2018-10 - Unity in Essentials

To date my Theological Field Education (TFE) reflections have concentrated on seeing theology within the work undertaken on the Bishop Nominating Committee.

But there was another important learning goal of this TFE assignment “to experience different worship services. This will be achieved by attending a Sunday worship service at St. Andrew’s once a month (the 8:00 am service and if possible one 10:00 am service)”.

I normally work and worship at St. Michael’s-By-The -Sea, Carlsbad which is a theologically  orthodox Episcopal church with the mission statement is “to be a beacon of God’s truth and love; through the richness of traditional Anglican worship, by equipping the saints to bear witness to Christ wherever they may be, and by sharing in Christ’s work of reconciliation and healing in the world”.

As part of this assignment during the past few months I have also been attending worship at St. Andrew’s, Encinitas, which has the mission statement “to reveal God’s love by nourishing the community through acceptance, worship, and service”.

When I look at how these churches aim to meet their seemingly different missions I noticed they both undertake the same tasks and really have the same underling combined mission “to be a beacon of, and reveal God’s love” They just differ in the way they go about it.

As I started this part of my assignment I was mindful of these differences and how they may impact worship.

In reviewing the church web sites and planning my visits, I was reminded of the positive feelings I had a few months ago I read and analyzed an 1872 sermon by John Wesley titled “Catholic Spirit”. This sermon has the theme “If your heart is right, as my heart is right, then give me your hand” but it also has an underlying theological concept of “In Essentials, Unity; In Non-essentials; Liberty; in all things Charity”.

When I researched this statement, I found it has been attributed to St Augustine (4^th Century Bishop of Hippo), Peter Meiderlin (16^th Century Lutheran Theologian), Richard Baxter (17^th Century Anglican Theologian), and adopted as their motto by the Moravian Church in 1902. 

In this statement I recognized we have had differences in our churches and in our worship throughout the history of the Church. But it was in studying the worship at St. Andrew’s and St. Michael’s I was able to see the concept of “In Essentials, Unity; In Non-essentials; Liberty; in all things, charity’ in action.

In my attendance, including peaching, at both churches I made sure I had an open mind and the intention to enjoy the services, and through this I could also feel what is meant by “If your heart is right, as my heart is right, then give me your hand”.

When I look at the question “what are essentials?” I found they are “What” we are commanded by Jesus in scripture. For example, He told the disciples to go out and make disciples by Baptism, and also told them to remember him though the Eucharist.

When I look at the question of “what are non-essentials?” I found they are “How” we carry out the essentials plus the things we do to keep the two great commandments to “Love our god and Love our neighbor”. Non-Essentials appeared to be the occasional services, and the work of our church communities.

In this reflection I would like to concentrate on the core activities of worship rather than the ancillary activities conducted to support the church’s mission such as bible studies, small groups, pastoral care visits, vestry meetings.

In my visits to St. Andrew’s and St. Michael’s, and also in my worship at St. Timothy’s for 12 weeks last year, I noticed the essentials were the same. It was just in the non-essentials they differed, and then it was not really noticeable unless you are deliberately looking for them, as I was.

Both churches use the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) which provides guidance in what is essential in each of the liturgies and allows flexibility in choices, not in the “what” but in the “how”, through italicized rubrics.

I would like to share with you some of similarities and differences I noticed in the essentials and non-essentials during Sunday worship services.

During worship, both churches use Rite I at the 8:00am service and Rite II plus worship music at the 10:00am service. The use of vestments, candles, flowers, music, readings, psalm and prayers were similar. The bulletins provided the readings, psalm, gospel, BCP page refences and announcements for the congregants.

It did not matter if the service was called the Holy Eucharist or Communion, the remembrance of the work of Christ through the offertory, preface, Sanctus, words of consecration, anamnesis, memorial, offering, epiclesis, the Lord’s prayer, breaking of the bread, receiving communion, post communion prayer, and the dismissal were “in Unity”.

I was keenly aware that during the Eucharist the “essential” wording was exactly the same; “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:19-20).

And again, we have the exact same wording in the epiclesis when the real presence of God become present in the bread and wine; “Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him”.

When I looked at the differences I saw the physical church layouts were slightly different. St. Michael’s has an altar rail, a pulpit used for the sermon in the north transept and a lectern for the readings and prayers in the south transept. St. Andrew’s did not have an altar rail (although it was being reinstalled last week) and had a large pulpit to be used for readings, prayers and the sermon in the chancel.

At the start of the service at St. Andrew’s the altar party processed from the narthex at both services, at St. Michael’s that altar party processed from the sacristy at the 8:00am and from the narthex at the 10:00am service.

There were many similarities in the Eucharist and a few non-essential differences governed by the choice of rubrics to suit the character of the church community. For example, at St. Michael’s the priest celebrates facing the altar with his back to the congregation most of the time, turning to face the community when addressing them specifically rather than addressing God. At St. Andrew’s the priest presides over the service facing the congregation most of the time, only turning her back on them when specifically addressing God e.g. when leading the confession.

All these non-essential differences were undertaken and accepted “in a feeling of liberty and a sentiment of charity”.

As I reflect on the different churches at which I have worshipped, Episcopal churches in America, Anglican churches in England, other denominational churches such as Methodist, Lutheran and Roman Catholic, I noticed that we all have “essentials” that originate from Jesus Christ, and we all have traditions that have been introduced by church leaders as non-essentials over the centuries.

In the end I think that if we can keep unity in the essentials, liberty and charity in the optional non-essentials, all our hearts can be right, and through ecumenism we can each take another’s hand.