You may have heard that a Roman Catholic bishop in San Francisco has announced that Nancy Pelosi has been banned from communion for her advocacy for the legality of abortion.

First of all, you should know that not all Christians are against pro-choice policy as this bishop is. This is a complex moral issue and the bible does not address it specifically. So Christians vary in their approach.

Also important though ,the Lord’s supper is not the place to take such a stand.

You have heard our wide-open invitation to the communion table at Grace. (You should know that not all Christians are for such an open invitation, but with a core principle of “God’s grace is for all” Grace announces an open table.

You have heard me say this invitation often, but within the Roman Catholic community a Jesuit priest has expressed what is at stake so well I will quote him at length.

“I want to write a longer piece about those bishops who seek to keep some from the table of Christ, but for now I will say this: it is not your table (nor mine). Bishops, priests, etc. are neither the hosts nor the bouncers nor the ones who wrote the guest list. The Eucharist is the resurrected body of Christ given for the life of the world. Jesus Christ is the one who invites the guests (‘all you who labor’); he is the host of those who come; he is the setter of the table; and he is the feast which is shared (‘Take this, all of you. . . this is my body, this is my blood’). We are guests at the meal, and sometimes (by his calling) servers. So stay in your lane, please. The wait staff doesn’t get to exclude those who want to come. If you don’t like the company Christ calls (and, admittedly, it is a rag tag bunch of sinners, one and all), it’s you who need to leave the table, not them.”

Well-said!

About Philip Ruge-Jones

After I served for eighteen years as a professor of theology at Texas Lutheran University, my family decided to return to the Midwest where my wife and I grew up, attended college and seminary. Read more...