An Introduction
According to the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), the catechesis defines a sacrament as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.1
I wrote the following blog series as part of my liturgy and sacraments class. I wrote it with the intent of sharing it with you because of the beautiful formation we experience as we join as the body of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist. You may not be Anglican, and that is okay, I trust these posts will encourage you in whatever form of communion you participate. In these posts I attempt to unpack the catechetical understanding of the Sacrament of Eucharist, or Holy Communion, as defined by the Anglican Church of North America. I will explore how the Church is being informed and formed by the liturgy of the Eucharist in these four posts:
- Eucharist as a visible sign
- Eucharist as an invisible grace
- Eucharist: The form that forms us
- Eucharist: Becoming the “real presence”
Before we begin, it is important to understand that the Anglican perspective views “the Eucharist as the single most important act of worship in the church. All Anglicans, therefore, would agree that “the central sacrament of the church and the chief means of spiritual strength in the life of the Christian is the Holy Communion.””2
The Eucharist is an ancient and presently relevant celebration for the people of God. I hope you will find richness and meaning as you come and look at this timeless act of formational worship. My desire is this series will illuminate your intellectual understanding of the signs, symbols, and meanings as well as awaken your soul to the spiritual realities revealed through our corporate partaking of Christ’s body and blood. I hope you will find that as we participate in the Eucharist we are becoming a new creation.
I thought the end of Lent and entering into Eastertide would be the perfect season to look deeper into the the unifying significance and loving act of Holy Communion. As always, I welcome your feedback, so feel free to leave a comment. Thank you for continuing to journey with me in faith along the wandering way.
Next week we’ll start the series with: Eucharist as a Visible Sign
Footnotes::
- To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism. Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois. The Anglican Church of North America. 2020 p. 55
- Scott, David A. “The Eucharist: An Anglican Perspective.” Article obtained through ATLAS Serials. September 2022.
