Who is invited to the Table? (Jesus, ritual, Messiah, gospel)

sojourner · #1 06-09-2006, 09:41 AM

We Disciples acknowledge that the Table is not ours, but Christ's. One of the central tenets of our expression of Xy is that our policy and practice of Holy Communion be open. Here is my question: Open to whom?

Most disciples congregations, I think, invite all baptized believers, regardless of denominational affiliation, to the Table. Is that enough? Should we take a more inclusive stance? Should we invite not-yet baptized children to receive the bread and wine? Should we invite the faithful of other religions, such as Jews who may be visiting? Should we invite non-believers?

How are we to interpret Jesus' hospitality? How shall we define the scope of his inclusive Table ministry? Should we make Christ available to any and all who come to his Table seeking him? What defines where the hospitality ends?

I'm especially hoping to engage other Disciples and Campbellites in conversation here.

I'm also interested in hearing the RC, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican voices.

Whaddya think?

angellous_evangellous · #2 06-09-2006, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sojourner

We Disciples acknowledge that the Table is not ours, but Christ's. One of the central tenets of our expression of Xy is that our policy and practice of Holy Communion be open. Here is my question: Open to whom?

Most disciples congregations, I think, invite all baptized believers, regardless of denominational affiliation, to the Table. Is that enough? Should we take a more inclusive stance? Should we invite not-yet baptized children to receive the bread and wine? Should we invite the faithful of other religions, such as Jews who may be visiting? Should we invite non-believers?

How are we to interpret Jesus' hospitality? How shall we define the scope of his inclusive Table ministry? Should we make Christ available to any and all who come to his Table seeking him? What defines where the hospitality ends?

I'm especially hoping to engage other Disciples and Campbellites in conversation here.

I'm also interested in hearing the RC, Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican voices.

Whaddya think?

This is something of a specialty of mine. I'm planning a doctoral dissertation on the Eucharist right now. By tradition, I am a Baptist, but I'm hoping to present a Pauline viewpoint and not my own. I've written four original papers on it, and in each one I've discovered critical data that NT scholars previously did not know, and I will be publishing all of my findings asap.

From my research, I think that the Lord's table is a communal meal primarily for those who confess that Jesus is the Messiah. It's the fellowship meal of the Church. Just like a Greco-Roman meal, the church invited members of their group - and invited folks could bring one or two uninvited guests. We have record of the door being open and uninvited guests coming into the meal in the NT (Paul required interpretation of speaking in tounges for these folks).

I interpret the many meals of Christ as teaching the established church how to eat together in peace. The meals address the Pauline problems (of Galatians 2 and Rom 14) of Jew/Gentile table issues, and breaks barriers between the rich and the poor (like James). The Pauline vice/virtue lists and the Jesus virtues are related to food as well (eg, the command not to lust after women// worry in the Sermon and 1 Cor 5 and 11 are also parallel to John 6 and 13).

angellous_evangellous · #3 06-09-2006, 10:01 AM

To answer your question: the Lord's table is open to everyone who is curious and are able to approach it in reverence. It is closed to those who cannot dine properly: who at the Lord's table are only concerned with satisfying their own lusts. Its purpose is to heal, but those who cannot eat properly - eg - are not open to fellowship with fellow people or with God - will destroy themselves.

sojourner · #4 06-09-2006, 10:16 AM

The Episcopal viewpoint (and one I happen to share) is expanding to include babies (who've been baptized) at the Table. The reasoning is that, as baptized Christians, they need to be spiritually fed, just as older folks do. It's a very inclusive stance to take. My own denomination does not baptize infants -- one must be "of age" in order to make a confession of faith and be baptized -- like the Baptists. However, we've had a couple of families come into the church from other traditions, whose small children were baptized. I have opened the Table to those children (at the consternation of some older members.)

I'd be interested to read you stuff when it's ready!

angellous_evangellous · #5 06-09-2006, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sojourner

The Episcopal viewpoint (and one I happen to share) is expanding to include babies (who've been baptized) at the Table. The reasoning is that, as baptized Christians, they need to be spiritually fed, just as older folks do. It's a very inclusive stance to take. My own denomination does not baptize infants -- one must be "of age" in order to make a confession of faith and be baptized -- like the Baptists. However, we've had a couple of families come into the church from other traditions, whose small children were baptized. I have opened the Table to those children (at the consternation of some older members.)

I'd be interested to read you stuff when it's ready!

Incidentally, my first paper is on invitations. Fascinating stuff.

Do you read Greek and Latin yet?

angellous_evangellous · #6 06-09-2006, 10:37 AM

If we apply the invitation customs of the NT, I think that we'd welcome anyone who was not offensive to the table. Offenses change over time - but who they would not welcome was essentially those with bad table manners - folks who were only concerned about themselves and not fellowship (John 6 [Jesus refuses those who only follow him for food], John 13 [footwashing refusal], Luke 14 [the invitation parable], James [seating arrangements], Rom 14 [insistance on eating certain foods]).

Some denomenations see offense in those who do not confess Christ, but this I think is foreign to the NT idea where people can walk right in -- and indeed the early Church remembered Jesus doing the same thing. All of the meals in the Gospels are the Eucharist: the eating with the tax collectors and sinners is parallel to people walking into the Eucharist meal in 1 Cor 11 and in James.

CaptainXeroid · #7 06-09-2006, 10:41 AM

I hate to answer a question with a question

, but consider this: Who did Jesus turn away from the table?

Our church's philosophy, is that He would not have turned anyone away, and neither should we. "All who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and accept him as Lord and Saviour" When it comes to children, we advise parents that communion should be served to those who are old enough to understand the words of confession.

Our Disciples of Christ church offers communion to everyone who attends service. We don't ask them if they are really baptized or not nor in what church. We don't ask them if they are 100% certain that Jesus is the Messiah or if they have any doubts or unanswered questions related to His divinity or even God's existence. Jesus taught to serve, and that is what we do. The rest is between the individual and God.

I realize that other faiths have different beliefs regarding communion. I am not putting anyone down. When I visit other churches, I follow their customs without incident. I am just relaying the way our church approaches it. As far as I know, since our church was founded in 1921, we have never turned anyone away from the Table.