[4] Preparation For The Holy Communion

Participation in the Holy Communion (also known as The Eucharist, The Lord's Supper) is the sacrament offered in the service of Holy Communion. Anglicans gather around Word and Sacrament, two highlights of their churchly service to God.

The Nature of The Holy Communion

The Holy Communion is a contentious subject within Anglicanism (as it is in the broader Church itself) although to be an Anglican no one is required to accept a certain doctrine/practice concerning Holy Communion.

How the sacrament is viewed carries with it certain practices: for example, for an Anglo-Catholic who subscribes to the belief that the words of institution bring about a changing of the Communion elements into the actual body and blood of Christ, bowing or genuflecting to the aumbry (a small, lockable safe on the wall of the sanctuary) which holds the reserved sacrament (bread that has been blessed) is common.

Evangelicals, on the other hand, would rarely reserve the sacrament and do not usually bow to the reserved sacrament or the sacrament as newly consecrated, though practices will vary from person to person.

Anglicans regard the Communion as a sacrament, as a means of grace (and not just an ordinance or command Jesus gave us to remember his death). Some would say that the sacrament 'works' regardless of the heart of the recipient while others (notably Evangelicals) would contend that it conveys grace only through the medium of faith.

Preparation

This Preparation section §20-21 refers to each congregant taking time to prepare him/herself to take the Lord's Supper in response to Paul's call to 'eat in a worthy manner' (1 Cor 11.27-32). It's important that this latter phrase is emphasised because some have erred in not going forward because of believing that they are not worthy; but the Apostle's words have nothing to do with being worthy inherently but of partaking in a worthy fashion.

All Christians can only partake at His Table on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ AND because of His present advocacy on our behalf at the Father's right hand!

§20 A selection of sentences of Scripture (five are given as examples) may be used at this point (e.g., Matt 11.28; Jn 6.35; Jn 13.34; Mark 11.25; Jn 3.16) and any other suitable scriptures.

§21 Prayer of Preparation

This prayer is justly famous from the prayer books of 1548, 1549 and 1552, and then in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) of 1662. It is also known as the Prayer of Humble Access. It is thoroughly reformed in its emphases on the Mercy of God and our trust in that mercy rather than our own goodness.

The notion of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus is based on John 6.53-68 but as Jesus pointed out his words were 'spirit and life' (i.e., spiritual life). We don't eat the actual flesh and drink the actual blood of Jesus but our feeding on Him is done 'in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving' (APBA, 1995, p. 142). A spiritual feeding on His words is what is meant.

We do not presume

to come to your table, merciful Lord,

trusting in our own righteousness,

but in your manifold and great mercies.

We are not worthy

so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table.

But you are the same Lord,

whose nature is always to have mercy.

Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,

so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ, 

and to drink his blood,

that we may evermore dwell in him,

and he in us. Amen.

Some doubt whether Jn 6 has any reference to the Holy Communion at all (and they may be right). The subject of John 6 is clearly about Jesus as the Bread of Life (Jn 6.35) and his superiority to the 'manna in the wilderness' (Jn 6.30-35). In the context of the whole Gospel account a contrast between the old Mosaic covenant time and the New Covenant's coming with Jesus is common (See Jn 1.17; 26; 51; 2.6, 20-21; 3.14; etc). The call to his hearers is to believe on Him (Jn 6.29).

 

The whole of §20-§21 has been designated as '[o]ptions which would normally be omitted' which is interesting because I've never been in an Anglican Holy Communion service using the APBA which has omitted this section! The reason I've drawn attention to this omission is that many Anglicans would believe I think that personal preparation for the Lord's Supper is very important.

[3] The Prayers of the People

This third section of Holy Communion is introduced with the words said by the lay reader/minister:

Let us pray for the world and for the Church.

In most Anglican churches I've been in the prayers are prayed by a congregational member because these prayers are 'the prayers of the people'. Sometimes the pray-er will even stand at the back of the church or in the aisle a little towards the front to emphasise the fact that these prayers come from the congregation. The prayers are supplicatory in nature.

Various formats can be used and numbers of formats are given in the Prayer Book and other appropriate sources can also be used. Usually after each area of prayer is finished, the pray-er will say some like, 

Father, hear our prayer

[with the congregation responding with something like]

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer may then begin with  

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ has promised that you

will hear us when we ask in faith: receive the prayers we offer.

Four typical areas for prayer are: For the nations; for the Church; for those in need [often allowing a time of silence for private supplications for those in need]; and thanksgiving for the faithful departed. The latter category may seem strange for non-Anglicans but it is a time to remember those we have loved/who have loved her and influenced us for good but whom we see no more. The tenor of the prayer falls within the scope of Hebrews 12, the great crowd of witnesses who encourage us by their example to run the race with perseverance looking to Jesus (Heb 12.1-2).

Often the pray-ers may finish with:

Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray,

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed by your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial*

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen

If you come from a tradition unused to publicly saying the Lord's Prayer you will notice the modernisation of the Prayer in this version. Additionally, you find a different translation in the fourth last line* and a different word order in second last line. (If a baptism, funeral or even wedding is held where people outside the church attend however, then the older, more familiar form of the Lord's prayer is often said.)

The change in the fourth last line* seems to be related to the difficulties many have with the idea of God 'leading us into temptation'. However, the new translation is still problematic because trials are part of this present life, just ask the apostle Paul!

