202008

Living asacramental life

Living a sacramental lifeas embracing the manyvehicles of divine gracethat come our way

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Two, seven, ortwo plus fiveHow the Church’sunderstanding of“sacrament” haschanged over thecenturies

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Icon writing assacrament

An ancient practiceoffers a glimpse ofthe divine

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www.edusc.orgVisit our diocese online

CrosswalkThe official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

Christmas 2008

inside

The “hot-button”sacrament

A look at HolyMatrimony, its history,its meaning, and thechallenges facingChristian marriage today

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SacramentsSacraments

Sacrmnts.qxp:Crosswalk 12/18/08 8:33 AM Page 2

Christmas 2008 Crosswalk

CrosswalkOfficial Publication of the

Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

1115 Marion Street Columbia,South Carolina 29201

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Crosswalk E-mail [email protected]

Bishop The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr.

Executive Assistant toBishop Henderson Jane B. Goldsmith

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Canon to the OrdinaryThe Rev. Michael Bullock

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Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary The Rev’d d’Rue Hazel

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Administrative Director,School for Ministry

Roslyn [email protected]

Canon for Finance andAdministration

Julie Price [email protected]

Director of Finance and InsuranceCynthia Hendrix

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Canon for Communications, Editor of Crosswalk

Peggy Van Antwerp [email protected]

Canon for Youth Ministry The Rev. L. Sue von Rautenkranz

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Assistant for Communications and Youth MinistryBethany Human

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Archdeacon and Senior PastoralAssistant to the Bishop

The Ven. Frederick C. [email protected]

Assistant to Archdeacon ByrdBonnie Blackberg

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A PASTORAL LETTER FROM THE BISHOP[Editor’s note: As Crosswalk goes to press in mid-December, Bishop Henderson has issued the following lettercalling for the election of the eighth bishop of Upper SouthCarolina. The letter has been published on the diocesanWeb site, www.edusc.org, and through e~DUSC, ourelectronic newsletter, as a special bulletin, and we reprintit here instead of our bishop’s usual reflection on theCrosswalk theme. To read Bishop Henderson’s reflectionon sacraments, go to www.edusc.org.]

Sisters and Brothers, dearly Beloved:In January, 1995, you welcomed me into your hearts and the hearths

of your home, Upper South Carolina—“now our home,” as I said in myfirst address to you. It was a challenging time—just as the present time ischallenging—a time of “tiptoe anticipation” for me—and I believe formost of us, if not all of us—then, and now.

This season of Advent is a season which is meant to build “tiptoeanticipation” in which the people of God prepare to celebrate the firstand live in heightened expectation of the final coming of Jesus Christ,our Blessed Savior. During these four weeks we are asked to do twothings: First, to place ourselves within the spiritual mindset of those wholived prior to the Christian era, awaiting the first advent of the Messiah—a new thing. The second is to be mindful of the way we should live everyday as Christians in “new and unending life in him.” Both mindsetsinvolve a new thing. It is time for a new thing for us as the people of Godin Upper South Carolina—a new thing for you and for me.

Accordingly, on Saturday, December 13, meeting with our DiocesanCouncil, I called for the election of a successor, and, with the appropriatecanonical consents, I will resign as Bishop of Upper South Carolinaeffective on the date of the consecration of the eighth Bishop of theDiocese, or on December 31, 2009, whichever occurs first. Why call foran election now?

I began my ministry at St. Benedict’s Parish in Plantation, Florida, in1977. I would have been happy serving with the communicants there forthe rest of my life. But after thirteen years I realized that, by God’s grace,I had done with them what I knew how to do. They needed someone totake them to the next level of discipleship. At the Cathedral of St. Paulthe Apostle, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin—although I left there uponhaving received your call—I knew that I had done with them what I knewhow to do. They needed someone to take them to the next level ofdiscipleship.

That is the present reality in our diocese. I am concluding, togetherwith you, what I know how to do. When, following our diocesanconvention last October, I met with the newly formed DiocesanExecutive Council, and recognized their enthusiasm, their commitment,the efficiency of our present Commission structure, and progress we haveall made by God’s grace and your ministry—I recognized that it was timefor us to take the next step. Upper South Carolina needs a bishop whocan cooperate with you, and provide appropriate episcopal leadership, inmoving into the next level of Christian discipleship.

It is also true that my ministry as a member and then President of theTitle IV Review Committee of The Episcopal Church absorbed somephysical, emotional, and spiritual energy, and dulled somewhat the edgeof my creativity. It has not, however, reduced my love of the Lord and theLord’s Church, nor the sheer joy I have as a deacon, priest and bishop.

The election process will take approximately 10 to 18 months,depending upon a number of factors. Our Diocesan Council, in its roleas the Standing Committee and guided by the canons of the Church, willhave the responsibility of establishing a Calling Committee andproviding the guidelines for the calling process.

—continued on page 19

“Equipped for Action:Changing Lives, Vol. 2”Leadership follow-up dayset for February 28, 2009

Mark your calendar for February 28, 2009, a day ofleadership training following up on all the good thingsbegun at Diocesan Convention’s “Leadership Day” lastOctober. The Rev. Dr. James Lemler, former directorof mission for the Episcopal Church and former deanof Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, will bekeynote speaker for this important event, which willtake place at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School inColumbia from 8:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m.

Complementing Dr. Lemler’s two plenary sessionsfocused on healthy leadership and healthycongregations will be a variety of workshops offeringtake-home tools and resources for leadership, with anemphasis on congregational development, Christianformation, and outreach. Visit the diocesan Web site,www.edusc.org, for details. Registration begins onlinein January. A second leadership follow-up day isscheduled for May 2.

Bishop honors three forexceptional serviceJames Hagood Ellison, Sarah Graydon McCrory, andJacquelyn Clarkson Williams are recipients of firstBishop’s Cross awards.

At the Celebration Dinner onOctober 17, following thebusiness day of DiocesanConvention, Bishop Hendersonpresented the first Bishop’s Crossawards to Upper SouthCarolinians James Hagood

Ellison (St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields, Columbia), SarahGraydon McCrory (also St. Martin’s), and JacquelynClarkson Williams (Christ Church, Greenville).

The three were honored, in Bishop Henderson’swords, for the “uncommon devotion, generosity, andgrace with which they have offered their innumerablegifts to the glory of God and the many ways in whichthey have shared those gifts with us, and on our behalf,for the changing of lives.”


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Bishop’s Desk FROM THEAArroouunndd tthhee

DDiioocceessee

Please send all Crosswalkaddress corrections, deletions oradditions to:

Trevett’s Mailing Service

6065 Saint Andrews Rd

Columbia SC 29212

phone: 803.781.3150

email: [email protected]

Bishop’s Desk

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By John S. Nieman

What does it mean to live a sacramental life? Oneway to answer this question is by relating the

sacramental life to participation in the Church’ssacraments. A quick Google search of “sacramentallife” turns up the Roman Catholic Internet sitewww.sacramentallife.net. That site emphasizes thefirst and most obvious entrée to those seeking to livea sacramental life. “Our goal is to be a clearing housefor . . . Catholics seeking to discover what it means toengage in the Sacraments regularly.” The sacramentallife, in other words, is one in which a personparticipates in the Church’s sacraments. That iscertainly a healthy beginning.

A thoroughly sacramental churchFor those raised in the Episcopal Church prior to

the 1970s, participation in the sacramental life of theChurch was not necessarily understood as an obviousor essential part of one’s spiritual practice. Mostcongregations taught about the sacraments. But, withsome notable exceptions, they did not emphasize thenotion of living the sacraments. One was baptized asan infant, usually quickly and privately; confirmedpro forma at age twelve or thirteen, in most caseswithout any clear sense of what it meant beyond thefact that it was what was expected; and “tookcommunion” when it was offered, commonly twiceper month, or less frequently in many congregations.Some people even actively avoided church oncommunion Sundays out of the stated conviction thattoo much of a good thing had the effect of cheapeningit.

The 1979 Prayer Book brought our church’snormative practice regarding the sacraments finallyinto line with the broader historic catholic tradition.In 2008 we are undoubtedly a thoroughly sacramentalchurch. Now the notable exceptions are thosecongregations that are not.

A pattern for Christian livingClearly a sacramental life begins with the holy

habit of regular participation in the Church’ssacraments, especially Baptism and the HolyEucharist. Those two sacraments are primary, notonly because they carry scriptural warrant asinstituted by Christ, but also because they establish apattern for Christian living. Baptism defines ouridentity in Christ. The first section of the Baptismal Covenant is nothing less thanthe Apostles’ Creed in interrogatory form. It tells us who God is and who we are.We are the people of God rooted indissolubly in the ongoing life of the one holyand undivided Trinity.

But Baptism also sends us out into a life of Christian witness. It commissionseach of us into the apostolic ministry of the Church. The second section of the

Baptismal Covenant constitutes the basic positiondescription of every Christian. If the first sectiongives us a framework for belief and identity, thesecond section gives us a framework for puttingthat belief and identity into action. Thesacrament of Holy Baptism connects our life withChrist’s active life in the world.

The sacrament of the Holy Eucharistnourishes that life. By affirming the Real Presenceof the living Lord in the corporate action ofgathering regularly and frequently around Christ’stable to receive the bread of life and cup ofsalvation, we are acknowledging our need ofdivine food. Without the Holy Eucharist, our lifein Christ withers and dies and our apostolicministry dissolves. The gift of Christ’s body andblood is indeed our daily bread for which, as theword Eucharist implies, we give thanks.

To live a sacramental life, therefore, is first andforemost to participate regularly in the Church’ssacraments, especially Holy Baptism (throughrenewal of our vows after Baptism) and the HolyEucharist.

Scandalous theologyBut there is more to living a sacramental life

than that. The Church recognizes that the riteswe call sacraments are not the only vehiclesthrough which God’s grace enters our lives. Theyare not magical doorways into the divine. ThePrayer Book states that the Church’s sacramentsare “patterns of countless ways by which God usesmaterial things to reach out to us” (BCP, p. 861).The sacraments reveal how the “material things”of this world must be understood as worthyvehicles of divine grace. This is where Christiantheology becomes scandalous.

The theological context for the sacramentallife is the incarnation. The incarnation is theconviction that God makes the ultimateinvestment of himself in the person of JesusChrist. I use the present tense intentionally. Theincarnation is not simply the notion that theWord temporarily became flesh in Christ 2,000years ago and then, with the resurrection andascension, somehow went back to live with Godin heaven, as if Jesus were some kind of avatar.The incarnation asserts more completely thatChrist is the primary symbol for Christians of theeternal expression of the fullness of divine

presence. Christ constitutes the time and place in the universe where the ripples ofGod’s life among, around, and within us originate, and continue to emanate in alldirections. The incarnation makes the sacramental life possible by investing thematerial world with God’s life. The stuff of our life can become, by way of theincarnation, the “outward and visible signs of an inward and invisible grace.”


Crosswalk Christmas 2008

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To live a sacramental life . . . is first andforemost to participate regularly in theChurch’s sacraments, especially HolyBaptism (through renewal of our vowsafter Baptism) and the Holy Eucharist.

Finding God where we live

The sacramental life



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B r i n g i n g l o v e a n d g r a c e . . .

THE SACRAMENTSBy James K. Workman

God has given us everything we need to live fully inthis world and next. The sacraments and

sacramental rites are signs and symbols of some of God’smost crucial gifts. They bring the love and grace of Godinto our lives.

The Anglican way with the sacraments differs inimportant ways from other Christian traditions. TheBook of Common Prayer teaches us that “The sacramentsare outward and visible signs of inward and spiritualgrace, given by Christ as sure and certain means bywhich we receive that grace” (p. 857).

Holy confrontationUnlike Baptists and most independent churches

that call Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist“ordinances,” not “sacraments,” we insist that Godconfronts us in and with the physical elements of thesacraments. Their power does not wait for ourdevotional preparation; God shows up whether we areready or not, and the presence of God and Christ is tiedup with the physical symbols.

