Come to the Table: a reflection on the practice of open communion at saint benedict’s table by Jamie Howison, published under our own saint benedict’s table imprint.

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hroughout its 2,000-year history, and in most of its forms and expressions, the Christian church has built its common life on the twin pillars of baptism and communion.

From ancient times, participation in communion was understood as a sacrament of redemption in Christ and of participation in his Body. It was a privilege and responsibility extended only to those who have first been initiated through baptism.

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This is the slightly expanded version of the sermon preached on June 15, when we marked the feast of St Bendict. Now, we need to confess that June 15 is not actually Benedict’s feast day, which in fact falls on July 11. However, given that the Sunday nearest that July date will find any number of people away on vacation or out at the Folk Festival, it seemed to be wise to make the date transfer. Hey, the date in the old liturgical calendar was in March, so even the July date marks a transfer… besides, such things of ritual and ceremonial are there to serve the people of God, and not the other way around.

At the conclusion of his influential book After Virtue, the philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre offers the following observation regarding the times in which we live:

“What matters at this stage is the construction of local forms of community within which civility and the intellectual and moral life can be sustained through the new dark ages which are already upon us… We are waiting… for another – doubtless very different – St Benedict.”

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Our own Lola Eidse is again getting ready to embark on a new mission – and a new chapter of life – in Uganda. Sadly, though, due to an injury to her foot which will take a couple of months of healing, her plan to leave at the end of June have to be put on hold.   Happily, she has now received the approval of her doctor to travel, and is booked to leave on August 2.

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hen Bishop Don Phillips was with our community to mark with us the Day of Pentecost, he spoke of Easter Day as being the birth of the church and Pentecost as being its “deployment;” the day on which the young church was unleashed and commissioned to carry – to embody – the good news “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

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