The Great Thanksgiving: The Eucharistic Norm of Christian Worship

By Keith Watkins

Watkins explains to pastors and pastors-to-be the principles of a worship that is table-centered rather than pulpit-centered. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0827212380
• ISBN13: 9780827212381
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Chalice Pr
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Ecumenical practices

In the opening chapters of `The Great Thanksgiving', Keith Watkins explores the history and theology of the pattern of worship. The patterns he describes are very much in concert with my own Anglo-Catholic tradition. Some of the issues he addresses in his first chapter are of particular relevance to Old Catholic jurisdictions, which strive to maintain a balance between responsiveness to current culture and a commitment to historical patterns and theological beliefs. These issues are also true for mainline churches (and seminaries!) that are facing falling numbers while certain other churches seem to be growing. In exploring the history of liturgy and liturgical reform, Watkins addresses recent efforts such as the COCU liturgy and the Lima liturgy, explaining why these have not found more widespread use. He also addresses efforts at reform within particular denominations, as well as bilateral discussions and agreements of intercommunion among churches. One issue that Watkins does not address (and one that I have personally experienced, both inside and outside Old Catholic circles) with regard to intercommunion and eucharistic hospitality, is the problem of bureaucracy and (often defensive) hierarchy of the church - just how much of the problem really rests in theology and worship practice, and how much in very human limitations of personality and politics? Watkins sums up his ideas of the theological norm for worship as: `Thankful praise generates the church's full cycle of celebrative actions and serves as the criterion by which we measure all that we do in worship.' (p. 60) While this is true, it seems to me an insufficient statement. In discussing distinctions between mainline and evangelical churches, Watkins seems to point out a loss of the eucharist centre to worship in mainline churches has caused them to lose religious power present in the evangelical traditions. My experience shows a difficulty. In Bloomington, the Episcopal church, which has maintained a cycle of daily eucharist for many decades, has been losing members bit by bit each year, whereas the non-denominational `mega-church' on the south side of town, which has communion no more frequently than quarterly, has gained thousands of members in less than a decade. What keeps a eucharist centre means is different to the two churches; one seems to hold the pattern without the spirit, and the other is reaching for the spirit without the pattern. Each church tends to be suspicious of the other in many respects theologically. In the second section, Watkins explores the shape of the liturgy (borrowing from Dom Gregory Dix's title), how the prayers, the service of Word and the service of Table fit together, and the significance of the Great Thanksgiving. Watkins introduces some new emphases to me - the idea that offering is the beginning of the service of Table, and the change of emphasis that this can bring, gives new life to the portion of the prayers that offers our sacrifice of praise