Wisdom 11:22-12:2
II Thessalonians 1:11-2:2
Luke 19:1-10
And therefore thou chastisest them that err, by little and little: and admonishest them, and speakest to them, concerning the things wherein they offend: that leaving their wickedness, they may believe in thee, O Lord.
Wisdom 12:1-2
Yayas see everything. Everything. One of the things I was taught in Orthodoxy was “if you miss a liturgy for a month, you have excommunicated yourself and must go to Confession.” It makes logical sense. Once, I missed liturgy for three years. Then, feeling homesick, I was standing, one Sunday in the line to kiss the cross at the local greek Parish. The nice woman in front of me said “it’s nice to see you back, why do you not take communion?” YaYas see everything, you understand. And I told her I was sort of a “Lapsed Orthodox” just here for praying and she laughed. As I kissed the Cross and Father Chris’ hand YaYa said, “He says he’s an exorthodox, Father. Tell him there’s no such thing.” Father Chris called me later that week and said, “I expect to see you at the Chalice on Sunday.” And I said, “What time is Confession?” He said, “In time, when you’re ready. Come to the Chalice.”
Among some Orthodox there is a tendency to stay away from Communion because “I’m not good enough”. There is, of course, little within the Church’s teaching to back that up: when is anyone ever “good enough”? In fact, the whole point of Communion is to give us bread for the journey, strength for the road. That’s why it’s called Viaticum: “via” goes “cum” with, or “on the road with”. Father Chris knew what the Church knows: healing comes from communion. It doesn’t precede it. To have Christ on the road with you is a requirement, not a reward.
Our scripture readings make that clear. In the book of Wisdom, we see God holding off judgement and whispering advice in love to move away from sin. In Thessalonians, Paul knows he’s got a church filled with sinners: he’s praying for them to grow into the fullness of their vocation. (Wherefore also we pray always for you: That our God would make you worthy of his vocation and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness. II Thessalonians 1:11) That means they are not there yet. Paul is loving them forward into God’s grace.
But most bigly (double plus bigly? we’re going to need training in this new English) dig God’s grace in the Gospel: Jesus coming to the household of Zaccheus before he converts, before he claims faith, before he repents – he just wanted to look a minute. And Jesus yells up, Zacheus, make haste and come down: for this day I must abide in thy house. (Luke 19:5) Jesus brings him into Table Fellowship and because of that there are miracles. Some of my Orthodox friends would point out here that Jesus responded to Zaccheus desire to seem him by self-revelation yet notice: Jesus was surely on the way there already. Z only heard he was coming and so then climbed a tree. Jesus is always ready to respond because he’s always there, like Yayas. We have a synergy here, in our salvation, but God is always the leader in our dance. All creation responds to God’s prevenient Grace.
Some of my more-progressive, Protestant friends make of such texts arguments for Open Communion (for everyone, even the non-baptised). I’m not willing to toss out 2000 years of Christian tradition as if we finally figured it out now. That’s simply Chronological Arrogance. Yet the point of our fellowship, of our embracing the stranger is to use that embrace to draw the stranger into sojourning with us, and from thence to full, Fellow-Citizen in the Kingdom. We can’t do that if we want to wait until “them” is pure enough to become, at least, half-way like us. We need to go out and get ’em while they’re not and draw them in by prayer, by love, and by hospitality, like Jesus or your Yaya.
Doxos 