27 October 2010

And what about the vegans?

Americans go to heaven.

12 comments:

Cheryl said...

This cartoon reminds me of Pastor Peters' recent blog post about the challenge of serving at the Lord's table in an increasingly allergic age.

Leah said...

Ha!

Melrose said...

My husband and I were just discussing this tonight. He's being tested for Celiac's and I know of some other pastors/pastor's wives who get very ill consuming even the slightest taste of gluten. So is it wrong to switch to gluten free bread for communion? My husband says he wouldnt switch since bread is what was instituted, but I just dont understand. I'm not advocating doritos here! It's still bread if it's made with other grains. I don't remember it specifying that it was wheat bread.

Rebekah said...

Melrose, my husband wrote a paper on this topic. I'll email it to you. I hope that test comes back negative (and also is not too unpleasant, if it's the test I'm thinking of). Receiving a fragment of the Host is a workable solution for many people who are worried that our Lord's Holy Body will do them harm.

Untamed Shrew said...

And look! Americans turn into angels when they go to heaven! Ohh, goodie!!!

Melrose said...

My husband is not afraid of the Holy Body doing him harm, that is why he told me he refuses to change anything. However, I was appalled that he could word it that way to anyone else (which he hasn't but his confidence to anyone else suffering from that problem could be a burden that is not fair to burden someone with) because I know of a pastor's wife that every Sunday came home horribly ill from the gluten that was in, with, and under the body. She too was refusing to change. When she finally did she STILL came home horribly ill. It was discovered that even the traces from the common cup were the cause. When she switched to individual the problem stopped. So I don't know; that instance of a very confessional faithful woman left me stumped.

Rebekah said...

Melrose, I just sent you the paper. I think it is important that forthright language be used in this matter. Self-diagnosis of various afflictions spread mainly by personal anecdote is awfully popular, and undermines the terrible burdens borne by sufferers of diseases like Celiac sprue. For them and other people with physical ailments (such as those with feeding tubes), impairments to reception of the Lord's Supper are a true and heavy cross. But while individuals may be subject to the weaknesses of their own bodies, the Church cannot be subject to a pandemic of paranoid orthorexia (by which I absolutely DO NOT mean victims of Celiac). I know I didn't have to look far to find a pastor who'd been informed by a parishioner that he would need to make grape juice available to her at Holy Communion because she was--you guessed it--pregnant. Where did this person come by the idea that grape juice was a viable option (or that there ARE viable options) at our Lord's table? From schismatic groups who deny the real presence.

Melrose said...

Rebekah, well said and your points are perfectly understood and agreed with. So now the question of the people with true serious problems? I'm guessing the answer you share is in your husband's paper so I'll go check that out :)

Leah said...

Sneaking in a bit late, but any chance I could get a copy of that paper, too? I'm rather interested in what he has to say.

Rebekah said...

Leah, you got one of them there inboxes? Leave the address here or email us and I'll send it along.

JenniferH said...

My hand is raised for a copy of said paper, please.

Leah said...

Here you go:

leah.sherman@cune.org

Thanks!