There were valid points raised by proponents and opponents: Jesus fed the five thousand without an admission ticket; only a few of Jesus disciples - the apostles - were willing to suspend their shock at being asked to eat his flesh and drink his blood and remain with Our Lord because He offered the true words of life. Offering the elements to all encourages non-believers to join the community; offering the elements to those who are unbaptized is to adulterate the meaning and value of the sacrifice once made for all. There were even some online mutterings about "pearls before swine"....
In the end, the House of Bishops said "no." I believe they made the correct decision. But that still leaves us with a question: is there no way to include those present at the Eucharist who, for any one of a number of reasons, cannot be given, or accept, the elements in either kind? Or shall we continue to make it plain on Sundays who are the sheep and who are the goats, recognizing that it is personally painful and off-putting to some non-recipients and their Christian friends and relatives, if not all?
And here we have one of those grace-filled options that come from being part of a very old Tradition in dynamic times: Ἀντίδωρον - antidoron - "instead of gifts". As that ever indispensable resource, Wikipedia, notes
The earliest historical reference to this custom are in fact found in the Western Church. It is mentioned in the 118th letter of St. Augustine to Januarius (now known as the 54th letter in the new order), and in the canons of a local council in Gaul in the seventh century. Originally it was a substitute, or solatium for such of the faithful as were not properly prepared to receive Holy Communion or were unable to get to the Eucharistic Sacrifice. If they could not partake of the real Body of Jesus Christ, for instance because of not having fulfilled the obligatory fast or for being in a state of mortal sin, they had the consolation of partaking of the non-consecrated, liturgical bread which had been blessed and from which the portions for the real sacred consecration had been taken.Currently common in Orthodox Christian communities, this instead of gift is sometimes reserved: for Orthodox Christians, or Orthodox and non-Orthodox Christians, or all present including guests (which may include non-Christians) after the conclusion of the formal liturgy - it is and distributed by the priest with a blessing for each recipient.
So how might this venerable tradition be used in the Episcopal Church which generally uses azymes (wafers) for communion, and loaves of bread - consecrated or otherwise - are seldom if ever seen in the sanctuary or nave? Here is one thought....
After the Post-Communion prayer and before the Dismissal, loaves of fresh bread prepared by members of the parish are placed on the altar. The Presider and the entire congregation then pray
Heavenly Father, may these gifts of our hands and hearts be acceptable to You and a reminder to us in the coming week of how You constantly and graciously feed and sustain all Creation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The loaves would then be presented to the ushers before the Dismissal, taken into another room (sacristy?) cut into cubes, placed in baskets to be held by Ushers and Vestry members, and be offered to all as they leave the church as a "favor" with the words "A blessed week!"We leave no one without hospitality; we keep the sacrament reserved to those who are baptized; and we encourage all present to go into the new week considering the many ways Christ feeds and sustains the whole world....
