Worship Resource Magazine
Local Pastor Licensing School Holston Annual Conference 2019 Edition
The material contained in this manual was found at http://www.umdiscipleship.org.
All copyrights belong to the respective authors and/or the United Methodist Church Board of Discipleship. This is not be resold, but only made available free of charge. There are links within this publication that will take you to pages on the Board of Discipleship site or to videos hosted by the Board on YouTube. All links worked at the time of this publication. Compiled and Published September 2019 Please direct all comments and questions to: Rev. Terry Goodman, Editor Director of Clergy Services Holston Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church POB 850 Alcoa, TN 37701 terrygoodman@holston.org Phone: (865) 690-4080
TABLE OF CONTENTS WORSHIP RESOURCES Year A—Christian Liturgical Colors and Days Links to 2019 & 2020 worship planning calendars The Lectionary Cycle Planning for the Seasons of Advent and Christmas Links to Resources for Advent Links to Resources for Christmas Season Links to Resources for Epihany Links to Resources for Lent and Holy Week Links to Resources for Easter Links to Resources for Pentecost Three Ways to Celebrate Advent and Christmas Fully Planning for New Year’s Eve: Covenant Making or Prayer? Special Pastoral Considerations: Services of Death and Resurrection The Services of Christian Marriage
BAPTISM RESOURCES Renewing Water: How United Methodists Understand Baptism Infant Dedication FAQ’s About Baptism, Salvation, and Membership
COMMUNION RESOURCES Lists of Great Thanksgivings for the Liturgical Seasons An Open Table: How United Methodists Understand Communion Regular Communion How Should Parents and the Church Welcome Children at the Lord’s Supper Extending Your Congregation’s Communion Table to Those Unable to Be Present Making Communion Fully Available to People with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance FAQ’s about the Meaning of Holy Communion in the UMC
Let me take a moment to welcome you to this online magazine focusing on worship and the sacraments. This magazine will help you to begin exploring some of The United Methodist beliefs and practices centered on worship topics as well as baptism and holy communion. The General Board of Discipleship is that arm of the church that provides us resources in the area of worship. All the material found here, as well as volumes more that are not included here, can be found at www.umcdiscipleship.org. You are encouraged to visit this site to learn more about these topics. PLEASE NOTE: This is a dynamic document. That means that I can add more information to it at any time. So, don’t think you’ve read it all just because you work your way through this document. Something new can be added at anytime. So keep the ISSUU address for this magazine handy and refer back to it frequently. Rev. Terry Goodman Director of Clergy Services Holston Annual Conference
WORSHIP RESOURCES
2019-2020 Christian Liturgical Year and Colors—Year A Month December 2019
1 1 Advent
8 2 Advent
15 3 Advent
5 Epiphany
12 19 Baptism of the Lord
26
January 2020
2
9
16
23 Transfiguration of Our
26 ASH
1 Lent 1
8 Lent 2
15 Lent 3
22 Lent 4
29 Lent 5
12 Easter Sunday
19
26
February 2020
March 2020
April 2020
5 Palm/Passion Sunday
HOLY WEEK 9-Holy Thursday
22 4 Advent
29 1st Sunday of
10-Good Friday 3
10 Mother’s Day
17
24 Memorial Day
7 Trinity Sunday
14
21 Father’s Day
28
5
12
19
26
2
9
16
23
6
13
20
27
4 World Communion
11
18
25
1 All Saint’s Day
8
15
22 Christ the King Sunday
May 2020
June 2020
July 2020 August 2020 September 2020
October 2020
November 2020
31 Pentecost
30
29 Advent 1
During the Sundays after Pentecost, some churches will use RED. Most will stick with GREEN. Some will split the season and do half in RED and half in GREEN
2019/2020 Revised Common Lectionary - Sundays & Special Days Only One of our most popular worship planning resources, this two-page listing of Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) readings and liturgical colors for 2019 and 2020 includes Sundays and Special Days, along with space for your own notes. DOWNLOAD the 2019 Revised Common Lectionary Sundays-Special Days Calendar [PDF] DOWNLOAD 2020 Revised Common Lectionary Calendar (PDF)
If you want to follow the lectionary, then the above links will be places where you can download a simple form that will show you the weekly readings and give you other information about the Christian liturgical year.
The Lectionary Cycle By Rev. Terry Goodman
First Sunday of Advent Liturgical Year December 1, 2019
A
November 29, 2020
B
One of the aspects of the lectionary yearly cycle you need to consider is that, as United Methodists, we typically use a three year November 28, 2021 lectionary cycle with years labeled A, B, or C. The new year begins on November 27, 2022 the first Sunday of Advent—not on the first Sunday of the calendar year. Based on that the chart to the right gives you the schedule of December 3, 2023 upcoming lectionary cycles. December 1, 2024
C A B C
The lectionary cycle provides a reading for each Sunday of the year that will contain: A Gospel reading, an Old Testament reading, a reading from the Psalms, and a reading from the New Testament (other than the Gospels). The readings are themed toward the liturgical seasons. The goal is to explore the major themes of the Bible in a three year span of time. Please note that you will not cover every scripture found in the Bible, you will, however, have the opportunity to explore the major themes of the Bible. Some feel that using the lectionary unnaturally restricts the Holy Spirit by tying your preaching to a fixed schedule. Others feel that it is actually freeing in that it prevents a preacher from getting stuck on his or her favorite themes to the exclusion of other themes found in scripture. Some use the lectionary texts during certain parts of the year and then choose their own texts and themes at other parts of the year. Regardless of how you choose to use it, you need to understand the dates for the beginning of Advent. Most all of your churches are going to want to celebrate the Advent/Christmas cycle as well as the Lent/Holy Week/Easter Cycle. Perhaps it is during those times that you will focus on the lectionary more closely than at other times. Following the lectionary also allows a group of pastors to gather regularly to talk about sermon preparation and ideas. If everyone in the group is using the same set of texts, then this would facilitate discussion and planning.
Planning for the Seasons of Advent and Christmas By Rev. Terry Goodman One of the things that most churches will expect during the season of advent is the Advent Wreath candle lighting ceremonies. The Advent wreath consists of four candles (typically three purple/royal blue and one pink) with a large white candle in the middle. Each week during the Advent season a different colored candle is lit—usually with an associated liturgy that talks about the meaning of that Sunday in Advent. The white, Christ, candle is lit on Christmas Eve/Christmas day. Below are some links to Advent Candle liturgies. Please note, that the calendar years are not important, because the underlying texts are based on the lectionary cycle that repeats every three years. Please note, that not all items were available at the GBOD web site.
Advent Worship Resources Year A (2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025, 2028) (By clicking on Order of Worship, you will be taken to a page that gives you links to: Preaching, Hymns, Music Notes, Planning, and Prayer Resources)
Advent Wreath Meditations: Year A-The Book of Isaiah First Sunday of Advent: Advent Wreath Liturgy Second Sunday of Advent Advent Wreath Liturgy Third Sunday of Advent Advent Wreath Liturgy Fourth Sunday of Advent Advent Wreath Liturgy Christmas Eve Liturgy Hymn Notes Christmas Day Liturgy Hymn Notes
Order of Worship Order of Worship Order of Worship Order of Worship Music Notes Music Notes
Other Resources Other Resources
Advent Worship Resources Year B (2014, 2017, 2020, 2023, 2026, 2029) First Sunday of Advent: Second Sunday of Advent Third Sunday of Advent Fourth Sunday of Advent Christmas Eve Christmas Day
Advent Wreath Liturgy Advent Wreath Liturgy Advent Wreath Liturgy Advent Wreath Liturgy Liturgy Hymn Notes Liturgy Hymn Notes
Order of Worship Order of Worship Order of Worship Order of Worship Music Notes Music Notes
Other Resources Other Resources
Advent Worship Resources Year C (2015, 2018, 2021, 2024, 2027, 2030) Advent Wreath Meditations: Year C First Sunday of Advent: Advent Wreath Liturgy Second Sunday of Advent Advent Wreath Liturgy Third Sunday of Advent Advent Wreath Liturgy Fourth Sunday of Advent Advent Wreath Liturgy Christmas Eve Liturgy Hymn Notes Christmas Day Liturgy Hymn Notes
Other Resources
Order of Worship Order of Worship Order of Worship Order of Worship Music Notes Music Notes
Other Resources Other Resources
Links to Resources for Advent Advent Where Did the Season of Advent Come From? by Daniel Benedict An Advent Service of Lessons and Carols
Covenant Renewal Service
Links to Resources for Christmas Season
A Christmas Eve or Season Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Links to Resources for Epiphany Epiphany Sunday: Year A-Order of Worship (Preaching, Hymns, Music Notes, Planning, Prayers/Resources) Additional Resources for Baptism of the Lord Sunday Season after the Epiphany
Resources for Lent A Service of Worship for Ash Wednesday
Resources for Holy Week Acts of Worship for Holy Week A Service of Worship for Passion/Palm Sunday A Service of Worship for Holy Thursday Evening A Service for Good Friday A Service of Tenebrae
Links to Resources for Lent and Holy Week
Introduction to the Season of Lent
Links to Resources for Easter
Introduction to Easter Season Easter Vigil or the First Service of Easter
Links to Resources for Pentecost Season after Pentecost (Ordinary Time) Acts of Worship for All Saints Day or Sunday
Three Ways to Celebrate Advent and Christmas Season Fully by Taylor Burton-Edwards
The Need We all know there is much competition for attention between Advent and Christmas Season (Advent 1 through Epiphany, January 6) and the wider culture's "Christmastime" (November through December 25). The result of this competition? "Christmastime" generally wins. Advent and its focus on the second coming of Christ and the fulfillment of all things begun in his first coming is lost. That's a major loss. Advent is the one time of the church year specifically dedicated to this focus. While we rehearse and remember the second coming, new creation, and the fulfillment of all things every time we pray the Great Thanksgiving and celebrate Holy Communion, Advent was developed from the beginning to be the season where we focus our worship and teaching around this explicitly. The church year starts with Advent precisely so we can "begin with the end in mind." I've used the picture (to the right) in this kind of article for several years now because it still speaks so eloquently. Look at it closely. The setting is the marketplace. No one is paying attention to this man's sign except the photographer. Everyone else is walking by, as if the sign means nothing. It makes no difference to what anyone else is doing. They're there to shop! They aren't there to think about the end, or proper ends, of this world. But "Christmastime" causes us to lose more than just Advent. In effect, we often lose Christmas Season, too. These twelve days (December 25-January 6) were designed as a time of celebration and intensive contemplation of all that the Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ began to set loose in the world. “Christmastime” does not do this. Instead, beginning as soon as possible after Halloween, and at the latest after Thanksgiving, it creates and unleashes peer pressure to buy all kinds of gifts, provides multiple opportunities for “feel-good” parties and end-of-year giving to various charities, and culminates on December 24 or 25 with the babe in the manger and the comforting illusion that all is now well with the world. “Christmastime” then continues not with any meditation on the implications of the incarnation, but with a sort of national “time out” to return unwanted gifts, see family, and handle all end-of-year business before January 1 rolls around. The contrast could not be starker. The mission of Christmastime is to silence the cries of the baby Jesus, because his cries would break the illusion that all is well if we have played our role as "seasonal consumers" aright. But the readings of Christmas Season do not let us do that. We hear poignantly of the martyrdom of Stephen on December 26 and the wailing of Rachel renewed in the "slaughter of the innocents" on December 28. The stories of terrified, then joyous shepherds in Luke, of wandering Iraqi astrologers in Matthew, and of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us in John provide at best a "strange comfort."
Christmastime lulls. Christmas Season alarms and awakens.
Christmastime offers a nostalgia- and consumerism-driven Lethean escape from this world. It is a cultural opiate for the masses. Christmas Season drives us directly into this world's deepest sufferings with both its deepest pain and its highest hopes. The powers of this world love Christmastime because it gets them off the hook! Christmas Season reveals the lengths to which the powers of this world will go to avoid, obstruct, or halt the coming of God's kingdom. For the church to keep Advent and Christmas Season need not call us to stand back from or in harsh judgment on what the surrounding culture has created (with our cooperation!) in Christmastime. Feelings of peace and comfort, the joy of giving and receiving, warmth in the midst of winter-- these are all fine things. We can still enjoy them with family, friends, and siblings in Christ. But actually keeping these seasons in worship and in the life of the congregation calls and equips us for something far more, and far richer, than what “Christmastime” offers. A full celebration of Advent, four to seven weeks, followed by a full celebration of Christmas Season enables us to see what the wider culture often keeps invisible, to feel with a depth Christmastime may anesthetize, and to love with the fierce determination of “God with us, every one.”
