My European Trip

[Yorkie]

Ofcourse it is ultimately up to you whether you take communion or not. Personally, I hold the belief that the choice to receive communion is between you and Jesus Christ. And I believe He offers his gifts freely to all those who want to receive them with gladness

And I think that is a wise and sensible view point Maarten. Unfortunately, the more earth bound Upholders of The Faith tend to see it differently

[paul]

In St. Philip's they offer both the host and the wine. The choir goes first and then everybody else. You kneel in a row before the altar. First everyone is offered the host, then they pass around the chalice.
It is also possible to indicate you want a blessing instead. I think by keeping your head bowed or by folding your arms across your chest. Paul, please correct me if I'm wrong - you are a regular at St. Philip's.

Yes you are quite correct, the general situation at St P's is if you are confirmed in to the Christian faith and receive communion at your local parish church, you are welcome to receive it there. You can however choose to receive just a blessing as I do, and this is signified by holding your hands behind your back or by holding the service book.

[emmaclaire]

Is it possible to just recieve the bread and not wine?

[Murkskis]

Ofcourse it is ultimately up to you whether you take communion or not. Personally, I hold the belief that the choice to receive communion is between you and Jesus Christ. And I believe He offers his gifts freely to all those who want to receive them with gladness

And I think that is a wise and sensible view point Maarten. Unfortunately, the more earth bound Upholders of The Faith tend to see it differently

Really good point. I think it's all about the faith of the individual.

[JimmyRiddle]

Hahaha! So if I actually went to St. Phillips on Sunday they would be there?

It's worth remembering that if you go during the Summer you probably won't get to see the younger element of St Philip's Choir as they tend to undertake the superman transformation into Libera and stun audiences across the globe. Just a thought. Also many UK Church/Cathedral choirs are away at Summer, but it does give the opportunity of visiting choirs to undertake their services. So worth checking out the itinerary.

P.S. London is going to be very busy in 2012 with the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. Depending on your viewpoint that may or may not be a good time to visit the Capital.

[emmaclaire]

It's worth remembering that if you go during the Summer you probably won't get to see the younger element of St Philip's Choir as they tend to undertake the superman transformation into Libera and stun audiences across the globe. Just a thought. Also many UK Church/Cathedral choirs are away at Summer, but it does give the opportunity of visiting choirs to undertake their services. So worth checking out the itinerary.

P.S. London is going to be very busy in 2012 with the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. Depending on your viewpoint that may or may not be a good time to visit the Capital.

Aaah, yes. I knew the cons would be coming soon. Very good points there as well.

[maartendas]

Is it possible to just recieve the bread and not wine?

I am sure that you can signify you don't want the wine. They walk along the row and offer the chalice to each person. You could maybe keep your head low or make eye contact and make a "no, thanks" look or something. Having been there I know it's a very warm and welcoming church, no strains or anything.

[Jenn]

Can I be one of your friends allowed to go with you?

I'm Episcopalian (which is American for Anglican basically) and what I do for Eucharist is just dip my bread in the wine chalice. I have a "drinking after others" ...issue. I've seen others just leave the rail after receiving the bread, before the wine is offered at all. Better exercise though, to prepare for pew aerobics

[TullyBascombe]

Yes St. Philips is Anglican. I am Roman Catholic as well and have been to St. Philip's twice. The details are different, but you would have to be keen to notice them

Would I recieve the Eucharist or no? And that's good to hear that it isn't that different

An Anglican church would have no problem with a Roman Catholc partaking of Eucharist in an Anglican Church, the official position of the Roman catholic church is that if you do so it simply "doesn't count". OTOH the Roman Catholic Archbishop of England several years ago asked PM Tony Blair, then an Anglican, to stop taking Communion when attending a Roman Catholic church with his wife.

[emmaclaire]

Can I be one of your friends allowed to go with you?

I'm Episcopalian (which is American for Anglican basically) and what I do for Eucharist is just dip my bread in the wine chalice. I have a "drinking after others" ...issue. I've seen others just leave the rail after receiving the bread, before the wine is offered at all. Better exercise though, to prepare for pew aerobics

Of course you can!!
Okay, because if I actually do end up going to it and receiving the bread and wine I do not want to be disrespectful to that church by not taking part in something people usually do.

[Jenn]

You won't offend anyone! You can even quietly stay in your seat and not even go up to the rail and it's just fine.

[labbie]

When I attend a communion service at an Anglican church here in Canada, I will take the bread, but when offered the chalice, I simply touch it, rather than drink, and respond with "Amen" to the statement, "The blood of Christ, shed for you".

[paul]

No one will ever be offended, I just go and take a blessing, I do this out of respect for the local parishioners also, just being a guest to the church and all.

Its without a doubt your choice wether to take bread and wine or just bread, even to dip the bread into the wine as I have seen others do.

Do what you feel is right for you, whatever you do, just remember that no one will ever judge you on whatever you decide is right.

[TullyBascombe]

Can I be one of your friends allowed to go with you?

I'm Episcopalian (which is American for Anglican basically) and what I do for Eucharist is just dip my bread in the wine chalice. I have a "drinking after others" ...issue. I've seen others just leave the rail after receiving the bread, before the wine is offered at all. Better exercise though, to prepare for pew aerobics

Of course you can!!
Okay, because if I actually do end up going to it and receiving the bread and wine I do not want to be disrespectful to that church by not taking part in something people usually do.

You would not be viewed as disrespectful either way.

[maartendas]

Yes St. Philips is Anglican. I am Roman Catholic as well and have been to St. Philip's twice. The details are different, but you would have to be keen to notice them

I'm not very religious as you know Maartendas. I've heard that the difference between RC and high church Anglican is that the Anglican service is all English (no latin), Saints don't really feature in CofE (paricularly The Madonna) and of course there is no transubstantiation. the rest (other than songs and choirs ) is not different - high church Anglican is basically catholic without the Rome

I wonder where you got that info as it's not true, apart from the doctrine about the bread and the wine.
Latin Mass settings are frequently sung in Anglican churches, probably even more than in Roman Catholic ones! (where the vernacular is more in use for the ordinary of the Mass).
Saints are also honoured - when I was in London in March I visited an Evensong in Westminster Abbey on the feast day of St. Patrick and the liturgy was based on that feast day. Also I went to St. Paul's cathedral for a sung Eucharist on the feast day of St. Joseph and the whole service was from that feast. (And we only have to think of the name of a certain Norbury parish to know that saints are a part of Anglican tradition ) The same goes for the Blessed Virgin Mary - her major feast days (like today, the Assumption) are celebrated in Anglican and Roman catholic churches alike.

As for the doctrine, well, as you are probably aware, there is normally a wide gap between doctrine and the generally held belief
What I was taught during my preparation for confirmation, was this:
when the disciples saw Christ, they witnessed a man with their earthly eyes, but through the eyes of faith they saw God.
Likewise, when we see the bread and the wine, we see them with our earthly eyes as bread and wine. But with eyes of faith, we see them as the body and blood of Christ.
So this is how I was taught transsubstatiation
I made a point to include this in the thread as it might help our young apprentice here on her journey through ancient, mysterious Europe