BY THE REV PRINCIPAL A RAYMOND GEORGE. The liturgiologist, unlike perhaps the person in the pew, will always regard the eucharist, the full service of word and sacrament, preaching-service and the Lord's Supper, as the centre of Christian worship and the anaphora, canon, prayer of consecration, eucharistic prayer of thanksgiving as the centre of the Lord's Supper. We are all familiar with the four-action shape, popularized by Dom Gregory Dix in The Shape of the Liturgy. Our Lord took bread, blessed it (or, as some versions have it) gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and so, apart from the breaking, with the wine; but the Church soon reduced these seven actions to four. We now see that of these four the taking and the breaking were utilitarian, not but what we may well imitate them. The heart of the matter lies in the eating and drinking, together with the grace before meals which precedes them, the thanksgiving which should mark every Christian meal but which on occasions turns the meal into a Christian eucharist. Though the early church had plenty of anaphoras, by the time of the Reformation not many were in widespread use. Though there were other rites, e.g., in the non-Chalcedonian churches of the East and in places such as Milan in the West, the two chief survivors were the liturgy of St Chrysostom (or on occasion St Basil) in the East and the Roman Mass in the West, which assumed what was meant to be its final form in the Tridentine Mass of 1570.
    [Show full text]