Christians to Commune Both Globally and Locally

September was a busy month in the religious community, with the Jewish High Holy Days, the start of Ramadan for Muslims and two Los Angeles-area visits by Buddhism’s Dalai Lama. The pace continued as the month wrapped up with lectures, discussions and preparations for a special observance now in its 70th year.

Christian Communion

On Sunday, Protestants around the world -- in an expression of Christian unity -- will take Holy Communion on the same day.

It’s the 70th anniversary of World Communion Sunday, traditionally observed on the first Sunday in October.

“Whether we use pita bread or whole wheat bread or rice bread -- depending on where in the world we celebrate -- we feast together on the idea that Christ draws us together as his people and gives us a foretaste of what we can expect in his future kingdom,” said the Rev. Clay Schmit, a professor of preaching and worship at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.

At Wilshire Presbyterian Church, one of Los Angeles’ most diverse congregations, members will worship in the traditional garments of their ancestral lands. Their pastor, the Rev. Charles G. Robertson Jr., will exchange his pastoral robe for a red plaid kilt with a matching tartan over his shoulder to claim his quarter-Scottish ancestry in the congregation that is 75% Asian, African and Latino.

“It’s wonderful,” he said. “They wear those colorful dresses and dashikis. I can’t distinguish between one country and the other, but they all look beautiful to me.”

The Presbyterian Church (USA) initiated World Communion Day in 1936, but other denominations soon joined. Although Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, is central to the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, Protestant denominations vary widely in their communion practices because of their emphasis on preaching. Some observe Holy Communion weekly, others monthly and some quarterly.

“Since the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday, that means at least one day out of the year almost all the Christians around the world are all celebrating the sacrament on the same day,” Robertson said.

The celebration of Holy Communion has been practiced by the Christian church since its very beginning and recalls the Last Supper when, as described in the Gospels, Jesus declared the bread and wine his body and blood and said that both would be sacrificed for all people. He then told the Apostles, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Holy Communion has its roots in the Jewish Passover culture, Schmit said, but celebrates deliverance of God’s people through Christ’s death on the cross rather than the delivery of Hebrew slaves from exile in Egypt.

“In some traditions -- Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Episcopalian and Lutheran, for example -- there is a sense that God’s promises make Christ truly present in the bread and the wine as the body and blood of Jesus,” Schmit said.

In the Catholic case, this concept is known as transubstantiation, whereby an actual change in the elements is understood to occur, he said. The Lutheran church teaches the concept of consubstantiation, which denies that bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ but holds to the belief that his presence comes in with the earthly elements. In many Protestant traditions -- Baptist and Pentecostal, for example -- the bread and wine are understood to be symbols that remind believers of Christ’s death and resurrection, he said.

“Regardless of a denomination’s theology, individual believers have varying degrees of piety with regard to the reception of Holy Communion,” Schmit said. “For some, even if their church teaches it’s only a symbol, they feel strongly that they are in intimate communion with God.”

Bridge Building

In a continuing effort to foster interfaith understanding, Wilshire Boulevard Temple on Tuesday launched the Center for Religious Inquiry.

With the venture, the synagogue becomes the West Coast location for “the nationwide effort to build bridges between faith traditions,” an effort currently housed at the Center for Religious Inquiry at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis.

“Religious leaders, scholars, scientists and authors from all walks of life now have an opportunity to meet; and for you, our welcome guests, to encounter their spirit, their intellect -- and to challenge them too!” according to Rabbi Stephen Julius Stein, director of the center.

The inaugural lecture -- “Are We a Christian Nation?” -- brought four presenters: Stein; the Rev. Jerald Stinson, senior minister of First Congregational Church of Long Beach; Ahmed Younis, national director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council; and Diane Winston, professor at USC.

They agreed that the United States is not a “Christian nation,” though in surveys about 80% of Americans say they are Christians.

Citing the nation’s roots, Stinson noted the Treaty of Tripoli, a 1797 trade agreement between the United States and what was then called the Muslim Region of North Africa.

Stinson said the treaty, negotiated by George Washington, states that the U.S. government is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion. “That’s the answer for tonight’s question,” he said. “No, no, no. This is not a Christian nation. Ask George Washington, not Jerry Falwell.”

Younis too said the Founding fathers, whom he described as deists, created a nation “based on series of founding principles and common denominators” that would allow everyone the right to exist free and to build an identity that is truly an organic American experience.

“Take a look around you,” Winston told the audience of about 100. “L.A is the city of the future. It’s not a Christian city. There are a lot of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Jews here. Yes, there are many Christians here. The good folks at All Saints Pasadena, the young people at Oasis of Hollywood, the multitudes at West Angeles and the storefront apostolic church down the street. Do all these people think this is really a Christian nation? I doubt it.”

She said there always will be Christians who want to invoke Jesus’ name on the football field or proselytize in public places.

“That’s their right as Americans,” she said. “But the rest of us have the right to say no. This is not, it never was and -- please, God -- it never will be a Christian nation.”

John Kerry on Faith

Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, who was reluctant to discuss his faith during his 2004 presidential bid, on Sept. 18 told students at Pepperdine University how the Scriptures influenced his view of public service.

Kerry began by describing his Roman Catholic upbringing -- “the Mass was in Latin” -- and offered a few political remarks, including criticism of the Iraq war. But he also recalled his search for meaning as a young man.

“For 12 years I wandered in the wilderness, went through a divorce and struggled with questions about my direction. Then suddenly and movingly, I had a revelation about the connection between the work I was doing as a public servant and my formative teachings. Indeed, the Scriptures provided a firmer guide about values applied to life -- many of the things you are wrestling with now today.”

Kerry added: “Those lines in Mark had a profound impact on me: ‘The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.’ Well, I consider public leadership to be a form of Christian service and an expression of my faith.”

connie.kang@latimes.com

Times staff writer Steve Padilla contributed to this report.