Holiness” of the Church and Its Role As a “Means of Grace,” Chapter Three Examines Three Ways That the Church “Nurtures Holiness” in Its Members (104)
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One in Christ Chapter 3: The Saints Below After briefly discussing the “holiness” of the church and its role as a “means of grace,” chapter three examines three ways that the church “nurtures holiness” in its members (104). The following commentary will discuss these three ways primarily from a Methodist perspective which is both historical and contemporary. Sacrament and Rites First, it points out that both Catholics and Methodists understand the sacraments (or “rites” of the church as Methodists refer to five of them) as giving the grace needed to grow in holiness. This is especially illustrated in the reception of the Eucharist. While acknowledging “certain differences in belief,” they “affirm together that ongoing participation at the Eucharist renews the faithful for mission and holy living” (107). While Vatican Council II called the Eucharist the “source and summit of the Christian life,” the writings and publications of John Wesley and the numerous Eucharistic hymns of his brother, Charles, also give it special prominence. For example, in his short treatise, The Means of Grace, communion is listed as one of the six primary means of grace. Moreover, it has been estimated that Wesley received communion himself twice a week on average. In addition, Wesley also reprinted a treatise entitled, The Duty of Constant Communion, which not only recommended frequent communion but also refuted various objections to the practice. Finally, historians have referred to the Methodist movement in England in the 1700s as both an “evangelical” and “sacramental” renewal. Unfortunately, these sacramental understandings were largely lost or ignored in early American Methodism due to the shortage of preachers and the challenge of evangelizing the country as it moved westward. Yet, the “liturgical movement” of the past hundred years has moved present-day Methodism in a more liturgical and sacramental direction including, in some churches, the practice of weekly communion! Another example of how the sacraments or rites give the grace needed to grow in holiness is found in both marriage and ordination. While it is the rule for Catholic weddings and ordination to include communion, Methodists are also moving in that direction. For example, Methodist ordinations often not only include the liturgy of the word and the ordination itself but also the liturgy of the Eucharist. Moreover, the most recently revised (U. S.) Methodist hymnal strongly suggests that communion be a part of every wedding (and funeral). Finally, several supplemental worship books (i.e, United Methodist Book of Worship, Handbook of the Christian Year, and At the Lord’s Table) include specific “Great Thanksgiving” or Eucharistic prayers for these occasions. Finally, the report cites a closeness on how both traditions view penance, reconciliation, and the confession of sins. Although sacramental confession has never been part of the Methodist tradition, John Wesley and his contemporaries took the confession of sin very seriously. For example, Wesley himself frequently used the “examination of conscience.” Moreover, Wesley instituted the weekly “band meeting” for either all men or all women in which they would answer a number of required questions such as “What sins have you committed since we last met” and “What temptations have you had?” In addition, they made a commitment to receive correction and advice from the other group members. Wesley based the band meeting on the admonition in James chapter five: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.” More recently, Methodist laity and clergy have been encouraged to be in “Covenant Discipleship Groups” or some type of small group that helps its members be accountable to others. Although Methodist worship books do not currently have a “Reconciliation of a Penitent” liturgy, a pastor could easily adapt one from other Protestant denominations such as the Episcopal or Lutheran churches that contain it. Personal and Public Devotions The second way that Catholics and Methodists seek to live out the “universal call to holiness” is through various devotions. These include individual reading of Scripture, group Bible study, liturgical prayer, retreats, and fasting. To be sure, in recent years, both traditions have seen an explosion of group Bible studies such as the Disciple Bible Study (Methodist). While Catholics have been accustomed to praying the liturgy of the hours for centuries, Methodism also contains elements of this type of prayer. For example, Wesley’s journal makes frequent mention of morning and evening prayer in the Anglican tradition. Again, our recent American Methodist hymnal contains liturgies for both morning and evening prayer. Holy Dying. Finally, the report points out how both Catholics and Methodist see the importance of a “good death” as a witness to the Gospel. Both traditions offer prayer, Scripture reading, and communion to the dying person as a way to help them face the end of life. Conclusion To sum up, while the report