I’m currently writing a series of articles on the sacraments for the cathedral website. They are being posted here in case anyone wants to comment or ask any further questions.
This article from the Provost will form part of a series on the sacraments.
Lots of different churches have different names for the meal of bread and wine that is central to the lives of almost all Christian traditions. Holy Communion, Mass, the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist are all names which refer to Christians eating bread together and drinking wine as Jesus did with his disciples the night before he died.
Here at St Mary’s the word we most often use is Eucharist. This comes from the Greek word that simply means Thanksgiving.
In the Anglican/Episcopal tradition which we are a part of, the service of communion is celebrated by members of the clergy who have been ordained to the priesthood and must always take place in the context of a congregation, even if there is just a congregation of one person. A priest can’t celebrate communion on their own. There is something about sharing that is an intrinsic part of what communion is about.
At St Mary’s Cathedral, everyone is welcome to receive communion. This includes young children who learn about the reverence and joy that are bound together in the sharing of the meal in the context of receiving the sacrament along with those who bring them to church. We believe that no-one should be able to remember being refused communion and that we learn what it all means by a lifelong engagement with God. Anyone who believes that they think they know exactly what communion means probably hasn’t realised that God has more to teach them yet.
Christians speak of the bread that is shared as the Body of Christ and the wine that is drunk as the Blood of Christ. The simple bread and wine become in the course of the service powerful symbols that connect us with the life and death of Jesus Christ. As a sacrament it is an outward sign of inward grace. That means that the rich symbolism of communion speaks of something that is happening to our souls when we receive the bread and wine. The ritual or liturgy by which we receive the body and blood of Christ itself forms us and shapes our lives. By participating in this meal we come close to God. At St Mary’s we share communion every Sunday of the year and also on the major feast days – days on which we remember something special that happened to Jesus or the major saints who have witnessed to Christian life since Jesus was on earth.
One of the ways to develop as a Christian is to take on the discipline of receiving communion at least once a week.
The sharing of communion is a mysterious thing. It happens in our current time and place but connects us with Christians through the centuries and all around the world in our own time who are sharing the same meal.
People often ask what actually happens to the bread and wine in the course of communion. People who come to St Mary’s from a Roman Catholic background sometimes want to know whether we believe in transubstantiation. There would be many ways that people in the congregation describe what happens at communion but probably the way of describing what happens that would unite most people would be to say that we believe in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament.
At the moment in the service when the priest asks the Holy Spirit to come upon the bread and wine and upon the people (another Greek word: epiclesis – calling down the Holy Spirit from on high) many members of the congregation make the sign of the cross. This connects us as individuals with what is happening at the table and is a powerful reminder that this is all being done in the context of the love of God which took Jesus to the cross and that each of us are changed by God by our participation.
One special use of communion in our tradition is that we sometimes share communion at funerals. This is a fitting and very beautiful way to give thanks for the live of someone who was themselves a communicant member of the church. We also have an annual service on or about All Souls Day – 2 November each year at which we remember those who have died in the context of a communion service. A communion service which has the intention of remember the dead is called a requiem.
Communion is the central act of worship in a church like St Mary’s. The building is primarily designed for the celebration and sharing in this meal.
We believe that God is present when we share bread and wine at the altar. This leads us to believe that God is present at every table everywhere and that when God’s people share food they are saying something about the way we believe that the world should be – a way of life which we sometimes refer to as the Kingdom of God and which we believe is close at hand.
Frequently Asked Questions about Communion
I can only eat gluten free bread – does that mean I can’t receive communion?
No – gluten free wafers are available in St Mary’s. They are square rather than round so we know them from regular wafers. Please tell one of the stewards when you come in that you need a gluten free wafer and tell the priest at the altar if they are unaware that you need one.
I can’t drink alcohol – does that mean I can’t have communion?
No – if you receive just the bread (sometimes called receiving in ‘one kind’) then you have fully received communion. If you wish to acknowledge the chalice then you may wish to touch it or kiss it rather than take a sip of wine.
I’m squeamish about drinking from a common cup – can I dip my wafer in the wine?
Don’t be squeamish – we use fortified wine which kills off germs. If you have something infectious yourself, please don’t receive the wine but receive in one kind. Please don’t take your wafer in your hand and dip it in the chalice (sometimes called intinction) as it spreads more germs than simply taking a sip from the cup which is wiped after each person has received.
Do you believe in transubstantiation?
We believe in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament.
But do you really believe in transubstantiation?