Three Ways Forward: Modest, Restorationist, and Radical A Modest Way In our article, A Modest Proposal for Advent/Christmas Peace, Safiyah Fosua, Dean McIntyre, and I suggested starting the singing of Advent music two weeks early, and Christmas music beginning with what is now the third Sunday in Advent. This would give four full weeks of Advent focus, at least musically, plus up to three full weeks for Christmas (counting Epiphany Sunday, which is the earliest it can be this year, on January 1), giving each some significant time and focus. This wouldn't require changing lectionary readings at all. A Restorationist Way
A similar approach is offered by The Advent Project. Developed by the Rev. Dr. Bill Petersen, Episcopal priest and liturgical scholar, together with a seminar of other scholars and practitioners in the North American Academy of Liturgy, including United Methodists, The Advent Project suggests changing the liturgical calendar, but not the lectionary at all. Petersen and company note that Advent used to be a season of seven Sundays until Pope Gregory VI shortened it to four in the eleventh century. While Pope Gregory VI shortened the celebration, he actually didn't change the lectionaries. This meant that the readings appropriate for a seven-week celebration of Advent were still being read for seven weeks, starting with the first Sunday after All Saints Day (November 1). The current lectionaries Western
Christians now use, both Roman Catholic and Revised Common Lectionaries, have preserved that pattern as well. So the Advent Project's proposal, already tried in a number of Episcopal, Lutheran and United Methodist congregations, aligns our celebration of Advent with the lectionaries we already have. Nothing else changes. Just the starting date for Advent, and, perhaps, as the project notes, the number of candles that might be included in an Advent wreath (seven plus a central candle, rather than four). For United Methodists, unaccustomed to celebrating All Saints Day on November 1, but on the nearest Sunday following, Extended Advent would likely last six Sundays in 2016. The Advent Project website has not only rationale, but also a rich set of resources, including suggested prayers and "O Antiphons" (related to verses for "O Come, O Come Emmanuel") for each Sunday to help congregations who want to try it get started with solid support. The Advent Project proposal also seems also be to gaining some wider ecumenical traction. This year, United Methodist, Episcopal, United Church of Canada, Presbyterian Church USA, Anglican Church of Canada, and several other denominations will continue to raise awareness of this possibility through their websites. The Consultation on Common Texts (developers of the Revised Common Lectionary) hosted an ecumenical forum on the topic at our meeting in New York in March 2012. For more information on specific ways to implement Extended Advent, based on the readings for 2015, see our webinar, “Celebrating Extended Advent: Why and Howto,� recorded September 15, 2015. A 2016 version will be offered later this year. A Radical Way Many of us recognize that while these proposals would restore a longer time of Advent celebration, it may not yet directly address what for nearly all of us remains a serious truncation of Christmas Season. Our congregations seem to spend all their energy on Christmas Eve, few keep Christmas Day itself, and as for the rest-- it's one or two "low Sundays" at best until folks get back from various "Christmas vacation" schedules. While the church year calls for high celebration and deep contemplation together, we are most often more scattered and less focused on worship in the two weeks following Christmas Eve than at any other time of the year. That is why I have offered a third, much more radical approach. It rearranges the lectionary and, more dramatically, the calendar to produce a four-week Advent and, in this case, a three-week Christmas Season. Here's how it works. Start Advent two weeks early, and celebrate it for four weeks, ending with Advent 2 on the current calendar. There are no changes in the lectionary so far. You just back up and use the previous two weeks as Advent readings.
Then, on what would have been the Third Sunday of Advent, start celebrating Christmas Season by using the readings for the Day of Epiphany. For what had been Advent 4, use the readings for the Sunday after Christmas. For Christmas Day and Eve, flip the established readings-- so the Incarnation is front and center on what is likely to be the most widely attended service. Then, for January 1 (formerly Epiphany), use the reading for readings for Advent 4 as further reflection on the implications of the Incarnation and as leadins to Baptism of the Lord Sunday (first Sunday after January 6). This way, even if the people in your congregation are scattered after Christmas Eve, you will still have given two full Sundays while more people are around to the established Christmas Season Sunday readings, not to mention Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself, and you will have different readings to explore in a new way for the Sunday after Christmas. This proposal is also problematic. It seriously messes with the calendar and the order of the lectionary we have and share with many other Christians worldwide. It widely separates Epiphany from Baptism of the Lord, while the two had originated as celebrations kept on the same day. It may represent too much of a concession to the pressures of U.S. culture. And because it is such a radical change, it may also be very unwelcome, despite the fact it may address our theological, liturgical, and cultural needs for giving serious attention to both seasons.
How Will You Respond? The time has come, clearly come, to celebrate both Advent and Christmas as fully as possible in the lives and worship of the Christians called United Methodists. So let me suggest you prayerfully consider how you will do something to ensure your congregations have a richer celebration this year than last of Advent and Christmas. Pick one of these proposals, and give it a serious try. Or try something else, such as a full regular celebration of Advent and Christmas Season using the calendar and readings we already have, celebrating Advent for a full four weeks beginning November 27, 2016, and then a full Christmas Season (through Epiphany, January 6, rather than stopping on January 1) beginning December 24 after sunset-- finding some way to keep the energy of Christmas going well after Christmas Eve and its focus well beyond the babe in the manger.We have a powerful message to proclaim, celebrate, and contemplate as fully as we can at this time of the year. Resolve to do what it takes to make that happen where you are. And know you have the full support of the worship office at Discipleship Ministries and our counterparts in many other denominations as you do!
Share the Gift of Christmas with Your Congregation in a Well Thought Out —Rather than a Haphazard Manner.
Planning for New Year’s Eve: Covenant Making or Prayer? By now, if your church is planning worship on New Year's Eve or Day, you have at least marked the date on the calendar. However, it may be that the plans have not actually been made. This article offers some perspective on what such a gathering might be and some resources and suggestions to consider. First, why would you gather the faith community on New Year's Eve? The competition is stiff. Most folks have already got parties planned or have set some other way of creating a connection to the world's hunger for festivity. Or they have concluded that the best place to be on such a night is at home, safely tucked away from the crowds and drunk drivers. Indeed, why should the church try to compete? Well, perhaps competition with the world's party is not the point. Maybe the point is that Christians, too, mark time; and New Year's Eve (or Day) is a good time to look back and forward with eyes of faith in company with one another and with God. What will be the character of such a service? covenant making or prayer for the new year?
Perspective Methodists have a long tradition of making covenant with God at the new year, although most do not currently practice covenant making in the rigorous way of the early Methodists. Our hymnal has the vestiges of the covenant service in the prayer that begins, "I am no longer my own, but thine." ("A Covenant Prayer in the Weleyan Tradition," 607, The United Methodist Hymnal) Wesley's journal entries give us a glimpse of the size of gatherings and the sense of the powerful work of grace. Sun. JANUARY 1, 1775. — We had a larger congregation at the renewal of the Covenant than we have had for many years; and I do not know that ever we had a greater blessing. Afterwards many desired to return thanks, either for a sense of pardon, for full salvation, or for a fresh manifestation of his grace, healing all their backslidings. — John Wesley's Journal, Works of Wesley Sun. JANUARY 2, 1780. — We had the largest congregation at the renewal of our covenant with God, which ever met upon the occasion; and we were thoroughly convinced, that God was not departed from us. He never will, unless we first depart from him. — John Wesley's Journal, Works of Wesley
Sat. JANUARY 1, 1785. — Whether this be the last or no, may it be the best year of my life! Sunday, 2. A larger number of people were present this evening at the renewal of our covenant with God, than was ever seen before on the occasion. —John Wesley's Journal, Works of Wesley Covenant Service or Intercession? Covenant making: At the heart of Christian devotion is a sense that we are not our own, but that through God's claim upon us in Christ through baptism, we are God's servants. From time to time, Christians need to make a solemn renewal of the covenant, lest we hold back from God what we once gave to God but over time have hoarded for ourselves. The early Methodists adopted a form of covenant renewal and found that New Year's Eve or Day was a very suitable time for this. The introductory material in The United Methodist Book of Worship (288) suggests that, ideally, the service of covenant renewal should be held only once in the year. I take that to mean there may be other times for the church to celebrate and renew the baptismal covenant (Baptism of the Lord, Easter, Pentecost, and so on); but that a thoroughgoing, "in-your-face" (I mean that respectfully) kind of covenant renewal called for in the "Covenant Renewal Service" (UMBOW 288) has such gravity about it that Christians cannot and should not do it more often than once a year. This is one approach to the New Year observance in Christian practice. Another approach is that of holding the whole creation before God in prayer. St. Paul calls the church to "make the most of time." Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:15-20,NRSV) Intercession for the world: We believe that all time is God's time and that we are to intercede for the world. The ministry of the church in holding creation up to God is at the heart of what it means to be a priestly people. In the services of the baptismal covenant, the congregation welcomes each neophyte/newly baptized person "to share in Christ's royal priesthood' ('Baptismal Covenant I,' The United Methodist Hymnal, page 37.) As the world turns from one year into the next, we remember and know of the bane and blessing of the past year and anticipate the hurt and hope of all peoples for the coming one. I invite spiritual leaders to make a distinction. New Year's Eve or Watch Night services may be covenant renewal of the Wesleyan sort, or they may be gatherings for prayer and observance of the passing of the year and intercession for the world as it begins a new chapter. Covenant renewal is rigorous and requires preparation of the people, as well as means of sustained support and accountability afterward. There is no such thing as "covenant renewal lite." To do that is to demean the heart of our tradition and to render it pabulum for the soul. A covenant renewal service is not a seeker's service. A lot of people can play touch football on Thanksgiving afternoon. Only the physically conditioned and fully accountable can play professional football on Thanksgiving afternoon. Lord have mercy on those who go the way of George Plimpton! The other approach — a service of prayer for God's creation —is a gathering worthy of Christians, but it does not require that we engage in the same kind of soul searching, total self-giving to God that the covenantmaking service requires. The service of prayer is an expression of our sense of living out our covenant for the life of the world, and it might consist of a weaving together of song, Scripture, and prayer. This is not to sug-
gest that churches should choose the latter as a less costly option. I simply want to suggest that your church should do what it is prepared to do. (See Luke 14:25-33.) Preparation Planning for Covenant Renewal: Read the "Covenant Renewal Service" (UMBOW, 288) through aloud and listen to your heart's and mind's responses to such powerful ritual and "dangerous" prayer. Consider inviting other church leaders to share in this reading/listening experience. If you and they say, "Whoa! That is pretty stout brew! We can't just go through that and go on as usual. Such total self-giving is something we need to prepare our people for," then taking a year to get ready for it may be the best way to go. If your congregation has a practice of holding the "Covenant Renewal Service," then move forward with plans for giving support to those who "renew their covenant with God." Covenant Discipleship groups, Walk to EmmausReunion Groups, or some other means by which those who make covenants can support one another in moving forward and not slipping back is essential. See resourcesbelow for planning a "Covenant Renewal Service." In all cases, prepare the people for a service that has roots in a time when sin was taken seriously, as was the atonement, and is potent in Christ's call to obedience and discipleship. Such services are the meats that demand good spiritual teeth and a hearty constitution rooted in disciplined living. For a service of intercession for the church and the world: Consider the resources you can bring to such a service. Will you have musicians? Do you have digital artists who can enhance the environment with sound and sight? How do you want to engage the people in prayer for the world? Will you use formal or informal approaches? Will you make use of media, such as the projection of photos of people and places that are hurting, war-torn, economically or socially traumatized? How will you use music? Will you assemble a worship planning team so that you use a range of gifts and skills?
Plan the service. Make use of the Book of Worship's suggestions (294), the hymn suggestions on page 937 in The United Methodist Hymnal, and the suggestions on page 156 of The Faith We Sing: Worship Planner Edition. Invite the congregation to make this prayer service a key event in their New Year's observance. Resources Covenant Renewal For United Methodists, the official source of the "Covenant Renewal Service" is The United Methodist Book of Worship, 288. This service follows our "basic pattern" of worship and updates the language from the earlier texts of the service. For online worship ideas, see the following possibilities: A service prepared by Leila M. Geist called the "Owlah" Service.This service is a covenant renewal service focused on the Ten Commandments. It leads to praying "A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition" (The United Methodist Hymnal, 607). Found at the Wesley Center Online of Northwest Nazarene University:• Covenant Renewal Service adapted by George Lyons from the Pamphlet Written by John Wesley and First Published in 1780 (pdf)If you use this service, be alert to the language and adjust it for inclusiveness. Wesleyan Covenant Service Adapted from John Wesley by Jeren RowelThis service, too, should be adjusted
for inclusive language.
Vigil or Intercession Service Watch Night Vespers and Vigil by Dwight Vogel "A Celebration of John Wesley in Word and Song on the 300th Anniversary of His Birth" by Steve Manskar This service of hymns and readings is based on Wesley's sermon on the Scripture Way of Salvation The Character of a Methodist: A Service of Worship in Readings and Song
This article was prepared by Daniel Benedict, retired staff, Discipleship Ministries.
The Dean of Duke Divinity School explains the Wesley Covenant Service
12 Simple Rules on What to Wear, What Not to Wear: UMC Edition by Taylor Burton-Edwards as found at https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/12-simple-rules-on-what-to-wear-what-not-to-wear-umc-edition
I recently received a request on the UMC Worship Facebook group for some simple, straightforward guidance about clergy vestments in the United Methodist Church. I came up with the list below. Feel free to contact me with specific questions: worship@UMCdiscipleship.org. 12 Simple Rules for Most Cases 1. Don't wear purple clergy shirts unless you are a bishop. See #10 below. 2. Unless you're ordained in the UMC, don't wear a stole, and make sure the stole you do wear is the right one for your office (deacon or elder, including bishops). Diaconal ministers who received a diaconal stole at their consecrations may also continue to wear the stole, under the provisions of the ordinal under which they were consecrated. See also #12 below. 3. The alb is the "preferred" clergy garment (per The UMC Ordinal). This is in part because the alb may be worn by clergy and laity alike. It is a basic baptismal garment. The stole, not the alb or robe, is the sign of ordination. 4. We tend not to "do" cassocks for clergy. This is because the cassock was basically a monastic vestment for use in praying the daily office. While we do have a couple of related religious orders (Order of Saint Luke, Order of St Brigid of Kildare), most of our congregations don't have "daily office" services. This doesn't mean you can't wear a cassock if you wish, but it does mean most of our folks won't know what it is (they might think it’s a choir robe—see #5) or why you're wearing it, and you're likely not to have many occasions to wear it for the purpose for which it was designed. 5. Choir vestments come in a variety of forms. Some are cassock and surplice, others are basically robes/ gowns. We have no rules about which style your congregation should use. 6. Most of our clergy do not use the chasuble. If you choose to use it, remember it's a garment primarily for use during the Great Thanksgiving. You'd probably want to put it on as part of preparing the Table during the collection of the offering, then leave it on through the Sending. 7. Depending on how your alb fits, you may or may not need a cincture. For us, the cincture is more functional than symbolic. If you don't actually need it to "gather" or hold together your alb, you don't need to use one. If you do use one, you can either go "white/flax" year round or use cinctures that coordinate with the color of the day/season. 8. We have no special designation about who may wear a pectoral cross. They may be given to persons being commissioned (the uniquely United Methodist ritual inaugurating provisional membership prior to ordination), but laity may wear them, too.
