I know when I was confirmed, I was taught to sip from the cup. I even remember my grandmother telling me what her mother told her: "Only let the wine barely touch your lips. No gulping!" (This was followed by an anecdote that I will keep in the family). For as many years as I can remember, though, I have been an intinctor. That is, instead of eating the bread and then sipping the wine, I dip the bread in the wine.
Today, though, I knew I had to change.
The archbishop - who also happens to be the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, and (given that I attend the cathedral) partakes regularly in the same eucharist - issued an Ad Clerum recently regarding the practice of intinction. For various reasons, both theological and hygienic, we are being asked to eradicate this practice. I began this for hygienic reasons - you know when you have a cold and don't want to spread all those lovely germs around? Hmm. However, I have heard a number of stories of fingertips making it into the wine (shudder). A number more reasons, and I had started thinking I should start to consider sipping instead.
I am on the cathedral council, and we were asked as a council to be good examples in this regard. So I knew, today, I had to revert to sipping. This was another example (like right-footed running) that I needed to rehearse first - just a little run-through in private - and throughout the service I had to remind myself to sip. Eat the bread, then sip. I remembered - woohoo! - and coordination was not a problem - another woohoo! I had forgotten, though, how much wine you get in a sip as opposed to a bit of wafer dipped in wine. Whoa. But next time I will be prepared. It will probably be quite a few more Sundays before I can stop reminding myself though.
Some of us will now be having none. I am hoping a compromise that is more reasonable is found for those of us with allergies.
ReplyDeleteI encourage you to talk to the clergy about the best solution, Di (and any other concerned readers). There are alternatives for those who need them. xo
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