Home Worship Planning Planning Resources This Holy Mystery: Planning for Holy Communion Throughout the Year

This Holy Mystery: Planning for Holy Communion Throughout the Year

This two-part series on planning for Holy Communion looks at three phases of planning: Long-Range, Mid-Range, and Week-to-Week (Short-Term) planning. Part I deals with the Long-Range questions and concerns. Part II deals with the Mid-Range (seasonal) and Week-to-Week planning.

How much do you and your church invest in planning for Holy Communion? Could planning make a difference in the way your faith community experiences the sacrament?

This resource is an invitation to you and your congregation to implement This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion (pdf)(THM) into your lived worship experience. It assumes availability and some familiarity with The United Methodist Hymnal (UMH), The United Methodist Book of Worship (BOW), and The Book of Discipline (BOD).

Home and Planning to Come Home

In a time of living into an increasing digital culture and celebration of diversity, both in the larger culture and in the church, the impetus toward innovation and experimentation is strong. In addition, high profile independent and Free Church congregations have modeled and marketed approaches to "worship and evangelism" that have won a lot of attention and adoption by mainline/oldline churches. United Methodists have incorporated the use of projection technology, video, contemporary music and songs, praise bands, and so forth as an overlay on — even a replacement for — our sacramental worship. United Methodists feel free to do this because we have "home" — a sacramental ritual base that remains, even when local church worship ventures into ways of worship that obscure the richness of "home."

At the same time, there is a call from the pews to find "home" in the midst of changing music and communication systems. The research that led to the preparation of This Holy Mystery (page 2) noted major points of longing for "home."

  • United Methodists recognize that grace and spiritual power are available to them in the sacrament, but too often they do not feel enabled to receive these gifts and apply them in their lives.
  • Many laypeople complain of sloppy practice, questionable theology, and lack of teaching and guidance.
  • Both clergy and laity recognize the crucial need for better education of pastors in sacramental theology and practice.
  • The concern for improved education is coupled with a call for accountability. Bishops, district superintendents, and other annual conference and general church authorities are urged to prepare their pastors better and to hold them accountable for their sacramental theology, practice, and teaching.
  • Many of the people surveyed are plainly resentful of the lack of leadership they believe they are receiving in these areas.
As the summary of these finding notes, "These results are troubling and must provoke the church to reexamination and recommitment."

Moving from these rather global concerns, how might congregations — your congregation, to be more specific — begin to find home? Please understand that by "home," I am not proposing a retreat from our engagement with contemporary culture or from robust outreach to those searching for love and faith, for justice and peace. Meeting with the risen Lord at the heart of worship must never be a dead end! It is a turnabout, a transformation point for the outward journey into a needy and hurting world. Home is not only where you go for rest, belonging, and nourishment; it is where identity and mission are formed and from which we go to serve.

Planning for Home at the Lord's Table

One approach is to do some careful planning at three levels: Long-Range, Mid-Range, and Short-Term. Hoyt Hickman suggested these levels of planning in his little book, Your Ministry of Planning Worship Each Week (Discipleship Resources, 1988 — now out of print). In what follows I have identified several areas for planning and have excerpted portions of THM as focal points for reflection and consideration about improving the celebration of Holy Communion in your setting.

Long-Range Planning

Long-Range: "Charting the Course"
Long-range planning sets the direction. It focuses on big things happening over time. Remember that two things are necessary for successful change: leadership for change and ownership of the change. If there is no leadership there will be no change and if the people are not persuaded the change will meet with rejection and defeat.

Architecture and furnishings

Principle: The people and leaders gather around the elements for Holy Communion. The place where the elements are set is the Holy Communion table. (THM, page 28)
Practice: In our churches, 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. (THM, page 29)

  • Consider your worship space. Does it allow the people to sense that they are gathered "around" the table and the holy meal? Are there simple changes that could allow for a greater sense of nearness on the part of worshipers? If you are considering renovation, how will you ensure that the sacramental center is clear, visible, accessible?

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, page 29)

  • Does your pastor have to stoop to read the ritual or to lift the elements? Is there a relatively easy way to make the table high enough (38-40 inches)?

While architectural integrity should be respected, it is important for churches to carefully adapt or renovate their worship spaces more fully to invite the people to participate in the Holy Meal. If "altars" are for all practical purposes immovable, then congregations should make provisions for creating a table suitable to the space so that the presiding minister may face the people and be closer to them.

  • Is the altar-table in your church against the "back" wall? Is it movable? If so, could it be brought forward to allow the pastor to stand behind it facing the people? If it is not moveable, could you create a table to go in front of it that would serve as the altar-table? How could you accomplish this and respect the architecture of your space? Is it time for a renovation of your worship space?

