What is an Orthodox Communicant in an Orthodox Community?

by Fr. John Dresko

In the recent All American Council, the theme was "Gathered in Community." As I pondered that and meditated on some of the problems we face, I was led to ask the question, "What does it mean to be an Orthodox Communicant in an Orthodox Community?"

An Orthodox Communicant is faithful. St. Paul says that faith is the hope and assurance of things unseen. From the moment of our baptism into the Church, even as infants, we are full members of the Church, communing from the same chalice and the same Lord as everyone else, young and old. Our faith is measured in our participation in the Faith, not our knowledge. We can know about God while not knowing Him.

Obviously, part of our growing experience in the life of the Church is to learn the tenets of the faith. But, conscious, analytical, "testable" knowledge of the faith has never been seen as the measure of our membership in the Body of Christ. When we reduce the life of the parish to the life of the church school, we are making our children good Protestants, but poor Orthodox.

An Orthodox Communicant is worshipping. It is clear from Orthodox theology and from reading the Scriptures that we each are placed on this earth for one reason only ­ to praise and worship God. That is done by being present for the Divine Services. Perhaps it is sad that it needs to be said, but it needs to be said it is a sin to simply avoid, miss and skip the services of the Church. Period.

A worshipping Orthodox communicant is also one who prays not only in the church building, but also uses the prayer of the Church to inspire and edify a personal prayer life. The "liturgy" of the Church ("liturgy" means "common work") is carried out of the building to transform and transfigure the world by the way we live our lives. If the Divine Liturgy makes the liturgy of our life prayerful and holy, the whole world is affected.

An Orthodox Communicant is penitent. The essential aspect of our relationship with God is that we have willfully chosen to separate ourselves from Him. When we realize that, we humbly and sorrowfully approach God and confess our sin while seeking forgiveness.

The problem in our parishes (and our society) today is that we have no realization that we are separated from God, we have no sorrow that we are separated from God, and we believe that we have done nothing for which to be forgiven.

The Sacrament of Confession is necessary to the spiritual life of any Orthodox Christian. This is true for both adults and children of confessing age. It is impossible to be an Orthodox Communicant without being a regular confessor of sins.

An Orthodox Communicant is regular. One of the great sins of the Church was teaching that participation in Holy Communion was a yearly obligation that was necessary to maintain our voting membership in the Church.

The great sin of the Church today is at the exact opposite end of the poles. We have numerous faithful (perhaps even the majority) who approach the chalice every week without any kind of fear, preparation or respect. An even worse sin is that there are people who want to be "regular" communicants but see nothing wrong with just skipping services for 2-3 weeks (or more!) and then coming back to the chalice as if nothing is wrong.

"Regular" means just that ­ regular. Going to regular communion means that we strive to maintain a life compatible with that act. Fr. Alexander Schmemann used to say that each day we should say a prayer of thanksgiving for the Eucharist we just received and a prayer of preparation for the Eucharist we are about to receive. We live from Eucharist to Eucharist. Confession is not necessary each and every time when someone remains a regular rhythm of communion provided that we have not excommunicated ourselves by our behavior.

One example of behavior that excommunicates us is ignoring the services of the church. We pray for those who are "absent for a cause worthy of a blessing." Simply choosing to not be present is not worthy of a blessing. Confession is necessary to restore us to a proper relationship with the Lord and His Church.

But an Orthodox Communicant needs a place in which he or she can commune. That place is the Church ­ the Orthodox Community.

An Orthodox Community must be a place we like to be. Our parish, indeed, the whole Church, should be a place we like to be, in fact, a place we love to be, would rather be than any other place.

St. Peter said to the Lord at the Transfiguration, "Lord, it is good for us to be here!" How often it seems that we don't feel that way. It's almost as if the Church were a place that we tolerate, much like the dentist's office: "It's good for me to be here, no matter how uncomfortable it makes me." Or it is just another schedule-buster: "Well, I put off my gardening and dinner is going to be very late because I'm not home to turn the oven on." Or has the appeal of television summer reruns: "Well, there's nothing else going on at this time, so I'm here."

Our parish is where God shows us the way to salvation. He does not use the TV for this purpose. He does not call us to assemble at the soccer field. He certainly will not come to us lying in bed through the Sunday newspaper. He does not tell us to gather as a "family" to share a big breakfast and our own "special time." He tells us to assemble on the Lord's Day as the Church, treating each other like brothers and sisters, rejoicing in the presence of our true family.

An Orthodox Community must be a place where we support each other. The whole world is a place that tells us to take care of ourselves "because no one else will." "Be your own man!" "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!" Etc., etc. God, however, tells us that it is only in the Church, where we experience Him in each other, that we find the true path to salvation. The Church is where we lean on each other; where we fall down together and help each other up; where we lift each other up in prayer. "The only thing we can do by ourselves," Fr. Thomas Hopko stated in a sermon given at the All-American Council, "is go to hell."

An Orthodox Community must be a place we care for. The Church, if truly God's Kingdom, a place where we support each other, where we find salvation, where we would rather be than any other place, is also the place that we must care for.

We find nothing wrong with the bank expecting us to pay our mortgage and in return they let us keep our house. Nor with our mother expecting some help from us when she is recuperating from surgery. Nor with a family reunion at some cousin's house. Nor with praying for a dear friend who is gravely ill. Nor with ignoring our own safety when our child is at risk from some danger.

Why, then, would we find it hard to believe that we should financially support the Church so we can keep the House of God? Or offering prayers, food and assistance to someone ill or injured and recuperating? Or with fellowship on a parish level (a "family reunion," no?) in picnics, coffee hour, and other functions? Or by extending ourselves in faith by caring for the Church even when it seems we can't care so much for ourselves if we do that? If we love the Church, we care for her and her members generously. It is that simple.

An Orthodox Community must be a place that defines all other places. Think of the places that are very special to you. Your home and family. Your neighborhood and friends. Your place of employment and co-workers. Your backyard. Your kid's ball field. Any place that you can think of that takes a piece of your life can only truly be seen when looked at with the eyes of faith in the Church.

How can you have a family if it doesn't reflect the love and sacrifice of the Church community? St. Paul equates the life of the Church with marriage ­ Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. How can you be a loving friend, or spouse, or child, unless you reflect God, who is love? How can you be a parent without reflecting our Father who is in heaven and our Mother Church? Who or what is a better example of loving sacrifice? Indeed, how can any place in your life have meaning or importance, unless it is first seen through the Church? It can't.

Of course, that also means a challenge for the community of the Church and especially for my local parish. That community has to be faithful to the Christian message to be an adequate example that I may follow and pattern in the rest of my life. We each have to work to ensure this.