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Posts Tagged ‘Bread and Wine’

Bread and Wine

July 29, 2009 Leave a comment

When I was young, I had the Bread and Wine when a church allowed me to have it. After they drove me off, I did not taste it again. I knew it was the body and blood of Whom I love most, I would feel a clawing dryness all through me sometimes when I thought about this, and I used the feeling to curse that church with. It is not possible to describe or explain how one can feel the knowledge of God move around one so that Tuesday one is sure never to have the Bread and Wine again and Wednesday one sees one ought just help oneself to it. Also, it is not possible to describe or explain how such a change can fill the mind without convincing the heart. I and B—- had the Bread and Wine at our wedding, such was the afflatus of that day, but I feel I shall never taste it again.

Categories: Contemplation Tags: ,

Our wedding

April 14, 2009 18 comments

[The WITNESSES assembled.]

[Entered the BRIDE and GROOM, robed in white, to stand before them; behind whom was a small, white-clad table holding white flowers, the wedding certificate, bread, and wine.]

[Said the GROOM (paraphrased):]

We welcome you to our wedding. Christian witnesses are a most-important function of holy Christian sacrament; and a holy Christian sacrament we believe a wedding to be. As baptism is a confession before witnesses of Jesus’s Spirit’s washing a Follower from sin, and as communion is a confession before witnesses of Jesus’s Spirit’s abiding in a Follower until He comes again, so wedding is a confession of Jesus’s Spirit’s already having drawn together forever two Followers’ hearts. Some of you will have additional roles; we thank all of you for attending.

[They sat down among the WITNESSES. WITNESS A offered a brief benediction (the words of which were not recorded).]

[WITNESS B read the following psalm, chosen and arranged by the GROOM:]

And upon his right hand did stand the queen, in gold of Ophir.

Hearken, O daughter, and consider and incline your ear: Forget your own people and your parents’ house: so will the King greatly desire your beauty — for he is your Lord — and worship you him.

And the daughters of Tyre will be there with a gift; the rich among the people will ask your favor. A king’s daughter is all glorious within. Your clothing is of wrought gold. You will be brought to the King in raiment of needlework. With gladness and rejoicing will you and the virgins your companions be brought; and you will enter the King’s palace.

And in the stead of your father and grandfathers will be — your children: You may make them princes of all the earth.

I will make your name to be remembered in all generations. The people will praise you forever and ever. My heart indites this good matter; for a tongue I have the pen of a ready writer.

[The BRIDE and GROOM resumed the fore. They faced the WITNESSES for a short time, and then faced each other.

[The GROOM took both the BRIDE'S hands, and recited this vow:]

In the name of God who is love, I, Porter Daniel Martin Doran, take thee to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness in health, to love, cherish, and serve thee until death us do part, according to God’s holy sacrament; and thereto I give thee myself your friend, your brother, your spouse.

[He placed a ring on the BRIDE'S finger and kissed her lips.]

[The BRIDE took both the GROOM'S hands, and recited this vow:]

In the name of God our Father above, I, Bonnie Jean MacDonald, take you to be my husband, for as long as we both shall live, to hold your heart in mine no matter what may come ahead, to love you with an undying love; and I give myself to be your wife, lover, friend, and companion.

[She placed a ring on the GROOM'S finger and kissed his lips.]

[The BRIDE and GROOM turned to face the table and, holding hands, kneeled and prayed:]

[The Lord's Prayer; followed by a vow and thanks to God, the record of which has been temporarily lost.]

[The BRIDE and GROOM rose and turned to face the WITNESSES, still holding hands. Said the BRIDE:]

“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Will you witnesses do all in your power to uphold this marriage?

[Said the WITNESSES:]

We will.

[The BRIDE and GROOM turned to the table. Together they lifted the bread, a hand of each on the round. The BRIDE tore a piece from the round and placed it in the GROOM'S mouth, while reciting:]

This is Jesus’s body, which was broken for you; this do in remembrance of him.

[The GROOM did the same to her.]

[The BRIDE and GROOM returned the bread, and together they lifted the wine goblet, a hand of each on the stem, and lifted it to the GROOM'S lips, as the BRIDE recited:]

This cup is the new testament in Jesus’s blood; this do ye in remembrance of him.

[They did the same to the BRIDE.]

[ALL then sang a hymn, chosen by the BRIDE:]

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.

Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.

Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.

Take my love, my Lord: I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.

[The BRIDE and GROOM exeunted, and the WITNESSES signed the wedding certificate.]

Categories: Contemplation Tags: , , , , ,

On Their Worship

January 4, 2009 Leave a comment
These Mathetai “assemblings” for worship, which in their inward-facing spirals of folding chairs or pillows, as I’ve described, can spring up in any basement or amphitheater in a moment, are not in any way planned, yet they follow a certain organization all the same. This is because each worshiper waits his or her turn to offer worship, and because what each offers can only be of several specific modes.

Any Mathetes or novice at any time during the service can offer a prayer or call for a hymn, and any Mathetes can offer an exhortation of the company or of the world (which they call a prophecy) or an exposition of a passage of Gospel or some other book (which they call a teaching).

The company sits in silence until one of their members delivers one of the above-listed modes of worship, after which they again observe a substantial period of silence until another of their members makes a voluntary choice. Continuing in this fashion, some services last for a half-hour, others for days.

Particularly notable are the hymns, made of music which I have never heard anything like in my life. The basic hymn is a pleasing and repetitive chant, to the rhythm of which worshipers often clap or leap in unison. Among this as counterpoint, or, in many cases, between this as response, some of the more-gifted worshipers sing intricate and ecstatic tunes in the Greek modes. Adding to the effect is a bass instrument of some description — I have never been to a service where there was not at least a bass guitar, although I have also heard bass viols, bass recorders, and even a tuba — which plays nothing but a basso continuo through the whole hymn. At times, if an Assembling is blessed with musical charismata, they will also produce other instruments among the worshipers, the most common of which are various brass instruments or electric guitar, which are played rather as punctuation than accompaniment — as a sort of blast of musical amens. Lyrics are in Greek, which adds to the amazement of we outside observers — but I once stayed some weeks with an Assembling in whose hymns all lyrics were a touchingly pellucid English, translated by one of their own.

At the close of every service of worship (which comes after an unusual length of silence, as one would guess, and is signaled by two Olders shaking hands), several loaves of flat bread and bottles of wine are produced, which the Mathetai take up in their hands and tear and pour to offer each other, while reciting in Greek the famous “Take, eat; this is my body” passage of St. John. They also kiss each other, moving among the company to greet all. Whether from exhaustion from their energetic worship, or from brotherly or other emotion, I do not know, but before this ceremony is done, most of the company usually is audibly in tears.

Categories: Observation Tags: , , , ,
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