Summary: Jesus promised to continue with his Church: he is really present in Word and SAcrament and in the life of the Church through the indwelling Spirit.

SACRAMENTAL LIFE OR LIFE IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST

Matthew 28:18-20

The word sacrament comes into English from a Latin word meaning oath.

Christians, in using this word, are saying in this act we acknowledge God is

keeping his promise.

In the English Church (Anglican) Tradition, there are 7 sacraments: Baptism,

Confirmation, Penance, Holy Communion, Marriage, Anointing, and Holy Orders.

It is not my purpose here to discuss whether any or all of these seven

sacraments leave an “indelible mark” on the soul, or to discuss in detail

all of the sacraments.

This paper will deal only with the two sacraments explicitly given to us by

Jesus Christ: Baptism and Holy Communion.

To give a little background on sacraments in general, it is necessary to

look into Church history.

While Holy Communion (the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper) and Baptism were

observed from the earliest days of the Church, centuries elapsed before the

rites of Christian burial, penance (confession of sin), marriage and the

others were given regular forms and counted as sacraments. The exact number

of sacraments were disputed for centuries.

The Council of Lyons, 1274 AD stated clearly the number of sacraments.

Since this was more than a century before the Protestant Reformation, this

definition was passed on to the whole Church. The counting of seven

sacraments has been accepted by some, though not all Protestants, as well as

by the Anglican, Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Communions. The next

paragraph comes from that council.

The same Holy Roman Church also teaches that there are seven sacraments of

the Church: one is baptism, which has been mentioned above; another is the

sacrament of confirmation which bishops confer by the laying on of hands

while they anoint the reborn; then penance, the Eucharist, the sacrament of

order, matrimony and extreme unction which, according to the doctrine of the

Blessed James, [James 5:14-15] is administered to the sick. The same Roman

Church performs (conficit) the sacrament of the Eucharist with unleavened

bread; she holds and teaches that in this sacrament the bread is truly

transubstantiated into the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the wine into

His blood. As regards matrimony, she holds that neither is a man allowed to

have several wives at the same time nor a woman several husbands. But, when

a legitimate marriage is dissolved by the death of one of the spouses, she

declares that a second and afterwards a third wedding are successively

licit, if no other canonical impediment goes against it for any reason nst

it for any reason.

Source: The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic

Church, rev ed., ed. J. Neusner and J Dupuis, (New York: Alba House, 1982),

no. 28 (p. 19) [ Denzinger-Schönmetzer, Enchiridion, 860]

Now that I have quoted from what is perceived by those from Protestant

backgrounds as a Roman Catholic document, though it was accepted by the

whole church before the Reformation, we have our work cut out for us. We

should attempt to define terms, not only as we understand them today, but as

they were understood by the Church in the Middle Ages, by the Church in the

time of the Early Church Fathers, and more importantly, by Jesus Christ and

the Apostles.

The English derived the word sacrament from the Latin word sacramentum. A

sacrament is an oath. The word sacramentum was early applied to Baptism in

connection with its establishing of a Anew covenant” between a human being

and God.

Where did this idea come from, that baptism, a sacrament, is somehow a

covenant between God and his creature, man?

Among the last words of Jesus after his resurrection and before his

ascension to God the Father were these: “Go, make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And

remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

The oath, the promise of Jesus Christ is AI am with you always.” He had

promised, “When two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst.”

Those words of promise led to the concept of sacrament. Jesus had said, “I

am going away, but I will send the Comforter, the Spirit.” He also said,

“I will come to you.” The book of Acts records how the Spirit came as

Jesus had promised, on Pentecost Day. Those who were baptized, according to

the book of Acts, did receive this gift of the Spirit. In the New

Testament, sometimes the Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Christ. So,

the abiding presence, the real presence of Christ in the Church is the

principle meaning of sacrament. From the first days of the Church, baptism

was recognized as the means by which a person realized this abiding

presence, acknowledged his need of Christ, was baptized into Christ and

became the recipient of the benefits of the oath or covenant.

