Our particular and peculiar liturgies
Advent 1, 28 November, 2004
Robert Whalley, Chaplain, RMIT and La Trobe Universities
Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
Almost four years ago, when I attended St Peter's Eastern Hill for the first time, I noticed some things. The beauty of the building, the feeling of a place where prayer has been valid, where serious worship has been practiced for a long time, with all the components that mark a vital community of faith in the Anglo-Catholic tradition: a liturgy that was dignified, flowing naturally without noticeable effort, good music and good preaching to enhance worship, and a congregation responding with intent and dignity, knowing its place and taking its part in this great Eucharist of the whole church.
But there was one thing I couldn't figure out. At the start of the communion itself a small group of people proceeded down the right side aisle, received communion, then immediately left the building. And I wondered what that could mean. Was it a guild, did they do something special, was it some kind of cult? You see, about this time I had received a forwarded letter via the Internet from an old friend who is a priest in England. Supposedly it was a bulletin announcement from a very interesting parish concerning their Eucharistic liturgy, and while I assumed it had to be a joke, I wasn't completely sure. It read:
If you prefer to receive Communion under the conventional species of bread and wine please stand or kneel with your hands by your sides at the rail. If the nitrates in the wine induce nasal congestion, indicate your preference for another wine by placing your right hand behind your head. Two non-alcoholic options are also offered. For red grape juice place your left hand behind your head. If you prefer a white, pasteurized grape juice product, kindly place both hands behind your head. To express solidarity with oppressed farm workers in the grape industry, place both hands tightly over your mouth and hum La Marseillaise.
And it went on and on and on...
Now this seemed odd to me, and I'm from California! I didn't think that this was quite what was going on in Melbourne, but I wasn't too sure what was going on with this small group until I left the church after the Mass and realized I had seen the catering committee receiving early so that they could set up for the refreshments in the Parish Hall following the service. And then it made perfect sense. It also gave me a valuable picture of particular and peculiar liturgies and what we are doing here today.
You see every Eucharist has two parts: first, what we bring to it and, second, what we do with it afterwards.
First, when we come to church on a Sunday, we bring nothing less than our selves, our whole selves, souls and bodies, to the Eucharist: our particular questions and concerns, issues and ideas, histories, hopes and fears, the best and worst of who and what we are, where we come from and where we are going. We take all that when we get here and we mix it up with this liturgy of confession and praise, with all the mercy and glory, in listening and responding to the words in psalm and scripture, the articulation of the community of faith gathered through history into the present day. We present our sins, our concerns, our thanksgivings, all our self-offerings, and then we join with Jesus in his self-offering as his disciples and friends, taking part in this eternal communion. And there we take all that we have and all that we are, and we give it all over, give it all up as we take his body and blood, and remember that we are members of his body. This is what we do: this is who we are.
It is an amazing thing, almost beyond belief! How we gather, what we share: week after week, year after year, time after time, bread and wine, body and blood, "being changed into his likeness" as St Paul puts it, even now, glory into glory.
And that's only the beginning! The second part is where we take it from here: how we pour it out, share it out. And that's the glory of the catering committee. They work to prepare us for our own ministry to wake us up right here before our eyes right after the church service. Watch what they do! They share God's concern, love, reconciling ministry in serving tea and coffee, wine and orange juice, crackers and dip, nibbles and sweets. They give us a visible template on how to do it, all the stuff of part two. Living out our share in the growing glory of God: the work of the spirit, in walking the way of Jesus.
And that is what we come to remember and celebrate today: our particular and peculiar liturgies. Liturgy in the Greek sense of the "work of God's people", and Peculiar in the sense of, "belonging exclusively to or identified distinctly with somebody or something." That is what we name, give thanks for, celebrate and co-mission today, on the first day of the church year, this Advent Sunday, as we prepare for the coming of savior who comes in a particular and peculiar human form in the life of Jesus.
So last year a new tradition started when we installed the vestry and officers for the coming year and honored some of the people who do much of their ministry in this parish church. We continue this commissioning today as we give thanks for the people who serve and read at early mass and Morning Prayer; who spend ministry and time giving food, clothing, blankets; looking into the face of God in the breakfast program; as well as the Icon School and the Institute for Spiritual Studies; people who work and volunteer in the parish office and the book room, deal with money and meals and meetings, teach adults or children, paint the fences or work in the garden. As well as all who serve when we come together for worship here: by putting books out, lighting candles, reading the lessons, singing the music, preparing the altar, cleaning up afterwards, making a place to welcome and comfort the visitor and stranger and friend, all part of living out, singing out, this liturgy of love in all our days and ways.
And this year we will do more, for there is more ministry here to be named and commissioned and blessed.
For each one of us, as members of Christ's body, proceeds into the world God loves, day after day, year after year, time after time, to take on the tasks of stewardship in this wonderful world: to be present to family, friends and strangers, in tasks, hobbies, jobs and joys, in the times of frustrations and puzzlements, in agreements that must be honored, in situations that must be met. All of these are places where we act out, serve out, flesh out, live out the reconciling life of Jesus – in serving love of every kind – in the ministry of acceptance, love, and forgiveness. For those are the places where we shall find the God who comes to meet us this Advent, in living out our baptismal vows from the midst of this covenant community.
So, please, today, come forward and give thanks for these many ministries of daily life and work, and let them be blessed in this place as we make Eucharist together.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
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