Eucharist

In my personal relationship to ritual, religious practice, and thought, I appreciate words and acts that can be tied to the early Christian movement and the ministry of Jesus because it provides me an emotional connection to both Christ and Christians throughout time and space.  Words from the Didache (“As this broken bread was scattered over the mountains, and when brought together became one, so let your Church be brought together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom” (Duck, 187, quoting the Didache)) would be useful in both communicating these ideas and referencing a document from a very early point in the Christian movement.  Since it might make sense, from this theological standpoint, to sometimes use prayers from early Christian documents, it would perhaps also make sense to give a small history of the document used (ie: “The Didache is a document from a Christian community in Syria from the late first or early second century).  Calling back to the biblical accounts of the Last Supper, as in the prayer by Christopher Grundy on page 203 of Duck, could also accomplish the task of historical connection while incorporating theological frameworks palatable to a diverse congregation as one finds in a non-creedal church like that of the UCC.  As Duck reminds us, “remembering these biblical accounts assures us that sharing meals was at the heart of the day-to-day ministry of Jesus and of the earliest church” (Duck, 184).

I would like to see the Eucharist practiced weekly in my church, although my denomination typically shares the Eucharist monthly.  The print in the bulletin and/or the prayer surrounding the meal could reflect the liturgical season, holiday, or other events in the life of the church.  For instance, an Earth Day service could frame the Eucharist in a way that “remind[s] us how dependent we are on the fertility of nature and on the work of humans” (White, 118) or a service celebrating an outreach trip could emphasize how the early practice of Communion welcomed all to the table equally while providing sustenance and leftovers to those who were in need (Bradshaw, 44).  In all services it would be important to me to stress Open Communion, perhaps making biblical reference to Jesus’ radical interpretation of community and to how Jesus ate with society’s outcasts, despite purity rules and social expectations of his time (Bradshaw, 42) and expressing the historical reality that  “sharing a meal together has always been one of the main ways in which human beings have expressed friendship and mutual acceptance” (Bradshaw, 41).  Thus, as an example, for an Earth Day service, the following information might be provided in the church bulletin:

“We invite all present to participate in Communion, despite whatever religious background you bring to the table.  We remember the ministry of Jesus in this meal and the diverse spiritual community he created. The Eucharistic meal has been shared from the earliest moments in the Christian movement in a variety of ways and in a variety of communities and today we take our part in that beautiful web.  This meal draws us together with our brothers and sisters in different times and places and reminds us of Jesus’ radical act of inviting everyone to the table, including those who society told him were not worthy.  We believe that all are created in the image of God and equally qualified to take part in the spiritual meal and experience it in ways that are meaningful to our own hearts.  At this Earth Day service, in partaking of the cup and bread, we are reminded of the ways that Earth provides for us.  As we take sustenance from this meal, both physically and spiritually, we are reminded of our responsibility to the earth and our role as stewards of creation.  As this meal exemplifies our relationship with Christ and with each other, we also recognize how it draws us into reciprocity with the planet.”

Referencing Ruth Duck's "Worship for the Whole People of God" and Paul Bradshaw's "Early Christian Worship: A Basic Introduction to Ideas and Practice"