In the Gospel of Mark (Mk 16:16) it is clear that belief is the required

attitude of a person approaching entry into Christ. As Hebrews says,

“Without faith, it is impossible to please him.” Those who would divide

Christian obedience (works demonstrating faith) from faith (belief

accompanied by trusting obedience) are “putting asunder” matters which our

Lord has joined together.

To illustrate what I mean, consider Hebrews chapters 11-12. In that great

role call of the faithful from beginning to end the formula is “By faith

Abel offered God a greater sacrifice. . .he was commended as righteous. . .

through his faith he still speaks.”

ABy faith Enoch was taken up . . .before his removal he had been commended

as having pleased God. Now without faith it is impossible to please him,

for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he

rewards those who seek him.”

“By faith Noah . . .reverently constructed an ark for the deliverance of his

family. Through faith he condemened the world and became an heir of the

righteousness that comes by faith.”

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out. . . he went. . .By

faith he lived. . .he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations.

. .By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. Yet he was ready

to offer up his own son. . . .”

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob. . . By faith,..Jacob. . .blessed each of the

sons of Joseph.”

“By faith, Moses. . .parents were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

“By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. . . .He

regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures

of Egypt. . .By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger. . .By

faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood. . .By faith they

crossed the Red Sea.”

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell after the people marched. . .”

“By faith Rahab. . .escaped. . .because she welcome the spies in peace.”

“Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what

was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the

edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put

foreign armies to flight, and women received back their dead raised to life

experienced mocking, and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. . .were

stoned, sawed apart. . .murdered. . .were destitute, afflicted, ill treated.

. .wandered in deserts and mountains and caves.”

“AND THESE WERE ALL COMMENDED FOR THEIR FAITH (Hebrews 11:38)

Evidently a great deal more was involved in the active faith of these

witnesses (martyrs) than belief. The record put forth in Hebrews 11 is the

work which was the evidence of the trust, the faith these witnesses had in

God’s oath (sacrament, covenant). As James says, the Devils believe and

tremble. The Saints, however, believe and have faith, live faithfully, act

faithfully, have a life and if necessary a death that shows their belief;

hence they are called witnesses (martyrs).

The Christian then, is urged to do more than simply give intellectual assent

to the possibility of God, he “must get rid of every weight and the sin

that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out before us,

keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame,

and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Think of him

who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not

grow weary in your souls and give up. You have not yet resisted to the

point of bloodshed in your struggle against sin.” (Hebrews 12).

The entire 12th through the 15th chapters of Hebrews exhort the Christian to

faithful obedience and productive lives. Following the examples of the

Hebrews of faith whose work has been laid out in chapter 11, Paul (or a

Pauline disciple) exhorts in 13:1 “Brotherly love must continue. Do not

neglect hospitality, . . .Remember those in prison. . .Marriage must be

honored. .. your conduct must be free from the love of money. . . .imitate

the faith of your leaders (those who worked and suffered in the faith).

The writer of Hebrews further urges Christians to “continually offer up a

sacrifice of praise to God (through Christ). . .and do not neglect to do

good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.”

(Hebrews 13:16) He closes with action words, “Obey. . . .submit. . .

.pray.”

There is no division of faith and works in either the teaching of Jesus

Christ or the apostles. The formula is always “”believe and do..” That

believing and obedient doing is faith; the “faith of Jesus Christ, who for

the joy set before him (belief) endured the cross, disregarding its shame.”

He is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith and as St. Peter says, we are

to “follow in his steps.” (I Peter 2:19-21.) “For this finds God’s favor,

if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering

unjustly, for what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it?

But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. For

to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an

example for you to follow in his steps.”

As Bonhoeffer observed, there is no “cheap grace.” Finding grace, (favor)

In I Peter 2:19-21 demands an active faith that suffers.

Now all of this about active faith, or faith and works, is not talking about

meriting salvation. But, in the mystery of salvation, in the mystery of

faith, righteousness of the individual Christian enters the mix. True, in

Romans 5 Paul declares that no amount of works of the law will make it

possible for a person to be justified before God. We are indeed, all

sinners. To my knowledge, no Christian, whether Anglican, Orthodox, Roman

Catholic or Protestant denies all have sinned. Likewise no Christian

Communion of which I am aware teaches that to be saved a Christian is

required to keep all the 400+ commands contained in the traditional Jewish

teaching extant in Jesus’ day.

