Sacramental Theology
Sacramental theology emphasizes that God utilizes his creation to convey grace to humanity. During the Reformation and the period known as the “Settlement,” the Church of England maintained the concept of the Sacred and the transmission of God’s grace through elements of creation. Today, sacramental theology is integral to Anglican thought and practice.
Sacraments of Christ: Two Main
The 39 Articles of Religion specify two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, simply stating,
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There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord” (Article XXV).
The two sacraments are accepted as “ordained of Christ…” because Christ commanded his disciples to baptize, and he instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night in which he was betrayed (Luke 22.14-23). There are many other ways in which God communicates with us and witnesses his grace to us, but these are the two “certain” or “sure” signs because Christ promises us that he will be present with us in these sacraments. These two sacraments are total, overarching rites for the entire Christian life.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28.18-20
Holy Baptism & Communion
Baptism is the initiation into the Christian life, a one-time moment of promise in which the people of God stand on his new covenant of grace to welcome a new member into the body of Christ freely. Communion is the ongoing sacrament, the continual, sustaining provision of God to nourish our faith, constantly remind us of his mercy, and provide us with his grace.
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Luke 22.19; 1 Peter 3.21
But Wait, There’s Five More for the Church!
The other rites of the Church are sacramental because they incorporate elements of God’s creation. They are interconnected and do not stand alone; instead, they serve to remind us of our baptism and significant moments in our lives. Besides sacramental rites, certain objects and individuals are designated as sacred for specific purposes. In the Anglican tradition, we consecrate time by designating certain seasons, feasts, and fasts as holy, with the Eucharist being particularly distinguished within the sacred calendar.
Article XXV describes the two sacraments as,
certain sure witnesses and effectual signs of grace and God’s good will towards us, by the which He doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm, our faith in Him.
Sacramental theology is visible in this statement, in that the ‘signs’ of the sacraments (water, bread, wine) are said to be the elements through which God works his goodwill in us. A ‘sign’ both points to the reality it represents, but also is used to provide the reality. So in this sense, the eucharistic bread represents the body of Christ broken for us, but God also uses the bread to bring life to us through the body of Christ.
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” … Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
John 6.26-27, 35
The Prayer Books & the Sacraments
In the language of the Prayer Books, it was understood that God in no way says that he only works in “spiritual” ways. It was Jesus who picked up a piece of actual, physical bread and said, “This is my body”. Jesus said to baptize with water. It was Jesus who picked up the children and blessed them.
He laid hands on people; he touched them. We believe that God is still literally in addition to physically, touching people through the bread, the wine, the water, and yes, through his people “giving a cup of cold water” in his name. Also, we think that he sets apart people to become ministers, enduing them with grace to fulfill their call by the laying on of hands. We believe that he uses oil to present the healing of Christ to the sick and the Holy Spirit to the baptized; he uses sacred buildings to humble us with his majesty.
A Great Mystery: God’s Presence
There is a great mystery as to exactly how God makes himself present in sacred moments through sacred elements and places. We are unsure when he will do so, except that he promises he will appear in the water of baptism and the sharing of holy communion. That very mystery stirs the imagination toward Christ, opens the soul to grace, inspires humble reverence, and silences mouths. We believe human beings must use these means, for without them, we deprive ourselves of spiritual riches.
Avoiding Danger with Sacraments Well Defined
Why water, bread, and wine? Each of these elements is universal to every human culture. All human beings bathe, eat, and drink. The powerful symbolism of these basic components of all human life transforms into sacramental vehicles. Consequently, the fact that we bathe and wash in water prepares us to understand baptism.
The fact that we eat and drink together in ways that function socially to bring people together makes elements of the Lord’s Supper a powerful vehicle of reconciliation. They unite people together with God and with each other. Washing with water and sharing a meal are simple yet profound actions. God’s work lies in this simplicity and profundity. It assures us in a language we understand with not only our souls but also our five senses.
Is it dangerous to believe that the physical is a vehicle of God’s grace? Yes! The Lord told Moses to craft a bronze serpent, the vehicle whereby God would heal the people. Looking at the serpent healed them. What did they do within a few generations? They worshipped the bronze serpent as if it were a god. Moreover, they saw it as a special waypoint to the otherworldly, and we can still do so today. Stripping worship of its sacred physicality denies our very nature. Doesn’t that put faith in God’s given means of salvation?
The Anglican Answer
The Anglican answer is to set apart that which Christ gave us. The church prayerfully and carefully sets apart people for ordained ministries—Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons. It also sets apart church buildings as sacred places of worship. The church sets apart days, seasons, and times as sacred moments. We sanctify a man and a woman as one in holy matrimony. We receive God’s grace through and not despite these set-apart objects, persons, times, and places. As believers, take advantage of the means of grace.
Photo by Geda Žyvatkauskaitė on Unsplash
Sacramental Church Planting
By the Rev. Canon Dan Alger, Provincial Canon for Church Planting, Anglican Church in North America “If You Are Into That Kind of Thing” I once accompanied a friend to visit a church plant with roots in a non-denominational tradition. He was excited to take me because his church shared the Lord’s Supper weekly and…
What even IS a sacrament, anyway?
One of the terrible ironies of church history is that the sacraments, which are supposed to both enable and embody our unity as Christians, have often been the source of intense division. But, as one of my seminary profs (a Lutheran) reminded us, the response to this division can’t be to ignore the sacraments! In…
