Table Mass
719 E 7th St
Bloomington, IN 47408
USA
This coming Sunday at 4:00pm, we will gather around the dinner table in the back of the Canterbury House for a special kind of service. The main dish will be rice and beans. Please consider bringing something to share.
In the Episcopal Church, the sacrament of Holy Eucharist, that is, Communion, is the principal act of worship on the Lord’s Day. “Eucharist” is taken from the Greek word, which means “Thanksgiving.” Other names for the Holy Eucharist include the Mass, possibly taken from the Latin dismissal, “Ite, missa est,” which means “Go, you are dismissed,” or “Go, the Mass is ended.” This sacrament is also referred to as the “Holy Mysteries.”
There are 2 parts to the Holy Eucharist:
1. The Liturgy of the Word, or pro-anaphora or ante-communion. This is the part of the service that precedes the Offertory. It is dedicated to readings from the Old Testament and New Testament, hymns and a sermon.
2. The Great Thanksgiving or Prayer of Consecration is the second part of the service. This part is referred to as the anaphora. Taken from the Greek, anaphora means offering.
During the prayers, we remember the story of Jesus, his gift of the Last Supper, and then pray his prayer, The Lord’s Prayer. After the gifts of bread and wine are consecrated, they are distribution to the congregation. Following communion, the congregation prays and then is dismissed to go into the world with strength and good courage to continue God’s work to repair creation.
The Canterbury House Chapel Holy Communion or Mass is celebrated each Sunday at 4:00 pm. The Episcopal Church follows the practice of an open table. Baptized persons from all faith traditions are invited to receive the sacraments at the Episcopal altar.