Your Church Name. Note that this document is designed to be printed double sided onto A4, where it will form a booklet. Adapt the text to your situation
Do this in remembrance of me
Background
The form of the Eucharist comes from the Old Testament Passover meal.
The Passover meal celebrated God’s deliverance of the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. At the beginning of the meal, the head of the family took the bread, gave thanks and distributed it. At the end of meal, the head of the family would take the cup of wine, say a blessing over it and everyone drank from the one cup.
The bible is largely silent on the meaning of the Eucharist, or Communion, leading to a wide range of interpretations down the years.
This is what Paul says in writing to the Corinthian church, (where it had degenerated into a bit of a party, hence the opening rant):
In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognising the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
So, in brief summary: this is important and we should do it in good order!
Chalice Bearer Sunday Service Responsibilities
Sit where you can get out easily.
The President will give you a signal to come up after the communion prayer.
The President will generally serve you communion first.
When given the signal, take your place.
We serve from right to left. If in doubt, ask.
You need to keep half an eye on the President to see who is receiving the bread so you know who to offer the cup to.
Some people take the cup off you; others will keep their hands down;
be ready for both. Either way, before serving them, say: “The blood of Christ” or, “The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life.”
For those who take the cup from you, the brave stand back and make arms like an angel but the wise will be ready to catch the cup if it is dropped.
For those who want you to hold the cup, hold the stem in your right hand.
Once the person has received, wipe the lip of the cup and turn it.
Be sure not to dip the purificator in the wine. They are hard to clean!
If the wine appears to be running out, notify the priest.
After the congregation has received Communion, a Minister may ask you to accompany them in taking Communion to people who are handicapped.
Be ready to be asked and distribute the wine as you normally would.
Visiting children may be used to receiving communion. If in doubt as to what to do, ask their parents.
When you are finished, return the chalice to the altar and return to your seat.
If you are asked to serve the bread all you need to be careful of is people who have come forward for a blessing. Normally they will have been asked to keep their arms down by their side but watch out for the nervous and be ready to check with them. Find a simple prayer to use for blessings and learn it. For those receiving, place the bread in their hands (occasionally they will open their mouths; place it on their tongues) and say “The body of Christ” or “The body of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in eternal life.”.
Some people prefer to dip their wafer in the cup. This is not advised by the Bishops – it’s pretty unhygienic - but hospitality rules; tip the chalice toward the person so that they may see the wine.
Chalice Bearer Home Communion Responsibilities
Collect the communion kit (usually from your clergy or PA). Make sure there are sufficient wafers and wine and ask if it has been consecrated. If there is insufficient or it has not been consecrated then ask your priest to help.
There are service sheets in the kit.
If in doubt, use the middle of the reading (underlined) we looked at earlier.
How you conduct the Home Communion will depend on the circumstances. Sometimes you will go in, do the service and leave. Other times you will have a chat before or afterwards. Sometimes the chat and service mingle.
But creating a sense of calm to allow you both to focus on God is important.
If the person can read and speak then use the service sheet.
If not, simply follow it yourself, adapting as you go along,
and then invite them to join you in the Lord’s Prayer.
If appropriate, agree a time and date for your next visit.
Report back to your minister or PA that you conducted the visit and notify them of any concerns or joys.
Chalice Bearer’s Prayer
A Chalice Bearer is a member of the Ministry Team.
You may want to say this as part of your daily prayers, or before you serve.
Father, I lift my whole being to you.
Empty me of self and cleanse me of sin.
Fill me, Lord, with your Spirit of Light, Love, and Life,
that these precious gifts may overflow the chalice of my heart
into the hearts of your people. Amen.