Shortly I will be at the funeral mass of a friend whose Father has died and gone ahead to the church triumphant. Over time, he and have talked about the way that believers put "fences" around the Lord's table. So at this pastoral moment, all of those conversations will converge in a very personal way.
At the same time, I am reading the remarks (as it turns out, some of the last public remarks he offered) of Avery Cardinal Dulle, S.J. that were offered in June, 2007 at the 50th anniversary conference of the Faith and Order Commission at Oberlin, Ohio. It was both a retrospective and prospective conversation about Christian unity. I don't have time here to cover all that interests me about the paper, but there is conversation about the role of primacy (important especially for Roman Catholics and other communions that cherish the role of bishops). I am praying my way through (as a Presbyterian) the way that primacy is a gift to the church.
At the same time, I concluded a mens' small group bible study this morning examining texts surrounding Peter. We began with the text in which Peter names Jesus as Messiah, proclaiming a commitment that had not previously been voiced. It is at this point that Jesus says, "Peter you are rock" and on rock I shall build the church. It is my reading that the rock in question is not the particular person, Peter, but rather the commitment (the leap) that Peter made. Upon commitment such as that, the church is built and depends.
We say that the Lord's Supper is a foretaste of the great banquet to come. Who presides at the table? (I recently returned from Rome where I viewed the supposed tomb of Peter under the altar at the center of St. Peter's in the Vatican.) What is the rock upon which the table is placed? Is it not a shame that we all must wait for the church triumphant until we finally feast together in unity?
I long for that day.
