I could not begin to count the number of times that little or no thought was given to Communion in many of the worship services I have attended through the years. How many times have I heard a devotional thought leading to the Lord's Supper that had little or nothing to do with Christ's sacrifice? It is no wonder that without proper significance placed on this moment of remembrance that the pervasive attitude creeps dangerously close to being cavalier!
A few Sundays ago as I sat with my wife during the Communion time, a couple behind us carried on a conversation at almost normal conversation volume...during the entire Communion time! What was so important that had to be discussed at that time? What was more important than focusing on the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus?
I love how The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson paraphrases I Corinthians 11:26-29...
What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and
every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death
of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the
Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.
Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of
“remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart,
come to this meal in holy awe.If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care)
about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the
risk of serious consequences.
So, I taught a class on the Lord's Supper the other night....hopefully I helped a few people catch its signifcance.
1 comment:
That sounds like a good idea. We have communion once a month and, while I still think weekly is how the early church did it, I've gotten pretty comfortable with monthly. Most of the time, the servers stand at the front and the congregation comes forward to be given the elements, then returns to their seats to actually partake. I love watching people as they get their communion. Families come together, many people smile, some look solemn -- it's a beautiful picture of the family of God. I wish you could visit on a communion sunday -- I think you'd like it.
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