The Sacraments

The Sacraments

The "Mother" of The Salvation Army, Catherine Booth, was a firm advocate for inner awareness of God. She was a strong influence on the young movement's decision to formally choose not to partake in the Christian Church's oldest rituals.

Speaking in a public meeting, in London, Booth said she feared the "mock salvation" offered "in the form of ceremonies and sacraments... men are taught that by going through them or partaking of them... they are to be saved... what an inveterate tendency there is in the human heart to trust in outward forms, instead of seeking the inward grace!"

In the course of forging a "red hot" mission to the unchurched, William Booth, the Founder, proved to be something of a pragmatic visionary. Fearful of converted alcoholics being led astray by the communion wine, or male chauvinists protesting female celebrants of the bread and the wine, Booth suggested that the issue should be deferred, to be decided by a future, more mature Salvation Army.

In the Salvationist news paper the War Cry, on 2 January 1883, Booth wrote the following apologia for the Army's stance:

"In the north of England... a clergyman said... that it is evident The Salvation Army is not a church. To be a church there must evidently be the exercise of sacramental functions, which evidently are not duly appreciated by the Army. We are... getting away from ordinary idea of a church every day. It seems as if a voice from heaven had said that we are an army, separate from, going before, coming after, and all round about the existing churches.

"But we are asked by the churches, what should be our attitude to you? We answer, 'What is your attitude towards the Fire Brigade? Or... towards the lifeboat crew?'

"Now if the sacraments are not conditions of salvation, and if the introduction of them would create division of opinion and heart burning, and if we are not professing to be a church, not aiming at being one, but simply a force for aggressive salvation purposes, is it not wise for us to postpone any settlement of the question, to leave it over for some future day, when we shall have more light?"

"Moreover we do not prohibit our own people... from taking the sacraments. We say, 'If this is a matter of your conscience, by all means break bread. The churches and chapels around you will welcome you for this. But in our own ranks... let us mind our own business. Let us remember His love every hour of our lives... and let us eat His flesh and drink His blood continually... and further, there is one baptism on which we are all agreed... and that is the baptism of the Holy Ghost."

In the 1990s The Salvation Army's International Headquarters set up an International Spiritual Life commission. The commission's brief was "to look at the heartbeat" of the denomination. While promoting the freedom God has given His children, the commission's report proffered the following two sets of statements regarding baptism and holy communion.
While the majority of Christians find value in the ritual celebrations of baptism and communion, Salvationists have not done so - as a part of corporate Salvationist worship - since 1883. (Note: The Salvation Army has its own rituals and ceremonies, see festivals and ceremonies.)

While not wishing to denigrate the sense of the divine that the sacraments convey to others, Salvationists hold to the belief that, "as God meets us in Jesus, we can receive his grace without prescribed rituals and experience real communion with him by the exercise of faith".

The worshiper's readiness, Christ's presence and the Holy Spirit's indwelling come as God wills. Through the relative simplicity of Salvationist worship, rituals and celebrations, God comes among us.

In his book The Salvationists, John Coutts suggests that, as with the Quakers (or Society of Friends), the non-observance of the sacraments by Salvationists "is essentially a witness to the Church, and not to the world" that "no outward rite" is necessary for salvation.

Coutts asserts that water baptism alone will not put a person into a right relationship with the Creator, but also questions the impact (if any) such a distinction would have on people who doubt the very existence of God.

BAPTISM

After full and careful consideration of The Salvation Army's understanding of, and approach to, the sacrament of water baptism, the International Spiritual Life Commission sets out the following regarding the relationship between our soldier enrolment and water baptism.

1. Only those who confess Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord may be considered for soldiership in The Salvation Army.

2. Such a confession is confirmed by the gracious presence of God the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and includes the call to discipleship.

3. In accepting the call to discipleship Salvationists promise to continue to be responsive to the Holy Spirit and to seek to grow in grace.

4. They also express publicly their desire to fulfil membership of Christ's Church on earth as soldiers of The Salvation Army.

5. The Salvation Army rejoices in the truth that all who are in Christ are baptised into the one body by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).

6. It believes , in accordance with scripture, that "there is one body and one Spirit... one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all" (Ephesians 4:5-6).

7. The swearing-in of a soldier of The Salvation Army beneath the trinitarian sign of the Army's flag acknowledges this truth.

8. It is a public response and witness to a life-changing encounter with Christ which has already taken place, as is the water baptism practised by other Christians.

9. The Salvation Army acknowledges that there are many worthy ways of publicly witnessing to having been baptised into Christ's body by the Holy Spirit and expressing a desire to be His disciple.

10. The swearing-in of a soldier should be followed by a lifetime of obedient faith in Christ.

HOLY COMMUNION

After full and careful consideration of The Salvation Army's understanding of, and approach to, the sacrament of Holy Communion*, the International Spiritual Life Commission sets out the following points:

1. God's grace is freely and readily accessible to all people at all times and in all places.

2. No particular outward observance is necessary to inward grace.

3. The Salvation Army believes that unity of the Spirit exists within diversity and rejoices in the freedom of the Spirit in expressions of worship.

4. When Salvationists attend other Christian gatherings in which a form of Holy Communion is included, they may partake if they choose to do so and if the host Church allows.

5. Christ is the one true Sacrament, and sacramental living - Christ living in us and through us - is at the heart of Christian holiness and discipleship.

6. Throughout its history The Salvation Army has kept Christ's atoning sacrifice at the centre of its corporate worship.

7. The Salvation Army rejoices in its freedom to celebrate Christ's real presence at all meals and in all meetings, and in its opportunity to explore in life together the significance of the simple meals shared by Jesus and by the first Christians.

8. Salvationists are encouraged to use the love feast [fellowship meal] and develop creative means of hallowing meals in home and corps with remembrances of the Lord's sacrificial love.

9. The Salvation Army encourages the development of resources for fellowship meals, which will vary according to culture, without ritualising particular words or actions.

10. In accordance with normal Salvation Army practice, such remembrances and celebrations, where observed, will not become established rituals, nor will frequency be prescribed.

* Terminology varies according to culture and denomination, and is not always interchangeable.


See also: http://www.thesacramentsandthebible.org.uk/
Review of The Sacraments and The Bible by Captain Phil Layton