We believe in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament.
You don’t believe in transubstantiation do you?
We believe in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament.
What happens to the bread and wine that are not used up after communion?
We reserve bread and wine in church in a tabernacle on the High Altar. They can be taken from there to those who are too sick to come to church.
The bread and wine that are reserved remind us that Christ is here. Some people like to acknowledge the presence of Christ in the church in this way when they come into the building or approach the high altar by going down on one knee (called genuflecting) or bowing. The sacrament is not reserved between Maundy Thursday and Easter Day, a time when sacraments are not celebrated and so we don’t bow or genuflect at that time.
Can I receive the wafer on my tongue?
Yes – but most people receive the wafer in their hand and then eat it. There is nothing holier or more virtuous about receiving it directly on the tongue and it is much easier for the person giving communion to put it in your hand.
I don’t want to receive communion – is it compulsory at St Mary’s?
If you are at a communion service in St Mary’s and don’t want to receive communion you are welcome to approach the altar with everyone else carrying a service sheet in your hand. That will indicate to whoever is distributing communion that you’d prefer to receive a blessing than to receive the bread and wine.
Do you really mean it when you say that everyone is welcome to receive communion.
Yes. Unless the Scottish Episcopal Church has explicitly forbidden you to receive communion (very, very rare indeed) then you are welcome to receive communion here whoever you are and wherever you are from whether you have been here many times or whether this is your first time in the building.
Any more comments or questions?
37 responses to “Keeping the faith”
It was an inspiring recitation. Following the English translation in the service sheet provided added insight to the life of Mary. All the more so as the cathedral is dedicated to St Mary. You are reminded of Mary every time you walk into the building with the Gwyneth Leech mural over the High Altar.
Kelvin is quite right. The very self-righteous defenders of the Bible (including the ones who trolled a brave young Muslim woman, for days, with the most vile language, and those who did not reprimand them) totally ignored the Biblical instructions for raising concerns with a brother in faith (Matthew 18:15; 2 Tim 23). Very practical instruction too! As anyone who has ever lived in community can verify. Could all these obsessive men *please* stop trying to divide our communities in Glasgow. We will not be divided. At the first sign of trouble we rush out to embrace one another. These abusers have much to repent of, even if *just* standing by while others throw stones.
I HATE it when the wrong tune is picked for a hymn … it is simply an abomination before God.
However, helping people to think about how we share hospitality, welcome and learn from each other is the WAY of God! Blessings on you Kelvin.
Some reasons why this time was different:
1. The other quaran recitations you mentioned happened at Nine Lessons and Carols, or special ecuminical and interfaith events. While 9L&C was originally a modified Evensong, nowadays it’s usually considered a seasonal community musical recitial with a religious tinge, so having a Muslim from the community recite something from their faith would seem natural enough. Civic and interfaith services will likewise naturally include representatives of every faith in the community. By contrast the Eucharist is the central act of Christian worship and people expect to hear ONLY Christian doctrine proclaimed in the Holy Eucharist. In other words, this was the wrong venue for showing hospitality to Muslim neighbors. You did not intend to practice syncretism, but I think the outcome was syncretic despite your good intentions.
2. Post Brexit (and post Trump) British Muslims are now seen as alien invaders rather than fellow members of the community.
3. Because hostility to Muslims is now fashionable, the Express and rest of the gutter press decided that this was a story worth reporting. Since conservative Americans often read the online editions of the British gutter press, the story then went global.
4. Because you are gay and out, your every action is scrutinized for any possible hint of heresy by GAFCON and Co.
Of all these reasons, only reason #1 is a legitimate criticism, but I hope you do think about criticism #1 as well as defending yourself from other, illegitimate criticisms.
Thank you for your comment Whit J – all the more because it is a thoughtful criticism.
I’ve plenty to reflect on about the how and the when we do things like that and I do hear loudly and clearly that many people think this was an inappropriate context. Though of course, I’d be bound to say that some are saying that the Eucharist is precisely the place indeed there are some saying that is what it is for.
I’m not going to get into a back and forth with all the comments on this post and I’m deliberately not letting through things that have already been said but be assured that I’ve heard the criticism and will reflect on it not simply now but over coming months. (I’ve learned a lot about where God is this week that will take a long time to process). I’m grateful for the way you’ve made your point.
