A Nun Becomes a Methodist Pastor and Lights up the Big Sky of Montana

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on 1 November 2012 4 Comments
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Question

For years as an Episcopalian, I have taken Holy Communion, questioning along the way the words in the bulletin and announced by the clergy, "All baptized Christians are welcome..."  Over the last few years, these words have become so loud and exclusive.  I look around and wonder if there are visitors, someone who wandered in off the street, or an unbaptized person...all of them feeling excluded.  Recently, our priest gave a beautiful sermon, "This is the House of Prayer for all People."  Then the younger clergy person stood before service of Holy Communion began, raised her arms and announced to the congregation," all baptized Christians are welcome..."  I have spoken with her about this and she believes that it is important that Holy Communion be kept sacred. In his book, Living Buddha, Living Christ, Thich Naht Hanh describes the time he shared Holy Communion with Daniel Berrigan.  How beautiful.  I believe our Jesus of history would welcome all.

I attended Myers Baptists Church in Charlotte until I moved to Davidson NC, where I met a remarkable priest, David Buck, and welcoming parishioners at St. Alban's Episcopal Church, so I decided to return to the Episcopal Church.  At our Sunday services, the “all baptized” words still precede Holy Communion.  I am told this is in the Canon.  Once a month, there is a Celtic service which does not use the exclusive language so that is where I participate in the ritual of Holy Communion.  It is a beautiful time.

I continue to go to Charlotte to attend the sessions of Bible Workbench, published by the Education Center here in Charlotte and begun by Bill Dols.  In reading and discussing the text, we explore far beyond the literal words, asking ourselves what is the scripture saying to me, my community and the world.  In these sessions, I find the New Testament wisdom is not about the rules of the Church but about love and caring.  Can you recommend any way in which I might suggest to the Episcopal Church that they consider these words, “All baptized Christians are welcome,” and the impact they may have?

Thank you for the wisdom in your books, especially for your historical perspective of the Jesus whose teachings (especially from the Gospel of Thomas) I try to follow.

Answer

Dear Ione,

I share your concern but the problem is in how the communion service is understood.  Is it the “meal of the faithful” for whom the presence of those who are “not baptized” would invalidate its meaning?  Or is it the meal of the Kingdom to which people come from north, south, east and west to sit down at the table of Abraham and to share in the meal of human unity.  Both of these ideas are present in Christian history.

I know of an Episcopal church that has a sign on its door proclaiming: “The only pre-requisite for receiving Holy Communion in this church is that you be hungry.”  I recall a Jewish friend of mine who after receiving communion in my church said that since the Last Supper was the first Christian Eucharist, he thought it ought to be noted that all of the Jewish disciples who received the bread and wine from Jesus on that night had neither been baptized or confirmed and yet they were not excluded.

When Jesus was quoted as having said, “Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavily laden and I will give you rest,” he seemed not to exclude anyone. When the church sings the hymn “Just as I am without one plea—O Lamb of God I come” it seems to announce a radical inclusiveness.

In the “Parable of the Judgment” related only in Matthew’s gospel, the only standard for judgment in the Kingdom of God appears to be the ability to see the presence or face of God in “the least of these,” who are our brothers and sisters. The activities of attending church, assenting to the creeds or being baptized do not seem to be pre-requisites.

That is where I come down.  Institutional Christianity in its majority form is in quite another place.  I hope you will work for a change away from exclusion.

~John Shelby Spong

 

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4 thoughts on “A Nun Becomes a Methodist Pastor and Lights up the Big Sky of Montana

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