The Nature of Things

"The land produced vegetation:  plants bearing seed after their own kind and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." 

I just finished a dazzling and dizzying work by Eastern Orthodox reformer, Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World.  Ever since I first felt the divine nudge to study Eastern Orthodox theology I have enjoyed the works of Schmemann and this work was not disappointing. Schmemann's main interest was in Eastern Orthodox liturgy and the reverse reflection of liturgy giving meaning to theological concepts rather than theology giving meaning to liturgical concepts. 

As good Baptists we celebrated communion on the first Sunday of the month (as we know the apostles did and with mini wafers and miniature wine goblets as chasers). I continue to struggle in how I represent this wonderful concept to my church family. It is easy to simply opt for the Zwinglian commemorative definition. We remember the death of Christ like we remember our monthly cable bill is due. My intent here is not to trivialize but to distinguish. I can't live without my cable ; - ).  

It does beg the question of whether I can live without communion (the Eucharist) and in even calling for the question reveals how little I and honestly, most of the church understand about this divine sacrament/ordinance. 

I could go up one more tier to the Calvinistic/Reformed position where Christ is somehow mystically present but it still doesn't press into the reality and necessity of participating in such a glorious act. 

Alexander, being Orthodox, holds to a transubstantiation position where the elements become the literal body and blood of Jesus. But I have misspoken and he would force me to reread his work if he were sitting next to me. Theology does not inform liturgy but liturgy informs theology. His point:  it is a divine mystery that is connected to the very nature, the true nature of things. And this language of mystery and worship (liturgy) is what defines the act and gives definitions to our feeble attempts with words. 

The bread, from the grain of the earth, reflects the divine Eucharist or Thanksgiving for which it was originally designed. It was to be used to bless man and produce thanksgiving from the lips of man. 

The wine or grape juice, the fruit of the vine, reflects the Eucharist for which it was designed. To bless and produce thanksgiving. 

The true nature of all things was to bless and produce worship. And from this position of liturgy, things, both human and non-human, find their point of reference and meaning. 

It is in the divine mystery of symbol that we are connected to the Creator, the person of Jesus. In my hand I hold the bread of Life that represents the blessing of God to man and my Thanksgiving for such a blessing. It is the idea that not only the bread and the wine have been restored to their true reality and nature but that through the love of Christ, I have too. 

In my hand...this little square piece of often stale cracker and this little bit of juice represents a fully restored creation - declared and anticipated in its future reality through the willing sacrifice of the Son of God. 

Now that's better than cable television.