Pentecost 11 sermon by Glynn Cardy on the use of the Eucharist to disempower and to empower. A quote from the sermon: " it has served the interests of the ruling classes to de-politicize the Eucharist and turn it into an individualistic private act of devotion. With our sins of disobedience confessed we were to kneel and bow our heads to God, as we would to the king. We were to receive of the king's bounty and go forth quietly to live subservience lives. We dressed our bishops and priests like royalty. \u201cYes, m' Lord, you know best.\u201d From Constantine on the primary political function of the Church has been to sanction, and thus sanctify, the power of the state." St Matthew-in-the-City, 20 August 2006.