Service of Mystical Communion with Christ:

Part III:  The Service Procedure

Furnishings for placing on the Communion Altar table:   

1     A white altar cloth or covering

2     A three-branch candelabra

3     A single, tall candle (but not taller than the candelabra)

4     A votive candle

5     A 2-piece cruet for containing a) the fruit of the vine [grape juice or wine] and b) pure water, prior to their consecration

6     A chalice for the consecrated, blended wine and water

7     A cotton bourse, or purse, for holding the unleavened bread prior to its consecration

8     A plate for the consecrated bread

Optional:

9     Flowers

10   Incense

Ø    The altar represents Man, the Temple of God.

Ø    The three-branch candelabra represents human consciousness, normally operating at three separate levels (physical [during our Earth-embodiment], psychic, and mental) unified by the Christ Spirit of Jesus. 

Ø   The single tall candle represents the Inner Plane Christ Server who adjusts the manifestations of the Christ Source to the receptivity of the communicant.

Ø   The votive candle represents the communicant.

The 3-branch candelabra represents fully instructed, consecrated discipleship. The lights of it represent the Light of our Lord transmitted by the three-fold consciousness of the disciple – i.e. the integrated consciousness of Mind, Soul, and embodied form. This integration is never an accomplished, completed condition in time but a continuing process until our Awakening from time to eternity is realised.

The single candle that stands before the candelabra represents the spirit-officiant of the altar through whom the Mind of Christ is translated to the mind level of the communicant, for its illuminating toward understanding of and At-One-ment with the Truth of eternity.

The votive candle represents the communicant, and its light represents his desire to become a reflector of Christ’s Light.

 

The Ritual

Preparation:

 - The flowers are placed on the altar

- the bread is placed in the Bourse: salted (or unsalted) crackers are quite suitable, being very similar to the unleavened bread of the Judaic Tradition

- one of the cruets is filled with wine or grape juice: the other cruet is kept full of water at all times

- the cruets are placed side by side, to one side of the altar table, with the water cruet to the left of the wine cruet

- the candles are lighted in the following order:

1. the centre taper of the 3 branch candlestick

2. the taper on the left of the 3 branch candlestick

3. the taper on the right of the 3 branch candlestick

4. the single candle

5. the votive candle

- where incense is used it is placed in readiness. It could be an incense-perfumed candle (placed to the side of the altar) and should be lighted after the votive candle

In these procedural instructions, the terms Communicant and Officiant are used to describe the person who is performing the Service. When on his own (bodily) the term Communicant applies. If there are one or two others (bodily) joining with him he is referred to as the Officiant, because he is leading his guests in the Service. Visitors can remain seated, facing the Officiant (and the altar) during most of the Service, but can kneel, facing the altar, when the Officiant is kneeling. Cushions can be provided for comfort.

Even if he is alone (bodily) the plural is used in the prayers and hymns because there are souls from the Realms of Light always present, and others – from the lower etheric realms – who have been attracted to the Service ritual by the Light and Love generated by it and radiating out from it into the spirit realms.

N.B.: All the words to be spoken or sung are shown in green type.

The Devotions begin with the Officiant making his personal, heart-mind-centred Dedication, spoken silently/quietly, kneeling at the altar.

Our Personal Dedication

(circle from forehead, round, clockwise, down to solar plexus and back to forehead)

I serve. 

(finishing with hands together over heart)

the same dedication is also made by any visiting communicants.

Recorded music, suitably sacred and unobtrusive, may be played during and following the Act of Dedication.

Please note that the hymns and songs that form part of these devotions, 10 in all, were recorded – and are presented here – by courtesy of and with grateful thanks to Bentley Kalaway (http://bentleyk.com/).

Then, the Officiant, facing outwards from the altar, affirms the spiritual Lordship of Jesus with the words:

The revelation of Jesus, the Christ, concerning his eternalness

And his great God Mission for all mankind:

I am Alpha and Omega,

the First and the Last,

the beginning and the ending,

the Lord which is, and which was,

and which is Now come.

(From Revelation ch.1)

Then, still facing outwards from the altar, is sung Hymn no.1, ‘God is a Spirit’:

Hymn 1: God is a Spirit

God is a Spirit, God is a Spirit,

And they that worship with Him

Must worship with Him

In Spirit and in Truth

(From John 4:24)

It is noteworthy here that the term worship can helpfully be discerned as meaning the same as commune.

Still facing outwards from the altar, the Officiant broadcasts the Invitation to commune with Christ, the words of which were given to Olga Park by John of Zion, the author of the fourth Gospel and Revelation:

The Holy Invitation

And the Officiant continues the invitation with words, adapted from King David’s Psalm 24:

“Let us ascend unto the Hill of the Lord,
and let us rise up unto His Holy Place
Whose Truth is from everlasting
and His Grace manifest
unto every generation.”

