Today we celebrated the Eucharist. I love how our church does communion. After reading through the Communion Liturgy, the ushers dismiss the pews one at a time to the front of the church where we each stand or kneel before the altar. The Pastor and another helper serve each person in succession reciting those beautiful words: "The body of Christ given for you; the blood of Christ shed for you." The helper, who always carries the chalice, holds a white cloth under the cup in order to catch any drops of wine coming off the morsel that the communing one has dipped into the cup. This is done either for practical purposes (so that no wine gets on the carpet of the church) or for theological purposes (so that the precious blood of Christ is not spilled on the ground). Personally, I hope it is for the latter. After the congregation has communed, the Pastor slowly and deliberately covers the remaining elements with the white cloth.
Today, as I sat in the pew, I noticed the white cloth covering the cup. It was stained with several drops of crimson wine. It occurred to me that the scene was a perfect reminder of the sacrifice that was made for my salvation and for the salvation of all those sitting around me. For it is the blood of Christ, shed on the cross, remembered and recalled anew this day that gives us life. That crimson stained cloth was beautiful - he became crimson that my sins could become white.
"Make them be for us the body and blood that we might be for the world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood." -United Methodist Communion Liturgy
"This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." -Luke 22:20
"The punishment that brought us peace fell upon him, for by his stripes we are healed." -Isaiah 53:5
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2 comments:
Jackson: I loved reading your account of the communion celebration. It brings back to me how important that act is and should be for every Christian participating. As I think about taking communion ever since I was confirmed in the 1st Presbyterian Church in Jefferson, Iowa back in
1961, I realize that sometimes I have just gone through the motions and not made the event as special as it deserves to be. That sacriment is the most important one we participate in as a Christian and for you to portray it to me that way was so meaningful.THANKYOU JACKSON.
Dad
I think that we all go through the motions from time to time dad. That is one of the things that I love so much about the liturgy. It focuses us and gets us in the right frame of mind to understand and to experience the profoundness of it.
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