Baptist liturgies? esp for communion

[rickwright01]

[Joshua Villines]

[rickwright01]

[Joshua Villines]

Rick,

Kudos to you for working with your congregation on this. I know that I'm telling you something you already know; but, if presented correctly, it should never be awkward for believers.

It is the family meal of the body of Christ, the oldest ritual of the Church (easily on par with baptism; and with fewer variations), the common thread that reinforces our sense of belonging in our community, and - most importantly - a tangible reminder of grace.

If you'd like, you're welcome to use my lecture notes on in conversations with your congregation. (As a side note, I'll be taking a course in the Spring on Eucharistic liturgies. This program is a dream come true for me ).

_________________________

Here's the liturgy we use for the ABC (taken directly from a bulletin, apologies for formatting errors). Why the ABC puts the Agnus Dei after the actual consumption of the elements, I dunno. I could also live without the "signs of" phrase in the closing prayer. Note also that the Lord's Prayer is an adaptation done by one of our staff members. Personally, I don't think you should monkey with the Lord's Prayer; but what do I know?:

THE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION

Gracious God, in whom we live and move and have our being, we lift our hearts and offer thanks to you for the wonders of the world about us, for humankind and the richness of love, for each new day of forgiveness and grace. With thanksgiving we remember the one who was with you from the beginning, through whom all things were made, whose life is the light of the world and who became flesh and lived among us as Jesus the Christ. For his life and ministry, for his teaching and example, and for his love,

We thank you, O God.
For his victory on the cross,
We thank you, O God.
For the hope that comes through his resurrection,
We thank you, O God.
For the promise that in him all things shall be made new,
We thank you, O God.

Grant, O God, that your Holy Spirit may be with us, and that through the bread and wine set apart for remembrance and thanksgiving Christ may come to dwell among us, and through him we may know you, whom to know is life eternal.

The Lord’s Prayer
Gracious God in heaven, Hallowed is your name.
May your realm come, your 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 it is your realm,
your power, and your glory forever. Amen.

The Words of Institution

The Sharing of the Eucharist
Communion will be served by intinction, that is, the bread is dipped into the cup and then consumed.
Those wishing to have the Eucharist brought to them, please alert an usher with an uplifted hand.
Grape juice will be served from the Lectern (right) side; wine will be served from the Pulpit (left) side.

The Music for Communion Largo in G G. F. Handel

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us your peace.

Let us pray to the Lord:
Most merciful God, take our hands, which have held that which is consecrated, and work through them; Take our lips, which have tasted the signs of the body and blood of our Lord, and speak through them; Take our bodies, which have received the bread and wine, and make them fit temples of your Spirit; Take our minds and mold them, that our thoughts may be your thoughts; Take our hearts and fill them with your love, that we may truly serve you in the world. Amen.

Let us go forth in Christ.
Thanks be to God!



Today’s Communion liturgy is adapted from A Manual of Worship, New Edition, 1993, the worship book of the American Baptist Churches, USA.

[Joshua Villines]

Here's a Disciples liturgy that I adapted for use at an ecumenical service on World Communion Sunday (the opening paragraph is mine). I can bold the congregational responses for you if you like:

“The single oldest tradition of the Christian Church is the act of sharing in the Eucharist. By gathering and sharing together in this sacred meal we who are part of the Berry family remember that we are also joined as part of the Body of Christ. Today is World Communion Sunday, and hundreds of millions of Christians will likewise share in the body and blood of Jesus Christ today. In universally partaking in this common act we remind ourselves and each other that whatever differences separate us, we are united by the love, mercy, and sacrifice of our Saviour.”

*The Invitation to Communion
Let us come to the table of communion, not because we must, but because we may.
Let us sit together in humility and thanksgiving rather than in pride or possessiveness.
Let us confess, not that we are righteous, but that we love our Lord Jesus Christ and desire to remember him.
Let us come, not that we are strong, but that we are needy; not that we have any claim on Christ, but that he invites us to receive his grace and experience his presence.
Let us worthily partake, that he may be made known to us in the breaking of bread.

The Words of Institution

The Prayer of Consecration
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O God, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection and ascension, we off you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy sacrament and serve you in unity constancy and peace and carry the Good News of your love into all the world. And at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your kingdom. All this we ask through your Son, Jesus Christ. By him and with him and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever. AMEN

The Invitation to the Table
The bread which we break,
Is it not a means of sharing in the body of Christ?
The cup of blessing which we bless,
Is it not a means of sharing in the blood of Christ?
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body.
For we all partake of the one bread.

The Sharing of the Eucharist

The Communal Response
Your death, O Lord, we commemorate
Your resurrection we confess
Your final coming we await
Glory be to you, O Christ

The Postcommunion Prayer
O God, we join with our sisters and brothers around the world
in remembering Christ’s sacrifice for us. Let us go forth in Christ.
Thanks be to God.