These invitations are to those on Earth and/or in the etheric realms who have in their hearts and minds the primacy of desire for the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

Next, the phrase beginning ‘Unto You, O God’, is sung/chanted by the Officiant, facing the altar, with hands open, palms upwards as in offering.

Hymn 2: Unto You, O God

The Holy Temple

Facing outwards

Eternal, Heavenly Father, Creator Spirit,

You do not dwell in temples made with hands,

Neither are You worshipped by men’s hands,

As though You need anything, seeing that You give to all

Life and Love, Light and Truth – everything.

We seek to return Home to You,

Rejoicing that You are not far from us,

For in You we live and have our being:
For we are Your offspring – Your children.

The Holy Sanctuary

Still facing outwards

Concerning the dwelling place of God and His communicating with us;

the words by Isaiah the prophet:

Thus saith the Lord, Who inhabiteth eternity, Whose Name is Holy:

I dwell in the high and holy place,

with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,

to revive the spirit of the humble,

and the heart of the contrite ones.

(From Isaiah 57:15)

The words of Habakkuk, the prophet, concerning the dwelling place of God:

God is in His holy temple

Let all the world keep silence (or, as the Spirit moves us: rejoice) before Him.

And of Paul, the Apostle of Jesus, the Christ:

The temple of God is holy,

Which temple we are.

(From 1 Cor. 3:17)

The Holy Temple

The hymn, “God is in His Holy Temple…” is sung kneeling at the altar; the Our Father follows, also kneeling.

Hymn 3: God is in His Holy Temple

Let us spend a few moments in silent contemplation of the Kingdom Prayer.

The Holy Gates

For the Song of the Holy Gates the Officiant stands facing the altar and raises his arms above his head at the words “Lift up your heads …”, maintaining this position until he comes to the words, “Let us commune with Christ”, when he holds out his hands, palms up toward the altar.

Lift up your heads

O ye Gates

And be ye lifted up

ye Everlasting Doors

And the King of Glory

shall come in.

Who is the King of Glory

The Lord of Hosts,
even the hosts of the Heavenly,
He is the King of Glory.

Let us commune with Christ

For it is our joy and delight

to enter into that blessed and holy communion

The Holy Adoration

At the words ‘Holy, holy, holy’ (above) the Officiant kneels at the altar and remains kneeling to the end of the Holy Adoration:

And we make our prayer:

Thou Who art exalted in Heaven,
Even the Heaven of Heavens,
Be Thou exalted in Earth also,
And Thy purposes fulfilled
In the children of Earth.

Amen!

The Officiant stands, facing outwards during the Holy Invitation and the Holy Shepherd’s Call.

The Holy Invitation

To the Marriage Banquet of Jesus Christ

The Holy Consecration

At the Holy Consecration the officiant turns, remaining standing, facing the altar.

The Officiant places the bread on the Paten (plate) and pours some – about half – of the water, followed by all of the wine, or grape juice, into the Chalice. The water is poured first. The water represents the life-force of Man whose free will is not in harmony with the Will of the Creator Spirit; the wine represents the perfect Love of Christ, poured out into the life of unenLightened Man, raising it to Oneness within the Perfect Will of God. During this preparation for consecrating the bread and wine hymn number 4 is sung:

Hymn 4: Be Present at our table, Lord

At the Consecration he takes the bread in his hands and holds it up in front of his forehead, making the sign of the cross up and down and from left to right, back to the centre of the forehead, and then down, breaking the bread (over the plate) with his fingers during the down motion. At the holding of the bread in the centre of the forehead he says the words…

After returning the now broken/consecrated bread to the Paten he lifts the Chalice to centre forehead and says ... 

and this fruit of the vine

as he holds it before the centre of his forehead.

He then moves it out towards the centre of the altar, making with it the sign of the cross horizontally from left to right, returning it to the centre and back to centre-forehead, saying as he does so:

Rejoicing now and always

to walk the Way of Life in fellowship with him.

Immediately following the Consecration the Officiant kneels for the Prayer of Overshadowing …

The Holy Cloud

(Our Prayer for humility and overshadowing)

The Holy Symbols

The Contemplation of the Holy Symbols is a broadcasting of instruction and is therefore said facing outwards from the altar except for the phrases addressed to Our Lord. It is in four sections: The Incense, the Lights, the Bread and Wine of Partaking and the Words signifying the Reality of Jesus’ Presence.

The Revelation of Jesus the Christ concerning the Incense of the Sanctuary:

And the smoke of the incense,
with the prayers of the saints,
ascended up before God
out of the hand of the angel.

