Last Sunday I got a call at 11am. It was Rachel calling from her home town church (denomination to remain unnamed). It took several minutes before she could form a proper sentence through her sobs. Finally in a shaky voice, this came out: "I'm at my parent's church....they are doing communion.....and I'm not allowed to take it." Having spent the last year in such a deeply sacramental community where all freely receive the gifts of God Rachel was devastated at being kept from the table. I texted her later to ask if I could share this story with some of the other HFASSers and she agreed.
"Rachel called me sobbing" I told them, "because she wasn't allowed to take communion at her parent's church this morning". Stuart immediately responded "Well then we'll have to take her the Eucharist at the airport when she gets home". Of course.
When Rachel got off the escalator she saw a sign reading "Rachel" on one side and "Child of God" on the other. I then lied just a tiny bit and asked if she wouldn't mind if we just popped upstairs because someone had asked me about the chapel and I wanted to make sure I knew where it was.
So at 10p on a Wednesday night 8 people were waiting in the aesthetically questionable "Inter-faith prayer chapel" at Denver International Airport to give our sister in Christ the gifts of God that are truly for her and for all.
This is how they will know that you are my disciples: that you take my body and blood to the airport.
Amen?
Amen.
Beautiful instinct and beautiful story.
Posted by: Kj | June 11, 2009 at 01:28 PM
Amen, sister.
Posted by: Cecilia | June 11, 2009 at 01:40 PM
This is SO why I go to HFASS!!!!
Posted by: Richard | June 11, 2009 at 01:46 PM
what an awesome, awesome spirit of community you have!
Posted by: hot cup | June 11, 2009 at 01:49 PM
Beautiful, Nadia. Wish our stories of beauty weren't so often tinged with brokenness, but that's life on earth these days, I guess. :-\
Posted by: Mike Croghan | June 11, 2009 at 02:09 PM
amen. amen. amen.
beautiful. every which way.
much love to all there.
c.
xo
Posted by: cary | June 11, 2009 at 02:25 PM
Amen, amen and amen.
Posted by: hugh | June 11, 2009 at 03:13 PM
As an outsider that stumbled upon the blog, I have to say that HFASS is doing its part here in the Kingdom. God bless.
Posted by: John | June 11, 2009 at 03:16 PM
I'm looking for the "like" button on the blog (a la facebook). I'd click on it if there was one!
Posted by: Kimmy | June 11, 2009 at 05:48 PM
Amen!
Posted by: Kyle | June 11, 2009 at 07:07 PM
Wow. You all are AMAZING. Praise God for how He is using you all to minister in awful situations like this.
11 years ago, I was ex-communicated from the church I grew up in when I converted to the R.C. Church. I know what it's like to be in your home church and not be able to partake.
Posted by: Amy Moffitt | June 11, 2009 at 07:08 PM
Yes! And I wish you had been there at my Gramma's funeral when communion was served "only for Catholics" b/c it broke me and laid new stuff to be forgiven on my heart. Your story brought tears. Blessings.
Posted by: angela | June 12, 2009 at 06:31 AM
This is a beautiful story.
Posted by: Sophia | June 12, 2009 at 09:38 AM
I echo the sentiments and tears of everyone else...I've been in too many churches where I've heard those exclusionary statements and they have angered and broken me each time. Being who I am, I often ignored the statements and took communion anyway - which led to a whole new set of problems...but I digress. Thank you, Nadia and HFASS for being an authentic and "arms-open-wide" kind of minister and church. Wish I lived closer...I'd be there in a heartbeat.
Posted by: Christina Whitehouse-Suggs | June 12, 2009 at 11:48 AM
What a beautiful story.
Amen doesn't even cover it
Posted by: Aaron G | June 12, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Wonderful story though I can't help but wonder what might have happened if you had just set up a table in the middle of the terminal.
Posted by: John Dornheim | June 12, 2009 at 01:41 PM
what a beautiful story..
and echo the Amens above
clicked this way via Cary's post.
Posted by: katie | June 12, 2009 at 02:27 PM
Amazing story. Thank you for sharing this.
Posted by: Sheryl | June 12, 2009 at 02:40 PM
Reading your response to Rachel's shunning causes me pause and I ponder the possibility that there might be a God and there might actually be people who follow God's Spirit.
Posted by: Heavens2Murgatroyd | June 12, 2009 at 03:42 PM
Amen!
Posted by: Kathy B. | June 12, 2009 at 09:39 PM
I can't imagine how devastating it would be to be denied communion in such an intimate place.
