Jonathan's JournalsThe first Sunday of July is coming up, and we will be celebrating Holy Communion together in worship. During the three years that I have been at Shiloh, we have celebrated Holy Communion quarterly (four times a year, usually on the first Sunday of each quarter.) We have also celebrated Communion at other times, such as Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Sunrise.
What’s so special about Holy Communion? In one sense, it is not “special” at all. It is simply the meal that Christians share together in worship. What makes meals special at your home?
I remember growing up in my family that meal times were special, even though they were routine. We would pray; we would talk about the events of the day, our plans for the future, how we felt about different things. Some of the times when the family had the most open communication were around the dinner table. I remember my older brother saying something about Vietnam and the draft; there were other such serious topics discussed at the table, but I didn’t understand them at the time (I was the youngest of four children). We also got into an occasional squabble around the dinner table. I remember there was one time when I was complaining about how bad the tea was that my older sister had made. My father got tired of listening to us pick at one another, and so he said, “Jonathan, I want to hear you say something positive to your sister!” And so I said, “Ok. Deborah, this is the best tea you have ever made!” [insert laughter here!] I love my sister more than I could ever say, but to this day, we do not serve each other tea! How I love those memories around the dinner table. And oh yes, we also got fed; if it were not for such routine meals, we would have starved or gotten very sick. They kept us healthy, and they kept us together as a family.
So it can be in the church; the barriers can be brought down, we kneel together, partake of the body of Christ, and remember who we are as His people. And we get fed. Nothing special: just Jesus eating and drinking with sinners. He did it all the time in the gospels; I think he still likes to do it today. It is fairly routine, but we get fed.
In another sense, it is “special,” because it is a meal like no other. Christ is the host and invites us to be his guests. He promises to be with us in this meal. We experience anew the forgiveness of our sins and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We are challenged in our Christian discipleship to share the love of God with others. We are reconciled with our neighbors. The death and resurrection of Christ are not only remembered but made effectual for us as we partake in the bread and wine. As a church, we become (like the bread and the wine) the body and the blood of Christ given for the world. We are taken, blessed, broken, and given for the world. We experience anew the grace of God which can accomplish abundantly far more than we could ever ask or imagine.
Yes, Holy Communion is very special. It is also routine, like the three meals we eat each day. The United Methodist General Conference (2004) recently approved a document called
“This Holy Mystery” which outlines the meaning of Holy Communion in the United Methodist Church. This documents recommends weekly celebration of the sacrament, in accordance with the teachings of John Wesley and Jesus, who said, “do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Perhaps we should consider more frequent celebration of this holy meal at Shiloh. In the mean time, I look forward to seeing you at the Lord’s Table this Sunday. And I promise not to complain about the tea, I mean, grape juice.
Peace,
Jonathan
