Should the Episcopal Church be practicing 'open Communion?'
Episcopal News Service. September 4, 2007 [090407-03]
Laura Peckham, A senior in the M.Div. program at Bangor Theological Seminary in Bangor, Maine, and a postulant to the priesthood in the Diocese of Maine. She is a member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Augusta and a resident of West Gardiner, Maine.
There is a movement afoot in the Episcopal Church to invite everyone present at the Eucharist, baptized or unbaptized, to receive Communion. This invitation, issued usually by the presider stating something like, "This is Christ's table, and all are welcome," defies the Constitution and Canons of the church and the ordination vows of the one presiding. The rationale given is that since Jesus welcomed all, we should not put up restrictions, that this is an important means of showing the radical hospitality of Jesus.
I disagree. In the Gospel accounts, it is only the disciples, Jesus' intentional followers, who are with Jesus at the institution of the Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17-18; Luke 22:14; John 13:22). The early church clearly saw participation in the Eucharist as only for those who are intentional followers of Jesus -- baptized members of the body of Christ. Paul addresses the church at Corinth, all of whom are baptized, and chastises them for treating the Lord's Supper as any other meal, "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself." All records indicate that for hundreds of years the early church did not allow the unbaptized catechumens to be present at the Eucharist proper but dismissed them after the reading of the lessons.
Participation in the Eucharist was not a form of entrance into the life of Christ but was one of the characteristics of living a Christian life. The first act of faith in Christ is baptism. If we now say that the Eucharist is for anyone and everyone, we intimate that:
- Baptism is not the sacramental entrance into life in Christ. If one can be fully involved in Christian life without baptism, what value are we placing on baptism?
- The Eucharist is merely a remembering of events in history and therefore is not a sure means of grace. This is contrary to the teachings of article 25 of the Thirty-nine Articles (Book of Common Prayer, page 872) and to the Catechism. (BCP p. 857).
- Knowledge of Christ and the church are not important. No understanding of the Eucharist is required or expected.
Have we sufficiently considered what "open Communion" will mean to our ecumenical relationships, our relationships within the Anglican Communion and with our brothers and sisters within our own church?
The question for you: "Is an open invitation to the Communion table radical hospitality or cheap hospitality that makes knowledge of Christ unimportant? Send responses, 250 words or fewer, to Provocateur@episcopal-life.org. Include name, address, phone number and picture (optional). We welcome your own Provocateur column.
Some still may argue that the spirit of hospitality is of such importance that it trumps all these other concerns. I say this radical hospitality smacks more of cheap hospitality. It is much easier to make an invitation to the altar than to actually take the time to explain Christ, his church and the sacraments. The reality of it is, we do the unbaptized a great unkindness by inviting them to receive. It is, in fact, a very inhospitable act.
Some also argue that the grace of the Eucharist can be transformative; it will cause the unbaptized receiver to desire membership in this church. This, at its root, is mere trickery and shows a very low opinion of both the gospel message and the intelligence of the person who is the object of this deceit.
The fellowship of the Eucharist is fellowship in Christ. As Christians, our fellowship is based on our baptism into the death and new life in Christ. As members of the one body of Christ, we are one with each other, but this oneness is only through Christ. Instead of inviting the unknowing to the Eucharist, invite them into the fellowship of Christ through the front door of the church through baptism.