Welcome

to Western Vic Presbytery’s

Introduction to the
Sacraments
led by
Rev Jen Pretty
Presbytery Minister: Mission and Education
 STORY

Never Too
Little to
Love

Jeanne Willis
&
Jan Fearnley
 Welcome
to Western Vic Presbytery’s
Introduction to the
Sacraments
led by
Rev Jen Pretty
Presbytery Minister: Mission and Education
 Prayer
Leader :

God of refreshment
We thank you for the night’s sleep and our safe
journey here.
Thank you for new learnings, and this
opportunity to be together.
Be present in our explorations today.
Deepen our insights and help us to respect and
treasure the life and gifts of each person in
whom we see your love mirrored.
ALL :
We commit the coming day and our
conversations to you, Lord God.
We commit to working together in the
love of Jesus Christ that binds and
liberates, in the full expectation of
being inspired by your Holy Spirit.
We open our hearts and minds to you
and to each other.
Amen.
Lay Presidency
at the
Sacraments
Why Lay Presidency?
• Normally only Ministers preside – link
between Word and Sacrament – need for
those who preach to be properly trained –
not matter of privilege
• Lay Presidency for pastoral reasons, where
people would be deprived of sacraments if
they had to wait for a minister to be available
• Sacraments given to people of God as
community of faith – absence of minister
does not mean Christ is not present!
Link with the community
• Ignatius of Antioch, 110CE – bishop or one
appointed by him presides
• Essential link between leader and
community because the Eucharist is a
celebration of the community
• But by mediaeval times, this link was
overshadowed by the awesome power of
the priest
Fears about lay presidency
• That things might get out of hand
• That things might not be done in accord with
UCA polity: sacraments of the whole universal
church, so UCA is careful not to celebrate them in a
highly individualistic or different way – need to bear
witness to the continuity with the apostles and unity
with world-wide church

• That there might be unorthodox theology

• Each of these can be addressed by careful
selection of gifted people and appropriate training
and oversight
 In what
situations
might you
expect a
lay person
to preside?

 To whom is a lay presider

responsible ?
 What is a Sacrament ?
 After a few moments to reflect, share with
your neighbour what your understanding
of a sacrament is.
• TRADITIONAL UNDERSTANDING :
Augustine of Hippo defined a Christian
sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible
reality."
• A RECENT INTERPRETATION : A
Sacrament is the encounter with God
when something of the material world
becomes a conduit, a door to the sacred.
What is a sacrament in the UCA?
• a visible act
• that proclaims
the Gospel
• as commanded
by Christ
• in obedience to
Christ
• through which
Christ acts
• by the gift of the
Spirit
• in accordance
with the promise
therein
 a visible act

• Sacraments are “visible words” -

Words alone do not exhaust all the
ways we experience the Gospel
• Symbols do what words cannot do -
They bring us into touch with realities
that are at once familiar and mysterious
• We touch a mystery – something more
than abstract ideas
Keeping in mind both Baptism & Eucharist
 How important are the
sacraments to you?
 In what ways do the sacraments
help you in your life of faith?
 What signs were used in a
sacrament in which you were
involved recently?
 How did the signs speak to you?
 that proclaims the Gospel

• The Uniting Church has two sacraments

which are based on Scripture
• BAPTISM
see Mark 1:9-11;
Mat.28:16-20

• EUCHARIST:
see 1 Corinthians 11 and
accounts of the Last Supper
& stories of Jesus feeding the crowds
 through which Christ acts
• “efficacious” – they have an effect on the
lives of those who participate
Note: because Christ has already acted in our baptism,
we do not re-baptise

• “We cannot create faith, but we can pay

attention to the way we communicate the
significance of the signs we use . . . we
can let the central things stand forth in
greater clarity” i.e. it is important how we preside
 talk together about this statement
 according to the promises

Sacraments are witness to God’s

faithfulness – God acts before we
respond – hence infant baptism –
“we love because God first loves us”.

Sacrament means an oath

– God’s promise
• The sacraments are celebrated
in Christ and
re-present Christ.

• God comes to human beings

personally by the
power of the Holy Spirit
in the concrete, worldly media of
spoken word and
enacted sacrament.
Four functions of sacraments
• Conveying of grace
• Strengthening of faith
• Enhancement of unity
• Reassurance of God’s promises

 What does this mean for you?

 THE EUCHARIST
the names we use:

Lord’s supper
Eucharist
Holy Communion
 from your reading, what are the
different emphases of these names
• Whatever name it is called,
the Lord’s Supper is a
deeply Trinitarian
celebration.

• In the whole action,

thanksgiving is given
to God through Christ
in the Spirit.
• It is a meal of
thanksgiving to God for
the gifts of creation and
redemption;

• a meal of communion
with the crucified and
living Christ who is
God’s gift to the world;
• and a meal of joy and hope in the
power of the Spirit who gives us
new life

