Fr Robert Hendrickson

Dear Friends in Christ,

There’s been a bit of a contretemps on Episcopal social media this week. A very accomplished group of scholars from the major Episcopal seminaries wrote a letter reinforcing the history connection between Baptism and Communion. This was in response to a push by some, as we move toward General Convention, for changing the Episcopal Church canons which specify that Baptism is considered a necessary step before receiving Communion in the Episcopal Church (and in Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and most other churches).

Now, whichever way one decides one thinks about this proposed change or the response, what I have been struck by is the lack of pragmatism in the stridency of the various exchanges about it.

Everyone is so eager to be right — and not only to be right but to imply the most unfortunate motives to those with whom they disagree. That way of disagreeing in the Church is the real scandal in all of this. The lack of charity is embarrassing at best.

There aren’t hordes of unbaptized folks beating down the doors to receive Communion. The parish also isn’t a theological think tank where we simply enforce doctrine without considering the unique pastoral needs of everyone seeking Christ here. Churches are a living, breathing organism that don’t readily correspond to anyone’s ideal nor to anyone’s projection. Each has its own character, needs, and realities.

The rush to legislate or produce public statements seems to mirror the unhealthy dynamics of the culture rather than showing the culture a way of being together that is focused on being disciples first rather than litigants. It seems like basic pragmatism, the simple work of getting things done, gets thrown out more and more each day in the rush to be right both in our culture and in the Church.

None of us lives in the Church we imagine. We live in a living, breathing reality with all of the complexities, idiosyncrasies, joys, inadequacies, frustrations, and more that come from being in community. My prayer this week is that the whole Church can find the courage to live into the Church we have, love those alongside whom we pray, and be gentle enough to encourage one another to see where it might yet go.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Rober