To my knowledge all those Protestants who still believe in Jesus Christ as

well as believing Anglicans, Orthodox and Roman Catholics accept that

“Christ died for our sins” and “was raised for our justification.” All

likewise accept that salvation is a free gift from our Heavenly Father, we

are saved by the grace of God.

How is it then that there is a division in understanding among Christians

regarding justification by faith? Why do some seem to put part of St.

Paul’s teaching (Romans 5 and Galatians 3) in opposition to Hebrews 11-13

(possibly a writing of St. Paul), and James, I Peter and even Romans 6:15?

Paul is no anti-nomian. I think the “faith only” groups’ emphasis on

salvation is misunderstood because they stop short in their reading of St.

Paul at Romans 5:1. “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by

faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Galatians

3:23-26 we are advised that in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through

faith.” Those are strong words, hopeful words to all Christians who

acknowledge we can do nothing to be worthy of the love of God by our own

strength.

But consider the writings of St. Paul that follow both Romans 5 and

Galatians 3. The matter of Christ dying for our sins and being our

righteousness is only the beginning of the story of faith, not the end.

Faith is more than repenting (changing one’s mind) and believing.

Read Galatians 3:26 and 27 together. “For in Christ Jesus you are sons of

God through faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have

clothed yourselves with Christ.”

What is this? You believed. . .you are sons of God through faith. . .you

have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.” What does that mean?

The rest of Galatians explains the meaning of Galatians 3:27. Putting on

Christ means that you are an heir to the promises of Abraham, and you have

the ‘Spirit’ so that you can call God “Father.” You no longer have to prove

yourself by circumcision or try to be righteous by your obedience to the

“whole law” referring to the more than 400 commands of Judaism at the time

of St. Paul. I said that Paul is not anti-nomian. He is not against

righteous living in a lawful manner, because he teaches the higher more

demanding law. (Galatians 5:14) ”For the whole law can be summed up in a

single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” . .

. .I say live by the spirit. . . .the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,

peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self

control. . . .Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with

its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in

accordance with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:13-25)

Paul doesn’t believe “once saved always saved” for he advises the Galatians

to “restore the person in a spirit of gentleness” who has fallen into sin

(which by Paul’s definition is separation from God and losing grace.)

Paul further advises, “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you

fulfill the law of Christ. . . .the one who sows to the Spirit will reap

eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not grow weary in doing good, for

in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have

an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who

belong to the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:1-6)

Obviously Paul sees the possibilities that Christians would grow weary and

not reap the reward. They could become lost in this world and not achieve

“the crown of righteousness.”

Obviously the works that St. Paul says is required of those “in Christ” are

much more demanding than the works of the law. No longer is a person

required to look after himself and live righteously, he must spend his life

in service How is this possible?

The answer is in the formula “in Christ.”

It is not humanly possible to be Christ in this world, except through the

gifts of the Spirit. The Christian life, the righteousness of Christ is not

some otherworldly invisible intangible quality seen only by God; it is the

visible proof that Christ is in the world: “the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and

self control.” Christian faith is incarnational. The impossible dream of

which St. Paul speaks is the incarnation of God and His image into this

world. The Christian is baptized “into Christ” is clothed with Christ, has

put on Christ.

St. John puts the same truth a little differently in his Evangel. Jesus

encountered Nicodemus and said to him, “You must be born from above, unless

a person is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. St. John,

commenting on this event wrote, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and

what is born of the Spirit is spirit. “

Jesus explained to Nicodemus that Moses lifted up the serpent in the

wilderness (Numbers 21:5-9) so that those who would obey God and look at it

would be saved from the effects of the poisonous snakes. Jesus then

prophesied his own death and its meaning, he said that “the Son of Man”

must also be lifted up so that people would look to Him and live.

There are still snakes in the world that would poison the Christian. In

every city and village there are people who are snake-bitten, walking dead

men.

