August 27, 2026

Instructed Eucharist

On Sunday September 27 we’ll be having an instructed Eucharist (What’s a ‘Eucharist’?) at our regular 9:30 service. Instead of a sermon (What’s the difference between a sermon and a homily?), we’ll be taking time throughout the service to explore the origins, development, and meaning of the things we say and do on Sunday mornings. (Why Sunday instead of the Sabbath?)

A full exploration of the service would be a semester-long seminary class. I would much rather target our discussion to those things you are actually curious about. This week will be the last time we use the booklets that have seen us through the first part of the summer. As we go through the service, I encourage you to write all over them. Write your questions in the margins. Make notes about the things you like or dislike. Our liturgy (What’s a ‘liturgy’?) this summer has been using contemporary language. (How does the Book of Common Prayer get changed? Why do we have to use it?) What changes and differences raise questions for you? 

For the four Sundays in September, in preparation for our instructed service, we’ll be changing gears entirely and using the traditional language Rite I service. We’re making the shift for two reasons. First, since we’ve combined services for the summer, for the last months the 8:00 congregation has not had a chance to use their usual service. Second, and more broadly, using an unfamiliar liturgy makes us pay closer attention to things that may have become rote, and I hope that briefly using Rite I will encourage us to think more deeply about what we are doing and to ask more questions. Through the entire month of September, I hope you will write your questions in the worship booklets. We’ll be reusing them throughout the month, so you’ll have a chance to see what questions others have written as well.

An instructed Eucharist is a good opportunity to invite a curious friend to come and see what we do behind the red doors. If you can talk them into coming twice, they’ll have the opportunity to experience a service as usual and then to have it explained the next week. One word of warning, though: Even though we’ll be skipping the sermon, an instructed Eucharist is a long service. Feel free to bring cushions, coffee, water bottles, and whatever you need to stay comfortable.