I went to Lyon, France, to visit the site of one of theearliest Christian persecutions. In 177 A.D. the bishopand many Christians were slaughtered for their faith.Despite this, Christian faith flourished in Lyon. I stoodin the ruins of one of the earliest churches and I have amedallion from that site. When I touch it, I’m takenback to that visit and the meaning of that place. This isa pale illustration of how sacraments work—somethingphysical is used by God to touch us.

Sacraments & sacramental ritesThe Book of Common Prayer teaches that there are

two Gospel sacraments instituted directly by Jesus: HolyBaptism and the Holy Eucharist (p. 858) and fivesacramental rites that evolved in the Church (p. 860).

The first two are meant for every Christian; the otherfive may not be appropriated by every believer. All sevenuse physical elements to touch us with God’s grace.Think of the five senses: taste, smell, sight, hearing,touch. God uses all of these to make contact with us andto bring us deeper into a relationship with God, throughChrist, by the Holy Spirit.

I was raised a Presbyterian and served as aPresbyterian minister but was converted to Anglicanworship because of the way in which the sacrament ofthe Holy Eucharist touched me in a new way. When Ihad that powerful, life-changing experience in theChurch of England, I knew I had to follow the Anglicanpath. I began to read everything I could find to help mymind catch up with my spirit. I have studied theAnglican understanding of the sacraments with the zealof a convert.

Hundreds of books have been written on thesacraments. What follows is only a Cliffs Notes version.

THE GOSPEL SACRAMENTS

Holy BaptismJesus directed that his followers be baptized. By the

outward sign of water applied in the name of the Trinity,we receive the inward grace of having the name of thetriune God put on us, being claimed as God’s own. Thesymbolism of the water is rich, invoking washing,refreshment, the sustaining of life, the bringing ofpleasures of “re-creation,” and thus pointing to the giftof new life and reconciliation with God through Christ.

Every clergyperson has heard a voice on the phonesaying something like, “We’d like to have the babydone,” but in Holy Baptism we are not “done.” Baptismis full initiation into the Church—ordination to theministry of the laity. All of us are the army of theChurch; Holy Baptism represents our induction.

Every sacramental action of God calls for aresponse. Holy Baptism calls us to claim its meaning for

us, to give thanks for salvation, to renew continually ourbaptismal vows, and to accept our ministries.

The Holy EucharistThe outward signs of bread and wine in the Holy

Eucharist also bring to us God’s inward grace in a richlynuanced way. Most arresting are the words: “This is myBody”; “This is my Blood.” We accept the ancientteaching of the Real Presence of Christ in the physicalelements of the sacrament.

As Anglicans, we take the via media here—the“Middle Way.” We insist that church traditions thatspeak of “ordinances” rather than “sacraments” aremissing something important. Of course thesetraditions hold that Christ is present in HolyCommunion. But they depend very much on theindividual’s devotional exercises to secure the presenceof Christ. We say: Take this bread; Christ is here; dealwith him! We agree with Martin Luther when, in themidst of a theological debate on the Real Presence ofChrist in the Holy Eucharist, he pushed back thetablecloth and wrote in the dust on the table (in Latin):“This is my Body.”

Core Anglican tradition refuses to become involvedin how Christ is present. Every one of our eucharisticliturgies avoids the Roman Catholic languagesurrounding the consecration of the bread and wine:“May they become the Body and Blood.” Anglicanliturgies simply say “May they be the Body and Blood.”

ConfirmationThe sacramental rite of Confirmation developed

with the growth of early Church. Bishops could notperform all the baptisms and delegated thisresponsibility to local priests. Confirmation let bishops

Photo: Peter Tarpley Photo: Rindy AbdelnourPhoto: John Bethell

OTHER SACRAMENTAL RITES



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The Church has been a sacramental body since JesusChrist first assembled his disciples in Galilee. Our

English word sacrament translates Greek and Latinwords for mystery or sign. Thus Christ’s earthly life itselfwas the first great mystery and sign of God’s redemptivepower in the era of new covenant. From the first days ofhis public ministry, Jesus shared table fellowship with awide swath of humanity, anticipating the Last Supper,the Holy Eucharist, and the great banquet table that willbe laid at the end of time.

In the life of the Incarnate Christ, God pulled backthe veil and entered time and space, in Christ becomingan outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritualgrace and for us an effective means unto that grace. It isfitting to say that Christ is the first and perfectsacrament of the Father and that the Church in turn isa sacrament of Christ. From our divine life together inthe power of the Holy Spirit, the Church as sacramentseeks to reconcile the world to God in Christ.

Water and oil, bread and wine . . .Anglicans glory in the faith and practice of the

undivided Church of the first millennium, seeking to befaithful to the theological tradition of the ChurchFathers and the vibrant discipleship of the early Church.The sacramental understanding of the early Church wasrich, varied, and beautifully unburdened by the sadcategories that would later be imposed upon it. For1,000 years, Christians worked within the broadsacramental principle articulated in Colossians 1:15–20,seeing Christ as the great sacrament and welcoming allother faithful experiences that continued to mediateChrist to the Church and to the world. There was no listof two, seven, or fifteen sacraments, simply anunderstanding that the creating God who worked forour redemption in the human life of Jesus was sure tocontinue his redemptive work in physical elements likewater and oil, bread and wine, honey and salt, andhuman touch and breath.

Thus our early theologians, who were never divorcedfrom the worshiping Church, though expansively aboutsacraments. St. Augustine, to whom we owe the ancientformula that sacraments are “the visible form of invisible

grace,” called the Creed and the Lord’s Prayersacraments. In the fifth century, Leo the Great spokeabout Christ’s passion as a sacrament. Pseudo-Dionysius, the influential Neo-platonic liturgicaltheologian of the sixth century, counted Baptism,Eucharist, and anointing as the chief sacraments but putno bright line between them and other sacraments,including the burial of the dead, the consecration ofmonks and nuns, and priestly ordination. Tooversimplify, if the Holy Spirit worked in some blessedbit of the creation to join women and men to Christ,well, the Fathers were ready to count that experience assacramental.

A generous orthodoxyYet there can be no doubt that the sacramental life of

the early Church centered on the Paschal sacraments ofHoly Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. In the early thirdcentury, the North African theologian Cyprian wasamong the first to use the language of sacrament tospeak about the Holy Eucharist, referring to it as “thesacrament of the Lord’s passion and our redemption.”The great baptismal preparation sermons of Ambrose ofMilan and Cyril of Jerusalem employed every artifice ofmystery and wonder to prepare new Christians fortransformation through their baptisms and frequentsharing in the sacrament of the altar. If the early Churchwas sure that God might make a sacrament of manythings, they were even more certain that God wasparticularly present to his people at the fount and at thealtar. Theirs was a generous orthodoxy.

Only seven . . . The Church’s sacramental understanding was a

victim of its fraught relationship with ancientphilosophy in the Middle Ages. As the Western churchrediscovered Aristotle’s philosophy, his metaphysicalcategories came to dominate our understanding of thesacraments. Thomas Aquinas insisted that allsacraments must have matter (some material element)and form (consecratory words). Other medievaltheologians insisted that a mandate from Christ was

required for any ritual action to be accounted asacrament. Both of these sacramental criteria were thenawkwardly applied to the seven rites that mostcontemporaries viewed as sacraments: Baptism,Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance, Anointing,Marriage, and Ordination. Most New Testamentscholars are hard pressed to find Jesus’ command toconfirm. Likewise, liturgical theologians are stillmystified as to what the material element in penance is.

Yet somehow, the medieval theologians made theircase for a finite number of sacraments. It was to beseven, no more and no less, a number suspiciously richin its numerological qualities. The Middle Ages’ drive tosystematize constricted the Church’s sacramental life,inviting God to work through the channels the Churchhad provided. The Orthodox churches of the East tooklittle note of these developments.

Two plus fiveDuring the Reformation of the sixteenth century,

Anglicans and other Protestants sought to pare downthis list and center their sacramental life on the twoPaschal sacraments of Holy Baptism and the HolyEucharist. More generously than the statements of otherProtestants, our Thirty-Nine Articles (1563) recognized“two Sacraments ordained of Christ” and “fivecommonly called Sacraments.” In subsequent centuries,some high-church Anglicans would reclaim themedieval accounting of seven sacraments. Many otherswould participate in a deeper renewal of the Church’ssacramental life, inspired by faithful biblical scholarshipand the study of the Fathers, both of which liberated theChurch from the restraints of the Middle Ages and theReformation.

A renewed sacramental theologyParticularly important has been the recovery of the

eschatological, putting the kingdom of God whichChrist preached at the center of the Christian hope.Our current Book of Common Prayer is the product ofthis renewed sacramental theology that recognizes HolyBaptism as a full-bore initiation in the mysteries ofChrist’s death and resurrection, the beginning of a life ofdiscipleship that is sustained by frequent encounterswith Christ and his kingdom at the Eucharistic feast.When we who are one body in Christ are centered inthose moments of transcendent, transforming grace,then truly every moment and breath can be sacramental.

The Rev. Nicholas M. Beasley is rector of the Church ofthe Resurrection, Greenwood.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven andon earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers orpowers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, andin him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, thefirstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all thefullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself allthings, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

–Colossians 1:15–20

By Nicholas M. Beasley

Sacraments making history . . .Counting them over the centuries


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The Bible does not specifically list Holy Baptism,the Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy

Matrimony, Reconciliation, Unction, and Ordination assacraments. However all of them are imbedded in andflow out of Scripture. Original Bible manuscripts didnot even use the word sacrament (which comes from theLatin sacramentum), but rather the Greek wordmysterion (often translated mystery or plan). When thelanguage of the Church shifted from Greek to Latin,mysterion translated into sacramentum and into theEnglish sacrament. The English word mystery denotessomething incomprensible. The sacraments aremysteries (as Eastern Christians still call them), becausepart of them is outwardly visible while other parts areknown by faith. One way to understand the sacramentsis to see them as parts God’s mysterious plan to redeemand unify humanity through Jesus.

God’s mysterious planGradually, the Church began to single out specific

aspects of God’s mysterious plan (that is, Holy Baptism,the Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony,Reconciliation, Unction, and Ordination) and call themsacraments. They are all ceremonies or rites. TheEpiscopal Church affirms Holy Baptism and the HolyEucharist as sacraments instituted by Christ andnecessary to Christian life and also recognizes the fiveadditional (often called minor) sacraments ofConfirmation, Holy Matrimony, Reconciliation,Unction, and Ordination as ways to see and experienceGod’s grace and love. Generally, Protestants recognizeonly the sacraments of Holy Baptism and the HolyEucharist, or communion, while Roman Catholics, theOrthodox churches, and Anglicans recognize all seven.

Holy BaptismHoly Baptism is the first great (and sometimes called

the foundational) sacrament, and is initiation intoChristianity. Its outward and visible sign is water. Itsinward and spiritual grace “is union with Christ in hisdeath and resurrection, birth into God’s family theChurch, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the HolySpirit” (BCP, p. 858). Baptism’s allusion is to an interiorcleansing and renewal (John 3:5, Acts 2:38) and a dyingto self and a rising to “newness of life” with Christ(Romans 6:3–4). Scripture suggests that John theBaptist’s baptism was a symbol of repentance but not asacrament because it did not confer grace. Acts,however, makes it clear that those who were baptizedalso received the Holy Spirit, had their sins forgiven, andbecame members of Christ and therefore of the Church.

