Rev. Dan Bader, southwest district superintendent, Dakotas Conference.

Many years ago, I was eager to attend worship with a friend at the church that had been instrumental in his personal life transformation in becoming a follower of Jesus. On the drive he told me that he had arranged for me to meet with the pastor prior to worship so I could share my faith so that I would gain approval to participate in the sacrament of Holy Communion.  In that moment, I felt my very being shudder. After a brief conversation in which I shared that I was clergy in The United Methodist church, the pastor said, “You can come forward but cannot take communion.”

In The United Methodist Church, we believe that communion is God’s gift and not the church’s gift. Because it is God’s gift, we believe that we are not takers of communion, rather we are recipients, not just of the gift of bread and cup but recipients of God’s grace, a gift that meets us right where we are.  As United Methodists we believe that the church or a person does not possess the right to refuse anyone of the privilege to participate in communion and being a recipient of this means of God’s grace.

I celebrate that we as United Methodists have “an Open Table.”  No one is restricted, no one is seen as unworthy.  

Article from ministrymatters.com

Tom Fuerst writes, “Will unworthy people receive Communion if we leave it open to everyone?  Well, yes.  But unworthy people receive Communion even when the Table is ‘closed’ because no one is worthy to receive Communion.

Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with Judas, who was soon to betray him.  Jesus washed Judas’s feet that same night.  Jesus knew beforehand that Judas would betray him, yet he was not kept from divine grace.  If Jesus can wash Judas’s feet and receive him at the Table, who are we to restrict anyone from the Table?”

Over the years as pastor, as I have welcomed all to the Open Table, I have been witness to God’s grace touching the lives of not only those who regularly come to the table, but I have witnessed God’s grace present in the joy of a child eager to receive, in the trembling hands of the person who recently lost their spouse to cancer and had not come to the table alone in years and yet they met Jesus at the table.  I have seen it behind the tears of the person who had never felt worthy to come to the table, but this time they came and in that moment they experienced forgiveness, belonging, and God’s grace filling the empty spaces of their heart.  I celebrate that as United Methodists in the Wesleyan tradition we have an Open Communion Table because I cannot help but think that God rejoices in the experiences of grace, love, hope, forgiveness, life, and transformation that are experienced at the table which Jesus sets for us, all of us.