Eucharist and coffee hour?

In the early church, the Eucharist took place as part of a common meal. The early model for the Eucharistic feast was shaped to follow the example, in anamnesis of the Last Supper. While the Greek word anamnesis translates (weakly) as 'remembrance,' and that's the word used in English translations of the words of institution during the Eucharistic prayer, the word means so much more than that. Anamnesis also means 'reliving' an event, and can include an expectation of something that is to come. In a full Eucharistic experience, we remember Christ, we live in the life of Christ, and we live in the expectation that Christ will come again. In the Book of Common Prayer, we proclaim this when we recite, as a congregation, "We remember his death, we proclaim his resurrection, we await his coming in glory." However, the contemporary church--at least, the denominations who still celebrate the Eucharist--has dropped the meal in favor of a wafer and a sip of wine, or even less, given the current panic about H1N1.

One purpose of the Eucharist in the early church was to feed the congregation, not only spiritually (through the Eucharist) but also physically through the food that was served at the Eucharist. While it has become expedient for the contemporary church to serve only the bread and wine (or wafers, grape juice, nothing at all, or whatever) as the Eucharistic meal, such has not always been the case. The Last Supper was indeed a supper; "While they were eating [emphasis mine], Jesus took a loaf of bread" (Matthew 26:26).

I find it intriguing that most contemporary churches that celebrate the Eucharist use only bread and wine (or permutations thereof), and many of those will go to great trouble to have coffee hour or a lunch afterward. I can see perhaps a desire to shorten the service, or preserve the cleanliness of the church building, as a reason for this. I think, though, that one response to our current economic problems--and an attempt to connect with God and with our community--might be a return to this part of early church practice. As much as we may not admit, some in our congregations could do with a good meal and good community. Encouraging a regular common meal in the form of Eucharist, in which congregants contribute food as they are able, might help ensure that all in the congregation are fed, it might serve to deepen spiritual practice as we connect with God throughout the meal, and it might deepen the relationship of the church community.