A Great Source for a Wesleyan Understanding of the Eucharist

You will find, in a previous post, that I highlighted a video on a Wesleyan understanding of Baptism.  The following video actually preceded that video.  In this video Dr. Matt O'Reilly, an elder in the Global Methodist Church, and the host of Theology Project, interviews my friend, Dr. Ryan Danker, and they discuss the place of the Eucharist in Wesleyan theology.  Dr. Danker is the Director of the John Wesley Institute in Washington, D.C..  -  Like the video on Baptism, I commend it to all who are a part of the Wesleyan tradition. 

Eucharistic Hymns of the Wesley's, and Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ: Part 5

This article is the last article to focus on the actual verses in John and Charles Wesley's Hymns on the Lord's Supper that specifically reference our receiving the body and blood of Christ.  In this article, I will reproduce hymn 112 and a verse each from 153 and 158.

In Part 6 of this series, I will take a look at particular references where John Wesley specifically discusses the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament.  I will likely also take note of some of the comments of some of Wesley's interpreters.  Finally, I will attempt to draw some conclusions on this matter.  

At this point, I draw your attention, once again to the hymns, themselves.

112:1. Eternal Spirit, gone up on high
Blessing for mortals to receive,
Send down those blessings from the sky,
To us Thy gifts and graces give;
With holy things our mouths are fill'd,
O let our hearts with joy o'erflow;
Descend in pardoning love reveal'd,
And meet us in Thy courts below.

2. Thy sacrifice without the gate
Once offer'd up we call to mind,
And humbly at Thy altar wait
Our interest in Thy death to find;
We thirst to drink Thy precious blood,
We languish in Thy wounds to rest, 
And hunger for immortal food,
And long on all Thy love to feast.

3. O that we now Thy flesh may eat,
Its virtues really receive;
Empower'd by this immortal meat
Thy life of holiness to live:
Partakers of Thy sacrifice,
O may we all Thy nature share,
Till to the holiest place we rise
And keep the feast for ever there.

153:1 Father, Thy feeble children meet,
And make Thy faithful mercies known;
Give us through faith the flesh to eat,
And drink the blood of Christ Thy Son;
Honour Thine own mysterious ways,
Thy sacramental presence show,
And all the fulness of Thy grace,
With Jesus, on our souls bestow.

158:1 All praise to God above,
In whom we have believed,
The tokens of whose dying love
We have even now received
Have with His flesh been fed,
And drank His precious blood:
His precious blood is drink indeed,
HIs flesh immortal food.

Eucharistic Hymns of the Wesley's, and Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ: Part 4

This article continues my series that notes verses in John and Charles Wesley's Hymns on the Lord's Supper that speak specifically about our receiving the body and blood of Christ.  

There are a total of 166 hymns in the Hymns on the Lord's Supper.  With this fourth post in this series, we make our way through hymn 110.

81:4. He bids us drink and eat
Imperishable food,
He gives His flesh to be our meat,
And bids us drink His blood:
Whate'er the' Almighty can
To pardon'd sinners give,
The fulness of our God made man
We here with Christ receive.

85:3. From Thy blest wounds our life we draw;
Thy all-atoning blood
Daily we drink with trembling awe;
Thy flesh our daily food.
Come, Lord, Thy sovereign aid impart,
Here make Thy likeness shine
Stamp Thy whole image on our heart,
And all our souls be Thine!


92:5. 'Tis God we believe,
Who cannot deceive,
The witness of God
Is present, and speaks in the 
Mystical blood.

6. Receiving the bread,
On Jesus we feed:
It doth not appear,
His manner of working; but Jesus is here!

103:1. Take, and eat, the Saviour saith
This My sacred body is!
Him we take and eat by faith
Feed upon that flesh of His
All the benefits receive
Which His passion did procure
Pardon'd by His grace we live
Grace which makes salvation sure.

107:1. All hail, Thou suffering Son of God,
Who didst these mysteries ordain,
Communion of Thy flesh and blood
Some instrument Thy grace to gain,
Type of the heavenly marriage feast, 
Pledge of our everlasting rest.

108:1. Ah, give us, Saviour, to partake
The sufferings which this emblem shows;
Thy flesh our food immortal make,
Thy blood which in this channel flows
In all its benefits impart,
And sanctify our sprinkled heart.

110:3. O may we still abide
In Thee our pardoning God,
Thy Spirit be our guide
Thy body be our food,
Till Thou who hast the token given
Shall bear us on Thyself to heaven.

Eucharistic Hymns of the Wesley's, and Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ: Part 3

This is the third blog post in a series that notes verses in John and Charles Wesley's Hymns on the Lord's Supper that speak specifically about our receiving the body and blood of Christ.  

In this post, I will reproduce hymn 57 in its entirety.  This is one of my very favorite of the Eucharistic hymns.  In addition, I will reproduce two verses from hymn 58, and one verse, each, from hymns 61 & 65.

57:1.  O the depth of love Divine,
Th' unfathomable grace!
Who shall say how bread and wine
God into man conveys!
How the bread His flesh impart,
How the wine transmits His blood,
Fills His faithful people's hearts 
With all the life of God!

2.  Let the wisest mortal show
How we the grace receive,
Feeble elements bestow
A power not theirs to give.
Who explains the wondrous way,
How through these the virtue came?
These the virtue did convey,
Yet still remain the same.

3.  How can heavenly spirits rise,
By earthly matter fed,
Drink herewith Divine supplies,
And eat immortal bread?
Ask the Father's Wisdom how;
Him that did the means ordain!
Angels round our altars bow
To search it out in vain.