Lay Persons
Persons with a License to Practice Ministry
Full Connection
Supply Pastor
Lay Minister
Part Time Local Pastor
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes 1
Certified
Full Time Local Pastor
Seminary
Provisional
Provisional
Associate
Full Connection
Full Connection
Student
Elder
Deacon
Member
Elder
Deacon
Wear a clerical collar? Wear a clerical robe? Wear a stole? Consecrate Communion Serve Consecrated Elements Perform Baptism
No
No
Maybe2
Maybe2
Maybe2
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes No
Yes No
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Perform Wedding Visit in Hospital Perform Funeral
No Yes Yes
No Yes Yes
Maybe3 Yes Yes
Maybe3 Yes Yes
Maybe3 Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
1.) An ordained deacon may wear a stole, however, it is worn cross body rather than over the shoulders/around the neck. 2.) Persons may consecrate the elements only within the bounds of their parish. This would include hospitals and in homes. 3.) Whereas the state may allow ceratin persons to perform weddings, church doctrine restricts weddings for these categories to within the bounds of the charge to which the pastor is assigned.
9. The scapular may be worn over the alb by anyone, lay or clergy. The scapular is not a sign of any office, but rather a sign of being a "worker" in the kingdom of God. (It derived from aprons monks would use to help collect what they were harvesting in the fields). The scapular may or may not coordinate with the color of the season. Scapulars are not a kind of "mini-chasuble," nor a replacement for a stole (if you are ordained) or chasuble (if you are the presider). 10. Bishops in the United Methodist Church have no special liturgical vestments. They are elders who are additionally consecrated for their episcopal role. They do get an episcopal shield/sign that may be sewn onto their alb or robe. There are also some stoles that include the episcopal insignia. Remember, the clergy shirt is not a liturgical vestment-- it's a work garment. 11. Let context help you decide whether to wear a clergy collar. I've found in Africa and some parts of Europe, most of our clergy wear the clergy collar most of the time. I’ve seen it more in the Philippines than in other parts of Asia. It's generally less common among United Methodist clergy in the U.S., but fine to do where it makes sense in your context. Especially if you look young or are female, you may find wearing the collar reduces questions about why you're there in hospitals, jails, prisons, and other institutions. There seems to be a fairly even distribution of those preferring "tab" or "full" (Anglican) collar style. Use what works best for you in your context. 12. All clergy-- whether appointed local pastors, provisional members, or ordained deacons and elders-may wear clergy collars in The United Methodist Church(or choose not to!). Only ordained deacons and elders (including bishops) should wear the stole, and then only the stole appropriate to their office.
Services of Death and Resurrection
Special Pastoral Considerations: Services of Death and Resurrection By Rev. Terry Goodman
There are certain aspects of your ministry that you need to think about ahead of time and be intentional in the way that you undertake your ministry of love and compassion with persons undergoing difficult life situations. The links below will offer you liturgical avenues on how you can interact with persons at those difficult life points. For General Use in Services of Death and Resurrection A Service of Death and Resurrection A Service of Committal Ministry Immediately Following Death Ministry with the Dying At the Service for a Child At the Service for a Person Who Did Not Profess the Christian Faith
The Services of Christian Marriage
The Services of Christian Marriage By Rev. Terry Goodman As a licensed pastor, you have the honor of performing a marriage. If you are serving in Virginia, you may not do this until you have been properly recognized by the court. You should talk with your District Superintendent to ascertain the proper way to register. In Tennessee, no such requirement exists. You need to understand that while the state may grant you freedom to perform a marriage anywhere within the state, the church restricts you, if you are a local pastor, to performing marriage within the bounds of your assigned charge. You should also note that you are not tied to the services listed below. The couple, with your guidance and approval, may design a wedding ceremony that differs from these services. However, you need to keep in mind the sanctity of the ceremony and be careful not to go to far afield in allowing a couple to design a service. A Service of Christian Marriage I A Service of Christian Marriage II A Service for the Recognition of a Civil Marriage
BAPTISM RESOURCES
Baptism Resources This is Your Baptismal Liturgy The Meaning of Baptism in the United Methodist Church What is the Appropriate Age for Baptism and Confirmation Witnesses to Baptism Using Water in Baptism and Reaffirmation: How Much and By Whom? by Taylor Burton-Edwards Baptism, Membership and Christian Initiation
Baptismal Services/Covenants The Baptismal Covenant I The Baptismal Covenant II The Baptismal Covenant IV A Collection of the Services of the Baptismal Covenant A Service of Baptismal Reaffirmation for New Sponsors by Taylor Burton-Edwards New Service of Reaffirmation of the Baptismal Covenant New Service of Baptism for an Infant/young Child or Those Unable to Speak for Themselves
Renewing Waters: How United Methodists Understand Baptism
Click on image to view video….
Water sustains life for humans, animals, and plants. We clean with warm water and relax in cool water. We find peace listening to the roar of the ocean or taking a stroll in the rain. Water is also important to our life in the church. In the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, “we are initiated into Christ’s holy church, … incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit,” the Introduction to the Baptismal Covenant says. “All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price.” Former director of worship resources with Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church the Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards explains, “Baptism is the ordinary means of rebirth and initiation into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Our need for salvation The Bible teaches that God made human beings in the image of God, and all of creation to be good. Sin caused a “distortion of the image of God in us and the degrading of the whole of creation,” By Water and the Spirit, The United Methodist Church’s official statement on baptism, reports. In baptism, we reject the power of sin and begin our journey as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Baptismal Covenants I, II, and IV in The United Methodist Hymnal (Baptismal Covenant III is not to be used) open with questions asked of the parents and sponsors of those to be baptized, and the candidates who can answer for themselves. The questions ask if one renounces wickedness, rejects evil, and repents of sin; accepts the freedom and power of God to reject evil, injustice, and oppression; and confesses Jesus as Savior, trusts in his grace, and promises to serve him as Lord alongside all who are part of the universal church. (For more on the service, see This Is Your Baptism Liturgy.) “Baptism starts that process of breaking us away from sin’s power,” Burton-Edwards clarifies, “but it is sanctifying grace throughout our lives that actually accomplishes it.”
Through the waters of baptism, we are cleansed of our sin and born into a new way of living. Whether an infant or adult, this is just the beginning.
Baptizing infants As the circumcision of male children is the initiatory act into God’s covenant with the Hebrew people (see Genesis 17:9-14), baptism is our initiation into the new covenant in Jesus Christ. On the day of Pentecost, Peter offers the promise of baptism without regard to age, saying it is for those present, their children, and those far away (Acts 2:38-41). Later in Acts, we read of Paul and Silas baptizing Lydia and her household, and later their jailer with his entire family (Acts 16).
We continue this practice by baptizing the children of those who reaffirm their baptismal vows, receiving them into God’s mighty acts of salvation.
Church membership All those who receive the sacrament in a United Methodist congregation, are baptized members of the Church universal, the denomination of The United Methodist Church, and their local congregation, regardless of age. By Water and the Spirit explains, “Just as infants are members of their human families, but are unable to participate in all aspects of family life, so baptized infants are members of the Church—the family of faith—but are not yet capable of sharing everything involved in membership.” While all those baptized in a United Methodist church are members, when reporting membership statistics we count professing members, those who are baptized and have publicly professed the baptismal and membership vows for themselves. Baptismal Covenants I, II, and IV in The United Methodist Hymnal (Baptismal Covenant III is not to be used) open with questions asked of the parents and sponsors of those to be baptized, and the candidates who can answer for themselves.
Only once Because baptism is an act of God, initiating us into the universal church, “the sacrament is to be received by an individual only once,” By Water and the Spirit states. Some baptized persons may like to commemorate and celebrate profound faith experiences in a special way. For this purpose, The United Methodist Hymnal contains Baptismal Covenant IV, which By Water and the Spirit calls “a powerful ritual of reaffirmation which uses water in ways that remind us of our baptism.” The membership vows of The United Methodist Church also contain a reaffirmation of the baptismal vows.
Walking in the way that leads to life Following the act of baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the pastor then offers a blessing with the laying on of hands, which may include oil. The pastor says, “The Holy Spirit work within you, that being born through water and the Spirit, you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.”
SACRAMENTS: GOD'S SHOW AND TELL The United Methodist Church celebrates two sacraments: Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Our official statement on communion, This Holy Mystery, helps us understand what we mean by a sacrament. “Sacraments are sign-acts, which include words, actions, and physical elements. They both express and convey the gracious love of God. They make God’s love both visible and effective. We might even say that sacraments are God’s ‘show and tell,’ communicating with us in a way that we, in all our brokenness and limitations, can receive and experience God’s grace.” By Water and the Spirit explains, “Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are sacraments that were instituted or commanded by Christ in the Gospels.” The elements of water, bread, and wine are a very important part these rites. “Because God has created and is creating all that is,” By Water and the Spirit teaches, “physical objects of creation can become the bearers of divine presence, power, and meaning, and thus become sacramental means of God’s grace. Sacraments are effective means of God’s presence mediated through the created world.” Through the Great Thanksgiving of the communion liturgy and the Thanksgiving Over the Water of the baptismal liturgy, we pray for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon these objects and those that receive them. “The ritual action of a sacrament does not merely point to God’s presence in the world, but also participates in it and becomes a vehicle for conveying that reality,” By Water and the Spirit states. “God’s presence in the sacraments is real, but it must be accepted by human faith if it is to transform human lives. The sacraments do not convey grace either magically or irrevocably, but they are powerful channels through which God has chosen to make grace available to us."
By Water and the Spirit teaches, “This anointing promises to the baptized person the power to live faithfully the kind of life that water baptism signifies.” One of the gifts the Holy Spirit gives is the church, local and universal, into which the Sacrament of Holy Baptism initiates “In the service,” Burton-Edwards explains, “the congregation taking vows too. They’re going to surround you with a community of love and forgiveness, and pray for you, that may be a disciple of Jesus Christ who walks in the way that leads to life.”
us. is you Baptism unites us as a community of faith, as Bishop Elaine J.W. Stanovsky illustrated in the baptism of the daughter of two elders during the 2013 Rocky Mountain Annual Conference. File photo, United Methodist Communications.
For this reason, baptisms are to take place in the presence of community of faith. The congregation welcomes their newest members, and renews their covenant to live a life of discipleship.
the
“Baptism is not an act that imparts something just to you,” Burton-Edwards clarifies. “It is an act that brings you into a spiritual relationship with the whole body of Christ. In which you are becoming one with them and they are becoming one with you.” Together the baptized—the Church of all ages, nations, and races—walk in the way that leads to life. *Joe Iovino works for UMC.org at United Methodist Communications. Contact him by email or at 615-312-3733. This article was published October 12, 2015.
This Is Your Baptismal Liturgy This downloadable PDF resource is meant to enhance your understanding of the United Methodist ritual of baptism.
DOWNLOAD PDF
FOR FURTHER STUDY Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church provides two wonderful resources for those seeking to know more. By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism is the official statement of the church adopted at the 1996 General Conference. This is Your Baptismal Liturgy: A Resource for Understanding the United Methodist Ritual of Holy Baptism explains the purpose of each part of the service we use. Both are free downloads that can be used for study by individuals, classes, and small groups.
Infant Dedication This question was raised in an e-mail inquiry in which the questioner asked if it were "legal" for pastors to administer infant dedication.
Question: What is the stance of The United Methodist Church on the practice of "infant dedication" ? Answer: The stance of The United Methodist Church on dedication in place of infant baptism has not changed since the actions of General Conference in 1996. That General Conference: Adopted "By Water and the Spirit" as an official statement on baptism and related rites, which specifically states:The baptism of infants is properly understood and valued if the child is loved and nurtured by the faithful worshiping church and by the child’s own family. If a parent or sponsor (godparent) cannot or will not nurture the child in the faith, then baptism is to be postponed until Christian nurture is available. A child who dies without being baptized is received into the love and presence of God because the Spirit has worked in that child to bestow saving grace. If a child has been baptized but her or his family or sponsors do not faithfully nurture the child in the faith, the congregation has a particular responsibility for incorporating the child into its life. Understanding the practice as an authentic expression of how God works in our lives, The United Methodist Church strongly advocates the baptism of infants within the faith community: "Because the redeeming love of God, revealed in Jesus Christ, extends to all persons and because Jesus explicitly included the children in his kingdom, the pastor of each charge shall earnestly exhort all Christian parents or guardians to present their children to the Lord in Baptism at an early age" (1992 Book of Discipline, par. 221). We affirm that while thanksgiving to God and dedication of parents to the task of Christian child-raising are aspects of infant baptism, the sacrament is primarily a gift of divine grace. Neither parents nor infants are the chief actors; baptism is an act of God in and through the Church. We respect the sincerity of parents who choose not to have their infants baptized, but we acknowledge that these views do not coincide with the Wesleyan understanding of the nature of the sacrament. The United Methodist Church does not accept either the idea that only believer’s baptism is valid or the notion that the baptism of infants magically imparts salvation apart from active personal faith. Pastors are instructed by the Book of Discipline to explain our teaching clearly on these matters, so that parent(s) or sponsors might be free of misunderstandings. The United Methodist Book of Worship contains "An Order of Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of the Child" (pages 585-87), which may be recommended in situations where baptism is inappropriate, but parents wish to take responsibility publicly for the growth of the child in faith. It should be made clear that this rite is in no way equivalent to or a substitute for baptism. Neither is it an act of infant dedication. If the infant has not been baptized, the sacrament should be administered as soon as possible after the Order of Thanksgiving. Paragraph 331.1b of the 2000 Book of Discipline makes no provision for "infant dedication" as an alternative to the sacrament of baptism, nor for what pastors are to administer or prepare parents for.
