Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Eucharist

Why don't English speaking Protestants and Reformed types use the word "Eucharist" more? I know some baddies use it, but why not reclaim it?

"Eucharist" means thanksgiving and therefore it wonderfully stresses that we eat the Holy Communion with thanksgiving and gratitude. It is therefore fitting to a Reformed understanding that the Supper is primarily about what God has done from us not what we have done, are doing or might do for him. God feeds us and we receive his undeserved gift with the empty hand of faith in thankfulness. Eucharist.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why not just use "Thanksgiving" and keep it in the vernacular...

Marc Lloyd said...

Yes, good point. I guess "thanksgiving" might need disambiguating over against other thanksgivings.

Liam Beadle said...

Which baddies, Marc?

Marc Lloyd said...

I guess I had in mind some Roman Catholics and Anglo-Catholics. It was meant a little mockingly and tongue in cheek.

I guess there are some RC things which are very seriously wrong and dangerous and some "RC things" that suffer from a kind of guilt by association and which we Protestants are too frightened of?