Smith calls a “ ritual of ultimate concern.” These rituals are “rituals that are formative for identity, that inculcate particular visions of the good life, and do so in a way that means to trump other ritual formations.” Further, “Liturgies are the most loaded forms of ritual practice because they are after nothing less than our hearts. The ritual of the Eucharist is a central part of the historic Christian liturgy, which is itself what James K.A. Rituals form and shape us - spiritually, psychologically, and even physically. So, when Jesus establishes the ritual of the Eucharist, he fulfills this rich typology, and he also creates a ritual that defines the community of Christ-followers as long as this world continues (Matt 26:29, 1 Cor 11:26). Eating with God is a theme throughout the Bible (Gen 18, Ex 24, Lev 7:11–38, Isa 25:6, Rev 19:6–9). When we participate in the Eucharist, we are, in some sense, enacting the kingdom. How should the Eucharist shape the church’s relationship to the larger socio-economic context, and what vision for society and economics does it give us? A ritual of ultimate concern The gospel, enacted in the Eucharist, proclaims a radically restructured society. In conversation with these examples from church history, I believe it is vital to recenter our theology of economics on the central rite of the Eucharist. Bugenhagen emphasized, according to scholar Esther Chung-Kim: “In other words, to act thoughtlessly and despicably toward their poor brothers was to dishonor both the sacrament and its purpose to bind the community as a unified body of Christ.” Bugenhagen used Paul’s teaching on the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11 to motivate communities and churches to create structures for poverty relief, and he argued that coming to the Eucharist as a community should help create genuine care and concern for all in the community. Later, in the 16th century, the pastor and gifted administrator Johannes Bugenhagen helped various churches in northern Europe to implement the ideals of the Lutheran reformation. He appealed to the unity of all Christians at the table of the Lord as a motivation for sharing resources and wealth within the body of Christ. In the fourth century, John Chrysostom, as the bishop of Constantinople, sharply rebuked the wealthy in his church and challenged them to care for the poor outside the church. In addition, efforts throughout church history to address social justice have been anchored in local churches. The goal was to ensure that people came to the Eucharist only after they had repented of their sin, and were fully prepared to participate. Additionally, Calvin set up structures of church discipline, which endeavored to hold the community to basic standards of morality. Protestants, especially in Geneva under John Calvin’s leadership, revitalized the role of the deacon, and gave him the task of caring for the poor. For instance, in the 16th-century Reformation, Protestant churches challenged the medieval patterns of charitable giving, where poverty was seen as a virtue and giving to the poor a meritorious action that “earned” God’s grace. In my historical studies, I noticed many connections between how churches have controlled access to the Eucharist in history and how that relates to the church’s wider relationship to the surrounding culture. Throughout my doctoral work on the Lord’s Supper, I was involved in ministries to the poor, prisoners, refugees, and in efforts to promote racial reconciliation. These questions grow out of both my academic background as well as my practical ministry experience. What implications does this theological vision, and this liturgical practice, have for the realm of economics? As such, it holds tremendous promise for Christian formation and spiritual growth. It encapsulates, and enacts, a theological vision of reality. Although various churches observe the Eucharist with varying degrees of frequency, the Eucharist is a regularly occurring liturgical occasion. One neglected tool for transformation is the Lord’s Supper, or Eucharist (“thanksgiving” in Greek). We are naturally prone to ministry silos and racial/socio-economic segregation. But the church must be intentional about this. Too often we rush to start something new, forgetting that broken social networks and relational poverty can be healed and transformed through the normal workings of the local church. As churches seek to confront poverty and injustice in their communities one of the most neglected resources is the church’s worship itself.
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