After Jesus informed Nicodemus that “the Son of Man” must be lifted up so

that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life, John offers more

catechetical instruction in John 3:16-21. Remember that the Gospel of John,

like the other Gospels and epistles, were “evangels”; that is tracts to

convince people that God sent his Son into the world to save the world.

John, in concert with St. Paul, preached the Gospel and stressed belief in

John 3:16. But he also coupled belief with action: “the one who practices

the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his

deeds have been done in God.” John, who records Jesus saying, AI am the

way, the truth and the life”; “I am this worlds light” makes it clear that

coming to the light and accomplishing deeds done in God” is expected, for

salvation is not something far off after life, it begins in this life.

John is slower than the other evangelists in using Jesus words to lay out

the ethical demands, the this worldly demands on his followers, but he gets

to it by example in John 13:1. Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew

that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having

loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. . .

.he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied

it around himself. He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the

disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around

himself. . . . .If I do not wash you, you have no share with me. . . .So

when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took

his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I

have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly,

for that is what I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher have washed your

feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an

example, you should do just as I have done for you. I tell you the solemn

truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent

as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand these

things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:1-17).

Thus John uses the example of Jesus as well as his words to tell us that the

followers of Jesus are to live the servant life. He quotes Jesus in John

14:15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. Then I will ask the

Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever the

Spirit of truth. . .you know him because he resides with you and will be in

you. I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you. You will know

at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. The

person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The

one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will

reveal myself to him.”

Thus we can see that Johanine mysticism and Pauline mysticism are going in

the same direction. Paul, after talking of justification by faith in Romans

5, talks of “being baptized into Christ’s death and rising to walk in a new

life” in Romans 6.

Paul uses the language of Jesus, the language of slave and master in the 6th

chapter of Romans (see verses 15-23). Paul emphasizes that “the gift of God

is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Too many evangelicals have

understood this gift of eternal life as something that begins after a person

has died. Not so, the gift of eternal life begins at baptism. As the

person arises from immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy

Spirit, he rises to walk in a new life in Christ.

There is no escaping that the language of John, Paul, James and Peter is the

language of incarnation. Being in Christ is putting on Christ. The works

demanded are more strenuous than the works of the law; the work is that of

recreating humanity in the image of God. The person is no longer walking in

darkness and doing dark deeds, he is walking in light. After baptism into

Christ, the Spirit is enlightening and enabling the Christian to have love,

joy, peace, and patience to live as Christ in this world.

The first chapter of I Peter echoes the language of St. Paul’s expression

about the fruit of the Spirit and that patience produces endurance. Peter

says “ . .by God’s power you are protected through faith for a salvation

ready to be revealed in the last time. This brings you great joy, although

you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. Such trial show

the proven character of your faith which is much more valuable than gold . .

.and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you

believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,

because you are attaining the goal of your faith B the salvation of your

souls. . . .Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you

used to follow in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you,

become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, for it is written, “You shall

be holy, because I am holy.” . . . .You have purified your souls by

obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another

earnestly from a pure heart. You have been born anew. . .not from

perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word

of God.” (I Peter 1:1-2:4) Peter continues through his entire book to urge

Christians to righteous living to follow Jesus example in all things, and to

do that which is impossible without the grace of God, Abe holy.”

And so, in regard to baptism, we have at last arrived at the beginning place

of this treatise. Jesus said, (Matthew 28:19-20) “Go, make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the

Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And

remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

These many quotes from Paul, John, Peter, James and Jesus should make it

clear that the life of the spirit, the sacramental life, begins with

baptism. Baptism is a re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s death burial and

resurrection. It means that a person is being born anew, of water and

spirit. It means that the old life is dead and a new person is being

created in the image of God. The sacrament, the oath or covenant part of

this is that Jesus Christ said it is so and he promised to be with us

always.

The various metaphysical explanations invented by theologians in other ages

may be a distraction to us. Perhaps we shouldn’t worry so much about the

how that we cannot see, but should accept as true and commit our lives to

the reality we in obedience to Jesus Christ can experience and see in the

lives of other Christians. The oath is that God will give grace to

accomplish his purpose in our lives if we are “in Christ” and remain in him.

