What Communion Means For UUs
Homily by Rev. Garbielle Parks
Today we will celebrate our annual Flower Communion, a beloved tradition in most UU congregations. The person who started this ritual was the Czech Unitarian minister Norbert Çapek. However, Çapek deliberately did not call it a “communion.” His idea had been to create a ritual that would take the place of the traditional Christian communion, which he did not like a whole lot. He called his new ceremony a “flower celebration.” Many UU’s have a similar dislike of the communion ritual because it brings back memories of many restrictions and anxieties connected with the sharing of Christ’s body. This ambivalence about communion seems to run parallel to our ambivalence about our Christian roots. What is communion? Most of our Christian neighbors celebrate it every week, some once a month.
Historically speaking, the sharing of bread and wine in a community pre-dates Jesus, and predates Christianity. It has its roots in the Jewish ritual of the Passover Seder: a shared meal, with a historical and spiritual connotation. The readings during the meal retell the shared history of the Jewish people and their relationship with Yahweh. So in one respect, communion is simply an ancient ritual of a shared meal, nothing more and nothing less. As important for many people as Thanksgiving, here in America, or the equivalent – the Christmas Day meal in Germany. But clearly -- communion means companionship in community; people are together and share a meal.
By the way, did you know that the word companion literally means "with bread?" Therefore, to break bread together is a metaphor for friendship!
According to the gospel stories of the New Testament, Jesus participated in such a Passover meal on the day before he was crucified. The gospels also record that Jesus charged his disciples to have a meal together in his memory. Let me read the passage to you, from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verse 19 and 20: "Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
Based on this account, most Christians regularly celebrate communion; it is in a way a ritualized re-enactment of the last Passover meal that Jesus had with his followers before his death. Jesus broke bread --- and this bread plays an important part in the communion ritual; the degree of importance differs within different Christian religions. In some faith traditions, people believe that the bread becomes the actual body of Christ, in others it is seen as both bread and body at the same time. Yet other denominations believe that the bread remains bread, but serves as a symbol of the connection of all Christians through Jesus Christ
Unitarian and Universalist Churches all used to celebrate communion, and some still do today; the probably most well-known example is Kings Chapel in Boston. How it is interpreted and what it means to the congregants depends on the individual congregation.
Let’s take a closer look at the history of communion among Unitarians and Universalists, because it has parallels with the larger history of Communion in American Protestantism: In early colonial times (the 1600s) the Puritans of New England hesitated to take communion because they felt they were not worthy. They feared that they could go to hell for doing so. One historian reports that while hundreds might belong to a parish by virtue of baptism, “when communion day occurred, a mere handful lingered in the meeting-house to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.” Even today Quakers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Salvation Army practitioners and probably many others do not practice communion. The earliest Universalists came from a variety of denominational backgrounds. Thus they had a variety of views about communion already in colonial times. In 1790 the Universalists agreed that communion was not mandatory. And if a minister could not officiate at communion as a matter of conscience, and the congregation wanted communion, they should invite a neighboring minister for the day, or have a lay member lead that service. In 1832, over on the Unitarian side of town, the Rev. Ralph Waldo Emerson preached a sermon to explain why he would no longer officiate at communion. He argued that Jesus had never intended for this event to be repeated. What Jesus wanted to be repeated -- according to Emerson -- were the practices of a virtuous life, not the practices of liturgical forms. But Emerson failed to convince the majority of his congregation, and eventually he had to leave the ministry. Through the 1800s, Unitarian and Universalist congregations practiced a variety of communion rites... and in both groups, these practices were controversial – they were adopted by some congregations, and rejected by others. Throughout the centuries, Unitarians and Universalists raised a variety of objections to the practice of communion: It was too orthodox; it was outmoded; it “reeked of cannibalism.” Similarly, the emphasis on self-sacrifice was critiqued as a means by which the powerful control the weak, because in a way it is glorifying “Christ-like” long-suffering. To some, communion embodied all these decidedly human flaws. By the 1940s, the practice had really faded in most Unitarian and Universalist congregations. In 1964, the two denominations had merged, and they created a shared hymnbook with no suggested communion liturgy whatsoever.