Passages including Ezekiel 36:25–27, 2 Timothy 3:16,Acts 3:38, and Acts 22:16 mention forgiveness of sins asinherent in baptism. An example of baptism in Scriptureis the story of deacon and evangelist Philip baptizing theEthiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26–39). The phrase “bornagain” in reference to baptism is both interesting andcontroversial. The Greek gennethei anwthen andgennethenai anothen literally translate “born fromabove,” not “born again.” The use of the phrase bornfrom above gives added emphasis to the spiritual

experience of baptism. Some additional references areMatthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:8; Mark 16:16;John 3:5; Acts 1:4–5; Acts 8:16; Acts 11:16; Acts 16:15;Acts 16:33; Acts 18:8; Acts 19:3–6; Romans 6:3–4; 1Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:25–26; Colossians.2:11–12; Galatians 3:27; and 1 Peter 3:20–21.

The Holy EucharistThe Holy Eucharist, the second great sacrament and

the most often celebrated in the Episcopal Church, is“commanded by Christ for the continual remembranceof his life, death and resurrection, until his comingagain” (BCP, p. 859). Its outward and visible sign isbread and wine. Its inward and spiritual grace is thebody and blood of Christ. Its allusion is to eternal life(John 6:54–55). Just as baptism requires repentance,preparing to receive the Holy Eucharist involves self-examination, repentance, and right relationships. Afocus of communion is to celebrate God’s grace in ourlives. The prime example in Scripture is the Last Supper(Matthew 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–20).Another example is the moving account of the discipleson the road to Emmaus recognizing Jesus when “he tookbread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them” (Luke24:13–32), which points to our recognizing Christduring the Holy Eucharist. The account in Johndescribes Jesus giving a long farewell sermon at the LastSupper. (John 13:2–17:26). In another pericope, Jesustells his disciples that the bread that sustains life (eventhe manna of Exodus 16:4–36) comes from heaven togive life and that he is that bread (John 6:30–32). Anadditional scriptural reference is Paul’s reference in 1Corinthians 11:24–27.

ConfirmationConfirmation is the adult affirmation of baptismal

vows often originally made by one’s godparents, and canalso be understood as supplementing or completingHoly Baptism in the sense of enabling one for mission.Our catechism describes Confirmation as the sacrament“in which we express a mature commitment to Christ,and receive strength from the Holy Spirit throughprayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop” (BCP,p. 860). Its outward and visible sign is the laying on ofhands. Its inward and spiritual grace is a newoutpouring of the Holy Spirit.


By Duncan C. Ely

The Sacraments &fvÜ|ÑàâÜx

“Theophany,” an icon of the Baptism of Jesus, ca. 1600

The sacraments are mysteries . . . ,because part of them is outwardlyvisible while other parts are knownby faith. One way to understandthe sacraments is to see them asparts God’s mysterious plan toredeem and unify humanitythrough Jesus.


An important step in enriching our understanding ofsacrament,” writes the Franciscan ThomasRichstatter, “is to see Jesus himself, in his humanity, asthe first and original sacrament. It all starts with Jesus.Jesus himself is our sacrament, our visible sign of theinvisible God.”God enfleshed, incarnate. We proclaim this truth,

and as Anglicans we even make incarnational theology acornerstone, but perhaps we do so without muchpondering. We swallow the consecrated bread and wine,but do we see Jesus in our midst, still nourishing us inthe sacrament of his life given for the sake of the world,in the sacramental lives of others, who, like Jesus, gavethemselves away?

IncarnationIn 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle

Tom’s Cabin. Stowe imagined in Uncle Tom a characterwho could not be dismissed as less than human. Thelocus of the spiritual life on a particular Kentuckyplantation was Uncle Tom’s lowly cabin, where Tom ledhis family and the son of his master in the virtues andpractice of the Christian life. As Tom moved throughlife’s cruelties down South, his love for Jesus not onlysustained him, but inspired his subsequent owner inNew Orleans as well. The scene of Tom’s death bringsTom’s Lord, and ours, into unmistakable focus. Tommakes the offering of his life as a gift in exchange for thelives of two slave women being brutally treated bySimon Legree. In her own life, perhaps it was thisextended meditation on the incarnation during the1850s that brought Stowe into the Episcopal Churchsome years later.

In the early years of the 20th century, MohandasGandhi took his British education in law, whichincluded a thorough study of Thoreau’s essay “CivilDisobedience,” and he began to ponder, along withother tenets, the life and teachings of Jesus as theyrelated to the oppressed people of India. Among hisstudents was a young Albanian nun, Sister Teresa. Shelistened as Gandhi developed his nonviolent resistancecampaign to free the oppressed masses at the bottom ofthe caste system. While her own work as Mother Teresamany years later did not take the same form, it was stillunmistakably centered in the dignity and worth of eachhuman being. Seeing Jesus and loving Jesus in the dyingpoor has made the House for the Dying a place of thesacramental life. Someone who once prayed incommunal prayer with Mother Teresa reported thatwhen asked if she wanted to close the windows to shutout the horrific noise from the street below, she replied,“No. It is for their sake that we are here.”

Bearing God’s imageOne summer my sister Pam and I climbed the steep

steps leading into the sanctuary of Sixteenth StreetBaptist Church in Birmingham where four young girlshad been killed in 1963. We sat in the pews to reflectand look around. The current pastor welcomed us andshowed us the old stained-glass picture of Jesus in thenave. A plain piece of glass had replaced the face of Jesusthat had been blown out by the bomb—the only part ofthe picture affected that terrible spring day. Instead ofreplacing the face of the white Jesus in the century-oldstained glass, the pastor pointed to the new stained glasswindow in the balcony, the depiction of a crucifiedblack Jesus. A gift from the people of Wales in themonths after the bombing, the window has a cornerpiece on which is written “. . . you did it to me.” Wordsof the Crucified One, they challenge all who read themto feed on nothing less than the words of life as theywalk the pilgrim’s way.The Gospel of John does not contain the eucharistic

pattern found in the Synoptic Gospels. Instead we findthe sacrament of servanthood expressed in Jesus’

washing of feet and the resulting call to love one anotheras Jesus has loved. Perhaps this image of foot-washing iswhat causes me to identify the “foot soldiers” of theCivil Rights movement with Jesus. The National VotingRights Museum in Selma, Alabama, is an unpretentiousbuilding not far from the famous Edmund PettusBridge. Inside there are rows upon rows of plaster ofParis molds of footprints, chronicling the feet of little-known people who claimed their identity as bearers ofGod’s image and offered their bodies—and some theirlives—for the sake of their own worth and that ofothers.When Oscar Romero was chosen Roman Catholic

archbishop of El Salvador, he seemed a safe choice tothose wanting to maintain the status quo. He was ascholar, a man who loved books and had shown noparticular interest in the social justice stirrings aroundhim. But his priests convinced him to allow Masses forthe poor—the Mass had become illegal in order to keeplarge groups of discontented people from gathering.Romero grew more and more resolute after some priestswere killed, opposing the mandates not to celebrateoutdoor Masses with the poor. He was shot in the backand killed as he celebrated an outdoor Mass one Sunday.At his funeral six days later, another massacre took placeas the mourners gathered. I wonder… do we stop toponder the suffering Christ intimately at work in theworld, working through his Church in such asacramental manner that the world cannot miss theconnection?

Bread of LifeA number of years ago, I was a visitor to Trinity

Cathedral, having brought a youth group to an eveningAdvent service. In front of me was a well-groomed manin an expensive overcoat. Down the side aisle, as thesermon was being preached, came a disheveled, poorlydressed man with an unsteady gait, smelling of wine.The man who “belonged there” opened his pew door toinvite the stranger in. He shared his Prayer Book, andwhen the offering plate was passed, the guest reached inhis pocket for a very crumpled dollar. The one familiarwith the setting invited the other to come tocommunion. Jesus fed me that night, of course, with hisbody and blood, but I have also been nourished all theseyears in remembering these two men. Was Jesus in theone who was the stranger? Or was Jesus in the one whooffered welcome? I believe I witnessed Jesus in both ofthem, as well as in their midst, binding them together.In front of me that night was nothing less than thebread of life, inviting me to be nourished and, then, tonourish others as well.

The sacramentof Jesus, or ...ThesacramentofJesus,or ...The gift of one’s self

7


“

By Alice Haynes

©Invictus99 / Dreamstime.com

“An important step in enriching our

understanding of sacrament is to see

Jesus himself, in his humanity, as

the first and original sacrament.”— Thomas Richstatter, O.S.F.

The Rev. Alice Haynes is vicar of St. Matthias’, Rock Hill.


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When I was 22 years old anda senior in college, I had

pretty much given up attendingchurch. I had begun my faithjourney in a congregation thatemphasized the preaching ofGod’s word and missionary work,but I never felt a sense of God’smystery—and I found myselfyearning for something more as Iwas beginning to mature in myfaith. It always seemed to me thatthe preacher and church eldershad God all figured out, but Iwas not making the connectionto God through the particulars ofthat faith expression.

God’s affirmationAnd then, one Sunday morning, I awoke with a

strong desire to go to church. I asked my roommate ifshe wanted to go with me, and she asked me where Iintended to go. I responded, “How about that Episcopalchurch where you interviewed for the daycare job? It’sjust up the road, isn’t it?”

“Have you ever been to an Episcopal church?” “Well, no, but how different could it be?” Of course, I was in for a (very pleasant) surprise

because, yes, the service was very different from anythingI had experienced previously, but at the same time I wasoverwhelmed with a special sense of having come home.The liturgy of the table spoke to me, connected me toGod in a way I had never experienced before. When thepriest put the small wafer in my hand and said, “TheBody of Christ,” I experienced a sense of God’saffirmation; I experienced God’s touch in the mystery ofbread and wine given to me by another human being.

The reality of GodThe Holy Eucharist and all of the sacraments are, in

fact, a way for God’s Holy Spirit to touch believers sothat we know the reality of God in body and soul. Acommon thread in the fabric of all sacramental action ishuman touch, evident in all seven sacraments, and, Ithink, the key to how the sacraments call forthtransformation of one’s life from within, as well astransformation in the life of the community.

At the heart of our sacramental theology there is a core belief—that we are a community. God came to usin the human form of Jesus, who, as a first-century rabbiin Palestine, prayed that his followers might be “one aswe are one” (John 17:22). When we come together incommunity the sacraments focus our hearts and minds

so that we are clear as to our purpose as followers of theChrist in this world. We continue in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles when we share the body andblood of Christ and when we gather to baptize a newsoul. Rather than placing emphasis on Holy Baptism asa cleansing from sin, Episcopalians see the sacrament asincorporation into the Body of Christ. We say to thenewly baptized who has just been lovingly taken to thefont, washed with water, touched and anointed with theoil of chrism, “We receive you into the household ofGod. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim hisresurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood”(BCP, p. 308). Baptism makes one part of the family.

God’s touchThe so-called lesser sacraments—Confirmation,

Ordination, Holy Martimony, Reconciliation of aPenitent, and Unction of the Sick—also incorporate thehuman touch that symbolizes God’s touch. When thebishop confirms, he or she lays hands on the head of thecandidate. Reconciliation of a Penitent provides for thepriest to lay a hand on the head of the one makingconfession. Unction provides for the laying on of handsand anointing with oil. Holy Matrimony is effectedwhen two people join hands and make promises to eachother, and ordination of a priest is accomplished whenthe bishop and all the presbyters present lay hands onthe ordinand while the bishop says: “Make him/her apriest in your church.”

In the hands of a loving GodIn today’s culture, it is easy to respond to the idea of

human touch in a jaded fashion. We too often hear of achild abused by a person of authority, or we learn of achurch staff member who has overstepped theboundaries described in “safe church” training. Toomany of us have a distorted sense of intimacy fueled by

negative personal experience or bythe media. And yet, how many of uslong to be held in the hands of aloving God? How many of us desirean intimate relationship with God,but cannot make that connection?