The sources of attention to infant dedication among United Methodists are twofold. One is the Anabaptist tradition for whom dedication is an appropriate practice in light of their theological assumptions. The other is the memory of some former Evangelical United Brethren (one of the two bodies that formed The United Methodist Church in 1968) of an unofficial practice of infant dedication in that tradition. For a clear and historical perspective on infant dedication from the point of view of a seminary professor who was formerly Evangelical United Brethren, see The Dedication of Infants: A Ritual Historyby Kendall Kane McCabe. The question of legality is troublesome in that we are a covenanting and conciliar community as United Methodists. We move together by Christian conferencing. Only in extreme circumstances do we turn to questions of legality, charges, and trial. It seems the issue revolves around ministry and doctrinal matters: What do we believe about grace and the sacraments? What do we teach? How do we exercise sacramental discipline? When what people want and what the church teaches are in conflict, how do we use the tension as a means of grace and growth for their sake and for the vigor and fullness of the gift God gives in holy baptism? In considering these matters, we should certainly consult three aspects of our covenant and the constitution of the church: The examination question at ordination about "loyalty to the United Methodist Church" and acceptance of "its order, liturgy, doctrine, and discipline" (United Methodist Book of Worship). Article XXII of the Articles of Religion in the Discipline, which is pretty strong in its robust critique of those who willfully and openly "break the rites and ceremonies of the church to which he [or she] belongs..." The fact that General Conference has authorized and specified the liturgy of the church in ¶1112.3, which does not contain directive, allowance for, or ritual of dedication of infants. Such a tripod invites some very frank and continuous conversation among the clergy and the laity. Pastors and people may want to consider the guidance of "By Water and the Spirit" in the text cited above in dealing with the desire for some act of celebration of birth or adoption.
Daniel Benedict retired from the staff of the Discipleship Ministries in 2005
EDITOR: Rev. Terry Goodman For those attending the school, I cannot emphasize enough that United Methodists baptize infants we do not dedicate them. If parents want some sort of “dedication” you should steer clear of performing such rituals. It could be grounds for charges against you.
FAQ’s about Baptism, Salvation, and Membership Q. Does The United Methodist Church now have an accepted understanding of baptismal theology and practice? A: Yes. Our church's position is expressed in the services of the Baptismal Covenant (especially Baptismal Covenant I) in The United Methodist Hymnal, 1989, and The United Methodist Book of Worship, 1992, and in By Water and the Spirit. All of these have been approved by the General Conference -- the only body that can speak for the whole denomination.
Q: What does United Methodism fundamentally believe about baptism? A: Baptism is a sacrament. In a sacrament, God uses common elements -- in this case, water -- as means or vehicles of divine grace. Baptism is administered by the church as the Body of Christ. It is the act of God through the grace of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Q: What is the difference between infant baptism and believer's baptism? A: In all forms of Christian baptism, God claims those being baptized, whatever their age or ability to profess their faith, with divine grace. Clearly an infant can do nothing to save himself or herself, but is totally dependent on God's grace, as we all are -- whatever our age. Most traditions that practice or recognize as valid the baptism only of believers -- those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ for themselves in some public way -- practice baptism not as a means of grace by which God saves and claims us, but rather as a further act of public profession and/or an act of obedience to the command of Christ that his followers be baptized. That is why these "believer's baptism only" traditions generally refer to baptism as an ordinance -- an act ordained or commanded by Christ -- rather than a sacrament. The term sacrament means "an oath" and refers to God's covenant with us (first of all) and ours in response to God's gracious provision of salvation in Jesus Christ. United Methodists recognize the baptism of "believers only" traditions, provided those traditions baptize people in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as generally understood in historic Christianity. We offer baptism to people of all ages who have not previously received Christian baptism in any form. We do not rebaptize those who have already received Christian baptism in any form. Even when the people being baptized are believing adults and are ready to profess their faith, our first emphasis is upon the gracious action of God who establishes the covenant of baptism with us rather than upon the individual's decision.
Q: May we have our baby dedicated instead of baptized? A: No. The theological understandings of the two services are very different. Dedication is a human act -something we pledge or give to God. Baptism is a divine act, a pledge and gift God gives to us. Baptism of infants includes the reaffirmation of the vows of the baptismal covenant by parents, sponsors, and the
congregation; but chiefly it celebrates what God is doing and will do in the life of the infant.
Q: Isn't it better to wait until they are older and let our children decide for themselves whether or not they want to be baptized? A: No. We no more wait for our children to decide about being in the family of God than we wait for them to decide if they would like to be a part of our human family. As parents, we make many decisions -- in matters of health, safety, education, for example -- for our children. Of course, they may later reject what we have done for them. But this possibility does not relieve us of the responsibility to do all that we can for them spiritually, as we do in other aspects of their lives.
Q: How about christening? A: Christening is not a separate ritual, but rather historically part of the ritual of baptism. The use of the term christening for the sacrament probably comes from two sources: chrism is the word for the anointing oil traditionally used in baptism as a sign of the sealing by the Holy Spirit; second, in the past, children were sometimes actually given their (Christian) names in baptism. In our current ritual, parents are not asked for the name of the child, but the pastor does baptize with that name and without using the family or surname. This meaning of christening is expressed, for example, in a ceremony for the naming of a ship. Unfortunately, the term christening has been used sometimes in our history as a way of diminishing the significance of infant baptism or of indicating that it is something different from and less than the baptism of an adult. This view is completely inconsistent with the Wesleyan understanding as expressed in By Water and the Spirit, the Services of the Baptismal Covenant in our hymnal and book of worship, and The Book of Discipline.
Q: Is sprinkling the only way that United Methodists baptize? A: No, our church has always offered to people being baptized and to the parents of infants the choice of sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.
Q: May I be baptized again if I feel the need? A: No, baptism is an act of God, and God does it right the first time. Our side of the covenant relationship with God will need recommitment and reaffirmation, but God always remains faithful to the divine side.
Q: How can I "remember [my] baptism and be thankful" when I was baptized as a baby? A: What we are called to remember in reaffirmation is the gift of God's grace, not a particular event. Through appropriate remembrances and celebrations, our children can be enabled to "remember" their baptism as much as they "remember" their physical birthday.
Q: May a person who has not been baptized participate in Holy Communion? A: Yes, our church does not seek to close God's Table, although the historic and normal Christian order of the sacraments is baptism first -- as birth into the family -- and Communion following, as continuing nurture at the family table. Pastors and congregations reach out and encourage those who partake at the Table to share fully in the life of God's people, including coming to the font after appropriate preparation.
Q: Should every baby be baptized? A: No, the baptism of a baby assumes that the child will be nurtured and formed in the faith at home and at church.
Q: How do we express our own decisions to be Christian disciples if we have already been baptized as infants? A: In services of profession of faith and confirmation before the congregation, we respond to God's grace by repenting of our sins, declaring our faith in Jesus Christ, and becoming professing members of the church.
Q: Does baptism mean that I am saved? A: No, salvation is a lifelong process during which we must continue to respond to God's grace. Baptism offers the promise that the Holy Spirit will always be working in our lives, but salvation requires our acceptance of that grace, trust in Christ, and ongoing growth in holiness as long as we live.
Q: Do I have to be baptized in order to be saved? A: No, but baptism is a gift of God's grace to be received as part of the journey of salvation. To refuse to accept baptism is to reject one of the means of grace that God offers us.
Q: How can I recommit myself to Christ when I have had a powerful spiritual experience? A: Confirmation and profession of faith are only the first of our affirmations of faith. As we experience God's work in our ongoing lives of discipleship, we can express our commitment through participation in services of baptismal reaffirmation (Baptismal Covenant IV).
Q: Does baptism make me a member of the church? A: Yes, baptism is the act of initiation and incorporation into the universal church of Jesus Christ, The United Methodist Church, and the local congregation, as our ritual makes very clear.
Q: Is there more than one category of church membership, according to By Water and the Spirit? A: Yes, all people who are baptized become baptized members. Those who are baptized at an age at which they are capable of professing their faith must do so and become professing members as well (they cannot choose to be baptized members only). Those baptized as infants or young children do not become professing members until they are able to profess their own faith.
Q: Does this mean that little children can vote and hold office in the church? A: No, the governance of the church and other such matters will be the privilege and responsibility of professing members. A similar distinction operates in secular government: Children become American citizens when they are born, but they cannot vote or hold office until later in life.
Q: Will our church start counting baptized members and regain the membership numbers we have lost in the last several decades? A: No. While other records will certainly be kept, only professing numbers are to be counted in statistics of church membership.
Q: How will our system of rolls and record keeping be changed? A new system of record keeping designed by the General Council on Finance and Administration went into effect in January 2005. These new records and forms are in accord with actions of the General Conference regarding our theological understanding of baptism and membership. The most salient changes are the development of a "Record of Faith Journey" for each member and of a "Permanent Church Register. "
Q: What is the difference between "full member" and "professing member"? A: The difference is the distinction between an institutional orientation and a communal orientation. To be a "full member" is something anyone can be in any secular (or volunteer) organization. Being a "full member" usually means simply that "I have joined the institution; I have paid my dues." To be a "professing member" is to make a statement of commitment and participation in a community of disciples. Being a "professing member" expresses continuing action both within the faith community and in the world. It is a statement about an individual's ongoing relationship and commitment to God and the church through Jesus Christ.
Q: Is a "baptized member" and a " preparatory member" the same thing? A: No. "preparatory members" are people the church views as candidates for membership. That category includes "baptized children and youth of the church eighteen years of age and under who are not full members, and other persons who have been enrolled in confirmation preparation." (2000 Book of Discipline Âś 229.2 ) "Baptized members" communicates our sacramental understanding that in baptism people " are initiated into Christ's holy church." ("Services of the Baptismal Covenant," Service I and II)
Q: Why does The United Methodist Church so understand baptism, membership, and salvation? A: United Methodism stands in the historic heritage of the Christian faith through the ages and, specifically, in the legacy of John Wesley. Wesley was an Anglican priest. As a result, United Methodism has inherited a "high" understanding of the church, the sacraments, and other aspects of worship. Wesley was also an evangelical revivalist. As a result, United Methodism emphasizes the necessity of conversion, personal relationship with Christ, and witnessing to others. Neither of these aspects alone represents who we are. As United Methodists, we hold the two together in our baptismal theology and practice and in our broader understanding of how God works in our lives for salvation. Dr. Gayle C. Felton and Peggy Sewell prepared this Q & A for the Discipleship Ministries. It was updated in 2008 by Taylor Burton-Edwards, Director of Worship Resources with Discipleship Ministries.
COMMUNION RESOURCES
Communion Resources Communion Bibliography by Dr Karen B. Westerfield Tucker Resources for Teaching and Practicing the Sacraments Changing Wine into Grape Juice: Thomas and Charles Welch and the Transition to Unfermented Fruit by Daniel Benedict Wheat Free Worship: The Communion Conundrum by June Marcley Gluten or Alcohol Intolerance and the Reception of Holy Communion by Daniel Benedict Clean Hands and Pure Hearts: Hygiene and Holy Communion Cross and Candles on the Communion Table by Daniel Benedict How Inclusive is Your Communion Table? By Daniel Benedict
GREAT THANKSGIVINGS Article: Great Thanksgivings: Choices in Table Prayer for United Methodists A Service of Word and Table IV A Service of Word and Table V with Persons Who Are Sick or Homebound A Great Thanksgiving for Advent A Great Thanksgiving for Christmas Eve, Day, or Season A Great Thanksgiving for New Year, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord or Covenant Reaffirmation A Great Thanksgiving for Early in Lent A Great Thanksgiving for Later in Lent A Great Thanksgiving for Holy Thursday A Great Thanksgiving for Easter Season A Great Thanksgiving for Easter Day or Season A Great Thanksgiving for the Day of Pentecost A Great Thanksgiving for the Season after Pentecost (Ordinary Time, or Kingdomtide) A Great Thanksgiving for World Communion Sunday A Great Thanksgiving for All Saints and Memorial Occasions
A Great Thanksgiving for Thanksgiving Day or for the Gift of Food A Brief Thanksgiving for General Use An Alternate Thanksgiving for General Use Contemporary Service of Holy Communion Breaking Bread Behind the Wall: A Prison Communion Liturgy A Native American Celebration of Holy Communion
An open table: How United Methodists understand communion A UMC.org Feature by Joe Iovino*
During a Confirmation Class, the pastor asked a group of mostly 13- and 14-year-old students to name some things Christians—and specifically United Methodists—do that most other people do not. One of the girls raised her hand and said with a smile, “We dunk our bread in grape juice.” Yes, that is different. The sacrament of Holy Communion is such a common occurrence in the landscape of our worship that its uncommon richness sometimes gets lost.
One sacrament, several names The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, and the Eucharist are all names for this sacrament celebrated by United Methodists. Each of these names highlights an aspect of this act of worship. According to This Holy Mystery, The United Methodist Church’s official document on communion, “The Lord’s Supper reminds us that Jesus Christ is the host and that we participate at Christ’s invitation.” Jesus invites us to take part in the special meal he ate with his disciples the night before his crucifixion, and other meals he shared in homes and on hillsides.
“The term Holy Communion invites us to focus on the self-giving of the Holy God which makes the sacrament an occasion of grace, and on the holiness of our communion with God and one another,” This Holy Mystery continues. Finally, “Eucharist, from the Greek word for thanksgiving, reminds us that the sacrament is thanksgiving to God for the gifts of creation and salvation.”
The sacrament of Holy Communion is such a common occurrence in the landscape of our worship that its uncommon richness sometimes gets lost. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Patrick Friday, In Mission Together
The Services of Word and Table in the front of The United Methodist Hymnal lead us in celebrating the fullness of the sacrament.
