This semester I had the honor of enrolling in a class that I had waited for two years to take. This class is taught by one of most humble men I have ever had the privilege of knowing and someone who I have enjoyed getting to know while I have been here. The class focuses on the history of the sacraments of the church and how they have been viewed and are currently viewed by various branches of Christianity. We researched and presented various ideas and arguments that prominent theologians have made about the various sacraments over the past 2,000 years. Many times a student was required to present a position that he/she did not agree with personally, but yet still was able to articulate the ideas that formed that particular branch's theology. I personally found the discussions interesting and my own beliefs began to solidify over the course of the semester. However, to leave this class with just theories and explanations seemed not to do the class and research justice.
Regardless of whether you believe there are 2 sacraments, 7 sacraments, or more, most Christians agree that Holy Communion and Holy Baptism are at the top. There is just something different and special about these two. While the class had some good discussions about baptism, our focus really rested on Holy Communion. When Jesus said "Take, eat; this is my body" and "Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" he was giving a command that is both powerful and ordinary (Matthew 26:26-27). When we take of this sacrament we use everyday items and yet there is so much more to it than that. Throughout the ages the church has tried to explain what happens at Holy Communion, yet I'm not sure it can be explained. I have learned to let it be what it is and be content with it. While I too have my own opinions on Communion, what it is, and how it should be celebrated, I have learned and have come to appreciate that it really does not matter what I think about it. It does not matter what any particular denomination teaches or what the official doctrines express. What I have come to understand the most about it is that it only matters what God says it is. The entire meaning of a sacrament is that it really is a mystery. Our feeble human minds do not have the capacity fully to engage what happens when we partake of this sacred rite.
A few weeks ago I asked Dr. O'Malley if it would be possible for us to take Communion together as a class on our last meeting of the semester. He agreed and organized it for us. We were blessed to have an Anglican priest and an Anglican monk in the class this semester. Dr. O'Malley asked them to preside over the table for us. It was special time of celebration for me as we went through the liturgy and then took the consecrated elements together. I believe I saw a more complete view of the Kingdom of Heaven that evening. The priest who presided over the table is from Kenya and he used a newer version of the Communion Liturgy that expresses the truth of the gospel message from a Kenyan point of view. His assistant is from the United States. They worked together and served each one of us in the class. Various denominations came together around the Lord's table and took of his body and blood together. This was probably the most ecumenical gathering I have ever been a part of in my life. Each of my brothers and sisters that evening, with their own story and their own calling, mean a lot more to me now than they did at the beginning of the semester. While I still don't know all of them very well, I feel a bond with them that I had not felt before.
I suppose if I had to rank this class it would have to be one of the top 5 I have had while in seminary. To explore the theories and ideas of the sacraments was interesting, but to celebrate one of the holiest institutions of the church with these fellow travelers was beyond description.
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