[Magdalen] Full Communion with the USA Methodists?

[Grace Cangialosi]

I once was asked by a friend to bless the log cabin on her property that had been restored by the grandson of the man who had built it. We were to end by celebrating Eucharist on the porch.
Everyone living in the hollow was invited--some of them had actually been born in that cabin!  
But when we talked about having communion, a couple of the men said they had never touched wine and had no intention of starting; and I knew there would be others who felt the same way. So I decided we would have both wine and grape juice, and the grape juice would be in small individual cups; folks opting for wine could have individual cups or drink or intinct from a common chalice.  It worked well, and everyone participated.
The whole experience was very moving, as people shared their memories of the cabin, who had lived there over the years, and any personal connections they had to it.
I told one of our bishops about it, and he said it was a good pastoral response. I happened to mention it later to one of the liturgics professors at VTS, and there was a long pause. Finally he said, "Well, it IS valid in only one kind." I wasn't expecting that, but I realized that he wanted to find a way to make it OK, and, of course, he was right.
I'd do the same thing again. 

> On Jul 9, 2017, at 4:18 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> The Lutheran church I attend has both wine and grape juice available, as
> does another church I occasionally attend. (I have heard of  but never
> experienced Episcopal churches that do this.) I notice that many young
> children in both churches opt for, or are directed to, the grape juice.
> Some adults also choose it, for their own reasons. If the Methodists could
> be persuaded to offer both, perhaps the problem could be solved in that
> manner.
> 
> On Sun, Jul 9, 2017 at 3:49 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
> magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> 
>> In a message dated 7/9/2017 1:42:12 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
>> reid at mejac.palo-alto.ca.us writes:
>> 
>> See  http://anglicansonline.org/resources/essays/misc/broken_gift.html
>> and  http://anglicansonline.org/resources/essays/misc/civility.html which
>> was  written in  response.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>> 
>> 
>> Thanks for these messages.
>> 
>> I am a little amused at the apparent problem of grape juice vs. grape
>> wine.  I once had the duty of setting up for the quarterly communion
>> service
>> at my hometown Methodist church, and I must confess that I spiked
>> the grape juice that was used in these liturgies.
>> 
>> I didn't put enough wine into the mix to cause suspicion.  Maybe
>> they could just do the same to solve the problem :-).
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> David S.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>