Invitation Our communion liturgy begins with words spoken on Jesus’ behalf inviting “all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another.” There are no conditions for church membership or completion of a class required. The baptized present are all invited, even if they belong to a different church. Those not baptized are not barred from receiving, but “should be counseled and nurtured toward baptism as soon as possible,” This Holy Mystery advises. In addition, there is no minimum age. Even baptized infants are invited. The Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards, director of worship resources with Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church, explains, “To whatever degree they’re able to participate in the Great Thanksgiving—even if that’s simply being held in their mother’s arms while they sleep— they are there. They are part of what we are all doing together, so they are welcome to receive.”
Confession, Pardon, and Peace
OPEN COMMUNION"
"
“Ecumenically, the term ‘open communion’ … means that all of the baptized are welcome to receive,” explains the Rev. Taylor BurtonEdwards, director of worship resources with Discipleship Ministries. This distinguishes our invitation from some other Christian denominations that may require additional rites before one is welcome to the table. “United Methodists do not practice ‘wide open communion,’” Burton-Edwards continues. “We are instructed to use the invitation as it appears in our ritual to make clear whom Christ does invite to his table. It is those who ‘love him, earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to be at peace with one another.’ While we serve all who present themselves, not questioning their integrity in response to the invitation, these are actual conditions.”
During the next part of the service, we prepare ourselves to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving by repenting of sin and seeking to live in peace with one another. After praying a prayer of confession, we share words of pardon that remind us of the grace freely available to all who repent, “In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!” The Peace then follows, where we offer one another signs of reconciliation and love, affirming our desire to live as a reconciled community in Christ.
The Great Thanksgiving During the next part of the service, the pastor leads the congregation in a prayer called The Great Thanksgiving. “Our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving is The Great Thanksgiving,” Burton-Edwards teaches. “That’s why it’s essential that the people participate actively in this.” We join in the ancient tradition of sacrifice by offering God our praise and thanksgiving for the wondrous gift of salvation (see Psalm 141). We offer ourselves and our gifts of bread and wine to God with thanksgiving. Then we ask for the Holy Spirit to be poured upon us and these gifts, that they may become for us the body and blood of Christ, nourishing us, who have been redeemed by his blood, to be the body of Christ in the world.
We conclude praising the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—before uniting our voices in the Lord’s Prayer. Then the bread is broken, and the body and blood of Christ are given to those who come to receive.
Prayer after receiving Holy Communion brings together our worship and our work in the world. “Communion is our meal,” Burton-Edwards explains, “It is our feeding. We need that sustenance and we need it regularly.” In the prayer after receiving, we affirm this. We pray, “Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.” All this is God’s gift to us. Burton-Edwards continues, “We are fed with the body of Christ by the Father and empowered by the Spirit to live as Christ’s body in the world.” Dipping bread into juice may seem a little odd, but it is an important sign of our life as disciples of Jesus Christ. Burton-Edwards summarizes, “What we’re doing in the Eucharist is a double thing. When we receive ‘the body and blood of Christ that we may be for the world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood,’ we are remembering. At the same time, we are also re-membered, put back together again. We pray that we may be ‘one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world.’ God’s work of making us one and uniting us with Christ, with each other and in our witness and life in the world—is the ordinary way by which God feeds us, sustains us, and empowers us to live as Christians in the world.”
REGULAR COMMUNION Due to a lack of ordained clergy in the early days of the church in the United States, a history of receiving the sacrament quarterly (four times per year) is the habit in some places. The vast majority of United Methodist congregations in the United States (97% in the most recent study) now celebrate the Lord’s Supper at least once per month. This Holy Mystery and The United Methodist Book of Worship encourage weekly communion.
A great resource to help you understand the key elements of the theology and practice of Holy Communion in The United Methodist Church is The Meaning of Holy Communion, which can be downloaded FREE on the Discipleship Ministries website. The official statement This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion can also to be downloaded FREE on the Discipleship Ministries website. Learn more about World Communion Sunday. *Joe Iovino works for UMC.org at United Methodist Communications. Contact him by email or at 615-312-3733. This story was first published on September 23, 2015.
Watch Why Isn’t Communion Every Sunday? FAQ: Who can assist in communion?
THE ELEMENTS OF COMMUNION The Bread “It is appropriate that the bread eaten in Holy Communion both look and taste like bread,” This Holy Mystery clarifies. “The use of a whole loaf best signifies the unity of the church as the body of Christ and, when it is broken and shared, our fellowship in that body.” The Cup “A single cup or chalice may be used for intinction—dipping the bread into the wine—or for drinking,” This Holy Mystery also affirms. “The use of a common chalice best represents Christian unity, but individual cups are used in many congregations.” This story uses the word juice over wine because historically, United Methodists have been committed to use “the pure, unfermented juice of the grape.” “That came out of our involvement in the temperance movement in the 19th century and into the 20th century,” Burton-Edwards explains. “It is also out of an ongoing concern for persons for whom alcohol may be a problem.”
Is It Proper to Include Holy Communion as a Part of Services on Good Friday? While it is entirely appropriate to include Holy Communion on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Day, it is by many centuries' tradition that it is not included on Good Friday. As early as the second century, the church observed Good Friday as a day of fasting and penance, a day to remember and commemorate the arrest, trial, suffering, crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus. Holy Communion, although it includes mention of these things, is above all a celebration of the Resurrection, an opportunity to experience the promise of a new creation in the risen Christ, and the hope of eternal life. Holy Communion is not mournful. It is not a wake. It is a sacrament of great joy. Thus, on Good Friday, the one day of the church year when we put these things in the background and give prominence to recalling the events of that day, it is most appropriate to not include Holy Communion. This is the practice of the historic and greater ecumenical church.
How Should Parents and the Church Welcome Children to the Lord’s Supper? The evangelist in the Gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus welcoming the children, even at the protest of the disciples. "People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.'" (Luke 18: 15-17, NRSV) In the conversation before this story, Jesus told a parable illustrating how humble people will be exalted in the kingdom of God. Jesus turns the societal ranking of his day upside down as he proclaims that little children and childlikeness hold a special place in the kingdom of God. By virtue of their baptism, children of all ages are welcome at the table of the Lord's Supper. Just as Jesus welcomed the little children, how then can parents and the church welcome baptized children to the Lord's Supper? Since the decision about when a child may first receive Communion in The United Methodist Church is left up to the parents/caregivers, they often struggle with the question of when their child should begin receiving the Lord's Supper. It is helpful to consider that children grow spiritually by participating in the life of the church, including the Lord's Supper. They experience the world through their bodies and make meaning about these experiences through their senses. Children have a strong need to belong. What better place for children to know they are valued than in their faith community! When children share in the meal of the Lord's Supper they know they have a place where they can experience God's unconditional love and belonging in the faith community. To begin thinking about the question of how to welcome children to the Lord's Supper, consider forming a task force in your local church consisting of people that care about children, such as parents, liturgists, Christian educators, public school teachers, social workers, and clergy. With each of the suggestions below, you will want to make adjustments for children with disabilities or special needs in ways that invite those children to participate. For able-bodied and disabled children alike, the experience of the Lord's Supper meets them at the level of the heart and body rather than the head.
Below are suggestions that will help your local church begin to welcome children to the Lord's Supper. You will want to consider what is most applicable and make adaptations. The suggestions are organized into three areas of ministry.
In the Life of the Church Perhaps a rather obvious point is to arrange the Sunday morning schedule so that Christian education and worship are held at different times. This way parents/caregivers can worship with their children and be present in worship for the Lord's Supper. Sunday school teachers can also be nourished through worship and the Lord's Supper. Children experience being welcomed at the Table when they are included in the full life of the church. Intergenerational involvement in missions, stewardship, worship, fellowship, and Christian education builds bridges where faith is passed on from older to younger generations, and the younger generations experience belonging to the faith community.
In Worship Bread that is baked at the church on the morning of a Communion service will fill the church building with a welcoming aroma. You may want to have children make bread dough that day if there is enough time for the bread to bake before worship. If your congregation regularly serves wheat bread, consider offering the choice of non-wheat bread since some children are allergic to wheat. See "How Inclusive Is Your Communion Table?"
Provide booster seats in the pew or on chairs (strapping the booster seats safely onto the chairs) for toddlers and preschoolers so they can see the presider and so they can see during the entire worship service. (For parents or others sitting with children) Guide children through the Communion liturgy by pointing to the congregational responses. Even nonreaders and young readers will sense the pattern of congregational participation. As children participate over time, they will learn the responses by heart and in their hearts. Invite children to process the bread and cup to the Lord's Table at the time of the offering. Children take in what it means to participate in ritual through using their bodies. They also experience being part of the faith community through having a role in worship.
Full, rich, sensual ritual actions will draw children into the ritual through their senses. Intentional arm and hand gestures by the presiding minister help express the meaning of the words and emphasize parts of the Great Thanksgiving prayer. The presider can pour the juice from a pitcher into the chalice at the table, allowing time for the unrushed gesture and the sound of the pouring to be heard. The single uncut loaf of bread can be raised high and broken unhurriedly. Likewise, the cup can be fully raised in view of the entire congregation. See The United Methodist Book of Worship (36-39 and 54-79) for specific suggestions regarding gestures. Also see The Lord Be With You: A Visual Handbook for Presiding in Christian Worship by Charles D. Hackett and Don E. Saliers (OSL Publications, 1990) and Strong, Loving and Wiseby Robert W. Hovda (Liturgical Press, 1983) As children are served the bread and cup, address each child by name. The server may kneel or bend down, lowering the bread and cup, and look at the child face-to-face. Children will feel more a part of the faith community when they are met at their own level, physically and developmentally. If your church has a message for children in worship, explore themes that make connections to the Lord's Supper. You might talk with children about special meals, about bread related to the earth, growing bodies and spirits, and about inviting people to eat together from many different places and ages — just to name a few topics — and relate them to the Lord's Supper. Keep it simple without using metaphors, similes, or analogies that children have no experience with because they may not be able to make the abstract connection. Offer occasional worship designed for children and parents/caregivers with celebration of the Lord's Supper. The worship leaders and presider can take time for teaching about the Lord's Supper at appropriate moments during the service. This should be considered an additional way of welcoming children to the table and not a replacement for children participating in the Sunday morning Communion services.
In Christian Education Settings There are many "feeding stories" in the Old and New Testament that children and parents can explore together. Children understand the world through stories. Providing several ways to respond to the "feeding stories" through art, drama, music, creative writing, or nature, allows children to intertwine the Divine story with their own stories. Children, parents, and clergy could take a tour of the sanctuary. This would be a time for the children to ask questions and learn about the different ways that the Lord's Supper is served in your particular church. They could also practice singing or speaking the congregational responses for the next upcoming Communion service so they become familiar with them. We think primarily about preparing children for Communion. However, children may have questions or responses they want to share after they receive the Lord's Supper. Consider providing opportunities for children to share their Communion experiences through discussion or expressing themselves in an art form. Young children may be unsure about mixing the taste of bread and grape juice. They could try it out with a taste test at home. Provide a setting where parents/caregivers can talk about their own questions related to children and the Lord's
Supper. It would be helpful for parents/caregivers to talk about their own first Communion. Adults in the same family might have different experiences that come out of different faith traditions. Some of adults' concerns and practices with their children grow out of their own experiences of the Lord's Supper. For a discussion about whether or not to adapt words in the Lord's Supper liturgy for children, see the article "Children and Communion — Should We Change the Words?"
For Further Reading: (Books available through Cokesbury unless noted otherwise.)
Storybooks for Children Getty-Sullivan, Mary Ann. Illustrated by Marygrace Dulski Antkowski. God Speaks to Us in Feeding Stories.Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997. Grimes, Nikki. Illustrated by Michael Bryant. Come Sunday,Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1997.
Manushkin, Fran. Illustrated by Ned Bittinger. The Matzah That Papa Brought Home. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1995. Milton, Ralph. Illustrated by Margaret Kyle. The Family Story Bible.Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996. Ramshaw, Gail. 1-2-3 Church.Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1997. Ramshaw, Gail. Illustrated by Judy Jarrett. Every Day and Sunday, Too.Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1997.
Resources for Parents, Christian Educators, Pastors, and Worship Planners Anderson, E. Byron. The Meaning of Holy Communion in the United Methodist Church.Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2000. A free companion study outline is available. Brown, Carolyn C. Forbid Them Not: Involving Children in Sunday Worship. Nashville: Abingdon Press. Year A,1992; Year B,1993; Year C,1994. Caldwell, Elizabeth Francis. Come Unto Me: Rethinking the Sacraments for Children.Cleveland: United Church Press, 1996. Norton, MaryJane Pierce. Children Worship!Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1997. Norton, MaryJane Pierce."How to Welcome Children in Worship" in Worship Matters, Volume II,ed. by E. Ron Anderson. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1999. Stookey, Laurence Hull. Eucharist: Christ's Feast With the Church.Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993. Westerhoff, John H. and William H. Willimon. Liturgy and Learning Through the Life Cycle, revised edition. Akron: OSL Publications,1994.
Curriculum Touch the Water, Taste the Bread, a curriculum for ages 3-5 and grades 1-3. (Available at http://www.cokesbury.com)
Cheryl T. Magrini, O.S.L., is a doctoral student (in Christian education with a minor in liturgical theology) at GarrettEvangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Her research on children's experiences of the Lord's Supper, the faith development of children, and catechesis related to the Lord's Supper grows out of serving children and families in the local parish in The United Methodist church as a Christian educator and liturgist. Cheryl is a candidate for ordained ministry as a deacon in full connection in the Northern Illinois Conference. Cheryl may be contacted by e-mail at reachteach@aol.com.
