A Service of Word and TableLITURGICAL RENEWAL

On the Way: Roman Catholic

•Movement for Liturgical Renewal – begins 1909•Papal Encyclicals•Mystici Corporis (1943) – The Church as the corporate Body of Christ implies social responsibility•Mediator Dei (1947) – First encyclical devoted entirely to the liturgy; in favor of reform

Major Change: Roman Catholic

•Roman Catholic: Second Vatican Council-1962-65•Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy – 1963• First document adopted •Vote in favor: 2147 to 4

•Changes•Mass in the vernacular•Restoration of the table•Simplicity of the mass•People as active participants•Principal of collegiality in decision-making

On the Way: Protestant

•Consultation on Church Union (COCU) (1960)•Consultation on Common Texts (CCT (1960)•Revised Common Lectionary

•National Council of Churches’ Faith & Order Commission •Studying questions that divide the churches•Lima Document on Baptism, Eucharist & Ministry (1982)

United Methodist History•Anglican Church in America• John Wesley called for frequent, “constant communion”•Methodists in American•Conflict between American revolutionary ideas and Church of England in American•Thus, need for Ordained Elders in an American Methodist Episcopal Church•Circuit Riders and implications for Communion

Source: Hoyt Hickman, Address, North American Academy of Liturgy, 2003 http://www.gbod.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=nhLRJ2PMKsG&b=5703123&ct=7791383&notoc=1

UMC Worship Renewal: History•By 18th c., Wesleyan sacramental heritage (based in the Anglican liturgy) greatly diluted and ignored•Little communion theology or liturgical theology• Infrequent practice of the Lord’s Supper•Evangelical Church and Church of the United Brethren in Christ > join as Evangelical United Brethren (1946)•Both similar to Methodist Church in theology and polity (governance policy).

Source: on early UMC: Hoyt Hickman, Address, North American Academy of Liturgy, 2003 http://www.gbod.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=nhLRJ2PMKsG&b=5703123&ct=7791383&notoc=1Source on EUB: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_United_Brethren_Church

What United Methodists Are Saying•"Living into the Mystery" (16 min video)•Living into the Mystery is a compilation of the stories of the experience and meaning of Holy Communion from laity, seminarians, and clergy from diverse settings across the United States. Congregations included are Christ Deaf Church (Baltimore), Grace United Methodist Church (Manhattan), New Hope United Methodist Church (Anderson, IN) and Edgehill United Methodist Church (Nashville, TN). • [Aug 28, 2012]

UMC Worship Renewal: History•United Methodist Church formed in 1968• Immediately established a Commission on Worship•Task: to address desire for contemporary worship, creativity•Method: Solicited best liturgies from local congregations•Results: •Held a national convocation to listen to these (1969)•New UMC worship would draw from the best

UMC Worship Renewal: Many Traditions

•Anglo: Semi-Anglican traditionalists:• urban, more educated and affluent, text-based, Anglican and Wesleyan roots

•Anglo: Free Church traditionalists:• rural or less educated and affluent urban, oral, revivalist roots

•Other ethnic and racial traditions:• African-American + Native Am, Latino, Asian-Am

•Beyond N. America: United Methodists with their own national and ethnic traditionsSource: Hoyt Hickman, Address, North American Academy of Liturgy, 2003

http://www.gbod.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=nhLRJ2PMKsG&b=5703123&ct=7791383&notoc=1

UMC Worship Renewal: New Texts

•Alternate Texts •Service of Word and Table 1972•Baptism 1976•Marriage 1979•Death and Resurrection 1979

•Official Adoption -1984 General Conference; appeared 1988 Hymnal•Moved from back to front•A Basic Pattern of Woship

Basic PATTERN: A Service of Word and Table

•Order of Service•Hymn of Praise• Confession• Acts of Praise• Prayers/Pastoral Prayer• Scripture•Hymns/Psalms/Prayers•Offering• SERMON

+ Communion Service•Hymn• Benediction

•Order of Service•Gathering & Praise• Service of the Word• Confession/Pardon• Prayers, Hymns, Anthems• Scripture• Sermon• Responses to the Word• Concerns & Prayers/ Peace/Offering

• Service of the Table•Dismissal & Blessing

1968 Hymnal 1989 Hymnal

A Service of Word and Table

•Renewal of ancient Church traditions•More historical than Wesley Sunday Service 1784 •More historical than 1965 Order of Worship based on Wesley service•Recovery of biblical roots•Restoration of 2-fold division of worship: liturgy of Word & liturgy of the Table (synagogue/upper•Shared Christian prayers and actions across denominations

Source: Word & Table: A Basic Pattern of Sunday Worship for United MethodistsRev. Ed., Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1980.

Emphases

•Thanksgiving and praise•Doing and simple actions rather than reading and texts•Active role of the people•Unity of two parts of the service•Flexibility and adaptability• Importance of practical problems

A Theology of United Methodist Communion

•“This Holy Mystery” – 2004 •http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7B3482e846-598f-460a-b9a7-386734470eda%7D/THM-BYGC.PDF•Study Resources: General Board of Discipleship pages: http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7B3482e846-598f-460a-b9a7-386734470eda%7D/THM-BYGC.PDF

FOUR BASIC ACTIONS

Jesus took the break, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:

• TAKING THE BREAD AND CUP• THE GREAT THANKSGIVING• BREAKING THE BREAD• GIVING THE BREAD AND CUP

“Took the Bread….”

•Preparing the table•Bread•Cup•Linens

“Blessed it….”THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

EUCHARISTIA• THE PRAYER • Giving Thanks to (Hebrew: blessing)

God for his gifts of life, the gifts of the earth, and other acts of love

• Remembering Jesus’ ministry, death and resurrection

• Invoking the Holy Spirit, anticipating our hope

“Broke the bread…..”Actions

• Breaking the one loaf• Lifting the one cup

“and gave it to his disciples”SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP

• The pastor• Tables with dismissal and prayer• In the pew• Self-service• Shared cup – wine/grape juice• Intinction w/ and w/o individual

prayer

“saying….”WORDS

• This is my body, This is my blood• This is the bread of heaven, This

is the cup of salvation• Children: Remember God loves

you

A Variety of Themes and Symbols

•Central emphases• Remembrance of last supper, mourning• Christ’s Sacrifice and suffering•Hospitality and abundance (justice, equality, openness to outside world)• Community and openness (open table, unity within congregation)• Compare footwashing

• Symbols and practices• Altar, table• Minister facing people, facing altar, gestures, participation vs watching• Bread• Wine-grape juice• Intinction, kneeling, dismissal by tables, in-pew• Receiving vs taking, receiving vs. self-service• Music• Left-over elements, the disabled, the sick, allergies