lists some further “Areas for Continued Dialogue” such as the veneration of images, Marian devotion, and Eucharistic adoration, it is clearly evident that both traditions see growth in holiness occurring through their respective church’s sacraments and rites, personal and public devotions, and pastoral ministry at the time of death. Thus, this report wonderfully confirms what Catholics and Methodists discovered at their very first meeting after the Second Vatican Council: the most unifying or common aspect in both traditions was the emphasis on holiness! The Saints Below: A Methodist Perspective Introduction The very first gathering of the RCC-WMC International Theological Commission just after VC II discovered that the most unifying aspect between the two communions was their common emphasis on holiness. Now, fifty years later, their joint report has been exclusively devoted to that topic! Chapter Three, entitled, “The Saints Below,” examines three ways in which the church “nurtures holiness” in its members namely through sacraments and rites, devotional life, and ministry at the time of death. Despite its relatively short existence (1739-present), Methodists are able to show convergence in these areas because of two significant factors: early Wesleyan emphases and a more recent, renewed interest in spirituality. John Wesley: Frequent Communion and Weekly Confession of Sins Early Methodist practice reveals a close convergence with Catholic understandings of the Eucharist and penance. First, Wesley was insistent on the frequent reception of communion. For example, it is estimated that Wesley himself received communion twice a week on the average. Of course, as an Anglican priest (in a mostly traveling ministry) in good standing, he could also preside at the Sunday Eucharistic liturgy if asked. Moreover, Wesley published a short treatise entitled, The Means of Grace, which mentioned communion as one of the six primary means of grace. (footnote) In addition, Wesley reprinted, The Duty of Constant Communion, which urged frequent reception of the sacrament and refuted various objections to the practice. (footnote) Finally, John’s brother, Charles, wrote numerous Eucharistic hymns such as “O Thou Who This Mysterious Bread,” “Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast,” and “O the Depth of Love Divine,” which speak unambiguously of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. To sum up, Methodist historians have referred to the Methodist movement as both an “evangelical” and “sacramental” revival. Unfortunately, the sacramental understandings were largely lost or deliberately ignored in early American Methodism (from the 1770s onward) due to the shortage of preachers and the challenge of evangelizing the country as it moved westward. Yet, the “liturgical movement” of the past hundred years has moved present-day Methodism in a more liturgical and sacramental direction including, in some local churches, the practice of weekly communion! Second, Wesley strongly emphasized the need to be accountable for one’s actions and to confess one’s sins to others. For example, numerous entries in his diary indicated that he used (either all men or all women) in which the members would answer a number of required questions such as “What sins have you committed since we last met” and “What temptations have you had?” In addition, each member had to be willing to receive admonishment or encouragement from the other members. Although early Methodism required attendance at the week class meeting (see below), band membership was voluntary and the total number of bands was much smaller. Wesley based the band meeting from the passage in James chapter five: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.” It should come as no surprise, then, that this practice (and others) caused Wesley to be called a “papist!” Finally, Wesley also instituted the weekly class meeting in 1742 which served as a catechumenate but also included an element of accountability since each member was asked, “How is it with your soul?” Early Methodism also imposed a rather strong penance: members who walked disorderly (a favorite phrase of early Methodists) and did not attend class meeting were often excluded from the community; they could be readmitted if repentance followed. Renewed Interest in Spirituality The second reason for this close convergence between Methodists and Catholics has occurred because of renewed Methodist emphasis on spiritual disciplines. This is illustrated in the increased number of materials for both personal and group Bible study and reflection. In addition The Upper Room (published now for over seventy-five years!), other daily devotions include Disciplines: 2020 (which is published annually), Advent and Lenten devotional booklets, and Advent and Lenten lectionary study books. Moreover, over thirty years ago, the United Methodist Church (hereafter, UMC), started an “Academy for Spiritual Formation” which has trained spiritual directors and helped numerous laity deepen their walk with Christ. Again, in an effort to combat Biblical illiteracy, the UMC developed Disciple Bible studies which now cover the entire Bible in thirty-four week courses.