Bread and Juice. Ordinary elements that take on extraordinary meaning in the Christian sacrament of Communion. The bread and juice symbolize the body and blood of Christ, expressing our deep connectedness to the person and ministry of Jesus.
As we prepare to celebrate World Communion Sunday on October 2, I invited the elders to reflect on what communion means to them. As spiritual leaders of the church, they preside and lead us in sharing the Lord's Supper each week.
"Everytime I take communion, there are always several thoughts that go through my mind. Primarily the blood and body of Jesus who died for our sins, but also other things associated with our personal lives and how this act of communion represents how we live our lives as Jesus has taught us," one elder wrote.
Another elder remembered not being allowed to take communion as a child. It was a real blessing to be baptized as an adult and be included in the community in the sharing of the bread and cup. Acknowledging human sinfulness, one elder's reflection spoke of the significance of being forgiven for "bad things said or done during the week and the opportunity to start each week fresh."
One elder spoke of the sacrifice Jesus made for us, recalling the witness ofMargaret Casebolt, a 65-year member of Capitol Hill who died in 2009. Margaret came faithfully to Saturday Evening Worship, even though it was difficult for her to walk. And she always insisted upon coming to the Table as others did to receive Communion, rather than having it brought to her. And it was no easy task for her to get out of her chair and come to the Table, but she did it. Just as Jesus sacrificed for us, Margaret made the sacrifice to physically move herself, however painful and difficult, to receive the bread and juice.
One elder said, "For me, communion is the most beloved, the heart if you will, part of my walk with God while I am here on earth. During those few moments as I receive the bread and cup, I can be totally alone with God and realize just how much Jesus loves me. For me a worship service that does not have a spot for communion is incomplete."
We are blessed in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to practice weekly communion. On World Communion Sunday, we will join Christians around the world in sharing the sacred elements of bread and juice, expressing our oneness in Christ. Though different, we are one at the Table.
In Christ, known to us in Bread and Juice,
Candice
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