A Contemplative Eucharist:
Love Bids Me Welcome

Friday, March 1, 2013

2:00pm to 5:00pm

General Seminary's Seabury Auditorium
 

A Contemplative Eucharist is both a worship service and, like a quiet day or retreat, a time set apart. This Eucharistic liturgy will unfold over the course of an afternoon, offering you time and spaciousness. 

The theme of the Eucharist will be the poetry of George Herbert (1593-1632), an Anglican divine and priest whose religious poetry is cherished for its imagery, beauty and theology.

Serving as presider and spiritual guide will be the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Linman, author of Holy Conversation: Spirituality for Worship. He is Bishop's Assistant for Formation in the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and also the professor for General Seminary's Liturgical Spirituality course this spring.  Sharing in the planning and leadership will be students in the course.

They cordially invite you to come dwell deeply with scripture and poetry, in silence and conversation, to sing hymns whose words are poetry by Herbert, and to receive with a contemplative intentionality God's love given in gifts of bread and wine. 

 Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,

 Guilty of dust and sin.

 But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack

 From my first entrance in,

 Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning

 If I lack'd anything.

 "A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";

 Love said, "You shall be he."

 "I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,

 I cannot look on thee."

 Love took my hand and smiling did reply,

 "Who made the eyes but I?"

 "Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame

 Go where it doth deserve."

 "And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"

 "My dear, then I will serve."

 "You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."

 So I did sit and eat.