Comments on: Who is invited?

By: bodyelectric

bodyelectric — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 15:23:06 +0000

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the liturgical story is a sufficient invitation to the table. When we spend the time to tell the story about why we are doing what we are doing and what it means to us, why do we need to add a specific invitation (like “all baptized believers are welcome to participate”)? If someone hears all of the reasoning behind the table fellowship and wants to be a part of if, who are we to say no? I would think the circumstances of their lives and their hearts are between them and God and I trust that he will lead them where they need to be. Is this an unreasonable concept?

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 13:49:35 +0000

A close reading of the 1 Corinthians passage - 11:17-34 - suggests to me that the part about “eating and drinking in an unworthy manner”, “without recognizing the body of the Lord” and so “eats and drinks judgement on themselves” is, as I read it, addressed to CHRIST-FOLLOWERS. It was the Corinthian Christians who had jacked up the Lord’s Supper. The passage does not address folks just starting to seek the Way of Jesus, except perhaps as they would have been easily sucked into the crap that the jacked up Christ-followers had brought into the celebration of the Table.

If WE CHRIST-FOLLOWERS have our stuff together and are dead-on clear what we’re doing - that this is the Body and Blood - then I say we offer an open table: baptized believing disciples on the Way, desiring to grow as apprentices to Jesus, AND all who are honestly, earnestly seeking the Way, the Truth, and the Life are welcome. “Whosoever will may come”.

I’d relate this to 1 Cor. 14:24-25 where Paul talks about unbelievers seeing prophesy at work, becoming convinced of their sin and the judgement that rests upon that sin in God’s merciful holiness: “the secrets of their hearts will be laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’”. Let’s make the Eucharist the prophetic act it is, that many “whose faith is known only to God” will have their hearts laid bare at the Table and worship the God who is truly present in the Bread and the Cup.

By: baldguy

baldguy — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 02:09:36 +0000

i like the luke 22 passage…good call.

By: mikew

mikew — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 00:52:29 +0000

Even traitors. Luke 22:14-21

By: Frank Bernardi

Frank Bernardi — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 11:40:12 +0000

The communion table, though it should be protected and gaurded against irreverence and ignorance, CAN BE a very effective evangelistic tool - a literal altar call. What more beautiful way to make a commitment to Christ is there other than making your first communion. If this is going to happen, however, Anglicans need to loosen up a bit, take the mitre out of their ass, and be willing to make an exception to the official stance.

By: emily

emily — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 19:52:35 +0000

i should investigate this biblically further than i have but my initial gut response is that anyone who believes in communion should not be allowed but be invited.