4.  Sure and real is the grace,
The manner be unknown;
Only meet us in Thy ways,
And perfect us in one.
Let us taste the heavenly powers;
Lord, we ask for nothing more:
Thine to bless, 'tis only ours 
To wonder and adore.

58:6.  Break to me now the hallow'd bread,
And bid me on Thy body feed;
Give me the wine, Almighty God,
And let me drink Thy precious blood

7.  Surely if Thou the symbols bless,
The covenant blood shall seal my peace;
Thy flesh even now shall be my food,
And all my soul be fill'd with God.

61:6.  Thou in this sacramental bread
Dost now our hungry spirits feed,
And cheer us with the hallow'd wine;
(Communion of Thy flesh and blood,)
We banquet on immortal food,
And drink the streams of life Divine.

65:3.  Now, on the sacred table laid,
Thy flesh becomes our food,
Thy life is to our souls convey'd
In sacramental blood.

Wesleyan Eucharistic Hymns

As some of you may recall, I make it a practice to include singing three hymns in the midst of my personal devotion when praying the offices of Morning and Evening Prayer.  -  For the first time, I have been singing (I have previously read) through the Eucharistic hymns of John and Charles Wesley as found in J. Ernest Rattenbury's book by the same name.  Below, I have printed copies of three of those hymns which have stood out to me in my recent singing.  They provide wonderful expressions of Wesleyan Eucharistic theology and spiritual practice.

The first one is listed as number 42.  I sang this one a few days ago.  It is actually a hymn that we have used a number of times in the various churches where I have served.  It is a great explication of the Eucharist as the chief means of grace.  I love it!

 

1. Glory to Him who freely spent

His blood, that we might live,

And through this choicest instrument

Doth all His blessings give.

 

2.  Fasting He doth, and hearing bless,

And prayer can much avail,

Good vessels all to draw the grace

Out of salvation's well.

 

3.  But none, like this mysterious rite

Which dying mercy gave,

Can draw forth all His promised might

And all His will to save.

 

4.  This is the richest legacy

Thou hast on man bestow'd:

Here chiefly, Lord, we feed on Thee,

And drink Thy precious blood.

 

5.  Here all Thy blessings we receive,

Here all Thy gifts are given,

To those that would in Thee believe,

Pardon, and grace, and heaven.

6.  Thus may we still in Thee be blest,

Till all from earth remove,

And share with Thee the marriage feast,

And drink the wine above.

 

Hymn 54 is not one that I have ever used during worship with the congregation, but it is a very good hymn.

 

1.  Why did my dying Lord ordain

This dear memorial of His love?

Might we not all by faith obtain,

By faith the mountain sin remove,

Enjoy the sense of sins forgiven,

And holiness, the taste of heaven?

 

2.  It seem'd to my Redeemer good

That faith should here His coming wait

Should here receive immortal food,

Grow up in Him Divinely great,

And, fill'd with holy violence, seize

The glorious crown of righteousness.

 

3.  Saviour, Thou didst the mystery give

That I Thy nature might partake

Thou bidd'st me outward signs receive,

One with Thyself my soul to make;

My body, soul, and spirit to join

Inseparably one with Thine.

 

4.  The prayer, the fast, the word conveys,

When mix'd with faith, Thy life to me;

In all the channels of Thy grace

I still have fellowship with Thee:

But chiefly here my soul is fed

With fullness of immortal bread.

 

5.  Communion closer far I feel

And deeper drink the' atoning blood;

The joy is more unspeakable,

And yields me large draughts of God,

Till nature faints beneath the power,

And faith fill'd up can hold no more.

 

The final hymn that I'm going to share in this post is actually in the United Methodist Hymnal, as well.  In fact, we just sang it this past Sunday at the United Methodist Church where I serve.  In the Eucharistic hymns it is number 57.

 

1.  O the depth of love Divine,

Th' unfathomable grace!

Who shall say how bread and wine

God into man conveys!

How the bread His flesh impart,

How the wine transmits His blood,

Fills His faithful people's hearts

With all the life of God!

 

2.  Let the wisest mortal show

How we the grace receive,

Feeble elements bestow

A power not theirs to give.

Who explains the wondrous way,

How through these the virtue came?

These the virtue did convey,

Yet still remain the same.

 

3.  How can heavenly spirits rise,

By earthly matter fed,

Drink herewith Divine supplies,

And eat immortal bread?

Ask the Father's Wisdom how;

Him that did the means ordain!

Angels round our altars bow

To search it out in vain.

 

4.  Sure and real is the grace,

The manner be unknown;

Only meet us in Thy ways,

And perfect us in one.

Let us taste the heavenly powers;

Lord, we ask for nothing more:

Thine to bless, 'tis only ours

To wonder and adore.

 

I trust that these hymns have been both a blessing and a great, poetic explanation of the Eucharist in the Wesleyan understanding.  -  And they are singable! 

 

Though there is no music printed with these, above, one can easily find music that fits.  If one counts out the syllables in each line of the verse, this forms the metric.  Many hymnals include a metrical index.  The UM Hymnal and the Nazarene hymnal (Sing to the Lord), both contain a metrical index.  Just go to that index, match the metric with a hymn tune that is familiar, and you can sing it!  This, by the way, can also be used for hymns that you like, but you or your congregation are unfamiliar with the given tune.  You can often find an alternative tune that is familiar.  (There are, of course, a few of these hymns for which there may not be a metric listed in the index, or the tune listed may not be familiar.)

My prayer is that these hymns might be used in such a way as to enrich the observance of the Lord's Supper in your church!