HAVE YOU NOTICED WHAT GOES ON AT COMMUNION?

When we do our ritual well, we pray well. We improve the quality of our public prayer by preparing the ritual action. Then we pray. Later, after we pray, we analyze what we have done so that the quality of prayer improves. There are tools from anthropology, symbology, language and grammar usage, and ritual studies that we can use to make our public praise better. The goal is to make our values real, not just ideal. For example, many mission statements say that parishes would like to promote the inclusion of disabled persons into Sunday worship. But if these people cannot gain access into the building, then the mission statement is just rhetoric. We want more than rhetoric. We want quality prayer and excellent ritual so that public prayer brings us communion with God and one another.

Every person at worship is aware that ritual actions are carried out because people pay attention to movement. So, to help us become good ritual analysts, here are some things that you can use to critique the quality of our communion rite.

First, identify who are the communion ministers? Are there enough of them to carry out the task of ministering communion, i.e. ministering the bread and the cup? Second, notice who the communion ministers are: mostly male, mostly female, or a mix? Are they the same folks at this liturgy every week? Are they mostly older, in middle years, younger, or a mix?

Third, who stands where at and near the table? Do priest, deacon, and lay ministers all help break the bread and pour the cups during the time for readying the communion elements? Who is included or left out? Do the lay ministers take initiative and act efficiently in doing their role? Or do they wait till the presider gives them permission to function? In short, I suggest that we observe the body language so we can make a good critique.

Fourth, our directives say that we are to consecrate sufficient bread at each service so that we do not go to the tabernacle. The tabernacle is supposed to contain just enough bread for the sick or for a communion service done in the absence of a priest. Is that directive followed? Our directives also indicate that we fully participate in communion by following Jesus' command: take and eat, take and drink. Are we working to fulfill the Lord's command?

Fifth, the way to approach communion is simple. Come forward to the one ministering the bread. The minister says: The Body of Christ. The communicant answers: Amen. Then the communicant takes and eats. The communicant goes to the cup minister. This minister says: The Blood of Christ. The communicant answers: Amen. Then the communicant takes the cup in hand, lifts it to lips, drinks, and returns the cup to the minister. Do we do this? Are we proactively promoting this goal for our children and adults?

It is not permissible to take the bread and dip it into the cup, and then consume. Rather, disciples are to take and eat, take and drink. Adults teach good or bad communion habits to children and grandchildren. If some do not drink the cup, does that mean that some do not want salvation, that a full share in communion is not on everybody's menu?