I think there is a good deal in what Whit J says, although I am not sure the effect actually was syncretic. I think one does perhaps have to be a regular worshipper at St Mary’s to understand how totally orthodox the worship there is, and how much Jesus is the focus of worship – how utterly unlikely it is that anyone there would make the mistake of thinking he was not revered by the congregation as a whole as very God from very God. It would be impossible for them not to realise that all the clergy there rejoice in this belief. The congregation saw the words of the Qu’ran in an English translation which portrayed that book’s far-from-easy-to-follow account of Islam’s view of the conception of Jesus, in which there was nothing offensive, and heard a very beautiful voice singing in a strange and glorious language. These were clearly indicated to be the beliefs of another faith. We certainly neither saw or heard or understood any insult to the person of Christ. I am sure none was intended, either. Whereas, and this bears repeating, I am totally sure that many of those commenting (not of course by any means all of them, and nobody whose comments are published here) simply wish harm to relationships between the great faiths in Glasgow.
I have spent my whole adult life in dialogue with people of other religious traditions, it has been deeply rewarding. However I feel that what happened at this service was profoundly wrong. When we are truly ourselves we allow other people to be profoundly themselves. The truth of Christianity is not compatible with any other religion. To avoid that incompatibility is to avoid reality. Worship of Jesus is the fountain of our faith the Qu’ran is opposed to that. I love Jesus and therefore cannot conceive of reading the Qu’ran in an act of worship – no problem doing so in other contexts but not in worship. I am profoundly disturbed that you cannot see this Kelvin.
There are so many things aren’t there, not just around this issue which we hold dear in faith and which we can’t see from another perspective?
I can hear and see that people are upset by this and clearly there are many people not upset by it too. And obviously, at least I hope obviously, I love Jesus too.
The trouble with religious questions and the questions that religious people have I think is that so often that our love for our faith can make it impossible to comprehend others who also claim to love the same faith but who take different views about things. We can hear them claim that love but be intellectually unable to process it because it leads them to different conclusions.
I’ve found the same thing to be true in the sexuality debates very frequently though I perceive that to be changing sometimes now. Similarly with other identity issues and some political issues. Israel/Palestine conversations for example often seem to be conducted (when they are conducted at all) by people who seem to behave like ships passing in the night.
I happen to have views about Church Schools which are pretty intransigent and negative. You are one of the few people, no the only person, who ever made me really think there might be a point of view about them other than mine which might have an integrity I could respect. And I’m very grateful for that.
Kelvin, thank you for your reply. I have enormous respect for you. I have no doubt that church schools can be argued against from perfectly respectable positions. Worship of Jesus is simply a different order, it cannot include a reading from the Qu’ran. Worship is one thing, study, dialogue, relationship something else.
I am really grateful to Richard for the phrase “When we are truly ourselves we allow other people to be profoundly themselves” which reflects my experience of interfacing with sincere people of other faiths. Is a Christian Eucharist a place this should happen? I can understand some Christians feeling it is not, but as long as everything was clearly labelled as what it was and the integrity of the liturgy was intact, I can also understand some feeling it is.
Brother Kelvin,
Although I do not agree with allowing the Koran to be read in our Christian churches, I truly appreciated your firm and resolute stand for the deity of Jesus. He is our great God and Savior and I love Him very much. Blessings from Tennessee.
Just as a perhaps amusing point of reference, the 1982 hymnal of the Episcopal church in the USA has “Brightest and best of the STARS” (caps mine) “of the morning,” apparently so as to avoid offending any daughters who might be present, and the two tunes included are “Morning Star” by James Proctor Harding (1850-1911) and “Star in the East” from The Southern Harmony (1835). The Harding tune was also in the 1940 Hymnal, wherein the word “sons” was still used.
I am not clear as to whether the hospitality at St Mary’s anticipates infinite extension of parallel lines between Islam and the Church in Glasgow. Are you planning some opportunities for Glasgow Muslims to understand the Christian faith and prepare for Baptism and the glorious liberty of regeneration by the Holy Spirit? (In whichever order; no axe about that!) As you move around the Glasgow community and meet more Christians of Islamic background, why not invite such to participate in groups for new Muslim enquirers? The testimony of an ex-Muslim can express vibrantly “How I know He lives” (as your SA brethren would sing). You might find not only new hearts from a divine work of grace among your Muslim neighbours but in other neighbours too. Amen. Inshallah!
There are a small number of people in St Mary’s who are converts from Islam to Christianity just as there are a small number of people in local mosques who are converts from Christianity to Islam.
St Mary’s regularly puts on events and courses for people discovering and exploring Christianity. Most living religions do the same thing.