Christian Initiation
2003 Indianapolis, Indiana
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002
Convener 2003
David B. Batchelder (a parish minister at West Plano Presbyterian Church, Plano, Texas; active in the liturgical renewal of the PC (USA) currently working to develop initiation rites for its Catechumenate Study Group)
Seminar Participants 2003
Timothy Fitzgerald, Lawrence E. Mick, John J. O’Brien, John Hill, Tony Sherman, Victoria Tufano, Mark W. Stamm, Daniel Benedict, David Batchelder; Tom Rand, Anne Koester, Jerry Galipeau; Paul Turner, Alan Barthel, Margaret Bick, Nancy Swift, Bob Hawkins
Seminar Report 2003
The 2003 work of the seminar was built upon papers and presentations offered in 2002. The continuing focus of our work remains centered in our mission statement with particular interest in the relationship of mystagogy to baptismal living as mission to the world.
- Response and discussion given and led by Mark Stamm: “A Response to Craig Saterlee’s Book on the Mystagogical Preaching of Ambrose.” Related to this topic, we included in our discussion the book Creative Preaching on the Sacraments by Craig Satterlee and Lester Ruth.
- Continuing discussion led by Paul Turner growing out of his 2002 paper, “Twenty-First Century Mystagogy”; this further discussion included a brief response paper, articles written by Turner for his diocesan newspaper during Easter 2002, and samples of his Easter 2002 preaching.
- Report and discussion given and led by Ann Koester on the subject “Reception of Baptized Christians” growing out of an event held at the Notre Dame Center for Pastoral Liturgy in the summer of 2002.
- Paper presentation by Tim Fitzgerald: “What Is Happening to Us? How Initiation Affects the Community.”
- Abstract as preview for 2004: “Mystagogy and Galatians” presented by Tom Rand (see below).
- A report by John Hill on how his Reston, VA presentation—“Operating Models of the People of God”—underwent further development for congregational use.
Looking ahead to 2004
The seminar group continues to remain interested in mystagogy, issues related to the community that does the initiating and how it is impacted, and the development of rites. In addition, the pressing concern among most Protestant churches on the question of open Communion has our study group interested in the relation between baptism and Eucharist.
In 2004, we look forward to:
- samples of mystagogical preaching to be presented by David Batchelder, Margaret Bick and Tony Sherman;
- a paper by Tom Rand: “Mystagogy and Galatians: Rediscovering Community in a Disintegrating Church”;
- a paper by John O’Brien related to the work of Thomas Berry;
- a paper by Mark Stamm on “open Communion”;
- “Presbyterian Church (USA) Initiation Rites: Early Drafts and Reflections” by David Batchelder and Alan Barthel;
- a discussion prepared by Jerry Galipeau with leaders in the Office for the Catechumenate for the Archdiocese of Newark for our study group to learn how they deal with issues of combined rites with the baptized and unbaptized; and
- further reflection by Vicki Tufano on the “white suburban overlay” which is reflected in some of the Roman rites of initiation and has become a point of discussion for various ethnic groups seeking to use them.