How does this sacrament of baptism work? Perhaps one should look to the

sayings and the parables of Jesus. The mustard seed, the leaven and the

salt and light sayings give us a clue. The words of Jesus are planted. The

examples set by Christians who are living Jesus’ life are Alights in the

world” to be seen and emulated. The uncomplaining sufferings and

sacrificial service rendered by Christians are observed along with their

blessings rather than their curses. The Gospel story is thus both told and

demonstrated. Eventually some not “in Christ” come to the incarnation of

God in this world, are born a new and are changed. This is a great mystery,

a revelation of God, long hidden from the world.

Pauline mysticism is summed up in the message of reconciliation (II

Corinthians 5:11-6:13) The idea is that God is recreating the world through

the work of Christ’s body in the world today. Christ’s love working through

this incarnation of Christ in humanity is recreating the world. This is a

bold view of sacrament. Our baptism into Christ means we are in a new

existence. II Cor 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what

is old has passed away. Look, what is new has come!. And all these things

are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given

us the ministry of reconciliation. In Christ God was and is reconciling the

world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them. He has

given us the message of reconciliation. . .We plead with you on Christ’s

behalf, “Be reconciled to God”

The new heavens, the new earth, the new humanity spoken of in the epistles

and the Book of Revelation are a result of the work, the faithful work or

work in faith wrought by Christians, people who are “in Christ.” Christ

works through his present day body saying the same things the apostles said,

“Behold I make all things new.” “If any man is in Christ, there is a new

creation.” There is a place of new beginnings for all people.

Sacraments are signs that say God is working in our midst. The baptismal

sign says, “God at work, new man being constructed.”

We have all seen people who began a commitment to Jesus Christ drop out, or

fall away, or return to the world.

Paul could congratulate the Philippians “I am sure of this very thing, that

the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ

Jesus.” Logically, one could wonder how is it possible that a saved person

be lost? If the Spirit of Christ is inhabiting this mortal body, how is it

possible for him to be lost?

Acts 5:3 and 4 show how it is possible for Church members to lose the Spirit

and their salvation and their lives. Annanias and Sapphira lied to the Holy

Ghost. Peter makes it clear that their pretend sanctity was not lying to

the Church but to God. Pretend holiness is a dangerous game.

The Spirit of Christ living in the Christian is the source of grace,

enlightenment, courage, faith, hope and love. If a person resists this Holy

Spirit and remains unrepentant, then he is in deep trouble. “For if we

deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no

further sacrifice for sins is left to us, but only a certain fearful

expectation of judgment.” (Hebrews 10:26) Christians often dwell on

Hebrews 10:19-22 that describes Christ’s priestly intercession for us, but

many ignore the balance of the chapter that tells how terrifying it is to

turn away from the grace God has given.

How can we assure ourselves of not “falling away?” This is where the second

God at work Sign is important. Holy Communion is a sign that says to the

Christian, “God is here, continuing to give you grace to live righteously in

this world as he gives you an increase of faith, hope, love, patience,

endurance and courage.

Hebrews 10:23 tells us how to hold on. “And let us hold unwaveringly to the

hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. And

let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works,

not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but

encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the Day drawing

near.”

This language of Paul in Hebrews is reminiscent of his teaching in I

Corinthians 11. In that book Paul instructs the Corinthians how worship is

be conducted in an orderly fashion. He said, “For I received from the Lord

what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he

was betrayed took bread, and after he had given thanks he broke it and said,

“This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the

same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new

covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of

me. ‘ For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup you proclaim the

Lord’s death until he comes.”

In the chapter Paul stresses that failure to discern the Lord’s Body, is to

drink judgment on oneself and that is why many in Corinth were weak and sick

and spiritually dead. (I Cor. 11:30) How would one fail to discern the

Lord’s body? Paul explained that earlier in the chapter when he spoke of

the divisions in the Corinthian Church and the persons who came to church

only to eat to satisfy his physical body while others were going hungry. By

not seeing Christ in their brothers, they were sinning against the

Eucharist, drinking judgment on them selves. The dramatic departure of the

Holy Spirit from the ancient Jerusalem temple is described in the Old

Testament. Israel/Judah lost the protection of God when the spirit

departed. The subsequent judgments that fell on the land when the Lord no

longer dwelt in the midst of the people is proof of what happens when people

resist the Holy Spirit given to their temple/bodies at baptism:” the world

will overwhelm and destroy them.

