A short film of the Eucharist from St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London, home of the London Internet Church
At the home of the London Internet Church in St Stephen Walbrook there is a circular stone altar by Sir Henry Moore. People come from all over the world to see the masterpiece set under the majestic dome of Sir Christopher Wren’s iconic building. Now viewers of the London Internet Church can join worshippers to experience the Anglican Eucharist filmed live from the internet church home. A traditional Eucharist set at a modern altar in a Wren church; pray with the congregation, use the film for teaching, enjoy the experience. This filmed abridged version of the Sung Eucharist at Walbrook is to enable those who cannot get to church to use this as a means of prayer. The aim is to show the four marks of the Eucharist, taking, blessing, giving and receiving. And the action is in two parts the Ministry of the Word and the Ministry of the Sacrament.
On the eve of Good Friday Jesus gathered his friends in the upper room in Jerusalem to share with them the Passover meal. In the accounts in the gospels and in the First letter to the Corinthians Jesus gives thanks and blesses bread and breaks it then blesses wine and distributes gifts with the words now used at the heart of the Eucharist service. “Do this in remembrance of me”.
Eucharist is a Greek word meaning ‘Thanksgiving’. It is used throughout the church to mean the celebration of Holy Communion. It is a good word to describe the action of the service because the emphasis is in giving thanks to Almighty God for Jesus Christ, his life and his teachings. The action of celebrating Holy Communion is known as a sacrament and along with other actions the church uses, Sacraments as outward and visible signs of God’s love for each one of us. The service of Holy Communion and the command to baptize in his name are known as the Dominical commands in the Gospels. In other words Jesus leaves his followers two basic guides to follow in his footsteps, the Eucharist and Baptism. It is implicit in all this that the words and actions of Jesus are the basis of all Christian activity and that the Word and Sacrament are the cornerstones of faith.
In the Church of St Stephen Walbrook people gather weekly to celebrate the Eucharist as a sign of their love for God and their unity with one another. The people gather around a great symbol of faith, the Henry Moore altar, and in the masterpiece designed by Sir Christopher Wren, St Stephen’s church. Most weekdays there is a choir present to lead worship and the music reflects the ethos of the architecture and liturgy. The service is taken from the Book of Common Prayer.