Accept One Another 5

James 4:11-12

I have to admit I have a bit of a lead foot when it comes to driving. There are certain roads that I drive – flat and smooth and open – where it just pains me to actually go the speed limit. And so, there are times when I have thought the law to be a bit foolish, unnecessarily strict. But who am I to judge the law? Who am I to decide which law should be obeyed and which law can be ignored?

Such an approach is not new. Even in the times of Christ there were those who thought they could determine what should be obeyed and what could be ignored. In this letter from James (believed to be the brother of Jesus), what warning is given? What do we judge when we judge our brother? Who is the one Judge and Lawgiver?

Exceeding the speed limit when there is no one around to be affected is still against the law. Slipping through a stop sign when it is late at night and there is no one around is also against the law. It may seem foolish to obey such laws when we consider ourselves intelligent enough to realize they aren’t necessary in certain circumstances, but the law is the law.

The same is true of our attitudes toward one another. We are reminded not to slander one another. We are told not to judge one another. But still we do. We examine others and choose to have them part of our family of faith or to exclude them.

And when we do that we are passing our own judgment on the law of God. Jesus has taught us to accept one another, to be part of the forgiveness we all need. Jesus has taught us not to judge one another. And when we do we are deciding in our own hearts that the teachings and instructions of Christ do not apply to us.

Who are you to judge your neighbor? Jesus is the only one to offer judgment. Christ is the one who is the Lawgiver. And the law of Christ is that we accept one another.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you avoid judging others?

Communion 2

1 Corinthians 11:27-32

I sometimes find myself eating things out of habit rather than out of hunger. There are times where I sit down to watch television and immediately get out a bag of chips even though I don’t really crave them. I eat and then ask myself why I did it. I wasn’t hungry. I ate because I always eat chips when I watch television.

We can all fall prey to this activity of habit or ritual even in religious matters. Continuing in 1 Corinthians we have Paul’s teaching on Communion.

What is wrong with taking part in Communion in an unworthy manner? What should we do? What are we doing when we take part in Communion without spiritual preparation? What were the Corinthians experiencing? What is God’s judgment?

Holy Communion can be one of those rituals in the church service which can easily lose its meaning. Our church celebrates Communion only about five times a year in an attempt to keep it from becoming a ritual without substance.

But even celebrating Communion only a few times a year can be meaningless if we as participants do not allow the ceremony to hold meaning.

Taking part in Communion is not an opportunity for a person to go along with the crowd. People in the service should not feel compelled to take part if their heart is not open and receptive to the working of the Holy Spirit.

Communion is a time for exactly what it is called – communion – a time of sharing time and space on a spiritual level with God. This is a time of being in the presence of our Lord and connecting on a personal, spiritual level with the Almighty.

If we are taking part in Communion only to be a part of the service, or out of habit, then we are taking part in an unworthy manner. If your time during Communion is occupied with thoughts outside of God – thoughts of what you have planned for the day, thoughts of work, thoughts of what others are doing and saying – then you are taking part in an unworthy manner.

Communion is a time to recall the sacrifice of Christ. It is a time to symbolically invite the Holy Spirit to join with you in a time of holiness and reverence. It is a time to offer yourself humbly to God and accept His transforming power and His leading.

To prepare for the celebration of Communion we must first judge ourselves. Where are we spiritually? How do we feel about God? How do we feel about our faith?

When we are emotionally and spiritually ready, when our hearts are in the right place and we have the right attitude, then we can partake of this holy moment.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you prepare now for the next celebration of Holy Communion?