The Holy Eucharist An Adult Education Class St. George's Episcopal Church Roseburg, Oregon

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The Holy Eucharist
The Rev. Bill Stroop, Ph.D.

Introduction

     This class is intended to supplement an instructed Eucharistic Worship Service. At St. George's parishioners are given a complete bulletin for the worship service, as well as an accomplanying booklet that is used periodically throughout the service to explain specific elements of the liturgy. A complete set of power point sides accompanies the class. Finally, a handout for participants is available.

View the PowerPoint™ Slide Show
Get the Handout for the Class
Get the booklet for the Instructed Eucharist

     Daniel Stevick wrote that “The Church describes itself in faith as a people summoned into being by the redemptive activity of God which centers in Jesus Christ.”[1] That places worship precisely at the center of our existence. Both worship and mission as rooted in Christ are integral to our lives. Unlike members of the confessional churches such as the Lutheran denomination, Anglicans and Episcopalians have their faith defined liturgically through the practices found in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Our unity is often said to be found in our liturgy.

     However, the Prayer Book can seem daunting and the organization of the services is very confusing, making one wonder whether there is anything unifying about our liturgy at all. Within the pages of the prayer book are many liturgical expressions of our faith, including two rites for the Eucharist, seven different forms of the prayers of the people, and eight different forms of Eucharistic Prayers. In addition, there is an Order for Celebrating the Eucharist (often called Rite III) which provides for great variety of liturgical expression within the confines of the rubrics (see BCP pages 400-405). Note that Rite III is not used for the principal Sunday worship service. The forms of the Eucharist found in the BCP are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Major Components of Holy Eucharist in the Book of Common Prayer

     In addition to the forms of the Eucharist found in the BCP, there are three authorized forms of the Eucharist found in supplemental liturgical texts approved for use in the Episcopal Church. One of these supplemental texts is Enriching Our Worship (EOW). At St. George’s, we use the prayers from EOW during the post-Pentecost season.

     With this introduction, please go to the slide show for the rest of the class. View the PowerPoint™ Slide Show

Some Suggestions for Further Reading

Crockett, William R. Eucharist: Symbol of Transformation. New York, NY: Pueblo Publishing Co., 1989.
Fowley, Edward. From Age to Age: How Christians Have Celebrated the Eucharist. Chicago, IL: Liturgy Training Publications. 1991.
Hachett, Marion J. Commentary on the American Prayer Book. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.
Mitchell, Leonel L. Praying Shapes Believing: A Theological Commentary on the Book of Common Prayer. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing. 1985.
Senn, Frank C. Christian Liturgy, Catholic and Evangelical. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1989.

[1] Daniel B. Stevick. “The Spirituality of the Book of Common Prayer.” In William J. Wolf, ed. Anglican Spirituality. ( Wilton, CT: Morehouse-Barlow Co.), 105.

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