Source: Lighthouse Trails
Many Christians believe that the Christian tradition of communion is the same as the Catholic tradition of the Eucharist. But this is not so. The Eucharist (i.e., Transubstantiation ) is a Catholic term for communion when the bread and the wine supposedly become the very body and blood of Jesus Christ; thus when taken the partaker is said to experience the presence of Jesus. These transformed elements are placed in what is called a monstrance and can then be worshipped as if worshipping Jesus Himself. The implications are tied in with salvation. With the Eucharist, salvation becomes sacramental (participation in a ritual) as opposed to justification by faith in Christ alone. While this mystical experience called the Eucharist is a form of idolatry (as well as the very heart of Catholicism), there appears to be an increase of interest by evangelical Christians towards this practice.
In Roger Oakland's vital book, Another Jesus?: The Eucharistic Christ and the New Evangelization, he explains that the Catholic church leadership, concerned because of apathy for the Eucharist within the Catholic ranks, is hoping to "rekindle the amazement" of the Eucharist through what is called their "new evangelization program." With a two-fold purpose - to keep present Catholics and to bring evangelicals into the Catholic church - church leadership hopes to enliven the Eucharist. By saying "rekindle the amazement," they mean bring out the mystical, supernatural element of the Eucharist.
Acceptance of the Eucharist by evangelical Christians has been simmering in the background for some time. Chuck Colson's Evangelicals and Catholics Together document played a significant role with desensitizing believers into finding common ground with Catholicism. Rick Warren has openly shown, time and again, his affinity to joining Catholicism and evangelicalism together. But as we have succinctly pointed out in our other works, it is mysticism that unites all the world's religious traditions. In that mystical realm that is achieved through contemplative prayer, it is taught that God is in all things, and God is all things. To those who traditionally haven't had much ritual in their lives (i.e., Protestants) the ambiance of the Mass would have great appeal because of it's religious novelty - thus the interest in the Eucharist by those evangelicals who promote contemplative. And for most Catholics, the Mass (where the Eucharist is presented), in and of itself, is not a mystical experience, but if you add the contemplative as a draw, one actually does enter the mystical realm. On the surface this phenomenon seems complex, but when you look underneath it makes perfect sense. Within the contemplative prayer realm you actually are getting in touch with a spiritual power or force. Combining the tradition of the Eucharist, which appeals to many raised in the Catholic church, with the relatively recent explosion of contemplative practice, the Catholic church sees this as a way to recover its robust state it had in previous decades.
The Eucharistic Adoration (worshipping the sacraments) is expected of all Catholics, and church leadership says it is "anathema" not to believe the elements are actually transformed into the body and blood of Christ. While such a belief contradicts biblical Christianity, a growing number of popular evangelicals (especially those who promote contemplative) seem to find no offense in such a doctrine. With the increased acceptance of mysticism within evangelical circles, it only makes sense that many evangelical Christians find nothing wrong with the Eucharist. Such acceptance, however, is neutralizing former evangelical resistance to all things Catholic. An example of this is the 2005 Calvary Chapel pastors conference when Pastor Jon Courson presented communion in a Eucharistic-style, suggesting that communion is more than a remembrance. One pastor who was there, told us that about 80 of the pastors got up and walked out when this happened. The pastor said some of these stood on the sidewalk outside, pointing at the building and crying out, "Heresy."
Examples of implementing the Eucharist within evangelicalism are increasing daily. As explained in Roger Oakland's article, THE EMERGENCE OF THE EUCHARIST IN THE EMERGING CHURCH, Episcopal churches are incorporating the Eucharist service with the music of rock band U2 calling them U2-charist services. Oakland explains:
I find this example of Vintage Christianity very interesting in light of what is called the New Evangelization Program. This is the program initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to win the world to the Eucharistic Christ.... [T]he Emerging Church vintage worship campaign is now sending out "evangelists" who are introducing post-moderns that are hungry for experience to the Eucharistic experience.
In Roger Oakland's article "The Emerging Church: Revival or Return to Darkness," Oakland has shown the connection between the Eucharist and other forms of worship. Robert Webber, of Ancient-Future Worship, is becoming a popular author in Christian colleges and seminaries, yet Webber believes that the rediscovery of the Eucharist is vital today. Oakland states: [W]hen I hear about "rediscovering the central nature of the table of the Lord in the Lord's supper, breaking of bread, communion and Eucharist" I am reminded about the "new evangelization" program that is presently underway. Did you know Pope John Paul II called for a "missionary vision" centered on "a rekindling of amazement focused on the Eucharist" to bring the world to the Eucharistic Jesus?
United Methodist, Keith Howard McIlwain, believes that incorporating the Eucharist is essential to what he refers to as the renewal of the church:
[T]he faithful administration of the Eucharist is a certain key to renewal in the Church.... If The United Methodist Church and its smaller partners are to experience renewal, we must also allow the Holy Spirit proper place in worship, ministry, and pastoral care. Done with theological integrity, this must be done by re-examining the Eucharist ...Then, and only then, will we be able to once again effectively lead the way to transformation for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Today, mysticism is taking the world by storm. The Eucharist will help to make this happen by providing a vehicle through which the contemplative can ride. Let us not be caught unaware but heed the words of the apostle Paul when he said:
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14)
*Note: When we first posted this article, we said that Chuck Smith Jr wrote the foreword to Jon Courson's book, Application Commentary. We have since removed this statement because we learned that Chuck Smith Sr wrote the foreword. Many of the bookstore databases, such as this one, list Smith Jr. as the author of the foreword. This is incorrect, and we have contacted the publisher of the book (Thomas Nelson).
This article or excerpt was posted on November 4, 2006@ 1:35 am .
From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com
Category: * Eucharistic Adoration
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