Extending Your Congregation’s Communion Table to Those Unable to Be Present by Daniel T. Benedict, Jr
The 2012 Book of Discipline contains a paragraph that may be easily overlooked. The paragraph permits pastors to select and train laypersons to take Communion to those who are unable to be present for the congregation's sharing of the bread and cup. Although this may be a red flag for some pastors who hold that administration of Communion is a prerogative of the clergy, it invites all of us to a practical reflection on the congregation's role in pastoral care and the sacramental inclusion of all members. It invites the church to develop lay eucharistic ministry beyond the walls of the church and the set times of our services of worship. The paragraph under the duties of a pastor reads:
Discipleship Ministries "shall encourage ordained elders to select and train laity to distribute the consecrated Communion elements to sick or homebound persons following a service of Word and Table. This distribution also may apply to laypersons who have been assigned pastoral roles in a church or in more than one church by the district superintendent." (From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church — 2012, paragraph 1116.9, Ministry of the Laity. Copyright © 2012 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.) For pastors and congregations who want to enact this extension of Christ's Table, there are at least two important and available resources: "Service of Word and Table V with Persons Who Are Sick or Homebound" in The United Methodist Book of Worship, page 51. "Extending the Eucharist to the Unwillingly Absent," an appendix in Laurence Hull Stookey's book, Eucharist: Christ's Feast with the Church (Nashville: Abingdon Press), pages 155-159. The first resource is for use by ordained elders. However, the rubrics give directions for adapting the service for use by laypeople who have been selected by the pastor to take the consecrated elements from the congregation's celebration of Holy Communion. The primary change is that laypersons are to omit the Great Thanksgiving. The other rubrics should also be carefully considered whether clergy or laypersons use this service. If you have Andy Langford's book Blueprints For Worship: A User's Guide for United Methodist Worship (Abingdon Press, 1993), you will find on pages 46-47 further commentary on adapting the service. Professor Stookey's book is particularly helpful in its treatment of the issues discussed in its final chapter. That chapter lays a solid pastoral foundation for the extension of the Eucharistic Table and raises significant points that a congregation needs to address to engage in this broadened sacramental ministry. The appendix gives general instructions, rites for use at the conclusion of the congregation's Communion, and model words and actions for use at the place of distribution. Congregations will be grateful that the publisher allows this appendix to be duplicated for local church use. Pastors will find this resource helpful in making it clear that Communion is a congregational act. When the elements are taken to the unwillingly absent by laypeople, those laypeople are not celebrating the sacrament again, but are recalling it and extending it to those who are otherwise forced to be absent from the Holy Meal. Extending the Table for those unable to be present is an area for building new knowledge in ministry and for developing additional resources as pastors and congregations work to extend Christ's feast with the church. We in the Center for Worship Resourcing at the Discipleship Ministries look forward to hearing your stories and receiving copies of resources you use for training your "eucharistic ministers." ••••
Daniel T. Benedict, Jr. (stlukebysea@yahoo.com) is retired from Discipleship Ministries.
Posted 7-17-03; Revised 7-6-15
Cross and Candles on the Communion Table by Daniel Benedict
A recent e-mail raised this question: "I have noticed the practice in some United Methodist Churches of removing the cross and candles from the Lord's Table when Holy Communion is celebrated. They have on occasion placed the cross in a back room outside the sanctuary. They say it's what Hoyt Hickman's United Methodist Altars (Abingdon, 1996) says. I have pointed out that they are misinterpreting the meaning of the book. Have you ever heard of this practice?" Here is how I responded:
I think that what Dr. Hickman has stated in United Methodist Altarsis quite clear and appropriate. The principle is: No cross on the Lord's Table at any time. It is not that the cross is not important; rather, the cross is a symbol and sign in its own right just as is the Communion Table. Each is to have its place. Secondarily, when the cross is on the Table as a vertical sign, it is impossible for the presider to function at the Table. He or she has to navigate around it in awkward gestures. If United Methodists heeded our pattern of worship — Word and Table — we would be celebrating the sacrament weekly; and it would be clearer that the Lord's Table is not a pedestal for flowers or other decorations, but a Table around which the body of Christ shares the Eucharist. I heartily agree that the cross should not be taken to the sacristy or some other place for Communion. It, just as the Table and the font, should have its permanent place: on the wall, on a retable (stand or table behind the Communion table), or suspended over Table or worship space. This is a matter that calls for the congregation to think through its worship space and the placement of all its furnishings and spaces, including the primary centers (communal space, font, lectern, table) and the primary symbols (Bible and cross). Perhaps there are other primary symbols, but I am hard pressed to name any others as primary. We ought to take heed to Robert Hvoda's reminding us that "the human community assembled is the most important liturgical reality in the environment" (Strong, Loving And Wise. Liturgical Press, 1976, p. 43). I highly recommend Hovda's book for pastors and all who seek a fresh vision of worship as a transforming event. I think where the custom of removing the cross (and candles) may have come from is the practice of using a pall — the large fair linen cloth — that churches spread over the Communion elements placed on the Table prior to the beginning of the service. At least, I have seen that done in a number of United Methodist Churches in past decades; and some still do it. The elements take up a good portion of the Table and, I suppose, the aesthetic eye of local sacristans sensed that it was more pleasing to have a smooth line across the Table from side to side. Thus everything else needed to go, including cross and candles. On the matter of candles, there is no reason to remove them if they are not in the way of the "taking, blessing, breaking and giving" actions at the Table. There are numerous ways of arranging candles on or near the Table, and United Methodist Altars explores those. Let me call your attention to the new statement on Holy Communion, This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion, adopted by the 2004 General Conference. Although it does not deal with the kind of exacting details you raise, it does invite a comprehensive review of our theology and practice. You can review it online (in pdf format).
Making Communion Fully Available to People with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance by Tracy R. Merrick with Taylor Burton-Edwards
The Problem While United Methodists rightly take pride in the openness of the Communion Table in our church, as a point of fact, we very often unintentionally and routinely exclude some members of our congregations from full participation. We are speaking of those among us who suffer from celiac disease or other forms of gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein present in many grains including wheat, rye, oats, and barley. For people with celiac disease, ingesting any amount of gluten can result in anemia, fatigue, bloating, diarrhea, intense abdominal pain, or the destruction of villi in the small intestines. People with intolerances to gluten or wheat products, but not full-blown celiac disease, may experience similar symptoms, though to a lesser degree. You may learn more about celiac disease and related sensitivities at www.celiac.org. At the present time, the only "treatment" to avoid the unpleasant and sometimes life-endangering effects of ingesting gluten is the complete abstinence from gluten-containing foods, including any food items that may have become cross-contaminated by exposure to gluten-containing foods. This is why bakeries and restaurants that serve gluten-free food either prepare no foods that contain gluten at all, or prepare gluten-free and gluten-containing foods on entirely separate equipment. This is also why food labels now reflect warnings when processing plants that produce gluten-free products use the same facilities to process foods that include wheat or other grains that contain gluten.
Guidelines and Solutions Surely we do not intend to exclude people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance from receiving both the bread and the cup. The good news is there are solutions! Good tasting gluten-free bread and wafers are available from an increasing number of vendors. Check the internet for providers and products in your local area. Consider any extra cost an investment in being a more inclusive community. Or, even better, find people in your congregation or community who are willing to make their kitchens gluten-free so that they can bake totally gluten-free bread for your church! Here are some guidelines to help your congregation. 1.)The simplest solution: Use only gluten-free bread or wafers.Serving everyone the same kind of elements keeps everything simple and singles out no one. However, even here, there are two precautions to take: 2.)Presiders, servers, or Communion stewards who touch the gluten-free elements should wash their hands thoroughly immediately before handling the elements to avoid possible cross-contamination. 3.)Only servers with thoroughly washed hands should serve the elements. They may place the bread or wafer directly into the open hands of those receiving, without touching their hands. People receiving Communion should not take the bread for themselves, since their hands may not be washed, and they could easily contaminate the elements for others.
A second-best solution: Provide easily accessible alternative serving stations for gluten free elements (bread and cup).Serving both kinds of elements in the same service introduces additional issues you will need to address to ensure that gluten-free elements remain gluten-free. Be sure the gluten-free elements never come into contact with gluten-containing elements. They must remain physically separated at all times. The gluten-free elements must not be touched by anyone who has touched or handled bread with gluten, wheat, rye, oats, or barley. So, if it is the custom of the presider to touch the bread and the cup at Communion, the presider should refrain from touching the bread and cup reserved for gluten-free elements. If you serve by intinction, or make intinction available as an option, be sure to provide an entirely separate chalice for those receiving gluten-free elements. However you choose to serve gluten-free elements, always make it clear you are doing so, and indicate where and how they may be received. This may be done in a bulletin announcement, onscreen, or by a brief verbal announcement at the beginning of worship. If your worship space is fairly large or you have a large number of worshipers, consider making multiple, clearly-designated gluten-free stations available. Tracy R. Merrick is a lay member of the First United Methodist Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a congregation that serves only gluten-free elements. His wife, Karen, has celiac disease. Taylor Burton-Edwards is the director of worship resources for the Discipleship Ministries.
Candler School of Theology offers a home made recipe for gluten free communion bread.
E. Byron Anderson is Ernest and Bernice Styberg Professor of Worship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and an elder in the Minnesota Annual Conference. The General Board of Discipleship is thrilled to offer these downloadable versions free of charge. If you prefer a print edition of this resource, please visit the DIscipleship Resources bookstore to purchase The Meaning of Holy Communion. Introduced at Annual Conferences in 2015, E. Byron Anderson's "The Meaning of Holy Communion" will help you understand the key elements of the theology and practice of Holy Communion in The United Methodist Church as contained in our official teaching document, This Holy Mystery, the official ritual of our Church, and Living into the Mystery: A United Methodist Guide for Celebrating Holy Communion. DOWNLOAD The Meaning of Holy Communion [PDF] This small book is ideal for small groups, communion stewards, altar guilds, Sunday school classes, seminarians, students in licensing schools, Course of Study or Lay Servant Ministry, and for pastors to use to develop a teaching or preaching series.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Meaning of Holy Communion in the UMC E. Byron Anderson
WHO Questions: Who may preside at services of Holy Communion in The United Methodist Church? This Holy Mystery (THM) clearly states, “An ordained elder or a person authorized under the provision of The Book of Discipline presides at all celebrations of Holy Communion” (THM, “Presiding Ministers: Elders and Licensed Local Pastors,” 25-26; Book of Discipline 2012 ¶ 316.1, 332, 340.2.b).
Who may not preside? Persons who are neither ordained nor otherwise authorized for sacramental ministry under the provisions of The Book of Discipline 2012 (¶316.1, 332, 340.2.b) may not preside at services of Holy Communion in The United Methodist Church.
We have two elders appointed to our congregation. How many authorized presiders may “share” the Great Thanksgiving, and how should they divide it up to share it? Our authorized documents do not provide an explicit answer to this question, but THM does give us some hints. First, we need to remember that the Great Thanksgiving is a single dialogical prayer (rather than a “collection” of sacred words) shared between the presiding minister and the congregation. Therefore any sharing of the prayer needs to respect this character as communal prayer. Sharing of the prayer also needs to preserve the sense of the prayer as a single prayer. Also, there is no portion of this prayer that may be delegated to deacon or lay ministers. As THM notes, “an elder or authorized pastor leaders the congregation in praying the Great Thanksgiving, in which the whole assembly takes an active role.” (THM “The Great Thanksgiving,” 22 and “Presiding Ministers,” 26) Second, as THM indicates, “All elders or deacons who are present may be invited to…stand with the presider at the table, and assist in distributing the elements.” (THM “Presiding Ministers,” 26) THM seems to suggest, then, that even when there are multiple elders present, a single elder normally presides at the table. A first answer, then, is to suggest that the two elders alternate presiding responsibility each time the congregation celebrates Holy Communion. This has the advantage of making clear to the congregation that all elders, regardless of their status as “senior” or “associate” pastors, male or female, are equally authorized for sacramental ministry in the church. It also provides an opportunity for the congregation to experience the different voices and ways of embodying the prayer represented by the two different elders. A second answer requires that the two elders be attentive to the theological shape of the Great Thanksgiving as a single prayer and to divide it in such a way that reflects that theological shape. It should also be well rehearsed to avoid any awkwardness in praying. Using the Great Thanksgiving in Word and Table I (UMH 910, BOW 36-38) as an example, the following respects such a division: E1: Opening Dialogue through “the breath of life.” E2: “When we turned away…through the prophets. E1 and E2 together: “As so, with your people on earth…” All: “Holy, holy, holy…” E1: “Holy are you…when you would save your people.” E2: “He healed the sick…your Word and Holy Spirit.” E1: “On the night…in remembrance of me.” E2: “When the supper was over…in remembrance of me.” E1: And so, in remembrance…the mystery of faith.” All: “Christ has died…” E1: Pour out your Holy Spirit…by his blood.” E2: By your Spirit…at his heavenly banquet.”
E1 and E2 together: “Through your Son Jesus Christ…”
All: “Amen.” Such a division will require that the two elders rehearse carefully so as to make the transitions and gestures that accompany the prayer as smooth and as prayerful as possible.
Who is authorized to bless elements people prepare at home or that may have been mailed to them for use in an online, televised or radio broadcast service of Holy Communion? Would this be limited only to elders, or may a licensed local pastor do so as well? THM clearly states, “An ordained elder or a person authorized under the provision of The Book of Discipline presides at all celebrations of Holy Communion” (THM, “Presiding Ministers: Elders and Licensed Local Pastors,” 25-26; Book of Discipline 2012 ¶ 316.1, 332, 340.2.b). However, what we are sharing in Holy Communion is not only the bread and wine, but also the sense of communion we have with one another in Christ. It is this communion we celebrated with one another in the gathered community around the Lord’s Table that we now “extend” to those unwillingly absent. Therefore, online celebrations of Holy Communion as well as participation through televised and radio broadcasts are inappropriate. Likewise, preparation of the elements for such use is also inappropriate.
