Sacramental Theology

“For straightaway after they come up from the waters, they are led to the awesome table...where they taste of the Master's body and blood, and become a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. Since they have put on Christ himself, wherever they go they are like angels on earth, rivalling the brilliance of the rays of the sun.”
John Chrysostom, from a catechetical address delivered at Antioch during Lent c. 390 AD

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days, I've got a ton of papers to write. Writing a baptism rite (annotated) for my worship practicum, which will probably be my jumping-off point to writing a paper on sacramental theology for Episcopal polity. I'm really into this whole thing. It's such a different way from how I was raised. J says it's a different religion. It's definitely a very different way of understanding the Church and the definition of Christian.

“The difference between infant Baptism and believers' Baptism is easily exaggerated. Although in the latter the candidate can declare his faith, it may or may not reflect a true commitment. Far more important is the response of faith of the Church into which one is sacramentally incorporated by Baptism. This is true both for an adult and for an infant.”
Prayer Book Studies

It's about what the Church does. Actually, it's first about what God does, then about the Church's response. It's not really at all about the candidate doing anything.

So little of God's work in us and in the Church is about what we do. It serves us well to remember that.

But I must go write papers. That is the work I must do.