The Gospels point to a Jesus whowas not squeamish about touchingothers. In a culture where touchingthe dead made one unclean, Jesustouched the Widow of Nain’s sonand brought him back to life. Hetouched the blind man and gave himsight. He blessed the woman with aflow of blood through touch, and hetook Jairus’s daughter by the hand

and said to her “Little girl, get up!”There are saints who serve as models when we think

of human touch at the core of the sacraments. MotherTeresa of Calcutta, Catherine of Genoa, and, of course,Francis of Assisi all expressed their love for othersthrough human touch. For each of these saints, humantouch, both as a simple invitation to come into thefamily and as an expression of sacramental presence,reached across the boundaries of race, gender, and class,beyond fear and pride, affirming the human dignity ofthose who most needed to be reminded of theirhumanity.

To know and be knownThe sacraments—and regular practice of a

sacramental lifestyle—can help foster healing and theintimacy that so many of us seek. The little Episcopalchurch that I attended on a November morning 30 yearsago introduced me to the joy of coming to the table toshare bread and wine with others who wanted to knowand be known in the breaking of the bread. Later thatyear, I was confirmed in that church, and I havecontinued to experience the sacramental expression ofthe spiritual life that God brought me to through thatcommunity of believers.

On All Saints’ Sunday this year we baptized twobabies at my church. I say we because while I didn’tactually pour water on an infant’s head, I stood therewith the congregation and wholeheartedly welcomedthose children into our family—our community—and Ipromised to support them in their faith journey. Afterthe liturgy, I took a baby from his daddy’s arms and heldhim in my hands, making my commitment real. Humantouch. God’s touch. The sacraments remind us thatGod’s love is real and meant for our healing and blessing.

Ms. Janet Atkins is a member of St. James, Greenville &director of the St. James Center for Spiritual Development.

Coming home...

Sacrament and human touchComing home...

Sacrament and human touch

A common thread in the fabric of all sacramental action is human touch(photo: Roger Hutchison)

A common thread in the fabric of all sacramental action is human touch(photo: Roger Hutchison)

By Janet Atkins


Sacramental Wanderings

By Duncan C. Ely

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anythingthat is beautiful; for beauty is God’shandwriting—a wayside sacrament. Welcomeit in every fair face, in every fair sky, in everyfair flower, and thank God for it as a cup ofblessing.

—RalphWaldo Emerson

I have been thinking a lot about sacraments. They are importantto us as we live our lives as Christians, but often we only thinkabout them while we are participating in them in church.Understanding sacraments only in that context seems too narrow tobe helpful to me on a day-to-day basis. Merriam-Webster’sdefinition of sacrament as “a Christian rite that is held to be ameans of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality”or “something likened to a religious sacrament” opens up manymore possibilities. Understanding sacraments as visible forms ofGod’s grace takes them out of church and into my daily life. Or, asEmerson reminds us, “beauty is God’s handwriting—a waysidesacrament.”

Living in the country—being close to nature—has made memore aware of the presence of God. I see signs and symbols allaround me that point to God. As I write this, in the fall, the beautyof the autumnl foliage repeatedly awes me and makes me pause,whatever I am thinking, to thank God for the abundance of God’sgrace in my life. Other seasons have a similar effect: the stark beautyof winter and its allusion to death and anticipation of resurrection;the colorful images of spring and the promise of new life; and thelush loveliness of summer with its peace and warmth. Sacraments.

Having a varied group of family and friends—being close topeople from all backgrounds and walks of life—reminds me thatJesus is alive and active in my life and in the world. My wife Beth’slove and our sharing of our lives is the living out of the sacramentof marriage and a reflection of Christ’s love for us. My sons Pennand Peter and their friends surround me with images of a widerange of young people trying to bring about God’s kingdom. Myfriend Louise is one of those rare people who reflects God’s graceand peace in all she does and says, and being around her is awindow to God. Organizations to which I belong and the peoplein them remind me that we are the body of Christ ministering topeople locally, regionally, on the Gulf Coast, in Haiti, and in theMiddle East. Sacraments.

Creatures—tame and wild—are vivid reminders of God’screation of which we are a part. The groundhog who sat on hishaunches and watched me through the library window and the deerin our woods reflect the mysterious nature God and of the world inwhich we live. The birds around our house usually draw my eyesheavenward. Our dogs love us unconditionally. Sacraments.

If sacraments are signs and symbols that point to the God whois omnipresent and active in our lives, we don’t have to go to churchto experience them. We don’t have to look very hard or very longfor them at all.

Mr. Duncan C. Ely is a member of St. Philip’s, Greenville.

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W a n d e r i n g sGiving your heart away

Some thoughts on theBaptismal CovenantBy Sue von Rautenkranz

Living a sacramental life for me begins with our Baptismal Covenant and ultimately gives one achange of direction or focus. For the last 30 years the most rewarding part of ministry has been

walking with young people as they search, and doubt, and question, and struggle with what itmeans to be a person of faith. It has been a great privilege to walk this journey with them and topush and pull as they form their understandings. In this journey I have found a simple formula forunderstanding our Baptismal Covenant that can easily be remembered, though never easily livedout.

CredoThe first three questions of the covenant form what we know as the Apostles’ Creed, which itself

is a rather “heady” statement that for years caused me great struggles as I tried to know andunderstand just exactly what it meant. For too long I put the emphasis on the word believe—knowing and understanding. But then I heard another meaning—credo—that has to do with theheart. Thanks to a sermon which quoted Hans Küng and some further reading, I now hear thequestion, Do you believe in? as Will you give your heart away?

A unique perspectiveSo, this is where I begin. To what or to whom are we willing to give our hearts? This is the

beginning of a change of direction for our lives. If we are willing to give our hearts to God, we canrespond to the following questions from a unique perspective.

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and inthe prayers? This is all about being present in community and participating in the life ofthe community. And yes, very clearly answers the question of whether one can be aChristian on one’s own. That is just not a reality. So, will you show up?

Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to theLord? “Direction,” “focus,” and “purpose” are just some of the words that come to mindin thinking about this question. Accountability is a serious part of life for Christians.So, will you pay attention?

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? This question isall about the story—Christ’s story, the Church’s story, and our personal story—learning,internalizing, and being willing to share. So, will you tell the story?

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every humanbeing? The last two questions are placed together as they are about what it is we are tobe doing day in and day out—the basics of how we live and respond to all we encounter.So, will you do the work?

Chances are . . .Chances are that those who are not willing to do the work of a Christian have little or no

knowledge or understanding of the story. And those who do not know the story of the faith havefailed to pay attention. And those who have not paid attention have probably not been present. Andmore often than not, those who don’t show up are those who have not given their hearts.

Give your heart away—Show up—Pay attention—Tell the story—Do the work . . .So, have yougiven your heart away? And if so, to whom?

The Rev. Sue von Rautenkranz is diocesan canon for youth ministry and adeacon who serves at Trinity Cathedral, Columbia.

Sacrmnts.qxp:Crosswalk 12/17/08 1:49 PM Page 10

For those of us who love icons and spend time gazingat them, we liken them to a window into heaven or

a link between this world and the next. For the personwho paints, or writes, the icon, the process can besacramental. It is especially true for me when severalothers join me in making icons. These are the steps ofpreparation:

1. The room is tidied up in respectfulanticipation of the hour we gather.2. An icon is placed at the far end of the worktable. A candle is lit, and whatever flowers canbe gathered from the yard have been arrangedin a vase. The table becomes a humble altar.3. A place for each person is set with thesimplest requirements for painting: a paperplate for a palette, a few sections of papertowel, and a jar for water.4. The tools and paints are placed in thecenter of the table.5. I put on my apron and I wait.

The house is quiet, and I take time to be remindedof God’s presence. A place has been made. Anatmosphere set. It feels like church in my kitchen.

Preparation of the boardBefore paint touches the wooden panel, the board

must be prepared. This process takes many days andinvolves the application of successive layers of gessowith a dry wall trowel. Then each layer is sanded to asilky smooth finish after the layer of gesso has dried.Traditionally, a piece of cotton or linen is embedded inthe gesso, representing a veil separating us from theouter world and allowing us to go into the inner world.

This is an awkward and messy outdoor task and ismore akin to manual labor than to any artistic endeavor.It reminds me of the work of a Benedictine monk—basic, fundamental, and necessary. One can beprayerful; but the work does not feel sacramental.Perhaps it is analogous to making the bread and thewine for Eucharist.

Be present with your servantsAs the others arrive, we settle into our seats and pick

up a copy of our prayer, modified version of one fromThe Book of Common Prayer:

O God, whom saints and angels delight toworship in heaven: Be ever present with yourservants who seek through the writing of thisicon to perfect the praises offered by yourpeople on earth; and grant to them even nowglimpses of your beauty, and make themworthy at length to behold it unveiledforevermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

It is understood that we will be mostly silent. AsJoan Chittister, in The Rule of Benedict: Insight for theAges, writes: “The goal of monastic silence is notnontalking. The goal of monastic silence, and monasticspeech, is respect for others, a sense of place, a spirit ofpeace. The rule does not call for absolute silence; it callsfor thoughtful talk.”

Another kind of timeThe atmosphere of the morning is reverent. There is

no hurry. There are no deadlines. We will finish ouricons when they are finished. What began as a Lentenproject is finished up a month from Advent. It feels likea letting go, a giving up of the passage of time andentering into another kind of time.

We fill our jars with water, discuss the instructionsand begin our day’s communion with the icon. I seemto be pulled into my interior world.

We treat the tools with care and reverence—thebrushes, the ruling pen, the compass. As I consider thetools, I like to think of Benedict’s admonition for themonastery’s cellarer—“to regard all utensils of themonastery as sacred vessels of the altar.”

We begin by painting the less important areas of theicon—the background, then the fabric of the garmentsand the hair—and finally we paint the face. It is at thispoint that the icon ceases to be “it” as in, “Did you showit to your family?” and changes to “him” or “Gabriel,”as in, “Did you show him to your family?” The imagebecomes Gabriel. Iconographers are told that should wehave a problem with the painting process, that weshould pose the question to Gabriel or Mary or Jesus—to the one who is being depicted, and that we will beanswered. It is not unusual to find ourselves talking tothe icon—imploring, praising, even scolding andcomplaining. This former piece of board has beentransformed, even though it is not yet completed. It hasbecome precious and we care for it gingerly and lovingly.

CommunionSpecial attention is required to paint the face. There

is an excitement and an eagerness when we paint theface. As I apply the many layers of diluted paint to thecheeks and forehead and chin, the process reminds meof touching the face of a loved one. The icon hasbecome treasured and a relationship has formed. Theicon is no longer my icon or hers. It stands on its own.It has its own identity. There is a communionestablished, an intimate relationship.

Artists who paint portraits often find their subjectslooking back at them when they paint the eyes. Forthose of us who paint icons, this moment of paintingthe eyes is often awe-inspiring and mysterious. Jesuslooks back at me. The experience makes my heart beatfaster.

Glimpsing the divineFinally, adding the gold to make the halo is a joyful

moment. The sizing is carefully painted within thecircumscribed area. Then we wait an hour. Next thetissue-thin sheets of gold leaf are applied and burnishedcarefully with a soft brush. Our treasured icon is now inhis glory! As our babies are always beautiful to us, so areour icons. Such joy is felt as we take in the beauty ofeach icon. It is a personal and happy experience. It ismysterious to me how we can diligently, reverently, andlovingly place each successive stroke of paint to thegessoed wooden panel and, over time, find ourselvesgazing at what is beautiful, and sacred, witnesses toGod’s beauty, glimpsing the divine.

After the icon is sealed, we pray the prayer that istraditional when completing an icon:

You, O Lord, are the fulfillment andcompletion of all good things. Fill our soulswith joy and gladness, for You alone are theLove of all people. Let your grace sanctify anddwell within this icon, that it may edify andinspire those who gaze in their devotion andservice to you Amen.