How does a deacon normally participate in services of Holy Communion? There continues to be some confusion and disagreement within the church about the sacramental ministry of deacons. However, the Book of Discipline (¶ 320) states that deacons are to assist “the elders in the administration of the sacraments.” THM develops this further, stating “In continuity with historic and ecumenical practice…the role of the deacons in services of Word and Table appropriately includes reading the Gospel lesson; leading the concerns and prayers for the world, the church and the needy; receiving the elements and preparing the table before the Great Thanksgiving; assisting the elder in serving the Communion elements; setting the table in order; and dismissing the people to serve before the elder offers God’s blessing.” (THM “Assisting Ministers: Deacons and laity,” 27) Living into the Mystery expands on this description of the deacon’s work at the Lord’s Table: “The deacon may receive the bread and flagon, and place them in appropriate places on the Lord’s Table. The deacon may also pour the wine into the chalice, and then ensure that all things and all people are in their proper places for the beginning of the Great Thanksgiving. If the gifts are already placed on the Lord’s Table and covered, the deacon may lead or work with others, such as communion stewards, to unveil the
gifts in an appropriately simple, gracious, and powerful way, and place the cloth in an appropriate place on a side table.” (LitM, 29-30)
How may a deacon obtain approval to preside? The deacon’s ministry at Holy Communion is not normally that of administering or presiding at the sacraments, but rather “assisting in the administration of the sacraments.” The current United Methodist Book of Discipline ¶328 makes limited provision for bishops to authorize deacons to preside at the sacraments in the context of their appointments“for the sake of extending the mission and ministry of the church.” It goes on to say, “a pastor-in-charge or district superintendent may request that the bishop grant local sacramental authority to the deacon… in the absence of an elder, within a deacon’s primary appointment.”
Who may assist in preparing the table or serving communion, and what training (if any) is required or recommended to do so? THM states “All members of Christ’s universal church are, through baptism, called to share in the Eucharistic ministry that is committed to the whole church (BOD; ¶219). Lay people assist the presider in leading the whole congregation to celebrate the Lord’s Supper” (27-28). In practice, this means that laypeople exercise leadership of worship by reading Scripture, leading prayers, preparing the table, providing and preparing the elements, distributing the elements, and helping with other parts of the service. At the appropriate point in the service, laity representing the whole congregation may bring the elements forward to the table as a part of the offering.” “Laypeople may take the consecrated elements to members who are unable to attend the congregational celebration.” “Laypeople need instruction and training for this leadership, under the supervision of pastors and deacons.”
How old do you have to be in order to serve communion? Do you have to be baptized first? Must you be a professing member? A starting point for this answer is that The United Methodist Church places no age or membership restriction on participation in Holy Communion. As THM makes clear, “Children of all ages are welcome to the Table and are to be taught and led to interpret, appreciate, and participate in Holy Communion” (THM, “Invitation to the Lord’s Table,” 16). It seems appropriate, then, that all baptized Christians, regardless of age, may play a role in the celebration of Holy Communion—whether in preparing the table and the elements, bringing the elements to the table as part of the offering, or serving the bread and cup. It also seems appropriate that, while we welcome to the Lord’s Table non-baptized persons who respond in faith to the invitation, those persons who are to participate in the ministry of the Lord’s Table should be baptized members of the covenant community that is the Church.
HOW Questions: We are in a congregation not served by someone authorized to preside. How can we make provision to celebrate Holy Communion? May a DS or other pastor “phone” or “Skype” a prayer of consecration over elements ahead of time? What if they do it in “real time”? Why? THM is explicit in addressing this question: Regardless of how it might be done (telephone, Skype, FaceTime, or other electronic media), “the practice of consecrating elements ahead of time…is inappropriate and contrary to our historic doctrine and understanding of how God’s grace is made available in the sacrament.” (Article XVIII, The Articles of Religion, BOD; page 64; THM “The communion elements,” 32) The Great Thanksgiving is not primarily about “consecration” but about the gathering of the church around the Lord’s Table in thanks and praise to God. “The Communion elements are consecrated and consumed in the context of the gathered congregation” (THM “The community extends itself,” 22, emphasis added).
How can we offer communion in a sanitary way without making it look like we believe more in the presence of germs than in the presence of Christ? THM offers minimal guidance for us on this question. It acknowledges “both perception and reality of hygiene are important” and that “people have justifiable health concerns that the signs of the body and blood of Christ given to them at the holy meal are handled carefully and with concern for hygiene.” At the same time, it acknowledges “scientific studies…make it clear that those who partake in Holy Communion have no higher incidence of illness than those who do not” (THM, “Hygiene and Table Setting,” 33). THM recommends two basic principles: First, “those who will prepare and serve the elements should wash their hands. This can be done simply and without creating an additional layer of ceremony in the service.” Second, “the piece of bread given should be sizeable enough to be a generous sign and to be able to be dipped in the cup without the fingers of the recipient dipping into the liquid” (THM, “Hygiene and Table Setting,” 33). As many now acknowledge, hands are more often likely to be a source of infection than our lips. So we suggest the following practices: The bread should always be broken and served/given to the individual. This minimizes the number of hands that come in direct contact with the bread. When persons are drinking from a common cup, those who are assisting should wipe inside and outside the rim and rotate the chalice between communicants. In the case of intinction (dipping the bread in the cup), those who are sick might be encouraged to receive the bread only.
How should we serve the bread? Is it better to pass through the pews, have people tear off their own piece, or have servers break and give the bread? Why? Living into the Mystery acknowledges, “United Methodists receive Holy Communion in a variety of ways. In some congregations people come forward to stations or to a rail where they may stand or kneel to receive a piece of bread from one server and then dip it in a cup held by another. This method is called intinction. In
others, people may first receive and eat the bread and then drink from a common cup. In others, persons may receive bread from one server, eat it, then receive an individual small cup from another, and drink it, returning the small cup to a rail equipped with cup holders. In still others, trays of bread and small cups of wine may be passed through the pews by ushers or communion stewards, with each person receiving from one person and serving the next in the pew” (Living into the Mystery, 45). There is one primary principle reflected in these various practices: we receive or are served the bread (and the cup); we do not take them for ourselves. Receiving the bread (and cup) from another “reflects continuity with ancient practice extending to the biblical accounts of the Last Supper itself…recalling that Jesus ‘took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said, Take, eat.’ In both texts, ‘take’ means first to receive the bread broken and given by the server, and then to place it in one’s mouth” (Living into the Mystery, 46). An important theological principle also undergirds our sharing the bread and cup: we share from one loaf and one cup. As Paul writes to the Corinthians, and as we repeat after the Great Thanksgiving as we break the bread and lift the cup, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10.16-17). This sharing of the one bread and one cup is part of what communion means for Christian people. As THM states, the common loaf and common cup are powerful symbols “of the unity of the body of Christ gathered at the Lord’s Table” (THM, “The Communion Elements,” 31).
How should we serve the cup? As was noted concerning the serving of the bread, “United Methodists receive Holy Communion in a variety of ways. In some congregations people come forward to stations or to a rail where they may stand or kneel to receive a piece of bread from one server and then dip it in a cup held by another. This method is called intinction. In others, people may first receive and eat the bread and then drink from a common cup. In others, persons may receive bread from one server, eat it, then receive an individual small cup from another, and drink it, returning the small cup to a rail equipped with cup holders. In still others, trays of bread and small cups of wine may be passed through the pews by ushers or communion stewards, with each person receiving from one person and serving the next in the pew” (Living into the Mystery, 45). The principle that applies to the bread also applies to the cup: we receive or are served the cup (and the bread); we do not take them for ourselves. Receiving the cup (and bread) from another “reflects continuity with ancient practice extending to the biblical accounts of the Last Supper itself,” here recalling that Jesus “took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to his disciples saying, Drink from it, all of you” (Matthew 26.27).
An important theological principle also undergirds our sharing the cup and bread: we share from one cup and one loaf. As Paul writes to the Corinthians, and as we repeat after the Great Thanksgiving as we break the bread and lift the cup, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10.16-17). This sharing of the one bread and one cup is part of what communion means for Christian people. As THM states, the common loaf and common cup are powerful symbols “of the unity of the body of Christ gathered at the Lord’s Table” (THM, “The Communion Elements,” 31).
How can we reverently dispose of what is left over after all have received? THM sets out a basic principle for the disposal of leftover bread and juice: “The consecrated elements are to be treated with reverent respect and appreciation as gifts of God’s creation that have, in the words of the Great Thanksgiving, become “for us the body and blood of Christ” (UMH, 10; THM, “The Communion elements,” 31). It further notes these instructions provided in The Book of Worship (page 30): “What is done with the remaining bread and wine should express our stewardship of God’s gifts and our respect for the holy purpose they have served.”
In practice this means the following, in order of priority: First, the remaining bread and wine should be returned to the sacristy to be prepared by the deacon or communion stewards for distribution to the sick and to those unwillingly absent from the service. Second, since these are gifts of food, “the pastor and/or others at the pastor’s direction” should “consume them in a reverent manner following the service.” (THM “The Communion elements,” 32) Finally, they may be “returned to the earth by pouring… burying, scattering, or burning.” (THM “The Communion elements,” 32). They should not be poured down the drain or placed in the trash. Living into the Mystery provides a helpful caution: “Directly returning some elements to the ground can make an important ecological witness. At the same time, we would recommend that any unconsumed elements be returned to the earth in relatively small amounts. The sight of large pieces of bread sitting on the church lawn or flowerbeds can be unattractive or a sign of wastefulness. This may be avoided when only the amount of bread needed for a given service is prepared.” (LitM, 51)
Are “disposable cups” okay? Why or why not? How about disposable “all-in-one” packs with the wafer on the top and the juice in the bottom? There are several principles that shape answers to these questions. First, THM reminds us that “the consecrated elements are to be treated with reverent respect and appreciation as gifts of God’s creation that have, in the words of the Great Thanksgiving, become ‘for us the body and blood of Christ’ (UMH; page 10)” (THM, “The communion elements,” 31). The use of disposable cups or all-in-one packages makes it
“Holy Communion is not an after thought. It is a vital part of the worship service. It is not something that is rushed through, but rather something that is celebrated by the gathered body who is receiving the body and blood of Christ—and the grace that comes from the sacrament. Therefore, plan the communion ritual and the actions of communion and the flow of the people to receive the elements as if it was just as important as the message. It is.” Rev. Terry Goodman
difficult, if not impossible, to ensure reverent and respectful disposal of the remaining elements of Holy Communion. In both cases, without substantial effort to collect and carefully wash all cups before disposing of them, there will inescapably be some juice or wine remaining in the cups, resulting in placing what has become for us the blood of Christ into the trash. Second, both the manufacture and disposal of such cups or all-in-packages creates additional environmental impacts that other means of distribution, including the use of small non-disposable cups, do not. THM reminds us of the link between Holy Communion and ethical Christian discipleship: “Receiving the bread and wine as products of divine creation reminds us of our duties of stewardship of the natural environment in a time when destruction and pollution imperil the earth, and unjust distribution of the planet’s resources destroys the hopes and lives of millions” (THM, “Holy Communion and Ethical Christian Discipleship,” 36). Finally, all-in-one packages are designed for individualized self-service of the elements. Such self-service, as noted in our discussion about receiving the bread, is contrary to our understanding that we receive or are served the bread and the cup from one another; we do not take them for ourselves.
How is the Lord’s Table supposed to be set? THM provides limited guidance to this question: “the Communion table is to be placed in such a way that the presider is able to stand behind it, facing the people, and the people can visually if not physically gather around it. The table should be high enough so that the presider does not need to stoop to handle the bread and cup. Adaptations may be necessary to facilitate gracious leadership” (THM, “The Holy Communion Table,” 29). The supplemental document Living into the Mystery, which attends to more practical issues in our celebration of Holy Communion, provides additional guidance: The Lord’s Table should be set with “a plain white linen to cover the table, a chalice for the wine, and a paten (plate) for the bread. Some traditions in our church would add a plain white cloth to cover the chalice and paten as well.” If the congregation uses trays of small cups, these are also placed on the table. “Candles, flowers, crosses, and other items not necessary for offering of the Great Thanksgiving [including a Bible] do not need to be on the Lord’s Table, and may get in the way of using it well in worship” (Living into the Mystery, 22).
How should we handle celebrating communion at weddings and funerals? May only the couple being married and the wedding party, or only the family of the deceased, receive? Holy Communion involves the entirety of the gathered community offering themselves to God in praise and thanksgiving and praying for the Holy Spirit to make all who offer and receive one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world. "The whole assembly actively celebrates Holy Communion" (THM, 20). This is why The United Methodist Book of Worship states, "Not only the husband and wife but the whole congregation are to be invited to receive communion. It is our tradition to invite all Christians to the Lord’s table” (UMBOW, 115). The same principles apply for the celebration of Holy Communion at Services of Death and Resurrection. The entire assembly is led to offer the Great Thanksgiving, and all who respond in faith to the Invitation to the Table are invited to receive (THM, 14). Is there no place, then, for a celebration of the sacrament with only the immediate family? The rubrics of the Services of Death and Resurrection in The United Methodist Book of Worship indicate “If the [funeral] service itself does not include Holy Communion, it is sometimes helpful for the pastor to take communion to the family, perhaps at the first visit following the service” (UMBOW 140, #7). Such extension of the Lord’s table represents a sign of the community’s continued care for the family and may help the family’s re-entry into the community. The United Methodist Book of Worship does suggest that a service of Holy Communion may be offered as a part of a blessing of a home (UMBOW, 610), perhaps the home of the newly married. It also presumes this service includes a gathering of family and friends, not the couple (or homeowners) by themselves. In either case, all who are present at the time of the pastoral visit are invited to receive.
