Enough For All

 

This morning we are going to partake in communion with a bit of a twist.

I mentioned two weeks ago, when we were covering the bread as part of this sacrament, that I had been a part of a bread sharing service back in my Nazarene days. We are going to do something similar. I had said that we really didn't do anything with the juice that day. We simply broke big chunks off the loaf that was up front and went and found someone to share that chunk. I'm going to encourage you to do that today. There is also juice here on the table in the Chalice for those who would like to dip their bread through Intinction. There is also a tray with some individual cups here for those who find it easier to share in communion that way. There are some serving gloves here if you think that you should put something on your hands before you touch the bread. The bread is already cut up into some large chunks so that you don't have to do the work of pulling it apart. 😊

One of my colleagues, Richard Purvis, through means of the Emmaus Walk program, would encourage people to take a BIG chunk. "Get a big ol' chunk of God's Grace!" It's always important to have plenty of bread when you do Communion at an Emmaus retreat. And, if you take as much bread as Richard would suggest, you have to turn around and get that next loaf after 10 or so people come through. There is plenty of bread here today! If you are watching at home and you have no bread, feel free to pause the video, drive down to Kroger and get yourself some bread. The service will be here when you get back.Or, be like Paul, that guy from our group when we studied the United Methodists sacrament book, who only had dried up carrots and apple juice. Let us focus on why we are here today and not on how exactly we are doing this and what exactly we have been told we are to use. Worship from your heart. Worship in the freedom of the Spirit. Worship like Jesus is sitting there with you. If you think of Jesus as a friend, that should not be hard to do. Lets take a look at the scripture for today.

 

I noted last week that the Gospel writers seem to have different accounts of the Last Supper meal. However, this one is very different. I find it strange that John is the only one who seems to recall the moment. Matthew would have been right there at the table with him. His Gospel seems to focus more on Old Testament Law & Prophecy. So, the historical perspective of the Passover and the connection to the Israelite's history seems appropriate for the style of his writing. Luke is said to have drawn much of his knowledge from Peter and others who would have been descendants of the the times and people surrounding the events of Jesus' life. Still no one brought this moment up. John is said to be "the disciple whom Jesus loved". One of the inner three. Sitting right next to Jesus at the meal. Sometimes its where we are in the moment that causes us to remember what we saw and heard. 

Do you remember your first communion? Do you recall where you were? What church you were in? How old you were when the elements were offered? For me it was nothing spectacular. I was 14. It was back in that Disciples of Christ church in my hometown. After years of watching those trays go past my eyeballs, having to pass them on to the next person, I could finally partake in that crusty wafer and a little cup of juice. I had mentioned a couple weeks back that we would cover the subject of the Open Table here in the United Methodist Church. I grew up with a closed table mentality toward sharing the bread and juice with others. Our cluster group of UM pastors and lay speakers covered this matter in depth through Gayle C. Felton's book in the fall of 2021. Felton would state that since we have this "open table" that it means "there are few, if any, requirements that a person must meet in order to receive" communion when worshiping with a group of United Methodist people. There are literally numerous occasions in the Gospels where we would see Jesus eating a meal and sharing in fellowship with people that society would have deemed them unworthy of such access to God. Felton would also say that it seemed Jesus went out of his way to find and reach out to such people. We have grown up in a world that like to nicely segregate everyone into their own personal area. Many of us have grown up with such walls dividing us into a certain arena where we are told we fit in and belong. This matter of communion has long been used in church surrounding as a way to tell people whether they can actually be with Christina people or not. Joseph Serwach in his blog "The Catholic Way Home" would share just how detrimental that outlook has been for people who question church rule and authority down through the centuries. Communion has been a means of controlling people. If we want access to God, we have to go through those in charge of such treasure. And, if we don't meet their requirements, then we get left out. There is good and bad to this way of dealing with the public. We want unity - around what we believe, around our body of believers, focusing on what matters about God and not simply believing whatever we want. We also want everyone to find their way to God. The old adage that "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" could fit in here with a slight adaptation. In some cases it's not that the horse doesn't want to drink, but that he isn't allowed to do so unless the horse is doing exactly what the church says he or she can do. It's a dicey bit of ecclesiastical drama.  And, it's necessary. We need to bring people to a right relationship with God on God's terms and not our own. It's God's door we are rapping our fist on. It is God who knocks on the door of our own hearts. We need to keep proper perspective on who we are dealing with as we seek to come closer. That is why so many of our church denominations would have that closed table; in order to ensure that a person is understanding that they need to accept Christ as their Savior before they simply pop some bread and juice in their mouth is essential to our Christian faith. 

Where do you find yourself today? Do you know Jesus as Savior and Lord? Do you understand what we are doing as we approach the table? If you do, then come. It's a strange Sunday today as we seek to partake in the Lord's Supper in front of a TV or computer screen. Maybe you have bread. Maybe you just have some dried up carrots. Maybe you have juice. Maybe you have wine. Maybe you have nothing. Come. Draw close. Seek the One who wants to know you. Find solace in the One who can heal all wounds and sure up any broken heart. God wants everyone to come. There is enough for all here at this table. 

"Having loved his own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."