Ms. Sue Zoole is a member of Church of the Advent,Spartanburg. Her icons can be viewed at Advent’s Parish LifeBuilding. She takes commissions for small and large icons andcan be contacted at [email protected] book she recommendsis Sacred Doorways: A Beginner’s Guide to Icons, byLinetteMartin (Brewster, Mass.: Paraclete Press, 2002).

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A glimpse of the kingdom . . .

Icon writing as sacramentThe iconographer’s first concern is not to make himself known but to proclaim God’s kingdom through his art. Iconsare meant to have a place in the sacred liturgy and are thus painted in accordance with the demands of the liturgy. Asdoes the liturgy itself, icons try to give us a glimpse of heaven.

—Henri J. M. Nouwen, Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons

By Sue Zoole


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[W]e are led byfaith both to live inthe world, fully fleshand blood in it, andat the same time to

be aware of theutter strangeness ofGod that waits in

the heart of what isfamiliar—as if theworld were always

on the edge of sometotal revolution,pregnant with adifferent kind oflife, and we werealways trying to

catch the blindingmomentary light of

its changing. That iswhat any icon setsout to embody and

transmit.—Rowan Williams,Ponder These Things:

Praying with Icons of the Virgin

“Gabriel,” as written by Sue Zoole

Adding the gold to make the halo is a joyful moment. . . .

Pamela Patterson (facing forward)and Jean Hamilton at the work table. Sue Zoole inscribes the icon border.


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By Philip H. Whitehead

In “An Outline of the Faith,” or catechism, in The Bookof Common Prayer, on page 857 sacraments are

defined as “outward and visible signs of inward andspiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain meansby which we receive that grace” (emphasis added ).

Bearing the sacredFrom Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic

theological perspectives the world created by God issacramental; that is, all created things may reveal andbear the sacred, the holy. Critics of sacramentaltheology say this is too broad a definition of thesacramental, allowing anything from foot-washing to the blessing of animals to bemoments of grace or epiphanic. TheArchbishop of Canterbury, the Most. Rev.Rowan Williams, in his On Christian Theology,sums up this criticism in these words: “asthough pieces of matter are just lying around tobe an epiphany of God.”

Meaning and empowermentWhile a broad sacramental theology may

imply a haphazard interpretation, that is not thecase. The emphasis is on signs, given by Christ,as sure and certain means that we receive thegrace of God. A sacramental universe is about areordering, a remolding, a reshaping of thewords and images we use, so that in one reality(a sign or symbol) we see another reality (thething signified). Augustine defined a sacramentas “a sign of a sacred thing.”

A sacramental world is a world created byGod, in which signs, symbols, language, thearts, and historic events may be vehicles of adifferent view of realty, a view that allows mystery,wonder, power, and revelation to be seen, felt, andreceived through the ordinary. People whose homes havebeen destroyed by fires tearfully speak of losing themementos and keepsakes that carried the memories,meaning, and stories of their lives. The Church believesthat in the life of Jesus his baptism, the bread-winelanguage in the Upper Room, his healing touch, his actof forgiveness on the cross, and the symbolism of water-into-wine at a wedding bear a meaning and anempowerment for our lives that would be lost if ordinarythings were not also bearers of the extraordinary.

Grace at high momentsThe history of theology and liturgy indicates that the

Church had difficulty agreeing upon exactly what our

Lord has given us as specific “means of grace.”Doubtless, the Church could have offered many moresacraments, but between 27 A.D. and 1150 A.D., sevensacraments emerged within the Church to offer thespecific grace of Christ at high moments in the lives ofthe faithful. Seven rites were established to give grace orblessing to the baptized; to the recipient of the HolyEucharist; to those making the vocational choices ofConfirmation, Holy Matrimony, or Ordination; tothose seeking healing in Reconciliation of a Penitent orin Unction, the imposition of holy oil for the sick andthe dying.

Let us define blessing as the grace of God given at aparticular moment in order for persons, symbols, andevents to fulfill their intended good purpose withinGod’s creation. To bless a couple at the time of theirmarriage is to invite God’s grace to be present in theirbonded union, that each person may find an enrichedand deepening expression of love, a companionship thatcarries them into their later years, and a fulfillingfriendship in which to share both the trials and theenjoyments of life. Children may be an important aspectof the relationship, but having children is a choice. Itdoes not make a marriage valid or give authenticity.

Holy Matrimony— A latecomerThere is historical evidence that some type of

marriage ritual was available in the Church circa 400

A.D. It was not considered a sacrament. It is not untilThe Sacraments and the Four Last Things by PeterLombard (ca. 1158) that marriage is discussed as apotential sacrament, and it was not declared an officialsacrament until the Council of Trent (1545–1563). Thatthe establishment of marriage as a sacrament came solate is related to the conviction of Augustine of Hippo(354–430) that sexual intercourse was always sinful:necessary for conception, but an occasion of lustfulpleasure. That which was so obviously sinful could notbe a means of grace.

Only when theologians and canonists came tounderstand that the Church does not marryanyone but rather pronounces the grace of Godupon (and offers a partnership of God with) thecouple in their consented union, did thinkingchange with regard to the marital relationship as asacrament. Interpersonal consent becomes thevehicle of grace, not the sexual aspect of the union.Be this as it may, there is still a wonder andmystery of sexuality that offers tenderness,pleasure, exhilaration, and playfulness in therelationship. Comprehending this aspect ofnatural human life raises the theological, moral,and social challenges of our day.

Intention and consentDo not be surprised that the Church does not

“marry” one person to another. The marriagesacrament takes place in the Church for holypurposes. The State legislature allows authorizedclergy to sign the license, but there is more goingon in the Liturgy of Marriage than a civicceremony. Persons are married to each other bytheir intention and consent. The couple comes tothe Church to have their consent blessed, bringingtheir covenanted (trusted) relationship to the altar

to receive grace from God to strengthen the union forthe realities ahead. Think of the traditional phrase“married in the eyes of God” as meaning that God seesand knows the truth of a couple’s consent and theintegrity of their relationship. The Church teaches thatGod desires through the dynamic of love to be a partnerin the marriage.

The marital union of the couple in heart, body, andmind is intended by God for the couple’s mutual joy; thehelp and comfort needed in the years ahead; theresponsible raising of children (conceived, adopted, orfostered); and the Christ-centered stewardship of theirpsychological, economic, political, and social lives as acouple and as members of a community.


Holy Matrimony—The “hhoott--bbuuttttoonn” sacrament

The wedding at Cana, Jesus’ first miracle, “the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee ” (John 2: 1–11)


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By Robert D. HawkinsThe perennially popular PBS series Upstairs,

Downstairs focused on the parallel worlds in wealthyBritish households, above and below stairs. Interrelatedand utterly dependent upon each other as these worldswere, no one before had sought to chronicle life behindthe baize door. Until Nicholas Temperley published TheMusic of the English Parish Church in 1979, the historyof English church music was presented only as thehistory of the cathedral music tradition. In each case, inbeing unaware of an equally viable world not in thepublic eye, one remained ignorant of life as experiencedby a great many people.

Parallel worlds exist as well in theological andecclesiastical studies, particularly in the Lutherancorpus. Mark Ellingsen’s 1979 Yale Universitydissertation, “Luther in Context,” significantlycontributes to our understanding of at least a portion ofLuther’s and Lutheran thought. Ellingsen notes:

[Luther’s] thought is context-dependent in the sense that heconsistently structured his remarksin relation to the particular concernhe had in view. The variety ofinterpretations has arisen becausethe different concerns Lutheraddressed led him to use diverseconceptuality for most doctrinalloci. Consequently, very distincttheological proposals can validlyclaim the Reformer as their sourceof inspiration.

Pastor, then reformerLuther’s parallel worlds include the many public

theological debates in which he was engaged, first withthe Roman Catholic hierarchy and later with more

radical reformers. Luther, however, was first and last aparish pastor. Ultimately, it was the impact of theviolent, theological upheavals on his and others’parishioners that prompted both his decided vitriol andhis most pastoral writings. While it is impossible in thespace allotted to treat thoroughly Luther’s, and moreimportantly, present-day Lutheran understanding of thesacraments, a few important signposts can be erected toguide the traveler with purpose into the Lutheransacramental world.

Sacraments & scriptural critiqueIt is folly to assume that life upstairs tells the whole

story of British social history; it is folly to assume thatThe Babylonian Captivity, Luther’s 1520 treatiseexamining the seven sacraments of the medievalChurch, explicates Lutheran sacramental theology. Thetreatise, which held that only Baptism, Eucharist, andPenance could even be considered sacraments at all, isvilified by some as evidence of Lutheranism’sabandonment of the Church’s sacramental mooring andchampioned by others who see it as the manifestofreeing the faithful from an archaic, institutionalChurch. It is neither. While intemperate, it launches ascriptural critique of the medieval Church’s sacramentaland liturgical tradition which scholars across the boardagree was long overdue. Questionable exegeticalmethods that had been used to justify the sevensacraments were debunked by Luther, the biblicalscholar. However, more vexing for Luther was a chaoticsystem which pitted sacrament against sacrament in abewildering jumble of liturgical texts and legalism.

God’s presence and actionEventually, the Lutheran confessional writings,

including Luther’s two catechisms, shift the emphasisfrom sacerdotally dispensed grace as a commodity

throughout one’s life to a pastoral discussion of the “useof the means of grace.” Sacraments are God’s embodiedpresence in the lives of the faithful as the way we areincorporated into Christ’s body the Church and thennurtured during this earthly pilgrimage. Relying onAugustine’s theological writings, the sacraments are“visible words,” the tangible, embodied presence of theliving Word, the Christ, “for us and for our salvation.”

It was scholastic theologian Peter Lombard whosettled on seven sacraments in the 12th century as theclearest way to address God’s comprehensive,sacramental embrace of life. Earlier, Augustine hadnumbered many more events as “sacraments,” revealinga more dynamic use of the term. However, Luther,appalled by the Church’s fixation on priestly authorityand power, coupled with the chaos of the liturgicalbooks themselves, retreated to a more circumscribedunderstanding and numbering primarily resting onGod’s presence and action within the Church ratherthan a mediating priesthood. Thus, Holy Baptism andHoly Communion are central, each bearing theAugustinian “material element,” “promissory Word ofgrace,” and “clear command of Christ,” alwaysundisputed in the Church, as the two “means of grace”with an unshakeable grounding in Scripture.

A healthy respectEven so, Lutheranism maintains a healthy respect for

the other sacraments, demoted, perhaps in name andrank, but not in their place in the life of the Church.Thus, Confirmation, or Affirmation of Baptism, holdsan important, even cultural, significance, at timesovershadowing Baptism. Holy Absolution (bothcorporate and private confession remain as rites)maintains a positive but ambiguous role betweensacrament and observance. It is intimately connected toBaptism. Ordered, or ordained, ministry, central and


[Editor’s note: In 2001, following some 30 years of dialogue, the Episcopal Church and the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America (ELCA) entered into a relationship of “full communion” on the basis of thedocument Called to Common Mission. The relationship is not a merger. Each church body is autonomousbut both have agreed to work together for joint mission and witness. According to the terms of Called toCommon Mission, clergy and laity may move freely between the two churches.

For more information on our full communion partnership, visit www.episcopalchurch.org (Partnerships Center/ Ecumenical Relations/ Full communion partners) and the ELCA Web site, www.elca.org.

In the photo at right, Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold receives the cup from ELCA Presiding Bishop H.George Anderson at the 2001 Episcopal–Lutheran celebration of full communion (National Cathedral photo).

The Lutheran Viewhow our full communionpartner sees the sacraments


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Saint Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church; parish,Gravatt Convocation; 471 West Martintown Road,North Augusta, South Carolina 29841;www.saintbart.org/; e-mail: [email protected] weekly attendance 250. Rector: The Rev. DavidF. O.Thompson.

