Holy Eucharist is also called The Holy Communion, The Lord's Supper, Mass, and no doubt by other names as well.  The word "eucharist" is a Greek word that means "Thanksgiving".

Since the beginning of the church shortly following Jesus' resurrection Holy Eucharist has been the main form of Sunday worship. The service has an easy to follow structure that has two main divisions:  Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist.

So what is Holy Eucharist?  It is a sacrament. It is the principal way that God has chosen to feed our souls and encourage our faith as we journey though life together - Jesus himself established this promise on the night before he died on the Cross.  In some mysterious way that we experience but do not fully understand, Jesus is present to us as we receive the bread and wine.

The official teaching of the Anglican Church is that anyone who is baptized as a Christian (in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit) is welcome to receive the Holy Eucharist.  Whether you were baptized in a Baptist, Lutheran, or any other Christian church, you are welcome to share in Holy Eucharist at St. David's.

How to Receive Holy Eucharist

When you come up to receive the Bread, place the back of one hand in the palm of the other and hold them at a height that is comfortable for the pastor to reach.

The Wine is presented in a cup called a chalice.  We share a common cup, as Jesus did with his disciples.  You have two choices at this point 

First -  you can dip the Bread you just received into the Wine.  This is called intinction. 

Second - you may consume the Bread, and then receive the Wine by drinking from the chalice.  The chalice bearer will tip the cup toward you gently, while holding the bottom of the cup.

You may choose to receive only the Bread, and simply pass by the chalice bearer.  Receiving only the bread or only the wine is called "communion in one kind".  Some people with allergies to the wine or bread or who are in recovery receive in one kind, as do others who just don't like sharing a common cup.

Now there are a variety of practices done by people according to their personal preference.  Some people make the Sign of the Cross before receiving Communion.  These acts of devotion help many people to concentrate their attention on God as they open their hearts to Jesus' presence in the Sacrament.