MWR : Worshiping against the grain

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Jan. 23 issue

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Worshiping against the grain

To go gluten-free, churches eliminate wheat products from communion

By Tim Huber Mennonite Weekly Review

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When Lovina Rutt was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2000, elimination of wheat products from her diet had repercussions — both in the fellowship hall and the sanctuary.

When the bread was passed during communion time at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind., she simply skipped straight to the little cup of grape juice.

“It was more difficult when we observed communion using the intinction method,” Rutt said of dipping pieces of bread in a shared cup. “I think I simply stayed home on those days or simply abstained.”

She didn’t want to make a big deal about it or cause problems for the lead pastor, at the time her brother Firman Gingerich.

“Slowly we went to fewer potlucks and dropped out of going to the Wednesday evening meals because it was so hard to find anything to eat except salad, and sometimes salads included croutons which made even that off limits,” she said. “It was just easier to eat at home and not make a big deal about it at church.”

Celiac disease, sometimes referred to as gluten intolerance, is a genetic autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that affects an estimated 1 percent of the American population, though many are not diagnosed.

Gluten proteins in grains such as wheat, barley and rye trigger an inflammatory reaction in the lining of the small intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients.

Symptoms are wide-ranging, but can include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, ulcers, weight loss, dermatitis, anemia, miscarriage and infertility. Unlike some other digestive conditions that are treatable with enzyme supplements, the only known treatment is a gluten-free diet.

Though it is a genetic condition, research by Joseph Murray at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., shows celiac disease is four times more common today than 50 years ago.

As a result, some Mennonite churches today offer a gluten-free communion option, or go completely gluten-free.

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Comments

Celiac disease affects a small percentage of the population, but today's wheat varieties have a less digestible form of gluten, causing digestive problems to some people without celiac disease. Acorn flour is a great alternative. It's rich in fiber, gluten free, and can be harvested anywhere oak trees grow. Take a look at www.iloveacorns.com to see how acorns have been a gluten-free choice for over 2500 years!

- Barbara Brooks (jan 17 at 1:17 p.m.)
Thank you for the article! Some people think that a gluten-free diet is just another fad diet--"Can't you just eat it this one time"? And then the next time you're with them it's "just this one time" again! Celiac Disease is not the whole problem with gluten. The basic grains--wheat,barley, oats (unless processed in a gluten-free facility)--are INFLAMMATORY for everyone. This increases plaque build-up in blood vessels among other things. Fats are not the problem; bad fats, high fructose corn syrup and inflammatory grains are the problem.

- Erma Wenger (jan 20 at 6:14 p.m.)
EMU's closing communion during the School for Leadership Training with Walter Bruggeman simply provided a bowl of rice cakes for those who couldn't eat bread. Very nice!

- Melodie Davis (jan 23 at 9:54 a.m.)
As the spouse of someone needing to eat gluten free, I too was happy to see a gluten free option offered at the SLT worship service at EMU. I felt good knowing that they had thought about people like my wife. That is until I saw that we were expected to dip the rice cakes into the common cup that all of the bread had been dipped into. It defeated the purpose, misled those who expected to be fully included and still excluded those with a gluten allergy from the juice. I appreciate that this article also includes the problem of communion by intinction if a common cup is used with both gluten and gluten free bread. A recognition of the problem is nice, but it is still fall short if it is not fully executed.

- Dave Maurer (feb 4 at 11:55 a.m.)

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