Communion is "Totally Inappropriate"

A response to an "Anonymous" note.

“Communion at Easter and Christmas Eve is totally inappropriate. It totally negates the message of joy, especially for Christmas. Here is this newborn babe, barely a few hours old, and already we are talking about death? Really? It is also another sign of creeping Catholicism.” - Anonymous Angry Church Lady

“Communion at Easter and Christmas Eve is totally inappropriate” is how the angry note began. The note was placed on the offering plate on Easter Sunday, 2022. Let that sink in for a moment. When the church was offering its gifts to the Lord, this well-meaning congregant offered snark and grumpiness. On the Sunday when the church celebrates Christ’s victory over death, a member of the congregation felt this was the time to let her disagreement over the sacraments known to her pastors. The note was “anonymous,” but because of my expert handwriting analysis, I know exactly who wrote this note. Side note: This is the same person who found my “untucked shirt” distracting. You should know my shirt was untucked under my robe. Perhaps another post responding to that complaint is also needed.

I am thankful that notes like this have been rare throughout my ministry. I found the note tucked in a book this past week and I wish I had answered the questions rather than tucking them away.

So… here goes nothing!

Dear Anonymous Congregant,

Thank you for your enlightening note from our Easter service. While I am grateful that my preaching stirred your theological imagination, it appears we have some theological fine-tuning to do. But don't worry; I'm here to help.

Firstly, your concern about Christmas is touching (especially when you consider we were celebrating Easter), but let’s put things in perspective. Fleming Rutledge wisely wrote, “The crucifixion is the touchstone of Christian authenticity, the unique feature by which everything else… is given its true significance.” You see, Christmas joy isn't about ignoring the reason Jesus came; it's about embracing it fully. Imagine celebrating a birthday without acknowledging the person's life achievements – quite hollow, don’t you think? Imagine your family and friends gathering to celebrate your birthday and ignoring the totality of the life you have lived!

Moreover, Robert Jenson hit the nail on the head with, “The church does not have a story; the church is a story.” Our story of Jesus isn’t just about the cute baby in the manger (though I bet he was the cutest baby in Bethlehem). No, our story is about the baby who came to be our Savior through His death and resurrection. To separate these events would be like reading only the first chapter of a thrilling novel and then putting it down – not very satisfying, is it?

Now, about that dreaded "creeping Catholicism." It’s amusing how some traditions are misinterpreted.

John Wesley, our Wesleyan patriarch and the most misquoted Methodist preacher in the history of Methodism, was adamant about frequent communion. John Wesley wrote, “Food of our souls: this gives strength to perform our duty, and leads us on to perfection.” The perfection we seek is not ours to achieve. Instead, perfection is the result of Christ’s faithfulness as a gift to creation.

If adhering to our founder’s practices sounds too “Catholic” for your taste, perhaps a little church history review is in order. You’ll be upset to find out you are my second favorite church curmudgeon. The top spot belongs to retired United Methodist Bishop Will Willimon. Bishop Willimon brilliantly wrote, “The church is in the business of introducing people to an alternative reality called the Kingdom of God.” It’s not about copying Catholicism; it’s about being faithful to our own rich heritage. Surprising, right?

And let’s not forget Easter (because it feels like you might have given that your note on Easter had more to say about Christmas).

Celebrating Communion on Easter is like celebrating the victory after winning the World Series. Christ won! Death lost!

The resurrection is Christ’s victory, and communion is our celebration. Claiming it’s inappropriate is like saying confetti (you’ll be upset to know that since you’ve written this note, I have purchased a confetti cannon to use at my new church), and fireworks are a bit much for New Year’s Eve. Communion doesn’t diminish Easter joy; it amplifies it. As Willimon notes, “Preaching is reminding the church of things it would rather forget.” This seems particularly relevant when it comes to remembering why we celebrate at all.

So listen, I get it. Our Communion liturgy uses words like failure, blood, and death. On the surface, those words should give all of us reason to pause. But (and you know how I feel about big buts), when we remember and proclaim the mystery of our faith, those scary words lose their scariness.

Communion at Christmas and Easter is not only appropriate but essential. It roots our celebrations in the full story of Christ – His birth, His sacrifice, and His resurrection. This is why a major crisis before the church during the COVID-19 Pandemic was how to administer the sacraments. You see, Baptism and Communion are necessary in the life of the church. So, let’s embrace the full narrative and deepen our faith and joy.

I am going to give the late theologian Robert Jenson the final word: “The church is a body at all because it assembles around the bread and cup.” Without the bread and without the cup, whether we gather on Christmas Eve, Easter, or a Sunday in August makes no sense. It is the bread and the cup that holds us together because (to quote Augustine) sacraments are “visible forms of an invisible grace.” Meaning that the Lord’s Supper is more about receiving the grace of God than it is about killing sweet baby Jesus or “creeping Catholicism.”

Thank you again for your insightful note. I eagerly anticipate seeing you at our next Communion service – with bells on!