At its root it means to be thankful, to give thanks, to be grateful. And I was all three. Not just today at half past 12 GMT, but also every first and second Sunday at our church. That is the essence of the sacrament of holy communion.
We went to see St. Paul’s Cathedral. (Take the virtual tour on that site. It is stunning) It was well worth the price of admission. This is the church where Prince Charles and Lady Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales,
married. This is where the famous architect, Christopher Wren, is buried.
We got to participate in the Eucharistic service there in the nave of the cathedral. It was interesting to me that the flow of their service is identical to ours:
LITURGY OF THE WORD
LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT
DISMISSAL
Whereas our flow is:
ENTRANCE
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
SENDING FORTH
I leaned over to my wife and said, “I sure am glad they have learned something from the Methodists about the order of worship.” She was not amused.
This is a statue of St. Paul on the grounds outside.