This document is a work in progress. Suggestions welcome. This is not intended as a constraint, but rather as a record of the range of our evolving shared practice.

Connecting Word and Table
John suggested that the celebrant read the scriptures before the sermon as a way of making the connection between Word and Table. We've been moving to the practice. If you are reading all or some of the scriptures, you may want to read the Notes for Liturgists (click title to open page).

Come Forward with the Offering
Recently we have taken up a practice Barbara introduced at the time of the offering. She was ready at the back with the communion assistants while the offering plates were being passed. Then she led an offering procession forward to the table where she turned around, received the offering plates, and put them on the table. At this point on her Sunday, Kathleen held the plates aloft for the offering prayer, then gave them back to the ushers thus leaving the table with just the communion elements on it.

After this you can lead or move with the communion assistants into place and help get everything put on the table. The bread, pitcher, and goblets that you will handle during the Great Thanksgiving should go nearest to you. Other things (home communion elements, non-gluten bread) can be farther from you as you stand in place at the table.

Offertory Prayer
With everyone in place, if you did not do so already, offer a prayer of thanks for the offering.

Cleaning Our Hands
There is a small squeeze bottle of alcohol lotion on the table. You need worry only about your own hands. David will see that this is passed around so each person can rub a dab on their hands. You can do so too at an opportune moment.

The Great Thanksgiving
You read the normal print in the Great Thanksgiving. Your lay reader reads the italic print. The congregation, as usual, reads the bold print.

Remember to break the bread and pour the juice as the reader reads that part of the Last Supper story.

When the Great Thanksgiving is over, offer some informal words of invitation and guidance making clear that communion is open to all.

Transition to Serving Stations
Offer your own assistant both elements and then give him/her a goblet. At this point you can receive from your assistant and then have that person help you serve the other four assistants. (You could serve both elements to all but that takes longer and we are trying to make things feel leisurely while avoiding unnecessary delays.)

Once all the communion servers are served, go with your assistant to serve at the station in front of the piano (standing an arm length apart, facing the sanctuary annex with your backs to the piano).

We sometimes have flat bread. This form of bread gets used up more quickly, so when we are using flat bread, it works well for each person serving bread to take more than one piece with them.

David will usually be one of the communion assistants. So he will be near to help with flow and logistics if needed. He will serve the choir first with his assistant and then go down with that assistant to make a third serving station at the front.

Finishing Up Serving
When all in the congregation have been served, the ushers come to be served. You may ask them "Is there anyone who was unable to come forward (who should be offered the elements in the pew). They always seem to get the point if you emphasize the question that way. It's rare but it does happen. You can also just look over the congregation holding up the bread invitingly perhaps saying "Is there anyone else?" Sometimes someone will catch your attention with a raised hand or something indicating that they or (more likely) someone near them wishes to be served in the pew.

Around this time, send a pair of servers to offer the elements to Kathy (and perhaps Bill).

Concluding Prayer
When everyone has received, offer a final prayer. This should include thanks for the meal now received and some words of blessing for the sharing of the portion of communion that people will take to shut-ins. We try to be careful not to give the impression that We are re-consecrating the elements with phrasing like "...we pray for the sharing of these elements which we have blessed here...."

Final Hymn and Benediction
Then announce the hymn. You need not be specific about hymn title or number. If you do not have a bulletin at hand at that point, you can just say, "Please stand as you are able for the final hymn as printed in your bulletin."

After the hymn, please close the service with a benediction and then invite the people to be seated for the Postlude. (Thanks to Faulder for suggesting that the celebrant offer the benediction.)

++Barbara Worthington for introducing the "offering procession"
++John Worthington for making the Word/Table connection