Catechumenate Guy

I believe that the only way to go with the catechumenate process in a parish is year-round.  This means that you have at least one meeting every week, probably on the same day and at the same time.  This seems overwhelming, especially to those just “getting their feet wet” in this ministry.  Believe me.  It is quite simple.  The key is focusing on the Sunday lectionary readings, especially the gospel passage.

The smallest catechumenate group can be a catechist, catechumen/candidate and a sponsor.  The largest group I recommend is 7:  a catechist, 3 candidates & 3 sponsors.  Once you have this size group, have them stay together to build trust, intimacy and a freedom and grace to grow in their faith together.

The catechist needs to have all of that background “stuff” in her/his repertoire (doctrine, church history, good understanding of Scripture, knowledge of the missal/prayer book, knowledge of the hymnal [some of our best expressions of theology can be found there]).  The catechist needs to live with the gospel passage in preparation for the meeting.  This means reading, reflection, study, making links with doctrine, formulating some discussion questions to help the reflection on the passage.

The sponsor needs to pray for the candidate and touch base with her/him.  Find out what response the person had to last week’s meeting.  Invite/accompany the candidate to church events and ministries.  Support in all ways needed.

If the meetings focus on the Sunday lectionary readings for each week, it is fairly simple to go year-round.  After all, this is what we do with our weekly worship services in terms of the readings and the sermon.  The “breaking open of the Word” in this case is usually a one person effort, that of the preacher.  The catechumenate meeting is more intense and participation is greater…all those present share their insights.

More on this topic later.

“It’s not fair! They get the same as we do, but they’ve only been working for an hour and we, for 12!”

I suspect this reading may have had an influence on the 4th and 5th Centuries’ practice of becoming a catechumen early on but waiting for baptism until later, perhaps even until one is on the death bed.  After all, if baptism cleanses one from all sins, then let’s wait until the last possible minute for that thorough scrubbing.

The parable may also call to mind the thief on the cross alongside of Jesus, the one who said, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  But only Luke has this rendition (Lk 23: 42-43).  Mark and Matthew have both bandits taunting Jesus.

One message from this parable is the unlimited nature of Grace.  Perhaps the message is that God cannot  just give out Grace proportionately to how long we have worked.  Grace is grace.  So what then encourages me to respond to God’s call earlier in the day rather than later?  He seems to call at all times, at the start of the day and near the end.  Perhaps it is because the longer I wait to respond affirmatively, the more difficult it is for me to do so.  Perhaps it is my habit of “standing idle” that causes me to miss the earlier calls to work in God’s vineyards.  Do I want to miss the Divine all together when I continue to say “no. ” Or do I want to say “yes” when I do happen to hear the invitation?

The Anglican/Episcopal Church “incubator” is ideal for the birthing of new adult Christians.  What makes it ideal is that the meeting place for Episcopalians is not doctrinal agreement but prayer.  The Book of COMMON Prayer is core.  Is there a catechism?  Yes; 20 pages near the back of the BCP.  The Lutheran Small Catechism (Book of Concord) is approximately 16 pages while the Large Catechism is approximately 114 pages.  The Catechism of the [Roman] Catholic Church has 756 pages with the number of Scripture references matched, if not exceeded by references to church documents and texts by “teachers of the church.”  The Book of Concord is explicitly written for the catechesis of children while the Large Catechism is meant to be an elaboration of the compact teaching of the Small Catechism.  The Catechism of the [Roman] Catholic Church is meant for catechist and preachers but is often used as a text in RCIA “classes.”

The Episcopalian Outline of Faith (the Catechism) is meant primarily as an OUTLINE  for instruction.  The preface also says “it may also be used to form a simple service.”  Imagine that, using a catechism as a part of a worship service.  Granted, we use the creeds this way.  We also use the Scripture texts this way.  Many of us realize that the Gospels are the earliest catechisms of the church and remain the most effective.  But the suggestion within the BCP to use the Outline of Faith in this way once again emphasizes the fact that prayer, not doctrine, is the common identifier for Anglican/Episcopal Christians.

Many catechumenate coordinators and directors as well as ordained and lay ministers are concerned about what is being “taught” within the catechumenate process.  Hopefully what is being learned is the Way of Christ.  For example, my bias is that the Christian practice of forgiveness and reconciliation is better learned from reflection on Mt 18: 21-35 than from a lecture based on Part Two, Article 4 (“The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation”) of the Catechism of the [Roman] Catholic Church.