Your story reminded me of a friend who for most of last semester cried during communion, because she had never been allowed to take it when we was growing up and now it was being freely offered to her. Why? Because she chose not to participate in the "insider/outsider" around baptism. So thanks, from Lutheran Campus Ministy folks at GMU, for sharing the gifts of God with all people.
Posted by: Ben | June 12, 2009 at 11:55 PM
The gifts of God,
for the children of God.
Thanks be to God!
Posted by: VicarBill | June 14, 2009 at 05:31 PM
Jesus would love your actions and your love for your sister Rachel. Praise be to God for pastors like you Nadia.
Posted by: Janet L. Bohren | June 14, 2009 at 06:54 PM
I'm glad you were able to minister to your sister in Christ.
Interesting flip side situation: My mother is a member of an "open minded" Lutheran group, but at the nursing facility where she resides, the only services are by a Lutheran group with "close communion." However, the pastors who come there to do a service once/month offer communion to all who attend. We took communion together there three times.
What I find ironic in this is that the three pastors I encountered at these services in NO way were pastoral or personal in their interactions with the patients and other present in the room. They never once talked personally to anyone, nor did they know any person's name or story. I probably would have had a hissy fit right there if I had been denied communion, since the pastors had no basis to know who was even a believer, or a member of "their" group.
Posted by: PS | June 15, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Hi - I read this from a share w/in Google Reader from Tony Jones. It made both my night and my morning. You are a good friend.
Posted by: kpg | June 16, 2009 at 09:36 AM
Would like to be in contact with others who support people like this. I serve a small ELCA congregation in Upstate NY.
Posted by: Muthah+ | June 16, 2009 at 11:14 AM
great post. thanks!
Posted by: gentry | June 17, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Oh my goodness ... I don't know where to begin to express how moved I am by this post. As Aaron said, "Amen" doesn't BEGIN to cover it. This is EXACTLY what Christians are to be about. (And yet, it was actions by another group of christians who created this hurt.)
I too have had communion denied to me. Reason: apparently my church was the wrong synod .... sigh.
I'm in the midst of building my webpage and have been struggling with how to begin on the "Spiritual" section of that site ... thanks to this wonderful post, the page that I've been writing and re-writing for several weeks fell perfectly into place!
Nadia .. you and HFASS are a breath of fresh air, truly reflecting our Lord and Savior!
Posted by: Brenda | June 18, 2009 at 01:27 PM
As a Presbyterian who attended an LCMS university for three years and who was never allowed to take communion with her fellow students... this made me weep. THIS. THIS. This is getting it right.
Posted by: Lauren | June 19, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Thanks for ministering to my precious niece, Rachel. Love from her Aunt Margaret in California.
Posted by: Margaret Franklin | June 20, 2009 at 07:46 PM
Amen. Thank you.
Posted by: Katherine Gunn | June 28, 2009 at 06:34 PM
living in a PROFLIGATELY open-communion community, I was deeply moved by the pain of being denied. We forget that too easily. We have so much work to do! Thank you for a icon of the Kingdom...
Posted by: leesytag | June 28, 2009 at 09:21 PM
I so wish I'd found this before June 24th, when the "Bridging the Gap Synchro Blog" event occurred.
There are so many of who have been denied, just as Rachel was. I believe that those who will bridge that gap bring tears of joy in heaven. I know you brought tears to my eyes.
Some related thoughts, about Eucharist... from one who has been denied, and has finally found a home...
http://ragarambler.blogspot.com/2005/05/eucharist-four-unorthodox-views.html
Posted by: Steve F. | July 01, 2009 at 09:45 AM
Thanks for a great story and for your inclusive actions. I just quoted from it and linked to it in my own blogpost: http://theliberalspirit.com
Posted by: Obie Holmen | July 09, 2009 at 07:58 AM
Beautiful story! Isn't it interesting that the name "Pater" means "Father"?
Posted by: Jeff Straka | July 09, 2009 at 11:50 AM
This is so wonderful! Thank you for posting this story.
Posted by: Sarah | July 31, 2009 at 06:50 PM
Amen, and amen. This is exactly what the church is supposed to be, and what I am working mightily to help my congregation become. We have much to learn from you; thanks for letting me listen in on the conversation.
Posted by: Pastor Bob Ierien | August 16, 2009 at 08:43 PM
wow - just saw this yesterday and had to share the story with a small group team last night - my pastor was in tears. amazing conspiracy of grace! amen.
Posted by: dave palmer | August 20, 2009 at 09:04 AM
Amen, indeed.
Posted by: Gunfighter | September 24, 2009 at 06:05 AM