"One" - Lenten Reflection for March 12

Reading the second chapter of Tarry Awhile, titled "One," I could relate to Dr. Selina Stone’s story of getting ready for church in the morning. My mother had to get four children ready, including herself. She would often get us children washed and brushed, dressed and then sat us on the couch and told us to be quiet and sit still. My sister and I would do as we were told but the brothers would start with one putting a leg on the other’s “side of the couch,’ then someone got elbowed and the next thing they were throwing punches and rolling on the floor. I, as the oldest, would try pulling them apart, but those boys were definitely not being quiet. Then Mom showed up and in a loud voice said, “What is going on here?” The boys would be rumpled, shirts untucked and a shoe lost somewhere. Meanwhile, she would look at me in exasperation and my sister, who was sitting on the couch looking as pristine as when mom sat her there. Mom would put us all back to together and get us out the door and into the car. Dad invariably would say, “What took you so long?” Mom would give Dad a look and, as Dr. Stone writes there were a “few argumentative drives to the house of the Lord."

But Dr. Stones' experience in church was far different from mine. She went to a church where the people greeted each other with hugs and conversation, with laughter and shouts of Amen during worship. In my church we entered in silence, kneeled in our pew, said a prayer and then sat in silence until the service started. We might greet someone with a nod of the head and a smile, maybe a whispered hello. It was quiet. I felt a reverence there in that space, a quiet spirituality, just as Dr. Stone felt the spirit move throughout her church.

In my teen years, some of the young people in the church set up a folk mass with guitars, tambourines, and music I had never heard in church before, and to that rock ‘n roll loving teenager that music was a revelation. I loved it. And in later years my church offered a Native American service officiated by a Native Episcopal priest who lead the service in a combination of English and Lakota language. A drum circle with Native singers provided music for the service and of course there was a feast afterwards. It was a wonderful experience. 

All of these different services are the ways that we share in the worship of our God, to bring in the Spirit and share this in community together. We become one with Jesus. As Dr. Stone writes, "Jesus was with God from the beginning and then he took on the human body to become one with the people. This oneness makes us connected to God to the God who loves us no matter how we worship."

Jesus gave us the Last Supper, telling his disciples to continue to do this after he was gone. And today all over the world people join in this ceremony. When we join in the Eucharist we become one with God and with each other. We take in the blessed bread and wine that is the blood and body of Christ and he becomes one with us. The many types of churches or services that we attend may be different, the people are all different, the prayers and the music may change, but the one constant is the Eucharist. We all share in the Eucharist which reminds us of our connectedness to each other and to Jesus - a Eucharistic solidarity as Copeland calls it. As Dr. Stone writes we are all joined together with the saints who have gone before us, the people who stand with us in the moment and around the world, and those who will come after us.

No matter how you get to church, for all the parents and grandparents who struggle to get little ones ready for church, or if you just get yourself there - remember we are all a part of the Spirit. God loves us, he gave his son who gave us the final communal meal. All are welcome at his table.

Let us tarry awhile to reflect on the spirituality of the Holy Communion, and the oneness with Jesus and our fellow peoples of all faiths.

What is your understanding of Holy Communion? Do you feel the oneness with Jesus?

Bonnie Wanglie is a member and certified preacher at Trinity Episcopal Church, Hermantown.