Communion 1

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

When I was very young I shared with my brother an incredible story I had heard. He didn’t believe me and he gave me some advice. He said, “Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.”

It is true that I can sometimes be gullible and believe what others have told me. I need to be more discerning in my judgment, but the cynicism of my brother’s advice was a bit too much for me.

Frequently in matters of faith and the Bible people will ask how it is we know that it is true. For much of our beliefs we must rely completely on faith, trusting that what we believe is actually real and true. But as far as Holy Communion we have some confidence in the tradition.

In his letter to the Corinthians Paul has something to say about the Lord’s Supper. Where did he get this information? What did Jesus do? What are we doing as we take part in Communion?

Paul begins his instructions with the statement that what he is teaching has been passed down from Jesus, through the disciples, to other believers. The tradition and form of the Lord’s Supper was established by Christ himself and then repeated and imitated by his followers.

It is a heartening concept to me to know that what we do during Holy Communion is very much like what happened with Jesus and the disciples on the night Christ was handed over for crucifixion. This sacrament is a re-telling, a re-enacting of what Jesus did, a celebration which has been handed down over the centuries.

As we celebrate Communion in our places of worship we need to realize that, although there may be slight changes and deviations in our traditions, the central act and theme is the same. We are celebrating and proclaiming the sacrifice and love of Jesus Christ.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you trust in the truth of Communion?

Communion 1

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

As our oldest child learns to drive I have ridden with him on several occasions, offering instructions on how to watch traffic, when to accelerate, when to begin breaking, and so on. I received most of this instruction from my own father. I imagine he received his instructions from his father, my grandfather. I imagine my son will pass on this training to any children he will have.

The knowledge, the training, the instruction, the tradition, is passed on from one generation to the next.

Paul is writing to the church at Corinth and offering his own instructions on what we have come to call Holy Communion. Where did Paul get this information? What did Jesus do and say? What is the bread? What is the cup? When we take communion what are we doing?

The practice of Eucharist, Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper is a very holy and sacred moment for many people. This is a time of quiet reflection, a time of soft music, a time of handing over oneself to the mystery of God. It is a time of recalling the sacrificial love of Jesus, and also of taking this Spirit of Christ into ourselves to be a part of who we are.

Holy Communion is that time when we can physically go through the actions of that Seder meal which took place in the upper room. We are remembering by doing, recalling the actions by imitating them. This is a way of teaching, a way of passing on instruction from generation to generation. And I think this ritual is so treasured and so holy because we are doing precisely what Jesus himself did – almost literally going through the same actions as Jesus.

As we go through the breaking of the bread, the drinking from the cup, we are enacting what happened with Christ and the disciples. We become a living witness to all who participate with us, especially the younger generations in attendance with us. We are also a living witness to others around us and even to ourselves.

By participating in the act of Holy Communion we are keeping the tradition alive, re-enacting the holy events of that last week of Christ. And in so doing we are teaching others and we are proclaiming the death of Christ – telling others about the sacrifice that he made. And we will continue to practice this tradition and ritual from generation to generation, until the day Christ returns.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What does Holy Communion mean to you?