In Corinthians Paul describes the meaning of the Church in the world, how it

is to function as a body, extending God’s grace to the world through the

gifts of the Spirit. Regular meeting for Eucharist is one way Christians

could remain in Christ. Here they would have their eyes opened as happened

to the two on the way to Emmaus, who saw the Christ in the stranger they had

met on the highway. They saw him at the breaking of bread. At Eucharist

our eyes are to be opened to the Christ in the people around us, and we are

to respond to the Spirit speaking to us, enlightening our minds, giving joy

to our heart and the gifts of faith, hope and love.

Again, the language of churchmen of other times than that of Jesus and the

Apostles may be difficult for us today. When the Council of Lyons in 1274

declared of the Church, Ashe holds and teaches that in this sacrament the

bread is truly transubstantiated into the body of our Lord Jesus Christ” we

may not understand their intent. Before we use that language as a club to

beat another Christian with, we should think of what it meant at the time.

The learning of the time was largely based on Greek Philosophical

categories. The Greeks had taught that the “essence” of a thing is

different from the appearance, “the accidents.” By saying that the

essence of the bread and the wine had been changed into the body and blood

of Jesus Christ, they were saying in a stylized way, “He is here.”

He is really present. The saying of Jesus, “This is my body, my blood” was

taken quite literally. The term transubstantiation was used to describe the

miracle of how “the whole Christ is truly, really and substantially present

at Eucharist.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “In the most

blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, “the body and blood, together with the

soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ

is truly, really and substantially contained. . . . .It is by the conversion

of the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood that Christ becomes

present in this sacrament.” Of course, Roman Catholics teach, the

accidents (appearance) of bread and wine remain after the blessing, it is

the essence (inner hidden substantia) that is changed. Using the mental

furniture provided in Greek philosophy worked for those churchmen in the

middle ages. It is a stylized languge; a way of saying he is here. Many,

many Christians use that language to this day. For many other Christians,

the language does not convey “real presence”, but rather Alchemy.

While I have great respect for Roman Catholics and Anglo-Catholics who

accept this statement of the 16th century Council of Trent, I read the

Gospels and epistles differently and teach Real Presence differently.

Luther and others wrestled with the problem.

Some reformers eventually came to the conclusion that Christ is present in

only the sense that we remember him. Some declared the real absence of

Christ at Eucharist.

There are other ways to describe Real Presence that affirms He is truly

present without using Greek thought forms of accidents and essences and

changes of material that are not perceptive to the eye. Even those who use

the word transubstantiation talk of the Paschal Mystery. It was in the

context of the Passover Feast that Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of

Me.” The Passover was a feast to remember how God saved Israel from Egypt.

Different items in the meal were provided to remind the Jews of the

bitterness of slavery, the passing through the Red Sea, the way God fed them

in the wilderness and eventually brought them to the land of promise. But

even this Passover feast is more than a memorial day, it is instructive of

the reality of God’s relationship to the people. It is a way of

acknowledging that God is keeping the covenant. God saved, and will

continue to save his people who keep faith and are obedient to the covenant.

Both Jesus and St. Paul present the Communion as a remembrance, a Sign of

the Saving Acts of God in he life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus

Christ.

However, I do believe that more is going on in the Paschal Mystery than

capturing Christ in our mind, our mental processes, just as more is going on

in the Jewish Passover than a memorial day. Jesus promised, “where two or

three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst.” He told us specifically

how he would be really present with us in the Spirit that he would send. He

has made a New Covenant with his people. He did not say I will be with you

by a miracle transforming the essence of grape wine into blood while

retaining the accidental appearance of wine. He did not say I will feed you

by hiding my self under the accidental appearance of bread. He said

remember and He said I will come to you, I will be in your midst. John the

Revelator records these words of our risen Lord, “Here I stand knocking at

the door; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and he

and I will eat together. To anyone who is victorious I will grant a place

beside me on my throne, as I myself was victorious and sat down with my

Father on his throne. You have ears, so hear what the Spirit says to the

churches!” (Revelation 3:20)

Paul taught us that in Baptism we put on Christ by ritually recreating and

remembering the death burial and resurrection of Jesus. By faithfully

obeying our Lord at our baptism, we are clothed in Christ. He promises to

be present and gives the spirit as the “earnest” (that is down payment) on

our own resurrection and eternal life by granting it to us now. Our eternal

destiny is not deferred; it begins at our baptism. Yet, we don’t say Christ

is really present in the water.

