Module 6 - Breaking of Bread Service

GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH SEMINARY

MODULE 6

THE SACRED RITES 

BREAKING OF BREAD SERVICE

 

 BREAKING OF BREAD SERVICE;

Also called Eucharist; the Eucharist; Divine Liturgy; the Mass; Lord’s Supper; Holy Communion. As priests we encourage people to remember Jesus by leading them in the Sacred Christian rite of the Breaking of Bread. Jesus makes Himself present bodily in the act in which a group of people share food and drink together in His memory. We break bread as Jesus did at the final supper with His disciples, and remember His words, ‘Take, eat, this is My Body’. (Matthew 26;26).

Then we take a cup of wine and share it with each other, remembering Jesus’ words, ‘Drink from it all of you; for this is My Blood of the covenant’. (Matthew 26; 26 – 28).

In the very act of sharing, the bread and the wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus. That is to say, Jesus becomes bodily present in the meal. Sharing food and drink is a symbol of sharing our life, while the food nourishes. The Breaking of the Bread or Eucharist is a powerful symbol of Jesus’ love. As priest, we bring people together at the Breaking of the Bread to remember Jesus in a special way. In coming together as a group to worship Christ, we realize that spiritual power increases as people gather together. Jesus encouraged this understanding with His words, ‘For where two or three are gathered in my Name, there am I among them’. (Matthew 18;20).

In every tradition people have worshipped together. In the Christian tradition, the word communion expresses the deep interaction in love and communication between Jesus and each individual in the worshipping group during the Breaking of Bread Service. As we share the blessed bread and wine,  we remember the great love of Jesus for us. The Breaking of Bread reminds us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us; giving His Life so that we could pass after this earthly life into immortality in a joyous destiny in Heaven. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek noun Eucharistia, which means thanksgiving. The Last Supper is described in five books of the New Testament; Matthew 26; 26 – 29;  Mark 14; 22 – 25;  Luke 22; 17 – 20;  John 13 – 19 and 1 Corinthians 11; 23 – 25.

6.1  PRACTICAL POINTS FOR THE  PRIEST TO REMEMBER; SOME PEOPLE ARE ALLERGIC TO WHEATEN BREAD,  OR HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TAKING WINE AT THE BREAKING OF BREAD RITE

Some people are allergic to wheat or are wheat intolerant. These medical conditions are called coeliac and wheat intolerance. This means that bread made of wheat makes them very ill, at times necessitating medical care. So gluten free bread or gluten free hosts (bread made of other flour such as rice flour, potato flour instead of wheat flour) are used by the priest to ensure that every person can receive communion with health safety. This bread is easily available in many food departmental stores or in health stores, and is marked at gluten free or wheat free bread which is suitable for coeliacs.

Other people are recovering from alcohol dependency, and therefore the drinking of wine in taking the cup presents a problem for them. In this case dark red grape juice is a good substitute. We as priest will ensure that the broken bread and cup of wine  given in Jesus’ Name are offered quietly without others being made aware of any communicant’s special need. We as priests need to have Jesus’ sensitivity to the suffering of others.

6.2 CHALICE AND PATEN FOR THE BREAKING OF BREAD SERVICE;

In Christian tradition, Jesus our Saviour used a standing cup vessel – since called the ‘Holy Chalice’ – to serve the wine during the Last Supper. As priests following Jesus’ example, chalices and patens are used in the rite of the Breaking of Bread. A chalice and paten are symbols of the priest’s ministry. This vessel and paten are treated with respect and reverence as holders of the sacred mystery of the Breaking of Bread and giving of the Cup of Wine.

The paten - which is a small dish - is used to hold the bread during the Breaking of Bread. Wine is poured into the chalice, and Jesus’ words are spoken by the priest over the wine, as we remember Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for us in His Life and Death.

Wine is poured into the chalice, and the words of the consecration as first spoken by Jesus are said over the wine as we remember Jesus' sacrifice of Himself for us in His Life and Death.

We, as priests, celebrate as Jesus' shepherds to His people, the mystery of His Life, Death and Resurrection, every time we celebrate this Holy Remembrance.

The ceremony of the Eucharist is as follows;

6.3  BREAKING OF BREAD SERVICE; 

SCRIPTURAL WARRANT 

An appropriate lesson may be chosen by the minister, or one of the Eucharistic texts:

Mark 6: 30­ - 44 or John 6: 1—14 (22—40) — Feeding the 5000

Luke 24: 13—35— Road to Emmaus,

or if used primarily with children, one of these: 

Mark 9: 33—37— Receive the child in My Name

Mark 10: 13—16 —Jesus blesses the children

or if used at the bedside of the sick, from: Psalm 46—God our Refuge and Strength

John 6: 47 - ­51—Bread of Life 

Ephesians 2: 4—10 — By grace you have been saved
  
I John 4: 13—19   — Perfect love casts out fear

I John 5: 13—15 — God hears us

COLLECT

Almighty God, unto Whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hid,  cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and  worthily magnify Your Holy Name,  through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CONFESSION

Minister: Let us humbly confess our sins. A period of examination of conscience may be spoken or there may be silence. 

Minister: May God Almighty have mercy on you, forgive our sins  and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (to be said responsively or by the Minister alone)

Minister: We are not alone.  We live in God's world.

People: We believe in God, Who has created and is creating, Who has come in the truly human Jesus,  to reconcile and make new, Who works in us and others through the Spirit.  We trust God, Who calls us to the church,  to celebrate life and its fullness, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil,  to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our Judge and our Hope. 

Minister: In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. 

People: We are not alone.  Thanks be to God!

COMFORTABLE WORD:  

Hear what comfortable words Jesus said: Come unto me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden light.  (Matthew 11:28—30)  Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find;  knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and they who seek find, and to them who knock it will be opened. (Matthew 7: 7—8)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13: 34—35) I am the bread of life;  whoever comes to me shall not hunger and  whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6: 35)

COMMUNION 
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

MINISTER;

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread” (here the minister shall take the bread) “And blessed and broke it, ” (here the minister shall break the bread); “And He gave it to His disciples, and said "Take, eat; this is My Body which is broken for you.  This do in remembrance of me"

PEOPLE;

“Lord Jesus, You are the bread of life.” 

All may partake of the bread.  All are called by Jesus, and all - without exception - are welcome around the Table of the Lord.

THE BLESSING OF THE WINE

“After the same manner also He took the cup”  (here the minister shall take the cup) 
“Gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, "Drink this, all of you; for this is the blood of the new covenant,  which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."” 

PEOPLE;

“Lord Jesus, You are the cup of life, the wine that is blessed for our salvation.

Here all may partake of the cup.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

followed by prayers for those communing and  for their particular concerns.

BENEDICTION:

May God grant you to be strengthened with might through the Spirit,  that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith;  that you, being  rooted and grounded in love,  may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3: 14—19) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives  give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14: 27) .

The Communion Service is made available for use by the Good Shepherd Church by kind permission of Rev. Ron Robinson of the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship who own reservation of rights (1986).

Photograph taken by Rev. Catherine. You may use this image as copyright free for any Christian purpose.