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Update 41 pages 14-16.
In Update 41:
Burning Boats?
CW Baptism
For infants?
Not out of mind
Baptism & Unity
Praxis Pack
What is Baptism?
Initiation initiatives
New initiatives in Christian Initiation
Simon Vibert, Orthos Books No. 17 - summary and review by John Hartley
This 36-page booklet, published at £3 by the Fellowship of Word and Spirit (www.st-james.org.uk) was sent to us by Colin Randall, a member of MORIB. I was delighted to see that its central topic, the admission of children to Holy Communion, was recognized as having implications for the doctrine of baptism as applied to infants, and we are therefore devoting some space to summarising the views expressed as well as reviewing it.
The book consists of two sections: a sermon entitled “a Biblical Theology of Holy Communion”, and an essay examining three General Synod Reports and responding to them. There is then a “synthesis of these two sections into a coherent approach to the subject.”
A biblical theology of Holy Communion
This sermon look at three passages of scripture. Exodus 12:1-16 (the passover) is examined in its own right and as pointing forward to Christ’s death; Luke 22:1-22 (the last supper) is explored as one sacrifice, one memorial, and one of two sacraments; and six directions of attention (look back, up, in, around, forward, and outward) are taken from 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 to summarise the bible’s teaching. As a bridge to the next section (but I guess not as a conclusion to his sermon), Simon introduces two questions: who is eligible to receive the Lord’s Supper, and how may we best prepare for Holy Communion in the life of the church?
New initiatives in Christian Initiation
This section examines the three main GS documents on the topic.
Communion before Confirmation (1985) began from the basis of the ‘Ely’ Report’s conclusion that “baptism is a complete sacrament of initiation and should provide a sufficient basis for admitting children to communion prior to confirmation’, and drew the inevitable conclusion. Simon examines the basis for paedobaptism being a complete entry rite, and rejects the proof-texting which CBC uses for this argument. He prefers a covenantal understanding of baptism, which leads him to conclude that for infants the gift of the Spirit is not inevitably linked to water baptism, which requires subsequent ratification (in Confirmation).
Children in the Way (1988) was not specifically concerned with children and communion, but was an analysis of the impact of changes in family life and education on their involvement in the church. The report took a further step back from the covenantal approach to church membership, considering a ‘school’ model (but we want disciple-making not just education), a ‘family’ model (but this is inward- looking), and settling on a ‘pilgrim’ model. The report observes four styles (or stages) of faith through which the pilgrimage journey may lead: experienced (imitation and observing), affiliative (participating), searching (dealing with questions and doubts) and owned (where faith is taken and held).
Simon points out problems with this approach. The journey can become a meander instead of a having a direction, there’s a presumption that the journey starts with paedobaptism, and the journey to faith is not distinguished from the journey of faith.
On The Way (1995) developed the journey language, and sought to bring an integrated approach to Christian Initiation. It focussed correctly on the question of how to get unchurched adults and children on the way of faith, but in adopting the postmodern view of this process (you first belong, then this leads you to believe and behave) it argued that baptism should be used to initiate the parents to the status of an enquirer. This change is reflected in the CW shift, softening the address to parents and godparents before the baptism, but spelling out their responsibilities after it. As Simon says, many reformed-minded Anglican evangelicals sympathise much more with the ASB liturgy than with either CW (because of the above shift) or with the BCP (because the charge is not couched in covenantal terms there).
Conclusions and Where Now?
I find Simon’s conclusions the most interesting part of his booklet.
First, about the words “we welcome you into the Lord’s family”, Simon describes (infant) baptism as “junior membership in the church, with an expiry date if the membership is not taken up for oneself”; and says that the welcome is saying “You are treated as full heirs of the promises of God, and thought of as members of the body of Christ until such point as you choose not to ratify that for yourself.”
Second, the argument that children cannot examine themselves with the seriousness required by 1 Cor 11:27-29 draws two responses: (i) as God deals with households a heavy responsibility falls on the parents to make sure of proper preparation, and (ii) children can indeed repent fully and faithfully of their sins.
Third, there needs to be a shift of focus from the bread and wine to the real presence of Christ which is found in the heart of the believer (an insight of Reformed theology). This will reduce the sense that children are “missing out” if they don’t take and eat.
Fourth, we need to look for signs of faith, understanding that the sacrament does not work apart from faith, and the young person accepting his/her own responsibility before God to prepare for receiving communion.
The booklet concludes with a description of some of the relevant aspects of life at St Luke’s Church, Wimbledon Park, where Simon is vicar. They recognise three types of membership: full, junior and associate, and admit junior members to communion (within the above framework) between ages 7 and late-teens when confirmation is considered. Simon doesn’t go into the question of when an unconfirmed communicant junior member who is getting older will be asked to stop taking communion? (I raised this question in Update No. 32 p10, and the official answer is ‘never’!)
A thought-provoking read, good sermon material, and worth study.
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