In the 1970s a group called the Congregation of Abraxas brought a fresh approach to ritual practices. The Rev. Stephan Papa – who will a guest speaker here in September – was one of the founding members of this group. They created a number of modern liturgies. In the introduction to the chapter on communion, they write: “In communion, for liberals, gratefulness for nature’s bounty is made manifest, to be sure, but it is also a liturgy of consecration to social issues; it is an affirmation of the communion of the common flesh and blood that unites us all.” In 1993, the UU Ministers Association published “The Communion Book” with 66 different rituals -- from comparatively “traditional” services to yarn, rice cake, and maple syrup communion (not all of them together . . .). Most of these rituals have in common three stages: thanksgiving for what we have, telling the story of how the ritual came into being, or telling the story in a way that highlights its meaning; and recommitment to putting the gifts we share to good use.
One of my colleagues wrote: “Rituals are symbols in motion.” I really like that! We need symbols in order to name and deal with similar objects and circumstances. Symbols greatly facilitate communication. Those rituals that adapt, or change, with different circumstances or different people are the most persistent ones. All UU Communions use different symbols of connection: By breaking bread together, we are sharing sustenance; by drinking water that comes from the same pitcher, we take in the element that nourishes all life, symbolically and literally. By bringing and pouring water into a common bowl, we symbolize our coming together after having been apart; by bringing and taking a flower as we do today, we symbolize sharing as a sign of friendship
I believe that that’s what communion means to us UU’s: an expression of our shared life of faith. The act of communion connects us with the beloved community; there is intense immediacy as we sit surrounded by friends; at the same time, we can experience the transcending power of life.
Communion takes you out of your head and into direct awareness of the beloved community around you. And since we UU’s live far too much in our heads, we sure can benefit from rituals that get us onto a different level, into a different way of experiencing our spiritual self.
I’d suggest we do it more often!
Today we will celebrate our annual Flower Communion, a beloved tradition in most UU congregations. The person who started this ritual was the Czech Unitarian minister Norbert Çapek. However, Çapek deliberately did not call it a “communion.” His idea had been to create a ritual that would take the place of the traditional Christian communion, which he did not like a whole lot. He called his new ceremony a “flower celebration.” Many UU’s have a similar dislike of the communion ritual because it brings back memories of many restrictions and anxieties connected with the sharing of Christ’s body. This ambivalence about communion seems to run parallel to our ambivalence about our Christian roots. What is communion? Most of our Christian neighbors celebrate it every week, some once a month.
Historically speaking, the sharing of bread and wine in a community pre-dates Jesus, and predates Christianity. It has its roots in the Jewish ritual of the Passover Seder: a shared meal, with a historical and spiritual connotation. The readings during the meal retell the shared history of the Jewish people and their relationship with Yahweh. So in one respect, communion is simply an ancient ritual of a shared meal, nothing more and nothing less. As important for many people as Thanksgiving, here in America, or the equivalent – the Christmas Day meal in Germany. But clearly -- communion means companionship in community; people are together and share a meal.
By the way, did you know that the word companion literally means "with bread?" Therefore, to break bread together is a metaphor for friendship!
According to the gospel stories of the New Testament, Jesus participated in such a Passover meal on the day before he was crucified. The gospels also record that Jesus charged his disciples to have a meal together in his memory. Let me read the passage to you, from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verse 19 and 20: "Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
Based on this account, most Christians regularly celebrate communion; it is in a way a ritualized re-enactment of the last Passover meal that Jesus had with his followers before his death. Jesus broke bread --- and this bread plays an important part in the communion ritual; the degree of importance differs within different Christian religions. In some faith traditions, people believe that the bread becomes the actual body of Christ, in others it is seen as both bread and body at the same time. Yet other denominations believe that the bread remains bread, but serves as a symbol of the connection of all Christians through Jesus Christ
Unitarian and Universalist Churches all used to celebrate communion, and some still do today; the probably most well-known example is Kings Chapel in Boston. How it is interpreted and what it means to the congregants depends on the individual congregation.
