The Eucharist was the theme of the academic convocation at Nashotah House Oct. 27 in the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin. The Most Rev. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Monmouth, was the keynote speaker and also received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from the Wisconsin theological seminary.

Archbishop Williams presented two lectures during the day of reflection. In the morning he spoke on "The Eucharist" and in the afternoon on "Eucharist, Future of the Church." The Rev. Ralph N. McMichael, Jr., associate professor of Systematic and Sacramental Theology in the William Adams Chair at Nashotah House, spoke on "Eucharist, Future of the World."

The archbishop mentioned "two revealing mistakes about how Christians think of the Eucharist - pious and political." The pious mistake, he said, is to view the Eucharist as "construction of a religious object." And the political mistake is "The point of the Eucharist is to express the religious view of the community."

Archbishop Williams, one of the Anglican Communion's best-known theologians, stressed the importance of the readings of scripture in the Eucharist.

"When we listen to the Bible being read at the Eucharist," he said, "we are listening to an urgent and present announcement of news. Our first concern as we assemble for the Eucharist is to listen for news ... listen for a change that the coming of the Lord makes.

"Preaching at the Eucharist is preaching about this change, this coming. When we preach at the Eucharist, the primary announcement has to be the nearness of Christ."

In his second presentation, the archbishop mentioned the invitation of the Eucharist - an invitation not simply to sit and eat with Christ but also to take on the identity of Christ.

David Kalvelage