[Joshua Villines]

Now for an even longer post. I once led a "Women in Bread & Wine" service several years ago. Here are the scriptures that were read:

Gen 1:19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Gen 27:5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "I heard your father say to your brother Esau, 7"Bring me game, and prepare for me savory food to eat , that I may bless you before the LORD before I die.' 8Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I command you. 9Go to the flock, and get me two choice kids, so that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he likes; 10and you shall take it to your father to eat , so that he may bless you before he dies."

Ruth 2:14 At mealtime Bo'az said to her, "Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.

I Sam 1:7 So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat .

I Sam 28:16 He refused, and said, "I will not eat ." But his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he listened to their words. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed. 24Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house. She quickly slaughtered it, and she took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened cakes. 25She put them before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night. – [“the woman” is the medium in Endor]

2 Sam 13:8 So Ta'mar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. 9Then she took the pan and set them out before him, but he refused to eat . Am'non said, "Send out everyone from me." So everyone went out from him. 10Then Am'non said to Ta'mar, "Bring the food into the chamber, so that I may eat from your hand." So Ta'mar took the cakes she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Am'non her brother. 11But when she brought them near him to eat , he took hold of her, and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister."

Job 1:4 His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another's houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

Song of S 14:16 …Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits. 5:1I come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I gather my myrrh with my spice, I eat my honeycomb with my honey, I drink my wine with my milk. Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love.

Luke 10:38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. 40But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me."

Genesis 19:30 Now Lot went up out of Zo'ar and settled in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to stay in Zo'ar; so he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31And the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the world. 32Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring through our father."

Genesis 24:15 Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah, who was born to Bethu'el son of Mil'cah, the wife of Na'hor, Abraham's brother, coming out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16The girl was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. 17Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me sip a little water from your jar." 18"Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19When she had finished giving him a drink , she said, "I will draw for your camels also, until they have finished drinking."

I Kings 17:10 So he set out and went to Zar'ephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink."… 15She went and did as Eli'jah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days…23Eli'jah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Eli'jah said, "See, your son is alive."

Song of S 8:2 I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of the one who bore me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranates.

John 4:7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink ."

[Joshua Villines]

And here are the words of institution (This is all my stuff. Feel free to use it, but I would appreciate a footnote.):

For the Bread:

It is the fruit of the Tree of knowledge, which we have all eaten in secret, and which our mother Eve was the first to taste.

It is the meal prepared by Rebekah that her sons’ birthright might be safeguarded and the fate of her grandchildren, the nation of Israel, kept secure.

It is the bread shared by Ruth and Boaz, carrying in it’s savor the first hint of love.

It is the bread refused by Hannah, in her fear of rejection by the LORD.

It is the bread prepared in haste by an unnamed wise woman, that a weak and self-pitying King Saul might find strength again.

It is the bread baked in compassion by Tamar, the instrument of her brother’s deceit and violent betrayal.

It is the bread shared in celebration by the daughters of Job, in the days before their destruction.

It is the meal prepared by Martha, as she offered sanctuary and nourishment to bedraggled group of rowdy youths, and one gentle teacher who happened to change the world.

Its flesh is even the very flesh of God, its salt is the very tears of God our Mother, who has wept in sadness and in celebration at all that this meal can mean.

_____________

For the Wine:

This is the water offered by Rebekah to Jacob, a promise of covenants yet to come.

It too is the cup of an unnamed widow, who in a time of famine offered to share what little water she had with the prophet of God, and in so doing saved the life of her son.

It is the wine offered by one lover to another in the Song of Songs, an intimate offering of generous abandon.

It is the water drawn by a Samaritan woman, offered to one who promised her a fountain that would not cease.

[Joshua Villines]

A note on the words of institution. I strongly recommend memorizing them, so that you can make eye contact with the congregation while holding the elements and saying them.

I use the same (Episcopal II) words of institution no matter what service I am doing (with the exception of special services like the one above.

-Joshua

[Joshua Villines]

Timothy,

I think I cite the CUIC book in the bibliography ; but now I can't remember which one it was.

I don't remember there being a sample liturgy in there though, although there was some very good stuff.

-Joshua

[Hal Eaton]

[Howard]

Howard: This discussion has been interesting. In the past I've not been much interested in liturgical kinds of services. I'm probably more open to such now than I've ever been.

I try never to preach the same sermon more than one time. I write an individual service for every individual wedding. This keeps me from feeling stale. In Sunday School I do teach the same passages more than once but I always study the passage again and anew and make new notes.

Having said that, I do see the value in repetition. I guess I just like the repetition that is more like looking at the same diamond turning slowly in the light and marveling at all the various sparkles though it is the same diamond just seem from a slightly different angle. Following a liturgy for a service [like some you all have offered] would be refreshing. Repeating the same with any great frequency would be wearing - Kind of like, years ago, when I read the KJV exclusively and regularly, then suddenly began reading the Phillips NT - how refreshing!

A friend told me he was glad he was an Episcapalian for he already knew what his funeral would be like for all Episcopal funerals were the same [I do not know that to be a fact] but that strikes me as being a sameness I can do without especially knowing God values every individuals uniqueness.

Just my 2 cents worth. But a great discussion.