The St. Antony's Eucharistic team outside KING TV studiosToday I celebrated the Eucharist on TV! Well, actually a small group of us from St. Antony's went to KING-TV studios in Seattle and we taped two Eucharists for viewing Sunday, May 10, and Sunday, May 17.
The TV Eucharists are a program that the Diocese of Olympia has sponsored since 1973. The Eucharists are shown at 5:00 every Sunday morning on KONG TV, and the show has around 4,000 viewers. This is the biggest congregation I've ever preached to!
Taping a Eucharist felt a bit strange at first. The studio is a cavernous room studded with lights and cameras. The setting is an altar, a lectern, and a light-blue half-round background with a cross. Luckily I had a team to help me do this Eucharist: Ruth Lindstrum, Priscilla Lineker, and Guy Fulton. Deacon Ray Sheldon from Kingston also helped.
We celebrated the Eucharist to an empty room, which felt strange, but as it went on I tried to envision the typical viewer, who might be an elderly woman who is home-bound, and then I felt more at ease. The whole service was over in 30 minutes, with an 8-minute sermon. After a short break, we did a second Eucharist which felt more comfortable to me.
It was a good learning experience, and I hope that those who see the broadcast in May will be lifted up.
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