Dunemeister
Well-Known Member
You know, it's funny. On several occasions of serious ecumenical effort, when everything had been agreed upon, and consensus has finally seemed possible, when it came time to share the Meal, the impending concordat was shattered. it's funny that the Body of Christ is the one insturment we use to hack, instead of to heal. To me, that's a greater desecration of the Body of Christ (which is the community of followrs) than opening the Table. Even Jesus ate with sinners and prostitutes...
Amen.
Scott1 said:Primary? I don't think so....it's done out of love.... we want you to come home to your "mother church".
Yes, primary. Exclusion because of love...dunno 'bout that. It seems haughty and unwarranted to me.
Preserving some sort of "mystery" about a miraculous non-miracle doesn't seem to me to be a firm basis upon which to promote unity. It seems the sort of side issue Jesus continually deplored, and it is a great shame to the church that differences of opinion concerning the nature of the communion elements has become a primary basis upon which to divide the church. I say this not only to RC shame, but to all of ours. But it seems to me that Anglicans have at least made a way forward by practicing an open table.
Scott1 said:Why is your restriction to only those who are "validly" baptised any different than our restriction based upon valid Holy Orders?
Because communion is for Christians -- all of us. And for one of our groups to deny it to others of different professions, even though they acknowledge the same Lord -- is antithetical to Christian love. The RCC has no way around this.
rheff78 said:Well, there is a difference though. We believe that the Eucharist IS the body,blood, sould and divinity of Jesus Christ. IF you don't believe that, why would you want to take communion with us?
Because communion isn't about whether you hold to a weird metaphysical view. It's about sharing a common meal, of acknowledging our common faith in Jesus. I might wish to share communion with you as a testimony to my solidarity with you in the gospel. And why should the RCC prevent me? It's absurd and churlish.