Singing of the hymn “Now as the perfume of sweet flowers…”

Hymn 5: Now as the perfume of sweet flowers

Concerning the Lights of the altar … Jesus says, –

“I am the Light of the World:
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the Light of Life.”

Facing the altar:

Thou who art the Light of the world

shine in our hearts,

that we may manifest this Light

before men.

Facing outwards, holding the Paten and Chalice:

Concerning the Bread and Wine of partaking:

I am the Bread of Life:
the words that I speak to you,
they are spirit and they are life.
This is the bread which comes down from Heaven,
that men may eat thereof and not die,
But have Everlasting Life.

followed by:

I am the vine, ye are the branches,

my Father is the Husbandman:

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself

except it abide in the vine

neither can ye, except ye abide in me.

Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit.

Here, the paten & chalice are returned to the altar, and then the Officiant/Communicant returns to facing outwards.

Concerning the Reality of Jesus’ Presence in our midst; the Word of the Lord:

The Holy Partaking

The hymn “Thee we adore...” is sung kneeling at the altar,

Hymn 6: Thee we adore, O Living Saviour, thee

Thee we adore, O Living Saviour, thee,
Who in this sacrament dost deign to be:
The glory of thy countenance unveil
As here thy presence we devoutly hail.

and partaking follows, still kneeling, the Officiant first, followed by visiting Communicants, each kneeling at the altar in turn, while the Officiant sits, with an attitude of honouring and blessing his visitors as they partake. At the partaking of Bread the significance is contemplated in the words, as they are spoken, “In token of the Word of Life…”, and at the partaking of Wine, “In token of the Love of Christ...”

The hymn verse “Fountain of Truth...” is sung – still kneeling:

 Hymn 7: Fountain of Truth

Fountain of Truth, O Word from God above,

Cleanse us, unclean, with your most Holy Love

Increase our faith, O Lord, that we may know

The joy and peace that from your chalice flow.

Then comes the Offering, on behalf of Learners, Seekers and Those in need of the Reality, of which the Bread and Wine are symbols. The features or name of each is visualised in turn, and the remaining Bread is partaken by the Officiant, (on behalf of those for whom prayers are offered), who stands facing outwards, saying:

In token of the Word of Life revealed from Heaven

we offer this Bread unto the students of the Sanctuary,

to all who seek unto its Light, to those who have desired our prayers,

and to all those in perceived need, sorrow, sickness or other adversity,

who seek Christ help by this Sanctuary.

The Blessing is given:

And may Christ's Living Bread heal, comfort and guide you

unto your perfecting in glory. Amen.

The remaining Wine is offered in the same manner

In token of the Love of Christ and the fellowship of Heaven

we offer this Wine unto the students of the Sanctuary,

to all who seek unto its Light,

to those who have desired our prayers,

and to all those in perceived need, sorrow, sickness or other adversity,

who seek Christ help by this Sanctuary.

The Blessing is given:

And may Christ’s Living Wine make glad your hearts
and strengthen you in the purposes of the Thrice Holy
unto the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven upon Earth. Amen.

 

Prayers After Partaking

Facing the altar - standing - the Officiant offers the Prayers after Partaking:

First, for the Bread, holding the Paten in his hands, he says:

Blessed Master, we remember thy teaching that man does not live

by bread alone, but by every Word that comes forth from God,

and we ask thy continual Help that we may be

faithful stewards of that heavenly food.

… and then places the Paten on the altar.

Then, holding the Chalice in his hands, he says:

Gracious Lord,

we rejoice in thy power

to transform water into wine,

tears into joy, death into Life;

and we pray that as we have freely received,

we may ever freely minister of that Grace

unto all who seek.

… and then places the Chalice upon the Paten.

Still facing the altar, now kneeling, the Officiant prays the Holy Thanksgiving, which is addressed to the Father, Who is the Spirit of Everlasting Life:

The Holy Thanksgiving

Thou Spirit of Everlasting Life,

We thank Thee that Thou dost feed us as we need

rather than as we perceive:

Nevertheless we rejoice that by this Communion with Christ’s Spirit

we do more clearly discern Thy Truth

And receive Help to show it forth more effectively.

Amen.

Song of the Angels and Blessed Ones

The recitation of the Song of the Angels and Blessed Ones follows, standing, facing the altar:

At “Glory be to God on high…” hands and arms are raised above the head;

At “on Earth Peace...” they are stretched out left and right so that the Officiant is himself forming the cross;

At “in us, thy children ...” they are brought inwards to the chest. Thus the Officiant has formed a triangle.

At “Son of man” the arms reach downwards and the fingers meet below the solar plexus.

