Our Language for Eucharistic Prayer                                                                                              Rev. Barbara Abbott        A sacred meal with blessing, thanks and a story of remembrance and hope was and remains part of Jewish life. Jesus, eating with his disciples before his betrayal and arrest, added words over the bread and wine: “This is my body, this is my blood.” An old rite became a new one with deep significance for the early church which quite literally organized its life around these words over the sharing of bread and wine. Over the centuries, different churches in different parts of the world embellished the meal with language, gestures and vestments. The Episcopal Church has maintained, since it adopted its first prayer book, that:       [it] is a most invaluable part of that blessed “liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,” that in worship different forms and usages may without offense be allowed, provided the substance of the Faith be kept entire…”  Preface, BCP 1789.       At my home church, Christ Church, Philadelphia, in 1776, the King’s name was struck from the prayers where he was named as head of the Church. Over the many generations since we Americans stepped away from the Church of England, we continue to live into the rich possibility of language for prayer - revising, amending, to yield language that tells the story to new generations. Over time our society has become more urban than rural, responding to different language. We have included children at Eucharist, inviting more accessible language and encouraging brevity. We find fewer current-day worshipers to be cradle Episcopalians, but rather diverse people from different traditions as well as those with no church background at all. Inclusive language has become a part of how we welcome and acknowledge one another.      At Church of the Advent, at the 7:45 Eucharist service, the Eucharistic prayer retains language from the 1549 rite. We address God as Thou, and our prayer includes words like “beseech, oblation, bounden duty” – the vernacular of Elizabeth I and King James!  Such prayers were included in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer as Rite I, acknowledging how dear they were to many Episcopalians.     Rite II of the 1979 BCP, in use at the “family Eucharist” at 10:00 (9:00 beginning Sept. 17,) offers contemporary language for Eucharist.  These prayers were in trial use in the 60s and early 70s – some might remember the soft-cover “zebra” book. Currently, we are praying ‘Prayer C’ in which priest and people tell the story of God’s actions in human history and the natural world, highlighting the Old Testament drama of God’s continuing effort to draw human beings toward God’s love.     During the first 10 weeks of Pentecost at this service, we tried a newer prayer, authorized for our use in 1997. One of three such Enriching our Worship prayers, this prayer reflects more contemporary theology and inclusive language for God (‘gracious and living God,’ rather than ‘Gracious Father.’)  As we concluded our use of the newer prayer, some parishioners attended a discussion group after worship on July 25th. A vibrant conversation resulted, concluding with resolve that we continue to pray some of the older prayers, but also learn some of the newer ones. One participant, Bryan Bente, of our newly reformed Worship Commission, offers her summary of our prayer experience:    I feel it is important to give the congregation a chance to experience the richness of our liturgical traditions, and that includes a tradition of offering both the familiar and the new. There is comfort, beauty, truth and holiness in the forms we know well. There is challenge in experiencing any new liturgy and in finding its beauty, truth and holiness. We all bring different priorities and points of view to church. One of Advent’s strengths is our openness to our differences, our willingness to discuss and accept, and to disagree with respect. Offering different liturgical forms throughout the year is a way to recognize and support our diversity in our worship services.