I sat in the small sanctuary that had seen better days and looked at the one pictorial stained-glass window that adorned the sanctuary. It was an image of Christ and his disciples gathered around the Lord’s table in fellowship and learning. This was a church in the north and hadn’t had a settled minister for many years. In fact no one even expected there would be one any time soon and the presbytery was working on getting a regional minister to cover the pastoral needs of an area hundreds of kilometres long consisting of a half dozen small congregations. The presbytery itself had been without any settled ministers for a long time until just recently and the synod had appointed its staff to serve as assessor ministers. Understandably they were not able to be in the presbytery very often.
A lay missionary led the service and I was asked to preach to a welcoming and responsive congregation. After the service the image in the window haunted me. I asked the lay minister his views on General Assembly’s discussion about lay missionaries being empowered to preside at communion services. (See the July/August Record.) He thought it would be good if elders in rural and remote areas were given that honour. I then asked how often they had had communion this year so far. He replied this year was the best year in a while because they had had communion twice. Once in their own church and once at an ecumenical service arranged with the neighbouring United church. He then lamented that being unable to have communion more frequently often felt like a barrier to his being able to serve the congregation as effectively as he would like to as a spiritual leader. I couldn’t help wondering if the portrait of Jesus at the table with his disciples, which the congregation looked at each week, felt like an invitation on one hand and an unkind mockery on the other, since Jesus invited but the church didn’t provide the opportunity.
It isn’t that the church wants to deny these Christians the right to come to the table. It isn’t that we were intentionally trying to excommunicate them. It is just that as a former moderator warned us, “Maybe we get caught up in our almost perfect system, our own tradition, our norms and standards.” Surely this is one of those times referred to and we feel caught. Caught because, as the committee that recommended against extending the right to lay missionaries to do communion knew, it was not the normal practice of the church. Perhaps there was a fear that it might undermine the professionalism of ministers or that we might compromise the gold standard of a fully educated clergy. Most of us appreciate the fact that we need to do things decently and in order. That means we would like to think that the people leading worship have enough education so that we at least have a chance they may do it right and not lead us astray. The mind of the church, as expressed by the commissioners at assembly, was that we have neglected people in rural and remote circumstances far too long and since we are unwilling or unable to provide them with regular communion in our present system then we must make an exception to the rule or change the system so they can be served.
The ministry and vocations committee initially responded to the overtures asking that presbyteries be allowed to permit lay missionaries to officiate at communion, by declaring this “not advisable at this time.” The clerks of assembly didn’t seem to think it was constitutionally possible.
But almost as a ground swell the commissioners voted to instruct the committee and the clerks to create “legislation, guidelines, education and requirements” necessary to make it happen.
My fear is that as they begin the work they will fall back into being caught by the system. The proposals in the end may be in other words but the requirements may prove just as unreachable in order for lay missionaries to qualify to administer communion. If this occurs it would frustrate the clear will of the church and little if anything would change for the people who Sunday by Sunday see the stained glass image of what is withheld from them.
In my view, lay missionaries, who we already let preach God’s word, can be instructed to lead a service of communion out of the Book of Common Worship. They are quite capable under the direction of an interim moderator and session to bring the bread and wine to Christ’s people so they can commune and be filled with his spirit on a regular basis as each session sees fit. There is little danger harm will be done since most of these charges have a session familiar with communion practices. I think the sessions too should be offered special training as guardians of the faith and table.
Let us keep those charged with making it happen in our earnest prayers so that what is most desired will come to pass. Let us pray that there will be a renewed spirit and deepening of faith as all of us in our congregations consider the great benefits of receiving Christ’s body and blood.
