About this Holy Communion Liturgy
The Communion liturgy
used here is based on that devised by Thomas Cranmer in
the 16th Century for the Church of England. An edited version of the Cranmer liturgy is the traditional
Methodist service of Holy Communion. Although the full Cranmer Communion
liturgy includes more than the Invitation,
Prayer of Humble Access, and Prayer of Consecration,
these are the core components of the liturgy along with
a prayer of confession.
The Cranmer liturgy was the Communion liturgy used by the Church
of England in the 18th Century.
In the
instructions he gave for the establishment of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States (the
parent church of the United Methodist Church) Wesley closely followed the Cranmer liturgy for Holy
Communion. Similarly, when the Protestant Episcopal Church (now, the
Episcopal Church) was organized after the American Revolution, it too followed the Cranmer liturgy.
Today both denominations provide the Cranmer liturgy as one of the liturgies available for Holy
Communnion.
The
prayers fundamental to Communion have been located at an appropriate point in the service. The prayers and their
order follow current United Methodist use. It is not surprising that there should be somewhat
parallel liturgical practices in the United Methodist
and Episcopal Churches since they both had their origin
in the 18th Century Church of England.
This
traditional liturgy has been used here because there is
more interaction between the Celebrant and the
Communicant than is true of some more modern liturgies.