Rediscovering Membership & Communion
This post appeared originally as my comment on John G Stackhouse, Jr's blog post. For the full context of the article I was responding to (not to mention the other comments) find the post on John's blog.
I have often struggled with how my Episcopal tradition deals with the question of membership. Anglicans do “take” membership in local congregations, but not in the way that one would do so in Congregationalist polities. For Anglicans, we take membership in a local congregation as we choose to regularly “take and eat…and drink” at the Lord’s Table in said congregation. Though some local congregations may create additional criteria for membership (for we are a diverse bunch, we Reformed Catholics) our traditional Anglican ecclesiology would know no other criteria than that a person be “in Communion” with that congregation. And what is the requirement to take Holy Communion in Anglican congregations? To have been baptized with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Depending on the diocese (i.e. a regional grouping of congregations under the authority of a bishop), the additional requirement may be the rite of Confirmation. Being a habitual “communicant” is what separates a member from a non-member. Now, how one defines “habitual” is one of the inherent challenges here. But another challenge is the extent of privileges extended to these members. These communicants have the right to vote at the Annual Meeting (and at any other “All-Member-Meetings”) and to stand for elected office in the congregation. All this, because of a little bread and wine! No signature on a statement of faith or expectation of moral living. And, because of this, at times, I am truly frustrated with my polity.
Yet, in those moments, thankfully my Prayerbook (ie. Book of Common Prayer) falls off my bookshelf and smacks me on the head. To take and eat and drink at the Lord’s Table is perfectly fine criteria for membership…IF we do so with a more complete understanding of the Sacrament. As the priest says every Sunday (if using the Prayerbook), sounding a lot like 1 Corinthians 11: “Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead the new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways: Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees.” The problem, perhaps, is not my polity’s membership criteria. The problem is the watering down of my Church’s catechesis regarding the meaning and practice of receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
I have often struggled with how my Episcopal tradition deals with the question of membership. Anglicans do “take” membership in local congregations, but not in the way that one would do so in Congregationalist polities. For Anglicans, we take membership in a local congregation as we choose to regularly “take and eat…and drink” at the Lord’s Table in said congregation. Though some local congregations may create additional criteria for membership (for we are a diverse bunch, we Reformed Catholics) our traditional Anglican ecclesiology would know no other criteria than that a person be “in Communion” with that congregation. And what is the requirement to take Holy Communion in Anglican congregations? To have been baptized with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Depending on the diocese (i.e. a regional grouping of congregations under the authority of a bishop), the additional requirement may be the rite of Confirmation. Being a habitual “communicant” is what separates a member from a non-member. Now, how one defines “habitual” is one of the inherent challenges here. But another challenge is the extent of privileges extended to these members. These communicants have the right to vote at the Annual Meeting (and at any other “All-Member-Meetings”) and to stand for elected office in the congregation. All this, because of a little bread and wine! No signature on a statement of faith or expectation of moral living. And, because of this, at times, I am truly frustrated with my polity.
Yet, in those moments, thankfully my Prayerbook (ie. Book of Common Prayer) falls off my bookshelf and smacks me on the head. To take and eat and drink at the Lord’s Table is perfectly fine criteria for membership…IF we do so with a more complete understanding of the Sacrament. As the priest says every Sunday (if using the Prayerbook), sounding a lot like 1 Corinthians 11: “Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead the new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways: Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees.” The problem, perhaps, is not my polity’s membership criteria. The problem is the watering down of my Church’s catechesis regarding the meaning and practice of receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
As I go into a new season of Confirmation classes, perhaps I need to wrestle afresh with how I teach about the Lord's Supper!
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