Where: Saint Bartholomew’s is located in the City ofNorth Augusta, which is built along the Savannah River.The church is actually on the main street, which leadsdirectly into Augusta, Georgia. “Originally this area wasconsidered to be the ‘bedroom community’ for Augusta;however, in recent years it has started coming into itsown,” explains St. Bartholomew’s rector the Rev. DavidThompson. With a population of close to 25 thousandat present, the community expects to grow to 38 to 40thousand in the next ten years.

When: St. Bartholomew’s was established in 1951.It was founded by the diocese to be the Episcopalchurch in North Augusta. The church was plantedpartly in response to the construction of the SavannahRiver site. “Diocesan leaders knew that the city wouldgrow and they wanted to be prepared for the influx ofpeople,” says Thompson.

The first services were held in the Masonic Lodge.Later the diocese bought the property where St. Bart’snow stands, and the first church was built in 1952. Thiswas a wooden structure and not meant to be apermanent facility. In 1958 another church was built,and by 1994 a third was needed. The congregation hadoutgrown the existing structure, and, perhaps moreimportant, was particularly interested inaccommodating those with disabilities.

“About eight or ten years ago the city got permissionfrom the Corps of Engineers to start development alongwhat was once a flood zone near the river,” recallsThompson. Since the permission was given the city hasbeen diligently been planning the growth of NorthAugusta. It is expanding in all directions: toward Aiken,Edgefield, and along the Savannah River. Even with allthis growth, “St. Bartholomew’s is committed to staying

where it is. We are in the original suburbs, but now it ismore like the center of the town or closer to the centerof town,” Thompson explains. Sitting on about threeacres of land, St. Bartholomew’s is now in the process ofbuying another three acres next to their property so thatthey can expand. This land deal should be completed bythe end of the year.

“Our first goal is to obtain the land so that we canconsider expansion,” according to Thompson. “Onepossible long-term goal is to put a multipurposebuilding on the land.” Over the next year and a half St.Bartholomew’s will be conducting a land-use study,bringing in an expert to determine how best to use theland and place any new buildings.

What: All it takes is a look at their calendar and youcan see that St. Bartholomew’s is a very busy church.Three three styles of service are offered: Rite I, Rite II(traditional), and a contemporary service. This servicehas a worship band called Simple Gifts and the words tothe prayers and hymns are projected on a big screen.

St. Bartholomew’s has several programs that gobeyond the walls the church. Under the umbrella of theGolden Harvest food bank, the congregation is involvedwith an ecumenical soup kitchen. Once a month, St.Bartholomew’s provides the money for a meal and ateam of people to cook and serve it to the hungry inAugusta. The church also has its own “Brown Bag”ministry for seniors. For this ministry brown bags arefilled with nonperishable food items and distributed tosome 50 seniors who live in a low-income apartmentcomplex run by the federal government. St.Bartholomew’s is one of the original sites for thisprogram and is considered an official food pantry by theGolden Harvest food bank.

St. Bartholomew’s is a member of the CommunityMinistry of North Augusta. This ministry providesclothing, rent assistance, and help with utilities throughmoney made by running a thrift shop. Members of St.Bartholomew’s volunteer their time to work at the shop.Members also volunteer at the Center for Care andCounseling, a source of Christian-based counseling for

the Central Savannah River area, servinginside the center or outside the facility insupporting roles.

“We have a small–group ministry goingon called Monday 6:21, based on 1 Timothy6:21 ‘The grace of the Lord be always withyou.’ It meets at 6:21 on Monday mornings,”explains Thompson. “It is a group with thepurpose of encouraging fellowship, prayer,and Bible study.”

St. Bartholomew’s also has a strongStephen Ministry and a group called TheHealing Journey, which is a self-containedgroup for those facing long term illnesses.

In the fall St. Bartholomew’s wrapped upanother annual Pumpkin Patch, a project in

which several churches throughout the countryparticipate. This ministry sells pumpkins grown by theNavajo Indians. Most of the proceeds go back to theNavajos, with a small percentage going to the church.“This year we had about 1,000 students visit ourPumpkin Patch,” explained Thompson “It’s a greatministry in that it allows the Navajos to grow a cash cropand the church to raise funds and increase visibility inthe community.” St. Bartholomew’s also has a yearlybazaar that takes place in November. Along with all theoutreach St. Bartholomew’s has three choirs: an adultchoir, a children’s choir, and a bell choir.

“We are known throughout the community as achurch that is very open, a faith-filled community thatis welcoming and searching,” declares Thompson.Christian formation is strong. There are many offeringsfor adults. Children are introduced to “Kids ForChrist,” which is geared for three-year-olds throughchildren in the 4th grade. Under the direction of TerryLehi, the children in this program work with interactiveDVDs and have a lot of hands-on and center work. Forgrades 5 and 6, St. Bartholomew’s has a new andexciting media-driven “Tweens” program. John Bethellruns the church’s very active youth ministry.

Quote: The Rev. David F. O. Thompson: “We arenot afraid of reinventing ourselves and rediscoveringwho we are.”

Ms. Kimberley P. Higgins is a member of St. Paul’s, Batesburg. Photos are by Mr. John

Bethell, St. Bartholomew’s, North Augusta.

BODY P • A • R • T • SPAR ISH PROF ILE

St. Bartholomew’s, North AugustaWho:By: Kimberley P. Higgins


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The sacraments —continued from page 4

maintain connection by blessing adult converts. Over time, however, we came tobelieve that unconfirmed people were not full members of the Church. Our oldestparish registers do not even record baptized members who were not yet confirmed.Over time, however, we came to believe that unconfirmed people were not fullmembers of the Church. Our oldest parish registers do not even record baptizedmembers who were not yet confirmed.

In the 1979 revision of The Book of Common Prayer, the emphasis is on HolyBaptism as full initiation as a member of the Church. Confirmation affirms ourbaptismal vows and strengthens us for service. The outward sign of the laying on ofhands by the bishop is the means for an inward grace for life and service. And if wehave not yet caught on about the ministry of all the baptized, the rite of Confirmationsends us out unmistakably for apostolic action.

OrdinationThrough the rite of

Ordination some of thebaptized ministers of theChurch are set apart forministries of leadership andcare of the flock of God’speople—specifically toserve as bishops, priests,and deacons.In the very first church I

served as a Presbyterianminister, I ran into a deadlyheresy. Ephesians 4:11–12is translated badly in theKing James Version of the

Bible: Christ gave pastors to the Church “for the perfecting of the saints, for the workof the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” This translation reads like threeclauses all of which describe the work of pastors. The day came when my church boardsat me down and explained to me that they had hired me to do the work of theministry and to build up the church. It was a breaking point that drove me to the edgeof leaving the ministry.

The accurate translation teaches us that pastors are given “to equip God’s peoplefor the work of ministry for the building up of the body of Christ.” By the outwardsign of the laying on hands by bishops, a person is set apart for a specific ministry ofequipping, teaching, and leading all God’s people in their ministries.

Bishops are to be apostolic agents of Christ and chief pastors who “guard the faith,unity, and discipline of the whole Church” and ordain others. Priests are to lead, feed,and be with the flock in their lives and ministries. Deacons are to lead the people inservice in the world.

Holy MatrimonyIn The Book of Common

Prayer Holy Matrimony isdefined as “Christianmarriage, in which thewoman and man enter into alife-long union, make theirvows before God and theChurch, and receive thegrace and blessing of God tohelp them fulfill their vows”(p. 861).

Marriage appears inScripture as a creationordinance and gift of God. It

is a thread running throughout the entire Bible, with high spots and lows. In EdenGod declared: “It is not good for a person to be alone.” So God brought Adam andEve together. The Prophets and the New Testament writers make marriage a symbolof the relationship of God to the people of God. Jesus added to the joy of a weddingwith his first miracle at Cana.

What is the outward sign of this sacramental rite? The minister does not marry thecouple; they perform the wedding. The outward signs are spelled out in the PrayerBook: “Now that N. and N. have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, withthe joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring [or rings], I pronounce thatthey are husband and wife” ( p. 428). The clergyperson then blesses the marriage.

The inward grace is found in God’s intention to bless the union so that thepartners will bless each other, their children, and those around them. (See theextensive article on Holy Matrimony on page 12 of this Crosswalk.)

Reconciliation of a PenitentJust as a married

couple can’t leave hurtsuntended without harm,so we cannot leave ourmoral failures to festerwithout reconciliationwith God. Privatepersonal confession andthe General Confession inthe weekly service of HolyEucharist should meetthis need, but there is arite for private confessionwith a priest for cases thatresist resolution.

Here is what to expectif you seek this

sacramental grace. First priest and penitent talk. Are you being too hard on yourself?Is this really a sin? Can focused general confession and absolution not meet your need?

The outward sign of grace in private confession are intentional words touchingyour ears and your soul. You will name your sin. Then words of God’s grace will touchyour ears and soul: “The Lord has put away all your sins.”

Unction of the SickUnction is often misunderstood

as last rites. I once visited a man inthe hospital who was quite sick. Hewas not a regular churchgoer. I wasfully dressed in clericals—dark suit,black shirt with collar. I can’tdescribe how wide his eyes got whenI entered his room.

James 5:14 provides for theoutward sign of anointing with oilwith prayer for those who are sick“for the healing of spirit, mind, andbody.” Do anointing and prayers for

healing work? I believe that God heals. Jesus, whom we confess was God in the flesh,came healing. It was one of the sacramental signs of his ministry.

My first lesson in the healing of the sick was from Ellie Snyder. I was a youngPresbyterian minister. She had been diagnosed with a malignant tumor that showedup as a large mass on scans. Ellie called me to pray that she would be healed. Herstated motive was that her husband, Fred, had not yet come to God. “It is not timefor me yet,” she said. So I prayed. The cancer did not show up on the next scans. Thedoctors had no explanation. Fred became a believer and active part of the Church.


Photo: Robin Smith

Photo: Peggy Van Antwerp Hill

Photo: © iStockphoto.com/melhi

Photo: © iStockphoto.com/milansys


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Sacraments and Scripture—continued from page 6

Baptism in the early Church and in the modernOrthodox church is closely linked with Chrismation(and by evolution, Confirmation), which appears inScripture as the "laying on of hands." The Churchinitiates members by Holy Baptism, the spiritual birththat complements the physical birth, and Chrismation,the bestowing of the Holy Spirit onto the believer.

Scriptural evidence for the meaning of both of thesesacraments is abundant. Christ clearly states the need fora spiritual baptism, and Acts is full of demonstrations ofthese two sacraments in action. The New Testamentdistinguishes baptizing and laying on of hands (Hebrews6:2). It describes the people of Samaria as having beenbaptized but not yet having received the Holy Spirituntil Peter and John laid hands on them (Acts 8:14–17);and likewise the Ephesians until Paul laid hands onthem (Acts 19:5–6). Revelation says that locusts cannotharm those with the seal of God (chrismation or thelaying on of hands) on their foreheads (Revelation 9:4).Some additional scriptural references are Isaiah 44:3;Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28; John 14:16; Acts 2:4; Acts8:14–17; and Acts 19:3–6.

Holy MatrimonyIn Holy Matrimony a “man and a woman enter into

a lifelong union, make their vows before God and theChurch, and receive the grace and blessing of God tohelp them fulfill their vows” (BCP, p. 861). Its outwardand visible sign is a ring. Its inward and spiritual grace isthe vows and the assurance of God’s blessing. Marriageshould be a constant reminder of our sacred relationshipto Jesus Christ. Scripture is replete with references fromthe Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:24) on, and emphasizesthat marriage is honorable (Hebrews 13:4). Hebrewpriests could marry and have children (Leviticus21:10,13; Exodus 29:4–9; 1 Samuel 1:3). Jesusperformed his first miracle at a wedding in Cana (John2:1–11), and makes it clear that it is God rather thanhumans who joins a husband and wife (Matthew 19:6).The New Testament tells us that Peter was married(Matthew 8:14–15), and Paul implies that some of theother apostles were as well (1 Corinthians 9:5). Paul alsosays marriage is a mysterion or mystery (Ephesians5:31–32) and calls it the image of Christ and his Church

(Ephesians 5:22), which Revelation also implies (19:9).Some additional scriptural references are Mark10:11–12; Luke 16:18; and 1 Corinthians 7:10–16.

