Contemplative Eucharist Approved for Trial...

As regular readers know, since coming to COTM I've been developing a "Contemplative Eucharist" for use with a very small congregation that gathers on Wednesday mornings. That group expressed interest in meditation and contemplative practice, so it was natural to find ways to adapt the Holy Eucharist to this style. Initially, that meant stripping down the BAS Eucharistic Rite to it's bare essentials, but I've been wanting to take it further.

A while back I posted a request for advice on the APLM Listserve. What came from that was some very encouraging and helpful suggestions. I also read a few articles and talked to few other experts. Finally, I asked for permission from the Bishop and he gave me permission to try the rite until All Saints, at which point he wants a report on how it went.

In many ways I've got the example of the so-called "Rite III" Liturgy in the American BCP ('79) in mind: it provides an outline for the Mass with the barest essentials. The rubrics specifically say that this Rite is not for use at the principal Sunday service and that it requires careful preparation. So it is with the Rite I've been developing. Here's what it looks like so far (and special thanks to Fr. Juan Oliver and the other participants in this discussion).

Please note: this is NOT a generally "authorized" Rite of the Anglican Church of Canada. I've got special permission for trial use. I do not want the Bishop to call me into his office for encouraging people to flout the rules, ¿entiendes lo que quiero decir?

GATHERING RITE:
(Extemporaneous, short bidding prayer invoking God's presence.)
(Silence ended with bell.)

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD:
(Gospel reading from the Daily Eucharistic Lectionary)
(Silence ended with bell)
(Bidding to pray for the church, the world, and ourselves)
(Silence ended with bell)
(The Peace is exchanged in the usual fashion)
(Bread and Wine are placed on the corporal after a silent thanksgiving prayer by the Presider)

CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST:
P: God is with you
A: And with you
(brief silence)
P: Hearts above
A: They are with God
(brief silence)
P: Give Thanks
A: Right and Just
(brief silence)

PRAISE
P: Praise the Source of Life and the Word eternal, and the Spirit renewing the earth.
P: God Creates. God heals, God makes holy.

WONDERFUL WORKS OF GOD
P: We specially thank and praise God today for ____ (extemporaneous praise relating to the day, season or readings)

WORDS OF INSTITUTION
(The vessels are at least touched at the corresponding parts of the narrative)
P: On the night of his arrest, Jesus took bread, broke it and shared it as he said, “Take, eat: this is my Body. Do this to remember me.”
(brief silence)
also the cup, sharing it saying “Drink this, for this is my blood spilled for all. Do this to remember me.”
(brief silence)

REMEMBRANCE
P: We Remember the arrest, the torture, the cross; we remember the tomb, the glorification, the Spirit, birthing a People.

INVOCATION OF THE SPIRIT
P: Source of Life, send your Word and Spirit on these offerings and on us, to be the Body and Blood of Christ.

DOXOLOGY
P We join the whole Universe in praise and thanks to the Source, the Word, the Spirit.

OUR FATHER
(Fraction in silence)
(Communion in silence)

SENDING FORTH
(Silence ended with bell)
(Presider prays extemporaneous post-communion prayer)

P: Let us Bless the Lord.
A: Thanks be to God.

How's that? What do you all think? I think it's a great start. Interestingly, one of the versions of a "Contemplative Eucharist" that I found (written by Aloysius Pieris, SJ) was even less wordy. Yet I'm not sure I can go quite that far in a parish setting (versus, say, a retreat group or a monastic group).

-t