LAKE JAMES

NORTH CAROLINA

Concelebration, or Why are there two Priests up at the Altar?

When many of us who might politely be termed “older” Episcopalians think of the service of the Holy Eucharist, we are apt to have an “entertainment” model in mind. That is, a celebrating Priest at the Altar, with acolytes, as the actors, and the congregation as the audience. It is a long story as to how that impression came about, a story going back many centuries. Perhaps it will suffice to say that in recent years, liturgical scholarship has brought new and important understandings of the Eucharist and the share each person present can and should have in it, teachings which are now clearly stated in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Two points, in particular, are found on page 13: (1) the teaching that The Holy Eucharist is the principal act of Christian worship on the Lord’s Day, and (2) that the entire Christian congregation participates in such a way that the members of each order within the Church, lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons, fulfill the functions proper to their respective order.

For Priests, the Prayer Book notes that, not only is it appropriate that priests other than the principal celebrant stand with him/her at the altar, but that, in so doing, they share in the consecration of the bread and wine, thus not only exercising their priestly ministry but also demonstrating the collegial nature of the priesthood. A great bishop of the 20^th century wrote that “the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is one of the chief joys of the priesthood,” something which is especially evident when several priests, acting together, join in that unique and awesome ministry.

Also, the particular lay ministries exercised at the Eucharist, such as reading from the Holy Scriptures, serving as Eucharistic Ministers, acolytes, crucifers, torchbearers, choir members, ushers, those who collect and present the Eucharistic elements and the alms of the congregation, etc. are not simply ways of making a service “fancy” but the way Christians make the liturgy truly what it is – the work of all the people of God.

The Reverend Alfred T. K. Zadig, Sr.

This page last modified on Friday, April 11, 2008 09:40 PM