Reconciliation Reconciliation, also known as confession, is a

sacrament of forgiveness, healing, and renewal wherebyGod forgives sins after baptism. Any Episcopalian mayrequest this sacrament from a priest in private and inconfidence and receive assurance of God’s forgiveness.Its outward and visible sign is confession and absolution.Its inward and spiritual grace is healing, renewal, andright relationships with God and others. The OldTestament describes priests forgiving and atoning forsins (Leviticus 5:4–6, 19:21–22).

The Gospels emphasize that only God has the powerto forgive sins and exercises that power through people(Mark 2:7; Matthew 9:1–8). Jesus tells his disciples theyhave the authority to bind and loose (Matthew 18:18).Several New Testament passages point out that Jesusforgave sins as a human rather than as God to emphasizethat God has given the authority to prounounce God’sforgiveness to humans (Matthew 9:6; Mark 2:10; Luke5:24). Elders of the Church forgive sins in prayer overthe sick (James 5:15–16). Paul writes about God thereconciler giving humans the ministry of reconciliation(2 Corinthians 5:18). Jesus grants his apostles theauthority to forgive sins after he “breathes” on them(John 20:21–23). Interestingly, the only other instancein Scripture of God doing this is when God “breathes”divine life into Adam (Genesis 2:7), at which time atransformation occurs. The analogy should be clear.

UnctionUnction, or anointing, is a sacrament of physical

and/or spiritual healing for anyone who is sick or desiresspecial prayers. Its outward and visible sign is a crossmade on the forehead with oil. Its inward and spiritualgrace is physical and/or spiritual healing. The apostlesanoint the sick with oil and cure them (Mark 16:13),and elders are called to anoint the sick and pray overthem (James 5:14–15). Interestingly, even in theapostolic age not all of the sick were physically healed,because Paul himself suffered from some affliction ofwhich he was not cured (Galatians 4:13–14; 2 Timothy4:20).

Ordination is the sacrament through which “God givesauthority and the grace of the Holy Spirit to those beingmade bishops, priests, and deacons” (BCP, p. 861). Its outward and visible sign is not an item ofclothing such as a stole or a clerical collar but how theordained person lives out his or her order of ministry. Itsinward and spiritual grace is the power of the HolySpirit for the office and work of the particular order ofministry.

High priests, priests, and Levites appear prominentlyin the Old Testament as prefigures of bishops, priests,and deacons. The New Testament mentions bishops (1Timothy 3:1) and elders (1 Timothy 5:19–22; Titus 1:5;James 5:14–15). The role of deacons appears in Acts6:1–4, and a list of the first deacons and an account ofStephen’s martyrdom follow. Laying on of hands wasimportant to the early Church in setting people apart forministry, as in the example of the sending of Barnabasand Saul to do their work (Acts 13:2–3). Someadditional scriptural references are 1 Timothy 3:8–9 and4:14.

Episcopalians are a sacramental people. Liturgy,symbolism, and worship are important and meaningful.The sacraments are portals through which we can seeheaven and earth overlapping in our lives if we makethem part of our lives.

Mr. Duncan C. Ely is a member of St. Philip’s, Greenville.

The sacraments —continued from page 15

This kind of healing has happened only a few times in my 34 years of ministry—God acting for God’s own reasons. My impression from my pastoral experience is that, inmost cases, God expects us to face sickness and loss with Christian faith and grace. If our bodies are not healed in the way we might hope, then our souls and spirits canexperience the wholeness of God. The sick have taught me that this is a very real answer to prayer.

Sacramental livesThe sacraments and sacramental rites bring the love and grace of God into our lives and call for our response. The way God comes to us in the two Gospel sacraments is

extended in the five additional sacramental rites. And don’t be surprised if God should extend all seven and call for our lives to be sacramental for others. Be open to this as every day unfolds.

The Rev. James K. Workman is rector of St. Michael’s, Easley. This article is a shortened version of the “Sacraments” talk delivered at Cursillo #111 in October 2008.

Ordination


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Holy Matrimony—continued from page 12

New challengesThe challenges for Christian marriage change as

changes continue to occur in the social order. It is aChristian theological conviction that God, the HolySpirit, enters history in a variety of ways to change thesocial order. This is because God’s love and justice arenever fully realized in any age or historic period. Thisshould be obvious to anyone who is aware of the culturalmovement from ancient polygamy to faithfulmonogamous marriage, from a male-dominated societyto an age of growing independence for females, fromtaboos and negative attitudes toward sexuality to ahealthier appreciation of the richness of this aspect ofGod’s creation.

Currently, there is a concern in both the Church andsociety to understand the complexity of human sexualdevelopment and to confront the sins of sexism,homophobia, and all cultural acts or attitudes thatdegrade, demean, abuse, and harm others and ourselves.

“Indaba”The recent Lambeth Conference of Anglican

Bishops (July 16 –August 3, 2008, in Canterbury,England) was involved for 19 days in fervent prayer andserious discussion of the mission of the Church in aworld devastated by hunger, disease, war, terrorism, andnatural disasters. The conference set for itself the goal ofmeeting in “Indaba” groups—the Zulu word meaning“a gathering for purposeful discussion”—for listeningand addressing seriously the challenges the Church facesin living out the love of Christ toward one another

thoughout the world. Among the discussion questionswas this challenge: How do we listen to God and toothers with regard to the nature of human sexuality andthe nature of fulfilling, faithful relationships?

If the Church is going to be the community faithfulto the love of God in Christ, given the responsibility ofasking God’s special grace upon married couples, itcannot let society tell the Church what marriage is.Remember, God enters history to ultimately move thesocial order to love and justice. The Church mustcontinually be open to the Holy Spirit leading theChurch into a deeper, more profound, informedunderstanding of both sexual development and theinner psychological and spiritual dynamics ofrelationships.

The Rev. Dr. Philip H. Whitehead is a retired priest of the diocese.

Lutheran view —continued from page 13

indispensable in the life of the Church, finds its focus ina passionate engagement with the living Word asproclamation and sacrament rather than in apreoccupation with authority and jurisdiction. In fact,Lutheran reticence, even resistance, regarding theecclesiastical role of bishops exhibited during and afterthe joint dialogue leading to the document known asCalled to Common Mission is grounded in this shift offocus. Lutherans, on the whole, have been exceedinglyconservative regarding marriage and divorce. The LastRites, actually the rite of healing, at first was dismissedas logically inconsistent: why anoint for healing those

who are dying? It is the most recent “sacramental” to berecovered.

Gracious presenceLutherans, while often recalcitrant participants in

ecumenical conversations, nevertheless affirm thesacramentality of life and are recovering Luther’s ownlavish appreciation of God’s gracious presence in thelives of the faithful. While still conservative in ourcounting—Lutherans affirm only Holy Baptism andHoly Communion as sacraments—the 1997Sacramental Practice Statement of the ELCA, The Use ofthe Means of Grace, gives us language to address a lifeimbued with God’s presence, not as abstract theological

categories but as the always gracious embodiment of anactive God at work in and through the Church.

Sisters and brothers in faithAs Lutherans and Anglicans learn through trial and

error to live together as sisters and brothers in faith, wemust remember the difficulty of peering from onesacramental world into the other’s habitation. Languageand liturgical patterns at times may look and soundsimilar, at other points absolutely foreign. Anglicansthemselves know the chilling assessment of “absolutelynull and utterly void,” from the 1896 papal bullcondeming Anglican orders. Yet both our traditionsknow the necessity of the slow and laborious process ofecumenical understanding. Anglican priest A. G.Hebert’s citing of a Belgian cleric’s plea for thereestablishment of a weekly parish communion in theearly 20th century remains wise council:

It has been a long work; it has lastedeight years. He would be a simpleman who thought that he could gainfrom my people an activeparticipation in liturgical ceremoniessimply by announcing from the pulpiton a Sunday that in future this andthat will be done, because M. Le Curéwishes it, or even because the Popewishes it. There is a whole mentalityto be transformed: negatively, bydemolition of prejudices, andpositively, by reconstruction.

God grant us all the patience, perseverance, and good humor to stay in the conversation!

Dr. Robert D. Hawkins is Leonora G. McClurg Professor of Worship and Music at Lutheran

Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia.

In October of this year,Bishop Hendersonparticipated in theinstallation of the Rev.Dr. Herman R. Yoos IIIas ELCA bishop in theSouth Carolina Synod.Bishop Yoos is SouthCarolina’s first Lutheranbishop chosen sincethe Episcopal Churchand the ELCA enteredinto "full communion"and therefore the state’sfirst Lutheran bishop tohave had Episcopalhands laid upon himduring the installation.Bishop Henderson’shand is uppermost, atleft. (Photo: Courtesy of SC Synod, ELCA)



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Around the Diocese—continued from page 2

Mr. Ellison, “a mentor in the faith to many,” washonored for his tireless commitment to a multitude ofministries within the Church and the community. Ms.McCrory was hailed by Bishop Henderson as one “nevercontent to accept things as they are,” an “idealist” and“pioneer” who has long “sought to break both barriersand glass ceilings . . . utilizing her gifts inside andoutside the community to work for biblical justice andpeace.” Ms. Williams was recognized for her steadfast

commitment to our diocesan ministry in Haiti, whereshe founded, and continues to develop, The ArtisanCenter, which teaches skills, nurtures creativity, andprovides employment to people of the Central Plateau.

Recognizing the honorees, Bishop Hendersonpresented each with a sculpted glass Jerusalem crossmade by Shannon Norris of Fireworx Glass Studio,Candler, NC. Although the crosses were sculptedfollowing a single design, each was individually made, sothat it is, like its recipient, unique.

Diocesan Executive Councillaunches Bishop’s Legacy Fund

At the Celebration Dinner onFriday, October, 17, following thebusiness of the 86th DiocesanConvention, Diocesan ExecutiveCouncil (DEC) called for thecreation of the Bishop’s Legacy Fundto honor Bishop Henderson’sministry among us and secure the

future of the diocesan Healthy Church Initiativelaunched in 2006.

The Bishop’s Legacy Fund provides an opportunityfor individual Upper South Carolinians to honor ourbishop by helping to build an endowment that willnurture and support congregational development in thediocese in the years to come. The fund will enable UpperSC churches to continue the work they have begununder the Healthy Church Initiative—to dream, plan,grow, and reach out, adding new programs, erecting newfacilities, and launching new initiatives that would nototherwise be possible.

The goal is to have 2,600 Partners in the Bishop’sLegacy Fund, that is, 10% of the total membership ofthe diocese, who pledge an amount from $25.00 to$100.00 per month over a 36-month period.

In announcing the fund, DEC president the Rev.Fletcher Montgomery cited the “dignity, faithfulness,and uncompromising commitment to Christ’s mission”with which Bishop Henderson serves the diocese andexpressed “heartfelt affirmation of our bishop’s beliefthat ‘the congregation is the frontline of the Church’ andthe key to the health of the diocese.”

More information on the Legacy Fund will beavailable at www.edusc.org/Leadership.

New Gravatt chapel awaitsconsecration

Gravatt’s new, free-standing Chapel of theTransfiguration, built to replace the chapel that burnedwith Cullum Hall in 2003, is ready for action. Designedby John Powell of LTC & Associates and constructed byPizzuti Builders, the chapel will be consecrated byBishop Henderson on Februrary 16. Gravatt continuesto seek donations to help with completion of the chapel.Chairs can be dedicated for $250 each and funds areneeded for landscaping and construction of a labyrinth.To make a donation, visit www.bishopgravatt.org orcontact executive director Lauri Yeargin 803.648.1817,[email protected].