This is not a radical perspective.  I have seen it advocated by many leaders in catechumenate ministry.  They base their position on how Jesus formed Christian disciples according to the earliest catechisms (the Gospels).  They base their position on the catechetical practices of early church catechists.  They base their position on the insight that the catechumenate is about forming Christian disciples rather than Episcopalians or Lutherans or Roman Catholics or …..

I met Ravi Verma through Brian Baker, the Dean of Trinity Cathedral.  Ravi is much more into IT than I and agreed to help me set up this blog.  He also helped us do a major upgrade of our network.   (For both, thank you, Ravi!)

Ravi is a dedicated Buddhist.  He leads several classes at Trinity and has his own group of disciples.  After setting up this blog, he asked me about the catechumenate.  We have both grown in appreciation of each others religious traditions.  I have done considerable study in the history of religions and we have had numerous Buddhist related events at Trinity.  So I compared the catechumenate journey to that which an apprentice to Buddhism takes in growing towards Enlightenment.

Indeed, all of the major (and many of the “minor”) religious traditions  strive towards the same thing:  Enlightenment, Salvation, Nirvana.  Ah, what about Islam, you ask.  Keep asking while you read the Koran.  Realize that there have been and are fanatics (zealots) in each and all traditions.   And note that I am speaking about religous traditions as distinguished from religions.  The latter are human institutions that try to embody the former.  They/we often fail.  But religions are necessary because, until we attain Enlightenment, Nirvana, the Reign of the Divine, our limited, physical, communal selves need religions.

Anyway, THANK YOU, RAVI, for your friendship, insights and wonderful discussions!

Only my second entry.  I’m new to blogging so it’s taking me a bit to figure this out.  The site looks pretty simple thus far and maybe that’s OK.  I plan to add pictures and references to articles as I find them.  Also I will start with three categories:  “Profile, “Scripture Reflections” and “The Catechumenate Process.””  The first will have stories about my own journey with the catechumenate (including how it was in the context of the catechumenate that I switched denominations).   “Scripture Reflections” will include thoughts on the Sunday Lectionary Gospel passages.  (Our Catechumenate spends our time in reflection on the Gospel passage when we meet on Thursday evenings.)  “The Catechumenate Process” will be devoted to comments on the process and rites.  And, again, I welcome feed back!  I hope this will be a good way to get some lively discussion going.

Who is Catechumenate Guy?  A person who was first introduced to the process while studying at the University of Notre Dame in the early ’80’s.  A person who has been blessed to be able to minister at various levels and in various denominations in the catechumenate.  A person who believes that the catechumenate has been a leaven for the church throughout her life.  A person who ponders “matters catechumenal” and wants to reflect on these pages.  A person who invites your reflections and comments as well.

More concretely:  I was baptized as a Roman Catholic Christian infant and formed by Christian parents who took their baptismal covenant (even though they wouldn’t call it that) very seriously.  I went to Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon as a high school freshman and left after my sophomore year of college.  I studied philosophy and history of religions at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC).  Rather than return to the seminary as I planned, I married and moved to Southern California.  I decided to continue in the area of theology with the hope of teaching at a college, seminary or university.  I focused on Scripture during a Master’s program at Claremont School of Theology and moved on to the University of Notre Dame to study systematic theology.

While at Notre Dame I was introduced to the catechumenate at our local parish.  I enjoyed “adult education.”  The catechumenate drew me in.  After finishing studies at Notre Dame I became the first RCIA Director for the local Diocese of Ft Wayne-South Bend.  I was also active in the North American Forum on the Catechumenate at this time.  After a few years I became the first Executive Director of the National Council for Catholic Evangelization.  I ministered at the parochial level on a catechumenate team at our local parish in Chicago.

We moved back to the West Coast in 1990 where I once again joined a catechumenate team at our parish.  Ironically involvement in that team inspired my decision to cross over to the Episcopal branch of the Church.  In 1995 I discovered that the Episcopal Church also exercises a catechumenal ministry.  I am currently Catechumenate Director at Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento, California, a consultant for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, a board member on the North American Association for the Catechumenate and still a member of the North American Forum on the Catechumenate.

There are numerous stories associated with the above brief description of my journey.  Some will emerge in the following reflections.

Shalom!