Page 133 - Through New Eyes

128 THROUGH NEW EYES

The Centrality of Worship
Worship, then, trains us in the proper mode of dominion.
Without God’s rite to repattern us, we would go out and work
with the world after the fashion of Cain, and take it and our-
selves down a course of degradation. In worship, however, we
are repatterned to a true approach to the world. For this reason,
the historic liturgies of the church have stressed the giving of
thanks. In this way, the church serves to transform the world.
The Eucharistic liturgy that grew up rapidly and organically
around the basic six-fold rite of the Supper (and “eucharist”
means “thanksgiving”) stressed thanksgiving. This is still seen in
any liturgical church today. The following, or something like it,
is found in the worship of all the historic Churches that have pre-
served the old catholic liturgical forms. This example is drawn
from within the Western tradition.
At the beginning of the communion service, after the swswn
cords (“Lift up your hearts,” an ascent into heaven for worship),
the minister says, “Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God: to
which the people reply, “It is fitting and right to do so .“
Continuing, the minister prays, “It is truly fitting, right, and
salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks
unto You,” affirming that thanksgiving must characterize all that
we do and not just the central act of worship. “Therefore, with
angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, we laud
and magnify Your glorious name,” he says, whereupon follows
the sarzctw, the angelic “Holy, holy, holy.”
The Eucharistic prayer that follows includes thanksgiving as
well, with such words as, “Remembering therefore His salutary
precept, His life-giving suffering and death, His glorious resur-
rection, ascension, and enthronement, and the promise of His
coming again, we give thanks to You, Almighty God, not as we
ought but as we are able .“
After the Lord’s Supper, the minister exhorts the congrega-
tion, “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good: to which the
people reply, “And His mercy endures forever.” There follows
another prayer of thanksgiving: “We give thanks to You,
Almighty God, that You have refreshed us with this life-giving
gift. . . .“ The service closes with the benedicamus, the minister