Trinity Sunday

Hello Church Family

   I’m sharing this theological presentation in hopes that it will make our experience of Holy Communion online make a little more sense. The Church In History, continues to wrestle with the meaning and because of that tries to make sure we don’t abuse the importance. St. Paul warned us not to partake in the communion unprepared, or in poor taste, because he said, that might lead to some getting sick and dying.

   I’ve decided after much prayer and conversation, that we really didn’t expect this pandemic to affect us so much and for so long. I also know and have heard from many of you, how important the sacrament is for you. After hearing Adam Hamilton, author and pastor of our largest UMC congregation, say he changed his mind too, and decided to go with online communion, because it was so meaningful to the congregation. His experience afterwards was very moving for him as well.

   SO, I’m inviting you to be ready for our sharing in this sacrament, by providing your own elements for communion. I will pray and consecrate, to make holy, the elements you have in front of you, online this week. We will then eat the bread and take the cup at the same time online on Sunday. You may choose to use intinction, dipping the bread into the cup, or traditionally eating the bread first and then taking a sip of the cup.

   You may send me an email, after you have experienced this together, to let me know if this was helpful to you, the sharing of the sacrament in this particular way, and the information that I’ve included in this letter.

   Be Blessed, and know that I pray for you all the time.

Pastor Jeff

Theology – a question of ‘Presence’

A chief theological question or problem with the Eucharist is the question of the Real Presence. Is Christ in some way really present in the physical elements and/or ritual of Holy Communion? There is no shortage of literature for one to read that talks of the different streams of thought and debate on the question of the Real Presence. There are basically three legacy thought frameworks to consider the question of Christ’s Presence in the Lord’s Supper.

·       Transubstantiation is the orthodox Roman Catholic position: the substance of the bread and wine are changed into the substance of the physical body and blood of Christ during the prayer, while the “accidents” (see Aristotle and Aquinas) remain those of bread and wine.

·       Consubstantiation is Luther’s view. On the understanding that the bread and wine do not magically become the body and blood of Christ.  They remain bread and wine, but the presence of Christ is said to be “in, with, and under the elements.”  Therefore, in receiving the bread and wine, one also symbolically receives the body and blood of Christ. Lutheran’s essentially make the shift from actual to symbolic presence, that is, they share a symbolically invoked/achieved physical presence.

·       Spiritual Presence is Calvin’s view. Here, Christ is seen to be spiritually present by the Holy Spirit, so that the Supper is a true communion with Christ, who feeds us with His body and His blood. Clearly, this essentially abandons any notion of the ritual being an actual physical connection with Christ and plainly claims a symbolic spiritual connection and union with Christ.

John Wesley and United Methodism are aligned most nearly with Calvin’s real, spiritual presence of Christ in the sacrament. A real, albeit symbolic communion with G-d in Christ.