At confirmation the Church teaches us that we receive the Holy Spirit when

the priest anoints us with oil and prays for us while laying on hands. In

John 14 is recorded Jesus’ promise that He would come to us by means of the

Holy Spirit. We read about it happening in Acts. The Epistles also

testify to the Spirit’s presence in the Church. Yet, at our Confirmation we

don’t say Christ is really present in the oil or in the hands of the priest.

Water, oil, bread and wine are not the Christ, they are the signs of God

really at work in us.

Just as the Holy Spirit resided in the temple of ancient Israel, unseen yet

protecting the nation, so the Spirit of Christ resides in the Christian, as

St. Paul teaches. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit so long as

we don’t resist him. We don’t see this presence other than by the effect on

the Christian life. “By their fruits you shall know them.” Christ becomes

visible in the faith, hope, and charity in lives devoted to him.

Our Lord promised to keep the appointment at the Eucharist. The Anglican

liturgy is both memorial supper as some Protestants would say and sacrifice.

The congregation “offers our selves, our souls and bodies” to the Father in

the ancient liturgy. While acknowledging that Awe are unworthy to offer

unto Thee any sacrifice”, we offer all that we have and are to the Father

because it is “our bounden duty and service.” On behalf of the whole Church

(the congregation present, those scattered, and those who watch from heaven)

we bless bread and wine and ask the Holy Spirit to be present, to continue

to inhabit the temple (our bodies, our real life.) The ritual says the

Father will “vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit,

these, thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine.

We are not greater than God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet in the

liturgy of the Eucharist we pray “He may ever more dwell in us and we in

him.” This is a great mystery (that which was formerly unknown, now

revealed in Christ). We use the Emmaus story as a way of describing the

Eucharistic event. Our hearts burn within in us as we hear his words, we

see him at the time of the breaking of bread.

In our common, everyday life, as we take our meals, we pause in prayer and

have the sense that the Father continues to feed us as at Eucharist. At

Holy Communion we catch glimpses of Him in the eyes and smiles of the Saints

as well as in the holy signs of his presence.

We run out of language to describe all of the ways Christ is really present.

The old liturgy says he “dwells in our hearts by faith” and also that we

“dwell in him and he in us.” We the contained cannot comprehend the Spirit

and completely explain it. We are in awe of the teaching “God holds all

souls in life.” In the liturgy, we acknowledge our limitations then we

pause and say “therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of

heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, ever more praising thee and

saying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy

glory. Glory be to thee O Lord most high.”

The Eucharist makes the scene on Mt. Calvary present for us. Together, just

as Christ offered his life back to the Father (into thy hands I commend my

spirit) so the congregation, the Christ created at Eucharist, offers soul

and body to the Father by “giving up our selves to thy service and by

walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of our

lives.”

An old hymn sums up the experience in this manner: “When I survey the

wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count

but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. See, from His head, His hands,

His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did ever such love and sorrow

meet? Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature

mine, that were an offering far too small. Love so amazing, so divine,

demands my soul my life my all.” (Isaac Watts 1707 AD)

A very lively, loving, delightful lady in her mid eighties who has tended

the altar and taken care of Church of the Good Shepherd for over 20 years

reflected on our Lenten messages about the Eucharist and the question of

transubstantiation. She summed it up well when she said, “The change at

Eucharist is in us.” Indeed, as St. Paul said, we are one body because we

eat the one bread. The Spirit is the Gift. The change is in us.

Charles R. Scott, Pastor

Church of the Good Shepherd, Anglican

2060 E 54th Street

Indianapolis, In, 46176

http://www.goodshepherdindy.org