Friday 8 March 2013

Sensitive to the place and people

Every week there is a communion celebrated at New College. I have found them all useful to re-centre myself on God, as part of the community there. The table of the Lord really is a levelling experience, with student sharing bread, wine and peace with on another.

They style of the celebrants varies enormously. Some use the elements of liturgy New College have, others bring their own. I know many do the former as they are guests and wish to be as inclusive as possible. (As a little aside, I do wonder why every service has to be communion - our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters cannot participate, but could in a service of worship if they wished).

Today, though, the way the celebrant 'preformed' communion jarred slightly with me. It was high Anglican and I have been in York Minster when communion was celebrated - you can't get much higher than that. So, why the reaction? I think it was the subtle things which, to me, did not show sensitivity to the collective group gathered.

The table was called an altar in the liturgy (clearly, it wasn't); it was referred to as Mass, rather than communion or Eucharist; we were asked to stand for the gospel reading, but no rational for this was given; and the gentrification before the blessed elements - that especially jarred with me (and others I later discovered).

I know we all need to have integrity about who we are and believe. That I do not doubt, but that has to be held in tension with respecting the place we are, if we are guests. And we have to look like we're doing what we're doing with sincerity - I don't know why (it may have been the different space), but some of the actions performed by the celebrant seemed awkward, though he felt he had to do them. Maybe that's why it jarred with me. Definitely something I need to reflect on more.

1 comment:

  1. At least you didn't throw a stool ;)

    ReplyDelete

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