A Volley from the Canon, Number 127--A Eucharistic-Centered Community

A VOLLEY FROM THE CANON, NUMBER 127 A EUCHARIST-CENTERED COMMUNITY We’ve called ourselves a Eucharist-centered community in the Episcopal church for over 40 years now. Such a thing as a “Morning Prayer parish” hardly exists any more It’s a complete triumph for liturgical renewal. Or at least it has been. Now, forty years in, we’re beginning to face some tough choices that are causing us to reflect on just what it means to be Eucharist-centered. Many of our congregations can no longer have a priest of their own, every Sunday. Substitutes and part-timers are rare and in great demand. Now, we begin to ask ourselves—just what does it mean to be a Eucharistic community? Does it mean that all liturgies must culminate in the distribution of bread and wine? Is our worship unfulfilled and unfulfilling if we don’t receive the “chip and a sip” at the end? Or is there more to transcendent worship than even that? When we offer Morning Prayer together (remember, that form of worship we used to love so much, which most congregations hardly know how to do anymore?) are we NOT Eucharist-centered? How many celebrations does it take to tip the balance?—weekly? Biweekly? Monthly? Were our grandparents and our historic congregations non-Eucharist-centered in the past? Eucharist is more than mere consumption. In the amazing transformation of communicants into disciples, Jesus continues to perform miracles of sacramental blessing. We may just discover that we do not come to worship on a weekly basis just to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. We gather to BECOME the Body and Blood of Christ. In making Eucharist of us, he also makes us truly community.