Congregational attitude

Principle: The complete pattern of Christian worship for the Lord's Day is Word and Table ... Word and Table are not in competition ... Their separation diminishes the fullness of life in the Spirit offered to us through faith in Jesus Christ. (THM, pages 18-19)
Practice: Congregations of The United Methodist Church are encouraged to move toward a richer sacramental life, including weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper at the services on the Lord's Day, as advocated by the general orders of Sunday worship in The United Methodist Hymnal and The United Methodist Book of Worship. (THM, page 19)

  • Study THM, particularly with the leaders of the congregation. Share stories of Holy Communion. Discover the deeper levels of its meaning for them. Be alert to the "evangelical" dimensions of people's experience of Holy Communion. When was it life-changing? What insights do you gain from this sharing?
  • Give serious consideration to richer, more frequent celebration. Ask, "What would it mean for this congregation to have a "richer sacramental life"? How could music, stronger elements, more vital presiding, care of time, and so forth make Eucharist richer?
  • Talk about THM encouraging "weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper." What are the immediate pros and cons that come to mind? What does that list suggest for the kinds of study and exploration needed by the congregation as a prelude and pathway toward "richer ... weekly celebration"?
  • Present and future schedule of celebration of Word and Table:
    Does your congregation currently follow the "Word & Table" pattern? See UMH 2-5 and BOW 13-32. What is your current schedule of Holy Communion? If there is a desire for more frequent celebration, how will you move toward increasing the frequency?
  • Decide two to three things you would do to improve the quality of Holy Communion to work on in the next year. Consider the elements used (wafers or whole loaf, grape juice or wine), the tone of the service (solemn or informal, oral or print-oriented), better control of the beginning and end time, and so forth.

Practice continued: Attention should be given to the special needs of churches whose pastoral leadership is neither ordained nor licensed. Cooperative parishes and ecumenical shared ministries (BOD ¶¶ 206.2 and 207) may offer patterns through which such congregations could receive regular sacramental ministry. (THM, page 20)

  • If your congregation that has pastoral leadership that is neither ordained or licensed to preside at Holy Communion and wants to celebrate more regularly or more frequently, talk with your District Superintendent to see if some arrangement can be made for an elder or licensed local pastor to come and preside on a more frequent and regular basis.
  • Consider holding Holy Communion at another time on Sunday or on anther day in the week, if that would work with available leadership's schedule.

The "whole assembly" celebrates

Principle: The whole assembly actively celebrates Holy Communion. (THM, page 20)
Principle: The prayer of Great Thanksgiving is addressed to God, is prayed by the whole people, and is led by the presiding minister. (THM, page 20)
Practice: The prayer of Great Thanksgiving includes the voices of both the presiding minister and the people. The congregation's responses, which may be spoken or sung, include adoration, acclamation, and affirmation.
The whole assembly might join in parts of the Great Thanksgiving that speak for them: (a) the memorial acclamation, beginning, "And so, in remembrance ..."; (b) an expression of intention to serve the world, beginning, "Make them be for us ..."; (c) the concluding doxology, beginning, "Through your Son Jesus Christ ...." Congregational responses of "Amen" are the affirmation by the people of what has been prayed.
(THM, page 22)

  • Read the rest of the practice statement on THM, page 22.
  • Discuss with your leadership group how they experience being active in the celebration of Holy Communion. Talk about what this section of THM evokes in them.
  • How might the presiding minister/pastor use gestures, along with the words, to strengthen (BOW 36-39) the participation of the assembly? What questions might such gestures raise? Often people think of prayer as a "closed-eye affair" and question why the pastor would use gestures during this proclamatory prayer. Share perspectives. Ask if prayer needs to be done with closed eyes. Remind them that anyone can close their eyes if that works best for them.
  • What response do leaders have to engaging in a greater range of postures during Holy Communion? Which ones are familiar? Which ones would they like to try, given permission and instruction?
  • Consider visiting a church that celebrates Holy Communion weekly (perhaps Lutheran, Episcopal, or Roman Catholic) and observe the gestures and postures of both the presider and the congregation. Afterward, invite reflection on what they experienced, how they felt, and what it means for their discipleship in and beyond worship.
  • Identify what changes you and leaders intend to make in greater solidarity of celebration and participation. Be specific. What preparation and instruction will be needed in beginning changed practices?

The community extends itself

Principle: The Communion elements are consecrated and consumed in the context of the gathered congregation. The Table may be extended, in a timely manner, to include those unable to attend because of age, illness, or similar conditions. Laypeople may distribute the consecrated elements in the congregation and extend them to members who are unavoidably absent (BOD ¶¶ 331.1.b and 1115.9). An elder or deacon should offer appropriate training, preparation, and supervision for this important task (¶ 331.1.b).

  • What is the current practice of taking communion to those unable to participate in the gathered celebration? Do laypersons ever do this? Does the pastor take communion to the unavoidably absent? What resistance, if any, is there to laypersons doing this?
  • Discuss the possibility of making this a practice of your church every time you take communion. What might be the blessings of doing so? To the recipients? To the laity who are ministers of the sacrament? What questions or resistance might there be to adopting this practice?
  • Read the background and practice statement related to "The Community Extends Itself" (THM, page 22-23). Ask if this provokes any insights for how your church might plan for adopting this practice.
  • Share copies of "Extending Your Congregation's Communion Table to Those Unable to Be Present"for some practical considerations of this practice. You might also secure a copy of Larry Stookey's book, Eucharist: Christ's Feast with the Church, and distribute the appendix, "Extending the Eucharist to the Unwillingly Absent," to the group to get an idea of how persons could be commissioned and sent out for this ministry.
  • Plan when you will begin this very pastoral practice and what you will need to do to prepare the congregation for it.

These are just a few considerations in light of This Holy Mysterythat your congregation may want to consider. Review other sections of the paper to see if there are additional areas of principle and practice that invite "long-range" thought, prayer, and planning. Remember: This is about the heart of our life in and with Christ, the risen Lord. Do good work at the center and the rest of the congregation's life and witness will be transformed — not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit! (Zechariah 4:6)


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