If someone had asked me when I was confirmed what I loved most about The Episcopal Church, I would have said it was the diversity of beliefs held by parishioners and clergy alike. For instance, there is a church, in the Houston area, that has a priest that goes by “mosaic,” another church in Houston still uses the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. All of these members gather together every year at Diocesan Council and share in the Holy Eucharist. It is a sign of our love for Christ that we are able to see him in all members of the church.
I have written about the sacraments a couple of times, and I suspect most of you recognize that I have a high view of the sacraments. One of the many assets of Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church is their commitment to sacraments. I witnessed Fr. Roman giving holy communion, Baptism, unction, marriage, and assisting Bishop Fisher with confirmation; and I have only been attending St. Dunstan’s for eight months! We love our sacraments.
The views on the sacraments come from a variety of sources, including someone named John Calvin, who has some problems, such as predestination. Some of his followers went on to form The reformed Church. Some went on to become puritans and later congregationalists. He was very in favor of male leadership and anti-popist. His perspective on the sacraments, however, are incredibly helpful as we begin to think about Holy Week: Calvin wanted to preserve the piety of the sacraments. On Sunday, when I spoke of “going through the motions” of faith without a true understanding: this is what Calvin was against. Calvin saw a direct connection between The Holy Spirit and the Sacraments. This is something, I hope you find to be true as well, however, I believe that noting how Calvin viewed the Eucharist as a “sign, witness, or testimony” is insufficient.1 Richard Hooker, picked up on Calvinist sacramentality and described the sacraments as, “moral instruments” needing to be linked to Christian Faith.2
Therefore, as we prepare for the solemn and Holy Week ahead of us, I hope we are able to focus on one thing: our relationship with Christ. During the Holy Eucharist on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, let us reflect upon God’s forgiveness, feeling that in our bodies. When the Baptisms take place at Easter Vigil, I pray we rejoice in the growth of Christ’s body as an extension of our faith. On Easter Morning, I hope you find Christ in the beautiful resurrection.
For His Sake,
Beth Anne +
1 Webber, R. (2008). Ancient-Future Worship: Proclaiming and Enacting God’s Narrative. Grand Rapids: Baker. p.142
2 For more information on Calvin and Hooker, see The Study of Anglicanism. (1999). Minneapolis: Fortress>