• and provides a foretaste

of the great messianic
banquet of the end time,
• when God’s liberating and
reconciling activity will be
completed.
Daniel L. Migliore Faith Seeking Understanding
Meaning of the Eucharist: (Basis of Union)
• Sign of Christ’s continuing presence
• Christ feeding us on the way
• Communion with Christ
• Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving
• Proclaiming Christ’s death and
resurrection
• Growing together in Christ
• Strengthened for participation in
Christ’s mission
• Rejoice in foretaste of God’s kingdom
 In groups of three, talk about two or
three of these understandings of
Eucharist which are particularly
meaningful to you.
 Think of a service of Holy Communion
in which you participated recently :
what made it significant for you ?
who was included ?
what message did your own inclusion
give to you ?
 Are there things which hinder you
when you participate in the Lord’s
Supper ?
 Video Clip

a short slideshow
about the Eucharist,
intended for catholic groups
What makes a meal a Eucharist?
i. A gift from God

ii. Thanksgiving to God

iii. Memorial to Christ (anamnesis)

iv. Invocation of the Holy Spirit
(epiclesis)

v. Communion of the faithful

vi. The meal of God’s reign

 How would you explain each of
these points to a child ?
 Limitations
• It is vital that we understand two things
about the authorisation process.
• The first is that an individual may not
seek authorisation on their own behalf.
• A request for authorisation must derive
from the Church Council (or other relevant
leadership group) for the congregation or
faith community in which the person is
to undertake sacramental ministry.
• Secondly, authorisation is at the
discretion of the Pastoral Relations
Committee of the Presbytery.
 Limitations
• Completion of this course does not
guarantee that a participant will be
authorised as a Lay Presider.
• While Presbytery sees completion of
this course as appropriate preparation
for a prospective Lay Presider,
Presbytery will also take into
consideration the pastoral gifts and
calling of the person, as well as the
context in which the person would be
ministering.
 EUCHARISTIC SYMBOLS
• BREAD
nourishment
• WINE
celebration

life-blood = self
Practicalities:
How would you set the table ?
What else would you have on the table?

Gestures? Voice?

How will
people be
served?
What about food allergies?
Practicalities: How will
people receive the elements?
Coming forward to the Table
• We are a pilgrim people, on the way to
our promised inheritance; Christ feeds us
along the way
• Faithful discipleship involves a
willingness to ‘stand up and be counted’

If coming forward, consider how you will

serve those who are disabled
Practicalities: How will
people receive the elements?
Remaining seated in the pews
• Serving one another is a symbolic
expression of our corporate sharing in the
priesthood of Christ
• We are offering Christ to our neighbour
when we serve them
• Serving neighbour before self - as the
servant Lord attends to needs of others
“Windows on Worship” gives details of different ways to serve
Practicalities: gestures, voice
and movement
All of these must add rather than distract
from the sacrament itself
Handling the symbols: with respect, using
big gestures in large space
Be clear who you are speaking with
- prayer to God or story re-membered
Posture & simple movement may
add to the sense of sacred
Practicalities: bread & wine
If loaf, soft crust, and may be ‘forked’ in
bottom of loaf to assist breaking
Allergies? Bread may need to be gluten free
If using small squares, large enough to be
generous! Keep whole slice for breaking
Common cup, small glasses or intincture?
If common cup, need cloth to wipe
between each
Wine or grape juice
(what is Church Council’s policy?)
 Also regarding Eucharist . . .
• Who can receive Eucharist?
UCA invites “all who love the Lord”.
• Children welcome – parents decide if
they should receive; parents or church
should explain as much as possible.
• Dress:
may wear alb & blue scarf – why ?
 Uniting in Worship
Service for Holy Communion
• Lay presiders must use one of the
Holy Communion orders of service
from Uniting in Worship.
• Service of the Lord’s Day 1 or
• Service of the Lord’s Day 2

 Why do you think this is required?

 Uniting in Worship 2
• The Peace
• Hymn
 Setting the Table
• Invitation
• Prayer of Approach
 Great prayer of Thanksgiving
• Narrative of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper
• The Lord’s Prayer
 The breaking of bread
• Lamb of God
 The Communion (eating and drinking)
• Prayer of thanks after communion
 these elements are non-optional
Theologies of “Real Presence”
• Transubstantiation: (Roman Catholic)
By the power of God, the bread and wine are
transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ
[more recent RC theology Transignification]
• Consubstantiation: (Lutheran)
Elements don’t actually change, but Christ is present in,
with and under the elements as fire permeates and
envelopes glowing embers
• Reformed view: (Calvin etc)
Christ really present, but received through faith through
the power of the Holy Spirit
• Memorialist: (NOT regarded as ‘real presence’)
lively or vivid memory replaces the idea of real presence
– a reminder of what Christ did
 When we affirm the
“real presence” of Jesus
in the bread and wine,
what do we mean by
“presence”
and
“real”
?
 “Presence”
• Local Presence
– Presence in a particular place
• Temporal Presence
– Presence at a particular time or moment
• Personal Presence
– A presence in which a communication
takes place between two persons
– Does not necessarily require a meeting in
time and space
 “Presence”
• The multiple presence of Christ in the
Eucharist:
– There is a gospel reading, so Christ is present in
the Word
– Eucharistic community is made one body with
Christ, so Christ is present in the community
– After the words of institution, Christ is present in
the bread and wine
• Christ’s presence in the Eucharist is a
personal presence which may be focused in
the bread and wine but is not localized to the
bread and wine
 “Real”
• Physical Reality
– A thing is what it is because of its atomic
and molecular structure
– No one claims that the molecular structure
of bread and wine are changed to the
molecular structure of flesh and blood
– Jesus is not “really present” in the sense of
“physically really” “present”
 “Real”

• Non-physical Reality
= “Metaphysical” Reality
– The “World of Ideas”
– Love
– “Good” and “Evil”
– Mathematics
– Meaning, Purpose
Code of ethics:
was not written for Lay Presiders - but recognize
that when you preside, others may see you
differently.
You may not feel at all powerful! In fact, you
might feel quite inadequate! But being in this
position gives you power / authority, because
the church has authorised you.
Others may even feel jealous; or feel you are
better than them. You may even be tempted to
think you are better than others!

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!

… learning by doing …