Is the Pope a Closet Lutheran? (Reflection for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity)

I know. It's not exactly an event that rates a Hallmark card, and if the Philadelphia Eagles had survived further into post-season play, the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity would pass through my part of the world with no notice at all. Nevertheless, I really dig that, for one week at least, Christians try to wrap our heads around the fact that the beliefs we hold in common are much more important than the ones with which we differ.

The Week of Prayer was actually—I was surprised to learn—the brainchild of a Roman Catholic priest. As a life-long Lutheran, I was brought up to believe that those guys thought no one would be in heaven but them. In reality, Father Paul Wattson, a Franciscan Friar, cooked up this celebration way back in 1908, and Pope Pius X was pretty keen to sign on to it. The Roman Church has supported the celebration ever since with great enthusiasm. So props to you Catholic folks!

The week spans from the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter on January 18^th and lasts through the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul on January 25^th. This puts it in a little bit of competition here in the US with both the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and the NFL playoffs. But, heck! I'm going to try and talk it up anyway, and I look forward to gathering on Sunday for a joyous vespers service with some of my Roman Catholic, United Church of Christ, United Methodist, and Episcopalian neighbors.

Unfortunately, any catering we do for this festivity will take the form of coffee hour after the worship has concluded. For Lutherans, coffee hour borders on the sacramental, but it's still not the same as sharing the bread and wine of Holy Communion as part of the festival. Alas, our Roman friends are still not permitted to join with us in the sacrament.

But while there's life there's hope,and I take a great deal of comfort in these recent words of Pope Francis:

“The Eucharist, although it is the fulness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.” (Quoted November 25, 2013 by CNN Belief Blog)

This statement suggests to me that the Holy Father has really hit the nail on the head as to why Christians eat this meal in the first place. We come around the table as a family, understanding that—if all the cards were on the table—we'd know that we're all a bunch of screw-ups desperate for the love of an understanding God. The body and blood of Jesus, present in the elements of this holy supper, remind us that once a man loved us enough to die on a cross for us. Even if we're not perfect—or even close to perfect—we're still loved by God the same way a parent loves an erring child. And maybe this encounter with Christ's sacrifice will change us for the better and bring us closer to understanding, loving, and forgiving one another.

Maybe I'm reading too much into the Pope's recent statement, but if he's saying that perfect adherence to the Roman Church's doctrines is not necessary for an invitation to the dinner table, then I'm pretty encouraged.

Martin Luther wrote this explanation of his view on who is worthy to dine at Christ's table:

“Who, then, receives this sacrament worthily?...a person who has faith in these words, 'given for you' and 'shed for you for the forgiveness of sin,' is really worthy and well prepared.” (Small Catechism, 1526)

I like to think that, somewhere in heaven, Luther is raising his beer tankard in a toast to Pope Francis and saying in his best 16^th Century German, “Dang! I like this guy!”

I wish you all a blessed Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and, as always, I invite you to celebrate it by signing my petition for sacramental unity here.

God's peace and blessings be with you in this New Year, and don't be shy about leaving me a comment.