Doing Theology, No. 24 April 2008

 A bi-monthly theological reflection from the
School of Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina

AMEN.

Have you ever noticed that the ‘AMEN’ that we say at the end of the eucharistic prayer (no matter which one) appears in caps? (Take a look in our prayer book, on pp. 336, 343, 363, 369, 372, and 375.) It’s the only place in the Book of Common Prayer where that is done; all the other ‘amens’ are just that, ‘Amen.’

Reminding us of that bit of what may seem to be esoterica is appropriate as we experience the Easter season. What better time to declare our assent to the words of the Eucharist than now? And that’s what the ‘AMEN’ is there for.

The word ‘amen’ signifies affirmation to what has gone before, so in that sense an assent to the eucharistic prayer is nothing out of the ordinary. But given that ‘amen’ is used so often these days as a routine closing to any prayer, and that its historic translation has been along the lines of an affirming yet ambiguous ‘so be it,’ setting the eucharistic prayer off with a strong ‘AMEN’ is worthy of note.

The notion – not the caps – goes all the way back to Justin Martyr in the second century. He described the eucharist this way: ‘Bread and wine and water are brought up, and the president offers prayers and thanksgiving to the best of his ability, and the people assent, saying the Amen.’ Marion Hatchett, in his commentary on the prayer book, reminds us that even in medieval times, when most of the eucharistic prayer was inaudible to the congregation, the priest would speak loudly toward the end, so that folks would know when to assent, ‘AMEN.’ It has become more than a routine closing; it’s ‘the People’s Amen.'

And, it deserves the caps, a firm affirmation. We’re saying yes to God’s infinite love in making us ‘for yourself,’ and sending Jesus ‘to live and die as one of us…, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.’ We’re saying yes to God’s command that we take and eat bread – This is my Body – and drink wine – This is my Blood of the new Covenant. We say yes to the proclamation, ‘Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.’ We say yes to offering gifts to God, and to the prayer that we will serve God ‘in unity, constancy, and peace.’

That’s why ‘AMEN’ is capitalized. That’s why ‘so be it’ becomes such a positive declaration. And that’s why there is perhaps no better time than Eastertide to remind ourselves that our common worship is more than our hearing words spoken by others; ours is – or should be – a strong assent to God’s covenant with us. Say it loud and clear this Sunday: AMEN.

Yours faithfully,
Leon Spencer