A friend of mine was ordained into the Episcopal Church’s Sacred Order of Deacons this past Saturday. When he invited me to the service, I jumped at the chance to go. You see, I love worshiping in a high church atmosphere.
In high church worship services every movement, every word spoken, everything - it’s all scripted. The moment the procession starts, one is put on notice that what is about to take place is something very special and very serious. There is no room to escape what is being communicated - God should be revered and worshiping God should not be taken lightly. I love that the liturgy used is liturgy that has been used for many, many years. And I love that Episcopalians practice open communion, or, in other words, everyone is welcome to partake in the eucharist. No one is left out.
I’m thankful for my friend who has chosen to be a part of a tradition that takes seriously history and tradition. I’ve got a lot to learn from him and others who worship in high church traditions.
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Thanks for sharing this, Joe. Your perspective gives me a new view of what I had always felt like was a control issue. You mentioned being surprised by open communion. Is that unusual for Episcopalians, or “high church”? (I know many practice a closed communion. But so much so that I should be surprised by open communion?) Maybe it’s more so in the northeast?
And I still continue to benefit from my previous tradition!
Clarification on open/closed communion:
It depends on what you mean by “open” communion. The official position of The Episcopal Church is that all baptized Christians are welcome at the Eucharist. In that sense it is “open” to nearly all Christians without question. It doesn’t matter how/when you were baptized. It used to be the case that one had to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church to take communion, and there are many denominations that certainly have more “closed” restrictions on who can partake. Nonetheless, communion in The Episcopal Church isn’t technically open to the unbaptized. And yet it would be very very rare for anyone to be turned away from the altar rail at any parish.
The question of “open” communion for the unbaptized is actually an on-going debate in the church, since many parishes do actually practice “open” communion in the sense that anyone who feels called to God’s table may partake, regardless of whether or not they are baptized, etc. These parishes point to Jesus’ own generous table fellowship practices as the model. My parish in Princeton practiced “open” communion in this sense.
I think the issue is difficult for many, because of the great amount of reverence in communion that you noted, which stems from the belief that Christ is really present at Communion.
Brent - thanks for the official clarification.
Vicki - There was a joke at seminary that if Catholics are the Varsity squad then Episcopalians are the Jr. Varsity squad. In other words, there are a lot of similarities between the Catholics and Episcopalians in terms of worship style. (Brent, I know I’m dumbing this down a bit too much but allow me to paint in very large strokes.) However, one of the stark contrasts is that you must be Catholic to partake in the Eucharist in a Catholic church. Not so in the Episcopal church. They’ve corrected that exclusivist theology. Again, those of us from other tribes would do well to learn from them in this way.
Thanks for the clarifications. I know something today that I did not know yesterday.
I have never seen anyone from our “tribe” (hate that word) forbid communion to anyone.
Chris, I have. Kids. We refuse kids the right to partake in the communion meal. And every time we do that, I wonder what God is thinking. After all, it was he who said, we must become like children if we want to fully know and understand his kingdom. “Let the little children come to me.”
Another example of “forbidding” from my personal experience: I remember as a teenager when someone visited church and it was known that they were not a Christian (or our stripe of Christian) the communion tray was passed OVER them or AROUND them. I also remember hearing visitors being told that they shouldn’t take communion because they were not baptized in the proper way. Maybe this doesn’t happen everywhere, but it does in some sections of the CofC. And it may not be a top-down official stance, but it certainly reflects the mindset of many in the CofC concerning who should or shouldn’t take communion.