Partnership Cange Symposiumhighlights ministry in Haiti,launches Bread & WaterCampaignBy Jeanne Keane

On October 11, people from throughout the diocesegathered at Holy Trinity, Clemson, to learn more aboutUpper South Carolina’s ministry in Haiti, with its manysuccesses and current urgent needs.

Ms. Gillaine Warne, who has worked with theagriculture program since its inception, described theprogram’s development from a small hillside plot whereshe taught terracing, irrigation, composting, andpropagation to the current huge farming operationgeared to producing food medication products,including the peanut-based mixture Nourimanba,

which has saved so many starving children, andNourimil, a food supplement made from rice or cornand beans.

The Family Assistance Program is changing lives byteaching families how to develop their own gardens.Agents trained in Cange take on ten families each, withfree seeds, citrus and mango tree seedlings, garden tools,and a goat. These families then share with others seeds,plants, produce, and eventually a baby goat. It is a joyfor them to have something to share.

Bread & WaterSymposium participants also learned about the Bread

and Water Campaign, a $1+ million-dollar diocesan-wide campaign to support urgent needs in the Cangearea, including the restoration of the original watersystem built by members of our diocese in 1984.

Dr. Harry Morse said that medical teams from thisdiocese to Haiti had long concluded that the greatestboon to improving health in Cange had been bringingclean water to the mountaintop village. The originalwater system, built to serve some 800 people, is nowtrying to serve more than 8,000 and is on the point ofcollapse. This would leave the hospital and villagers withonly one week’s supply of water. An entire new system iscrucial and is needed immediately.

The hospital in Cange and clinics in outlying villagesserved more than two million patients last year. Thecurrent Bread and Water Campaign is necessary, notbecause we have failed, but because we have done sowell.

Bread & Water funds will also be used to help builda learning center which will include animal husbandry,reforestation, poultry and rabbit raising, fiberglass andcharcoal manufacture, cottage industries, music, art andsummer camps for children.

Ms. Jeanne Keane is a member ofTrinity Cathedral, Columbia

All Saints’, Beech Island,dedicates new pipe organBy John Paul

On November 8 Bishop Henderson dedicated thenewly installed pipe organ during Evening Prayer at AllSaints’ Church in Beech Island to the praise and glory ofGod. The organ was presented to the bishop by the theRev. Charlotte Waldrop, vicar, Mr. John Paul, seniorwarden, and Mr. Ralph Newman, junior warden.

The church was filled with members and friends forthe service who were then treated to an organrecital by All Saints’ organist Mr. Everett Summerall.

To make a donation to theBread & Water Campaign,visit www.edusc.org/Cange

and click “Make a donation” orcontact Julie Price at DiocesanHouse, 803.771.7800, ext. 23.

Bishop Henderson with the recipients of the Bishop’s Cross,James Ellison, Jacquelyn Williams and Sarah McCrory


19


Around the Diocese—continued from previous page

.Guest soloist was baritone Mr. Don Dupee, organist anddirector of music at Saint Thaddeus’, Aiken. Followingthe service and recital, a light supper reception was heldin honor of Bishop Henderson and musicians.

Few churches the size of All Saints’ are fortunateenough to have such a magnificent pipe organ. Itsacquisition was complex. The organ was built in the mid1930s by WicksOrgan Co. for the University ofVermont chapel. It was later replaced by an electricorgan and the Wicks organ was put in storage. Aprofessor at the university then acquired it and had it inhis home for some 25 years. Through diligent efforts ofmembers of the congregation, All Saints’ was able topurchase it. After the organ was disassembled inVermont, it was transported to Beech Island and then toMichael Procia Organbuilders in Bowdon, Georgia, whocleaned, restored, reassembled, voiced, and installed it.Now in its permanent home, it provides spectacularmusic for a very appreciative congregation.

Mr. John Paul is a member of All Saints’, Beech Island.

Good Shepherd, Columbia,erects, blesses new spireBy James F. Lyon IV

On October 29, the people ofthe Church of the Good Shepherd,Columbia, realized their goal ofreplacing the spire that had beenremoved 12 years earlier. Thepresent parish church was built in1901, and the effects of time andthe elements had severely degradedthe structural integrity of the

original spire, requiring its removal. After 12 years ofcareful planning and a successful capital funds campaigndesigned by the Rev. Canon George I. Chassey, Jr., thefabrication of the new spire was commissioned. A NorthCarolina firm with expertise in reproducing historicspire designs received the commission and worked fromthe design plans of the original spire.

A Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated onNovember 2, All Saints’ Sunday, with Canon Chassey asthe homilist. The Rev. Dr. James F. Lyon IV is rector of Good Shepherd, Columbia.

Commission on Congregationshosts mission congregations'gatheringBy Rilla Holmes

In September, 47 leaders from 10 of the 17 missioncongregations in Upper South Carolina gathered at AllSaints’, Clinton, for the first-ever Conference forMission Congregations sponsored by the Commissionon Congregations.

The idea for this conference was born out of one ofthose conversations that begin something like, “Youknow what would be really helpful…” The Commissionon Congregations wanted this conference to give theleadership of mission congregations an opportunity tomeet each other and to meet commission members aswell. By becoming real people to one another instead ofnames on a piece of paper somewhere, we could lookforward to building trust and solid workingrelationships.

Identifying core valuesThe day began with coffee and introductions and

moved quickly on to talk about what exactly was the BigIdea behind this thing anyway. In examining ways for acongregation to gain clarity on its vocational identity, welooked at two successful examples of missioncongregations developing and implementing theirvocational identities. One had participated in thediocesan Healthy Church Initiative, and another whohad used the process of Appreciative Inquiry. Both hadidentified their core values. Both had named those issuesand ideas most important to them as a community. Bothhad centered their identities on those values, issues, andideas. Both examples gave everyone there lots to takehome and think about.

After examining these two examples, each groupexamined its own story. Some focus questions andguided discussion helped lead discussion and story intoidentity and goals. In their stories, people were able toname those ideas, issues, and values which helped todevelop their own identity statements and action plans.

At lunch small groups were created to giveindividuals from different communities an opportunityto compare and contrast their many and varioussituations and circumstances. The opportunity to meetand network with counterparts from around the diocesewas uplifting and encouraging.

Not surprisingly everyone felt energized and excitedabout their new goals and ideas. But as too many of usknow, one round of great exercise is not life-changing orlife-saving. To encourage these successes, theCommission on Congregations introduced a tooldesigned to help congregations track their progress, altera strategic plan to meet new circumstances whennecessary, and, most importantly, to help congregationsremain accountable to themselves, to their plans, and tothe diocese.

Staying focused, taking stockThis tool provides a brief and simple format for

congregations to report quarterly on the life of themission and its progress toward living into and out of itsideals and mission goals as well as what issues it may befacing and how the diocese can help. Having thesequarterly reports will provide a real paper trail forcongregations to follow, particularly when the timecomes to look back and take stock.

The form, which was approved by DiocesanExecutive Council, is meant to serve the congregationsfor whom it was made. First and immediately, thisquarterly report opens a channel of communication.Next, these collective reports will provide futuregenerations of mission committees, officers, and clergy acoherent and cohesive narrative of the life and mindsetof the community from this point forward. The hope ofthe Commission on Congregations is that this formoffers mission congregations a way to draw attention toand celebrate the good things happening among them.It’s also hoped that, if need be, these reports offer a wayto head off any trouble that may be on the horizon bynaming it early on and asking for help in dealing with it.Finally, and most importantly, this form is meant tosupport mission congregations by keeping them focusedon their mission goals, thus helping them grow moreand more fully into their vocational identities.

As people were gathering their belongings andwalking out at the end of the day, I heard many saythings like, “This was exactly what we have needed foryears!” As we were planning this conference, theCommission on Congregations were hopeful that wecould convince the attendees to continue to meetannually. They set us straight by requesting quarterlygatherings instead of annual ones.

The Rev. Rilla Holmes is a priest of the diocese whoserved most recently as vicar of Trinity, Abbeville.

From the Bishop’s Desk—continued from page 2

Be mindful, however, that I am not leavingtomorrow, so don’t start saying “goodbye” to me quiteyet. We still have much work to do, if, indeed, ourfocus is to remain on Christ’s mission and if we are tohave that seamless transition from one bishop to thenext that we have discussed for the past year and more.Most of our congregations are involved in the HealthyChurch Initiative process, but some have yet to begin.Significant progress has been made in the developmentof Christian Formation programs, but we have notprovided our communities with such programs “at every

site where we have an altar and a pulpit”—which is oneof our goals. Many have responded enthusiastically tothe challenge to change our world in keeping withGod’s call to meet the needs of any who are oppressedin any of oppression’s dark manifestations; and even inthis time of economic recession our stewardship can andshould be improved to meet Christian standards. Andwhile numbers are not the only gauge for measuringspiritual health, it’s apparent that our passion for soulsis not adequately driving our evangelical zeal.

“One Body” with “One Mission”, which mission is“Changing Lives” in the Name and as the Body of JesusChrist remains my commitment. During the monthsahead, I covet your continued and ever increasing

prayers and our mutual involvement in thatcommitment.

With gratitude to our Triune God and to you for ourministry together, which is indeed a blessing to me, Iremain

Faithfully yours in our Lord,

Upper South Carolina VII


Christmas 2008

Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina1115 Marion StreetColumbia, South Carolina 29201

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Permit No. 848Columbia, SC

Diocesancalendar

CrosswalkThe official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina

Feb1

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. . . Earth's crammed

with heaven,

And every common bush

afire with God;

But only he who sees,

takes off his shoes——

The rest sit round it and

pluck blackberries. . . .

—Elizabeth Barrett Browning, from“Aurora Leigh,” Book vii

Diocesan House closed

Bishop’s Interview & Discernment Committee,All Saints’, Clinton

Reedy River clericus, Redeemer, Greenville

Commission on Anglican Communion and International Concerns, Diocesan House

School for Ministry classes begin

Bishop’s visitation to Trinity, Abbeville

Commission on Convocations, Diocesan HouseCommission on MInistry, Diocesan House

Diocesan Day of Prayer for Peace, Nation, and WorldBishop’s visitation to Ascension, SenecaReedy River Convocation, Reedemer, Greenville

Piedmont Convocation residency

Commission on the Ministry of the Baptized, All Saints’, Clinton

Bishop’s visitation to St. Timothy’s, Columbia

Vocare #4, Bethelwoods Camp and Conference Center

Ordinations to the diaconate, St. Mary’s, Columbia

Bishop’s visitation to Church of the Cross, Columbia


DEC Executive Committee, Diocesan House

DYLTC, Camp Bob, Kanuga

ECW Convention, St. Francis, Chapin

Pre-Lentern Clergy Retreat, Kanuga

Cursillo #112, Gravatt

Bishop’s vistiation to St. Bartholomew’s, North AugustaMidlands Convocation, St. Mary’s, Columbia

Consecration of Chapel of the Transfiguration, Gravatt

Bishop’s vistiation to St. Thaddeus’, Aiken

Ash Wednesday

Leadership Follow-up Day, Heathwood Hall


ECW Board retreat, Gravatt

DEC, All Saints’, Clinton

Bishop’s visitation to St. Michael’s & All Angels’, Columbia

Spring House of Bishops, Kanuga

Happening #61, Gravatt

Bishop’s visitation to St. Peter’s, Great Falls

Commission on Convocations, Diocesan House

Diocesan continuing education day

Bishop’s visitation to St. Michael’s, Easley

DEADLINE for next issue of Crosswalk: February 15. Send submissions to [email protected] Send photos to [email protected] Send items for the calendar to [email protected] Photo: ©Gvision 1 Dreamstime.com


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202008