Let’s take a closer look at the history of communion among Unitarians and Universalists, because it has parallels with the larger history of Communion in American Protestantism: In early colonial times (the 1600s) the Puritans of New England hesitated to take communion because they felt they were not worthy. They feared that they could go to hell for doing so. One historian reports that while hundreds might belong to a parish by virtue of baptism, “when communion day occurred, a mere handful lingered in the meeting-house to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.” Even today Quakers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Salvation Army practitioners and probably many others do not practice communion. The earliest Universalists came from a variety of denominational backgrounds. Thus they had a variety of views about communion already in colonial times. In 1790 the Universalists agreed that communion was not mandatory. And if a minister could not officiate at communion as a matter of conscience, and the congregation wanted communion, they should invite a neighboring minister for the day, or have a lay member lead that service. In 1832, over on the Unitarian side of town, the Rev. Ralph Waldo Emerson preached a sermon to explain why he would no longer officiate at communion. He argued that Jesus had never intended for this event to be repeated. What Jesus wanted to be repeated -- according to Emerson -- were the practices of a virtuous life, not the practices of liturgical forms. But Emerson failed to convince the majority of his congregation, and eventually he had to leave the ministry. Through the 1800s, Unitarian and Universalist congregations practiced a variety of communion rites... and in both groups, these practices were controversial – they were adopted by some congregations, and rejected by others. Throughout the centuries, Unitarians and Universalists raised a variety of objections to the practice of communion: It was too orthodox; it was outmoded; it “reeked of cannibalism.” Similarly, the emphasis on self-sacrifice was critiqued as a means by which the powerful control the weak, because in a way it is glorifying “Christ-like” long-suffering. To some, communion embodied all these decidedly human flaws. By the 1940s, the practice had really faded in most Unitarian and Universalist congregations. In 1964, the two denominations had merged, and they created a shared hymnbook with no suggested communion liturgy whatsoever.
In the 1970s a group called the Congregation of Abraxas brought a fresh approach to ritual practices. The Rev. Stephan Papa – who will a guest speaker here in September – was one of the founding members of this group. They created a number of modern liturgies. In the introduction to the chapter on communion, they write: “In communion, for liberals, gratefulness for nature’s bounty is made manifest, to be sure, but it is also a liturgy of consecration to social issues; it is an affirmation of the communion of the common flesh and blood that unites us all.” In 1993, the UU Ministers Association published “The Communion Book” with 66 different rituals -- from comparatively “traditional” services to yarn, rice cake, and maple syrup communion (not all of them together . . .). Most of these rituals have in common three stages: thanksgiving for what we have, telling the story of how the ritual came into being, or telling the story in a way that highlights its meaning; and recommitment to putting the gifts we share to good use.
One of my colleagues wrote: “Rituals are symbols in motion.” I really like that! We need symbols in order to name and deal with similar objects and circumstances. Symbols greatly facilitate communication. Those rituals that adapt, or change, with different circumstances or different people are the most persistent ones. All UU Communions use different symbols of connection: By breaking bread together, we are sharing sustenance; by drinking water that comes from the same pitcher, we take in the element that nourishes all life, symbolically and literally. By bringing and pouring water into a common bowl, we symbolize our coming together after having been apart; by bringing and taking a flower as we do today, we symbolize sharing as a sign of friendship
I believe that that’s what communion means to us UU’s: an expression of our shared life of faith. The act of communion connects us with the beloved community; there is intense immediacy as we sit surrounded by friends; at the same time, we can experience the transcending power of life.
Communion takes you out of your head and into direct awareness of the beloved community around you. And since we UU’s live far too much in our heads, we sure can benefit from rituals that get us onto a different level, into a different way of experiencing our spiritual self.
I’d suggest we do it more often!
posted by marylandgis at
9:11 PM
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