Our Language for Eucharistic PrayerRev. 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.