Invitation
24 June 2008 - 22 סיון 5768 by Huw
Making that last post from Worship At St Gregory’s called to mind an event…
Rick always gave the first invitation to communion: whether he was presiding or not. When he was sitting on the sideline or sitting in the president’s chair, Leesy would just turn to him at the end of the announcements and he would stand and say, “We are all of us Guests at Jesus’ table…” and he would, seemingly, ramble on for a bit and end with a comment about accepting credit cards in the offering plate and there’d be a polite laugh, right on que.
This was especially for the newcomers: we were convinced they’d want to know why there was no collection take up at the usual time. The regulars didn’t need to know they took credit cards - heck, my pledge hit my debit card every month, right on schedule. But this speech was something that wasn’t in the script for the deacons - because Rick always did it…
Until the Sunday he wasn’t there.
And Leesy spun around and there was only Donald in the presider’s chair and I as deacon and we all looked confused for a moment.
Donald kind of shook himself and I muttered “I…” and Donald nodded. And I stood up…
We are all of us guests at Jesus table, and so we give communion to everyone without exception.
And then after communion we take up a collection of money for the work of the church and food and clothing for the needy… because everything we give we give in thanksgiving for what God has given us.
If this is your first time with us, we ask you to watch the plate go by. Don’t put anything in the plate and, instead, spend this week noticing all the blessings that God gives you and then return next week. We do want you back! And you’ll find that we make it easy for you to make your offering by checks, master card, visa… (polite laugh from the congregation, right on que). And the whole Church will rejoice with you, giving thanks together for what God has given you.
And there was applause. Just good natured applause around someone stepping in and doing - with good humour - something that no one else even knew might needed to be done. It was a fun thing for me… a fond memory.
Over the next couple of weeks, this announcement got typed up and then slid around in the script. Who makes it? Rick or Huw. No. Rick and if he’s not there, Huw. No. Rick or the presider. No… Deacon A. Yes. That’ll do it. And it took a while to end up there, in the liturgy book with “Deacon A” right next to it.
We were paring this down even as I was there: “we don’t want to say ‘put nothing in the plate’” “we already say some of this at the real offertory” “the joke about master cards is pointless” “if we don’t say anything, no one will notice we changed things…” This last was the kicker, really. If you’re changing everything, don’t keep a running commentary! Some of it ended up being said at the offertory itself and some of it went away. It’s a wonderful example of SGN liturgical evolution in action - a snap shot of one tiny part of the evolution.
More than a fond memory this is one of the most profound things I learned at SGN: it’s the real meaning of that trite phrase, “All things come of Thee, O Lord, and of Thine own have we given Thee.” The only response to what comes our way is thanksgiving - is to turn around and make Eucharist with all things. It’s still stuck in my memory - I typed it without a crib sheet.
All that we give, we give in thanksgiving, for what God has given us.