A preferable rendering of these lines is: 'Do not allow us to fall into temptation but** deliver us from evil'. John Calvin (following Augustine of Hippo) says that the sense of the line is: That we may not be led into temptation, deliver us from evil. That is, the emphasis is on the second phrase, 'but deliver us from evil'. Deliver us from evil so that we may not be led into temptation.

**The translation of Greek 'alla' in the text should be but not 'and' because the Greek word means but or moreover and in this context transitions to the main point, see here.

The God of Mercy

One of the great themes running through Anglican worship is the theme of MERCY. Someone has said that whereas John Calvin focussed on the Sovereignty of God which is an important theme of the Scriptures, Martin Luther could never forget the mercy of God particularly as shown in the Incarnation and in Christ's Redemption.

Holy Communion: Prayer of Preparation

Worship should not be rushed; we are all here worshipping the One who has made us, redeemed us through the death of His Son and resides in us in the power of the Holy Spirit. Os Guinness, I think, used the phrase about preaching to the audience of One and the same applies to worship. We have no audience but God: Father, Son and Spirit. Whatever tradition we are in only the audience of the One matters.

Anglican worship typically begins with a lay reader's announcement of the opening hymn which is then sung while a group of leaders 'process' into the church with the 'crucifer'--a person appointed to carry a cross--coming first. Everyone in the procession follows the cross as a general rule both in and out of the church worship area. The priest (word derived from 'presbyter', elder) or if a bishop is present comes last.

Procession members stand before the altar rail and acknowledge the altar.*

Responsive Worship

Anglican worship is responsive worship with the leader (either priest or lay reader) calling and the congregation responding, backwards and forwards. And in this back and forth movement, God the Holy Trinity is centrally involved. 

Following the opening hymn which is announced by the lay reader, the priest (Pr) says
  
The Invocation
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Blessed be God's kingdom, now and for ever. [Words in bold type are always meant to be said by the people.]

The Greeting
Pr: [Either the words of 2 Cor 13.14] or more simply,

The Lord be with you, (with arms outstretched in blessing)
and also with you.

Pr: Let us pray.

Almighty God,

to whom all hearts are open,

all desires known,

and from whom no secrets are hidden:

cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you,

and worthily magnify your holy name,

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This prayer is known as the Prayer of Preparation or the Prayer for Purity. It is a prayer form known as a co'llect. (Accent on the first syllable.) Collects as a prayer form 'collect' together the silent prayers of all assembled and concentrate them into a prayer prayed aloud by all. (See here for more on this prayer form.) Originally this collect was found in the Catholic Mass in Latin and was translated into an English version by Archbishop Cranmer for the first English-language Prayer Book in 1549.

The first four lines are all God directed and God descriptive.

God is 'Almighty God', El Shaddai, not an indulgent grandpa but One who demands our reverence and worship. And God Almighty knows us through and through and nothing of us is hidden from his eyes.

This designation of God leads us to ask for cleansing for 'thoughts of our hearts' for our hearts, our inner, spiritual centre stand before God. Think of the prophet Isaiah when he 'saw' in a vision the Lord, 'high and lifted up' enthroned in the temple (Isa 6.1-8).

The cleansing comes from the 'inspiration of your Holy Spirit': and what is it about the Holy Spirit that has to do with cleansing? The blood of Christ is the meritorious cause connected with the cleansing of the soul but the Holy Spirit is the efficient cause. The Spirit brings about what the Blood of Christ has procured for sinners (1 Joh 1.9).

'That'

What an important word! Because it signifies a goal for the purity.

The acknowledgement of Almighty God and our tacit acknowledgement of our sinful tendencies lead to a cleansing reception of the Holy Spirit for a purpose: 'that we may perfectly love you [God Almighty], and worthily magnify your holy name'.

The phrase 'perfectly love you' led John Wesley I seem to recall into what he called 'Christian perfection'. What the phrase more immediately reminds me of is the great commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength'. That's the depth of this perfect love. To love God at and with the core of our beings, with our very selves.

Love means in Bible parlance to obey, believe, trust God's promises and to learn to know him, to know his character, his 'name' which equals his 'essential character' as revealed in Christ.

All members of the Trinity are mentioned in the collect which is typical of Anglican worship which is strongly Trinitarian. Our access to Almighty God is 'through Jesus Christ our Lord'. The Son is so important because the Father always listens to the Son and vice versa. One of the Church Fathers (Augustine I think) said that the love between the two is the Holy Spirit!

Amen!

Amen is generally the word for the congregation and we see from the Old Testament. In my earlier Pentecostal days, it was customary for preachers to encourage congregations to use the Amen word. So be it! It's a word of faith, trust and affirmation in God's promises. (See here for a helpful article.)

Anglicans know the above prayer 'by heart' but the danger is that it can become a mere prayer form that is not heart-felt. I think at one stage that Anglicans all knelt for prayer; whereas that is not the case today in my experience. Standing up to pray is acceptable to God I know but kneeling is a posture that reminds us of our status as dependent creatures before God.

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*Evangelicals will sometimes stand still or slightly bend their heads towards the altar at the beginning of a service or when they go to the altar for Holy Communion. (This acknowledgement can be likened to courtroom behaviour.) Others do not show any acknowledgement at all. 
All others bow their heads. The question of 'churchman-ship' arises at this point, a subject too large to be entered into here but differences are evident between Anglo-Catholic High Church and Evangelical Low Church worship. Anglicanism allows for different practices because of its conflicted history.