This Sunday we will be celebrating and observing communion to conclude our worship service. As I mentioned this past Sunday, when I was a kid all communion meant to me was that the service was going to run long! As I grew up, however, I began to understand more about communion, why we do it, and why it’s important. Communion (some folks refer to it as The Lord’s Supper) is an integral part of Christian worship. When we come together to receive the bread and the cup we are reminded of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are also reminded to look for and anticipate His return. For many Christians communion is a time of reflection and rededication.
On Sunday I talked at length about the first Passover, which is found in Exodus 12. The Passover remains the most sacred of all of Jewish holidays and feasts. It commemorates the spreading of blood on the doorframes so that the Lord would pass over them as He moved through Egypt during the 10th plague. It was during a Passover meal (we often refer to it as the Last Supper) that Jesus took a loaf of bread and gave thanks to God. As He broke it and gave it to His disciples, He said, “‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (Luke 22:19-21).
Accounts of the Last Supper are found in all four Gospels (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:17-25; Luke 22:7-22; and John 13:21-30), signifying how important it is to our faith. Paul gives us further instructions on communion in 1 Corinthians 11. In Paul’s day communion was often held at the end of a larger fellowship meal. The Corinthian church was struggling with how to properly celebrate it.
After recounting the words of Jesus from the last supper in verses 23-25 Paul says that when Christians observe communion they are proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes. What this means is that communion is to be a visual representation of the Gospel. Communion is not supposed to solely be a time of grief, even though confession of sin is important. It should be a time of thanksgiving and joyful anticipation of Jesus coming back for us!
Then Paul writes something that is not found in the Gospel accounts:
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
1 Corinthians 11:27-29
Whoa….this is serious business. Communion is not to be taken lightly or celebrated irreverently. So what is an “unworthy manner?” Well, the Corinthians were struggling with divisions within the church and with selfishness (everybody wanted to be first). One of the issues of the fellowship meals was that some folks were eating all of the food before everyone got a chance to have some!
Therefore, Paul says, before receiving communion Christians should examine themselves. We should do some serious self-reflection. Are we causing division amongst the body of believers? Is there a relationship in our lives that isn’t right?
Paul goes on to say that this self-reflection should also include recognizing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Communion is not some empty ritual that we observe out of habit or tradition. It is time for recognizing our sin, repenting of that sin and then receiving forgiveness for it with great joy.
So what does this mean for us? At Andrews Bridge the Lord’s Table is an open table. That means that all who have accepted Jesus as their Savior is invited to join us in observing communion. You do not need to be a member of the church in order to celebrate with us. Again, we do reserve communion for those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior…who have surrendered their lives to Him and acknowledge Him as their King.
On Sunday I challenged us to spend the week preparing ourselves and our families to receive communion and I continue to encourage you to heed Paul’s call to self-reflection. Parents, this is a great week to help your kids conduct a “spiritual checkup” as well.
I am looking forward to our worship service on Sunday and the sharing of the bread and the cup together.
Here’s what’s happening:
- The annual Harvest Party is set for Friday, 10/28 from 6-8 pm at the church. Dinner, campfire, hayride and the big slide are all returning, as is Kids Bake-Off competition.
- Men’s Breakfast at Hometown Kitchen at 8 am on 10/29.
- Junior Youth are meeting on Sunday November 6th after church. They will be meeting on Saturday, November 12th from 12:30 to 4:30 pm to work on packing Operation Christmas Child boxes.
- Speaking of OCC, boxes are in the lobby, along with packing instructions. They need to be returned on Sunday, 11/13.
- AMEC (our network) is having its biannual conference on November 4 & 5 at Bethany Grace Fellowship Church. The keynote speaker this year is Josh McDowell! There is no cost to attend the sessions, but registration is required. To learn more and to register, head over to https://www.amec.church/events
- Lighthouse Youth Center is having its annual auction on Saturday, 11/12, starting at 9 am.
- We are looking for some folks who would be willing to close up the church once a month after the Sunday morning service (around 11:45). It would involve checking to make sure all the lights are off, setting the alarm, and locking the front door. If you would be willing to help out, let me know.
- The new church directories have arrived, and they look great! Thanks to Tracy Alexander for her work on this. Copies are in the mailboxes and in the lobby.
This Sunday we are studying one of the most pivotal events in history – the crossing of the Red Sea. Imagine being an Israelite – you are camping out in the wilderness when all of sudden you hear the thundering of hooves and the battle cries of the Egyptian army. You’re trapped…or at least you think that you are trapped! If you know of someone who is going through a difficult season of life you need to invite them to join you at the Bridge on Sunday!
Scott