SANCTUS

This morning Heather and I preached at a local Anglican church, episcopalian in America. What a blast ! I have never been a part of a high service before so to see Heather at the altar proclaiming the exhortation with the altar boys and all was wonderful. There were bells and chimes, wine and bread, readings, decree's and then me giving a fiery sermon. It was about 5 minutes in that I realized everybody was standing up, at first I thought it was because they were so moved by my preaching but it was simply because I had not directed them to sit. I bet they would have stood for the full half-hour ! Both Heather and I partook of the sacraments, in different ways. When it came time for communion I joined the Rev. and received the body and blood. I wonder when the last soldier in full uniform knelt beside a bishop to receive communion, it was a prophetic act to me that felt like unity. Unity is far too rare within denominations these days and I have no intention of offending a whole denomination over a cracker. I know that there are some serious dogmatic issues but, in that one moment, love for Christ's bride was more important than my "prophetic stance" of non-sacramentalism. The bride, his Church, is a mess, She is torn apart and divided, all because of details and a Game of who's right and who's wrong. Heather does not partake of the sacraments, but I caught her secretly having communion. She slipped off after the service down to the dining room and shared some grits and eggs with a homeless guy named Billy. Jesus was most definitely present in those grits. A salvationist communion.