At “Son of God” the arms reach upwards and the fingers meet above the front of the head;

At “Thou who hast lighted the darkness of Earth” the hands separate and at the words “Shine in our hearts” are brought straight down in front of the chest;

At “Thou who leadest …” they are stretched out horizontally so the cross has once again been formed;

At “Illumine our path” the hands reach down pointing toward the feet;

At “Ye angel guardians …” they are brought up and stretched toward the altar, palms up and

At “To the stature of the Perfect Son …” they are crossed one over the other, right hand over left, to form the X known as St. Andrew’s. This signified, to the ancient Egyptians, completion.

Glory be to God on High

And on Earth Peace,

Goodwill among men.

We give Thee thanks, O Heavenly Father,
for the revelation of Thy glory
in the universe around us
and in us, Thy children.

We bless Thee for all Prophets and Teachers,

Especially our beloved Lord, Jesus, the Christ,

Son of man and Son of God,

most worthy to be honoured and obeyed,

in all ages and realms,

being filled with Thy Spirit, O Father Eternal

And, honouring Jesus, we say:

 Thou who hast Lighted the darkness of Earth

Shine in our hearts!

Thou who leadest men still in the Way Everlasting

Illumine our Path!

And, asking Help from the Angels:

Ye angel guardians of our souls

And ye Spirits blessed

Company with us and Help us,

Instruct us and direct us

Until we are restored

to Oneness as the Perfect Son of God

Amen

 The Holy Silence

(Veni Creator Spiritus)

Hymn 8: Creator Spirit by Whose Word

Creator Spirit by Whose Word,

The Earth to Light and Life is stirred,

Come, visit here each seeking mind,

And pour Your Grace on humankind:

From (belief in) ‘sin and sorrow’ set us free

And make us Temples worthy Thee.

During the singing of “Creator Spirit” pen and notebook are placed at hand and each communicant sits, or kneels, according to preference and bodily comfort, in solitary, contemplative, inwardly focused silence for the Awareness of the Inner Voice, the hearing, or receiving of which should be written as it comes. Every slightest thought, feeling and inner, visual experience should be recorded during the Time of Silence. It can be of great help and benefit if the Communicant starts first by writing – heartfelt – words asking Jesus’ help, wisdom, comfort with any matter that is causing him fear or doubt, but also similarly heartfelt words, expression of gratitude for his Loving, joy-engendering presence, here, in the midst with us, and for his care, guidance and protection in our daily life henceforward. Jesus, being the perfect, Loving, gentle, caring Soul that he assuredly is, will then respond to that outpouring by the Communicant. This establishes a two-way communion, which is the objective of these devotions.

After the Silence, which should never be hurried, and all the while inner awarenesses are occurring, the time should be allowed, and during the singing of the hymn verse “Fairest Lord Jesus” The Chalice is rinsed with water from the Water Cruet and the water drunk from the Chalice by the Officiant. The Bourse is then replaced over the Chalice.

Hymn 9: Fairest Lord Jesus

Fairest Lord Jesus,

Lord of all nature

O thou of God and man the Son,

You will I cherish,

You will I honour,

You’re my soul’s glory, joy and crown.

The Missionary Prayer is made kneeling:

Our Missionary Prayer

Beloved Lord and Master,
we thank thee for the joy and blessing of this communion with thee,
and for the fellowship of all those in the heavenly realms
who minister to us in thy name and for thy cause.
We pray for a greater awareness of unity and contact with them,
and that the thoughts and desires of this meditation
may be received by all who seek a fuller understanding
and a deeper experience,
for their strengthening and encouragement
and for the regeneration of thy Living Word in the Earth.
Amen.

Then the Dedication Hymn is sung, also kneeling:

Our Dedication Hymn

Hymn 10: God be in my head, and in my understanding

The Officiant then stands facing outwards as he gives the Benediction by the sign of the cross with the fingers of his right hand upright over the palm of the left hand. If a visiting communicant be present, he, or she, will kneel facing the Officiant during the Benediction.

The Holy Benediction

So shall the Peace of Christ abide with us,

and Holy Spirit lead us in Eternal Truth.

Amen.

The Devotions are concluded with the same Act of Dedication, kneeling at the altar, as at the beginning:

Our Personal Dedication

 (circle from forehead, round, clockwise, down to solar plexus and back to forehead)

I serve.

(Hands together over heart).

The candles are then dowsed, in reverse order to their lighting, and the sanctuary closed. 

A suitable period of reflection – as long as the mood indicates – on the inner awarenesses and experiences that have arisen during the Devotions, can now be undertaken, seated comfortably, with eyes closed to prevent distraction by the outer environment.  During this period further notes can be written if deemed helpful, for subsequent consideration.