To continue my thoughts on how best we may use our worship at the Eucharist.
At the offertory the gifts of bread and wine, together with the money offering either in cash or through the weekly Christian Stewardship envelopes are brought up to the altar and this is an opportunity for each of us to offer our own lives again in the service of God. "Here I am Lord, I offer to you my life, all that I am, all that I have, all that you have given me: the gifts I know I have, and the gifts that I have yet to discover: my goodness, the dark side of me: the failures, sinfulness and sorrows, in fact everything that makes me who I am. I offer all this to you. But I know I will receive back much much more. When I receive Holy Communion, it will be the Body and Blood of Jesus which I receive. As I offer you my life, He will offer His to me". "Jesus my Lord, I thee adore. O make me love and serve thee, more and more. Amen."
When the priest has received the offertory gifts, he uses the lovely prayers that have been used for thousands of years by the Jewish people: "Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer / wine to offer." He adds the words "May they become for us the Bread of Life / our Spiritual drink". We offer thanks for all the great things God has done in the words of the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving and recall the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, so we offer our own thanks and praise. Watch the action of the priest at the altar at this point, it is an action that is being done for us in Jesus' name. The priest represents the Lord Himself as he speaks the words of Jesus over the bread and wine: "This is my Body". "This is my blood". The gifts of bread and wine have now become sacramentally, the Body and Blood of Jesus, they no longer remain mere bread and wine, they have been changed into Holy Gifts, Sacred Food... for us! At each point in the Prayer the priest lifts up high the Sacred Bread and the Holy Chalice for us to see and adore, and the bells ring out to welcome the Lord like a trumpet call as He makes Himself known to us on the altar in our church again, as He does every time we celebrate the Eucharist. "Blessed, Praised and Hallowed, be Jesus Christ on His throne of glory and in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar".
We are then invited to come and gather around the altar of the Lord and we kneel to receive the Holy Gifts, because we are unworthy even to gather up the crumbs under His table. How much better to follow the traditional custom of kneeling to receive Holy Communion, than the newer practice of standing. Kneeling is the Anglican way! Come to the altar with reverence, this is not a signal for conversation to begin. Make the sign of the cross as you receive the Lord's Body and Blood and remember what this most sacred gift is that we take into our hands. 'Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed'. Return to your place in silence and ponder on what the Lord has given to you. You can carry within you Jesus Himself in this Holy Food.
After Holy Communion, wait in silence for the final prayers and blessing. We do not use the opportunities of silence in our lives enough - be still and feel the presence of the Lord in you and around you. Give thanks for the great gifts you have received. When the blessing has been given and we are sent forth in the peace of the Lord, this is the time for fellowship and conversation with each other. 'We are the Body of Christ'. Befriend those who may be strangers and pilgrims to our church (and bring them into the Hall after the 10.am Eucharist on Sunday for tea or coffee) and welcome them into the fellowship of the Christian community here. Enjoy fellowship, and make the stranger welcome.
If we use the Eucharist in this way our lives will become more prayerful and God's grace will work more and more in our lives, day by day. It will deepen our relationship with God and with those around us.
May God give you His Blessing.
Your friend and priest
written by Fr Malcolm Ferrier
p.s Organist and Director of Music
The person offered the post has decided for personal reasons not to take up my offer, as announced in last month's magazine.
We have been fortunate in being able to appoint the Reverend Colin Towner. Colin hails originally from London and went on to take a degree in music at Oxford University.
He studied for a theological degree at London University and was ordained into this diocese in 1964. He has served as Vicar of a parish in the Leicester Diocese, but since 1974 has been a full time teacher of music at various schools in the area and as organist at St Jude's Southsea and assistant organist at St John's Cathedral in Portsmouth.
Colin is also a piano teacher and holds the musical qualifications of A.R.C.M. and L.R.A.M.
He is married to Susan who is a cello teacher.
We welcome them both to St George's and hope that they will be very happy with us for years to come and we look forward to continued musical excellence in our worship at St George's in the future. M.F.
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