WHEN Questions: When should the pastor first break the bread—at the words of Jesus about the bread, or later? Why? The rubrics regarding the presider’s actions at the institution narrative in The United Methodist Hymnal (p. 11) and The United Methodist Book of Worship (pp. 37 and 39) indicate that the bread is broken after the Great Thanksgiving and Lord’s Prayer. This position is both biblical and practical. It is biblical because it honors the four-fold pattern provided by the various institution and meal narratives in the gospels and 1 Corinthians: take, bless, break, and give (THM “The Prayer of Great Thanksgiving,” 21; BOW 27-29). In preparing the table for the service—whether simply uncovering the bread and wine already on the table or bringing it to the table as part of the offertory—we are “taking” the bread and cup. We then bless and give God thanks for these gifts in the Great Thanksgiving. We break the bread after giving thanks in order that it may be given to the gathered community. We take to bless; we break to give. This position after the Great Thanksgiving is practical because it helps keep our attention on praying the Great Thanksgiving rather than watching the presider’s actions.
When should we take the blessed elements to those who could not attend when we celebrate Holy Communion? Is later that week okay? Later that month? May we freeze the elements to help them keep longer? While THM does not explicitly answer this question, it does set out as a basic principle that “the Table may be extended, in a timely manner, to include those unable to attend because of age, illness, or similar conditions” (THM, “The Community Extends Itself,” 22, and “The Communion Elements,” 32). Implicit in this principle is that taking the bread and wine to those unable to attend is an extension of a particular celebration by the gathered community. It is neither a form of “reserving” the sacrament nor a kind of Eucharistic “leftover.” What we are sharing is not only the bread and wine, but also the sense of communion we have with one another in Christ. It is this communion we celebrated with one another in the gathered community around the Lord’s Table that we now “extend” to those unwillingly absent. In practice, we should bring communion to those absent that day or, at the latest the next day given that the bread will spoil and the juice ferment. Any further delay obscures the sense of extended communion that we are intending to share. When such a timely visit is not possible, the pastor should arrange a separate visit for the purpose of celebrating Holy Communion with the person. [See Extending the Table by Mark Stamm (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2009) for a comprehensive discussion of this ministry.]
When may authorized presiders pre-consecrate elements for later use by a) other local churches who may not have an authorized presider; b) church groups who may not be present for worship because they have chosen to go somewhere else, such as mission teams, small groups, or camps; c) college students and others who are away from the church, mailing them in a care package with instructions for later personal use? The short answer is “Never.” As THM makes explicit, regardless of how it might be done (telephone, Skype, FaceTime, or other electronic media), “the practice of consecrating elements ahead of time…is inappropriate and contrary to our historic doctrine and understanding of how God’s grace is made available in the sacrament” (Article XVIII, The Articles of Religion, BOD; page 64; THM “The communion elements,” 32) A primary concern in this claim is that the Great Thanksgiving is not primarily about “consecration” but about the gathering of the church around the Lord’s Table in thanks and praise to God. “The Communion elements are consecrated and consumed in the context of the gathered congregation.” (THM “The community extends itself,” 22, emphasis added).
Some people in our congregation choose not to come when we celebrate Holy Communion. This drives our numbers down. How often are we required to celebrate Holy Communion? Do we have to do it every month? Or could we limit it to more special occasions? There are two levels of response to this question, the first requires learning why your church members skip Holy Communion Sundays. If it is a concern about how they understand or do not understand Holy Each local United Methodist Communion, then you have an opportunity for education with your church determines how often to congregation. THM points both to the benefits of a richer sacramental serve communion. Many churches life (THM “Grace and the Means of Grace,” 6-7, and “Toward a richer celebrate communion once a sacramental life,” 9-11) and of the opportunities Holy Communion month, often on the first Sunday. provides for inviting people “into a fuller living relationship with the Communion is also celebrated on body of Christ.” (THM “Invitation to the Lord’s Table,” 15) special days of the year, such as If the concern expressed is more about your church’s practice of Holy Christmas and Easter. There has Communion—the length of time the service takes, the lack of care for gradually been a move toward the service itself—you might review some of your basic assumptions more frequent celebration of the about the shape, content, and performance of the service. A Lord's Supper. Some United companion to THM is Living into the Mystery. There it suggests some Methodist churches now basic principles: “Be real. Take time. Focus on action. Conduct the celebrate the Lord's Supper every people’s worship. Offer the best you can. And thereby show in your week. leadership and participation in worship that together you are the body of Christ redeemed by his blood in the power of the Holy Spirit.” (LitM, As found at: 11) http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/ The second response is to the question of less frequent celebration. THM notes that “Those seeking to live as Christian disciples have constant need of the nourishment and sustenance made available through both the Word and the sacrament of Holy Communion.” Therefore, in practice, congregations are encouraged to move toward
how-often-do-united-methodists-takecommunion
“weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the services of the Lord’s Day” and on “other occasions in the life of the church.” (THM “The basic pattern of worship,” 19) In other words, celebrating Holy Communion the first Sunday of each month is a kind of minimum, calling us toward more frequent celebration.
WHAT Questions: We don’t have enough time in our service to use the entire liturgy for Holy Communion. What is the shortest version of The Great Thanksgiving that will “get the job done?” On the one hand, there is always enough time to pray! The question, then, is how we set our priorities in worship. As Living into the Mystery suggests, “in no case or culture should time matter more than the gracious and generous celebration of Holy Communion in the context of Sunday worship. Pastors in every culture are often under pressure to abridge the communion ritual with the excuse that ‘saying the whole prayer takes too long.’ In fact, a full experience of the Great Thanksgiving, with no rushing and including singing all the responses, can take as little as four minutes, about the amount of time it takes to sing an average hymn or praise song…It may seem longer when it is offered in a lifeless, monotonous way, when the congregation does not know it or is not invited to participate fully in it, or when Holy Communion is treated as an extra rather than integrated into the flow of worship with scriptures, prayers, sermon and song.” (LitM, 8) To ask “What will get the job done?” ignores the fact that it is the whole of the Great Thanksgiving prayer that is required. It is shaped by and reflects our “Trinitarian understanding of the nature of God;” it “recognizes the fullness of God’s triune nature, expresses the offering of ourselves in response, and looks toward the joy of sharing in God’s eventual victory of sin over death.” (THM “The Prayer of Great Thanksgiving,” 21) The Service of Word and Table III in The United Methodist Hymnal provides the option of a prayer composed by the pastor. (Word and Table III is not the “short version.” Rather, it provides the outline for the prayer along with the “cue lines” that prompt the congregation’s
“Sometimes you have to take the time to do the right thing. A pastor and congregation need to have a conversation that allows them to come to a prayerfully thought our agreement as to the frequency of Holy Communion. Holy Communion is not just an after thought. It is a means of grace that cannot be ignored by those persons that want to come closer to God. We learn to make time for what is important.” -Rev. Terry Goodman
responses.) This prayer could be somewhat shorter in length. However, it must still include the “introductory dialogue, thankful remembrance of God’s mighty acts of creation and the salvation made possible through Jesus Christ, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, invoking the present work of the Holy Spirit, and concluding praise to the Trinity.” (THM “The Prayer of Great Thanksgiving,” 21) Yet, as Hoyt Hickman suggests in The Worship Resources of The United Methodist Hymnal, pastors who choose to use Word and Table III should “carefully consider and prepare the content of the Great Thanksgiving” as it “puts into the words of the Church’s understanding both of God’s mighty acts in Jesus Christ and the meaning of Holy Communion.” (WR, 74) Finally, “Bishops, pastors and congregations are expected to use the services of Word and Table in the official United Methodist hymnals and books of worship. Knowledgeable use of these resources allows for a balance of flexibility to meet contextual needs, and order that reflects our unity and connectional accountability.” (THM “The ritual of the church,” 24)
What liturgy should we use for our Christmas Eve “Come and Go” Communion service? Does one of the pastors have to stay there the whole time, or can we just leave the consecrated elements on the altar for people to serve themselves?
The United Methodist Church has a wide variety of liturgies to use for Holy Communion. There is at least one Great Thanksgiving for each of the liturgical seasons. In addition, there are settings for special days within the Christian Year. There are versions available for use in homes/hospitals. There are lengthy and shortened versions. With such a wealth of resources available, the congregation should never be able to say, they are tired of hearing the same old thing in regards to the Communion liturgy.
There are several points at which THM explicitly addresses these two questions. In the principles concerning the communion elements, it states, “The practice of consecrating elements ahead of time…is inappropriate and contrary to our historic doctrine and understanding of how God’s grace is made available in the sacrament (Article XVIII, The Articles of Religion, BOD; page 64).” (THM “The communion elements,” 32) This principle builds, in part, on the principle that the Communion elements “are consecrated and consumed [my emphasis] in the context of the gathered congregation.” (THM “The community
extends itself,” 22) That is, our celebration of Holy Communion is never simply about our individual communion with God; it is a way in which we practice our communion with each other before our Triune God. “Holy Communion is the communion of the church—the gathered community of the faithful, both local and universal. While deeply meaningful to the individuals participating, the sacrament is much more than a personal event…. The sharing and bonding experienced at the Table exemplify the nature of the church and model the world as God would have it be.” (THM “The Meaning of Holy Communion,” 8) These principles concerning the gathered congregation leads THM to clearly state that “Both ‘self-service’ Communion, where people help themselves, and ‘drop-in’ Communion, where the elements are available over a period of time, are contrary to the communal nature of the sacrament, which is the celebration of the gathered community of faith.” (THM “The community extends itself,” 23)
We livestream our worship for those members who prefer to attend church online. What is the proper way for them to join us in celebrating Holy Communion? The answer to this question, though more complicated than that of “drop-in” communion, builds on similar principles. But first, it is important to note that a 2013 consultation convened by the General Board of Discipleship and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry concluded that, while we encourage churches to explore new ways in which share the gospel, the on-line celebrations of Holy Communion are inappropriate and, where they have been initiated, must be discontinued. The Council of Bishops has concurred with this recommendation and issued a moratorium on all online sacramental practice. The Council of Bishops reaffirmed the moratorium in its 2014 meetings. A fuller answer is available through the papers prepared for that consultation. While THM did not anticipate this question, its principles and practices do provide some guidance. A foundational claim is the principle that the Communion elements “are consecrated and consumed in the context of the gathered congregation.” (THM “The community extends itself,” 22) This principle builds on a statement made earlier in the document: “Holy Communion is the communion of the church—the gathered community of the faithful, both local and universal. While deeply meaningful to the individuals participating, the sacrament is much more than a personal event…. The sharing and bonding experienced at the Table exemplify the nature of the church and model the world as God would have it be.” (THM “The Meaning of Holy Communion,” 8) A similar principle appears near the conclusion to THM: “Holy Communion is to be conducted in ways that make apparent the inherent link between the Table and holy living, both individual and corporate…. Communing with others in our congregations is a sign of community and mutual love between Christians throughout the church universal.” (THM “Holy Communion and ethical Christian discipleship,” 36) There are two tangible signs of such communion: The first is that, as a gathered community, we share from the same bread and cup. As our communion liturgy reminds us, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10.17). The second sign is that we do not serve ourselves but receive the bread and cup, set apart by the community’s prayer for sacred use, from the hands of another. These principles and claims suggest that, while we may “attend” church online and experience some sense of connection to a congregation through this experience, our physical separation from the congregation prevents us from participating in Holy Communion through the same media. What, then, is the proper way for persons attending church online to participate in Holy Communion? The same way as all others who “wish to commune but are unable to [physically] attend congregational worship.” The bread and wine that has been used in the community’s celebration should be brought to them
by the pastor or representatives of the congregation. (THM “The community extends itself,” 22; “Assisting Ministers,” 28; “The Communion elements,” 32) Those who are at such physical distance from the congregation that such visitation from the pastor or other church members is impractical should be encouraged to connect to a local church community.
What kind of bread should we use for Holy Communion? Regarding the bread, THM states, “In accordance with the words of Christ and Christian tradition, the church uses bread in celebrations of Holy Communion.” In practice this means that, while the loaf “may be made from any grain according to availability,” it should “both look and taste like bread.” It may be leavened or unleavened, but it should be “plain bread (no frosting, nuts, raisins, artificial coloring, or other additions).” In some settings, “wafers may be an acceptable choice.” (See THM, “The Communion Elements,” 30.)
What kinds of things should we NOT use as the bread for Holy Communion? One of the basic principles in THM is that what we use should “both look and taste like bread,” so should not use anything that does not look or taste like bread. THM also specifies that we should not use any bread than includes “frosting, nuts, raisins, artificial coloring, or other additions.” (See THM, “The Communion Elements,” 30.) Therefore, things such as crackers, pretzels, pizza, and fruit breads should not be used.
What kind of drink should we provide for Holy Communion? Can we use “regular” wine? THM principle regarding wine is similar to that for the bread: “In accordance with Scripture and Christian tradition, the historic and ecumenical church uses wine in celebrations of Holy Communion.” As THM notes, “the juice of the red grape in a common cup represents the church’s covenant with Christ, established through his atoning death (Hebrews 9:15-28; 13:20-21), and fulfills Christ’s commands at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:27-29; Mark 14:23-24; Luke 22:19-20). Many churches, Protestant and Catholic have always used wine, but United Methodists, at least since the late nineteenth century, have customarily served unfermented grape juice. However, there is no prohibition against the use of “regular” or non-alcoholic red wine. In those cultural contexts where “the juice of the grape is unavailable or prohibitively expensive” some variation may be required, for example rice wine (THM “The Communion Elements,” 30-31).
What kinds of drinks should we NOT use in the cup for Holy Communion? The basic principles established for the use of wine at Holy Communion include “accordance with Scripture and Christian tradition,” attention to the practices of the “historic and ecumenical church,” representation of “the church’s covenant with Christ, established through his atoning death, and Christ’s commands at the Last Supper” (THM “The Communion Elements,” 31). Beverages such as fruit-flavored drinks or sodas of any kind are not in accordance with these principles and should not be used.