We (singles at Northwest - aeffect) have just started a 12 week-ish series on liturgy, which is not to say that Matt is going to talk for an hour every week about stuff other churches do that we don't, but we are actually changing the format of our service for the next few months. The desire is to connect with God (not cause were extra spiritual), connect with our heritage as believers, and grow in our understanding, love, appreciation for the communion, baptism, the body of Christ, the richness of our faith, the thoughtfulness of the ancients, etc.
last night Jonny spoke on communion, which inspired a few thoughts. I first started thinking about all the laws in the books of Moses, the monthly, yearly, routinely, daily rules one had to abide by. then i remembered that we westerners think very little of all those laws, but the jews didn't. the sacrifices, and observances were expressions of worship, they (ideally) were done in love, in a way, God made it easy for His children to express their love for Him. When has someone you loved ever told you "I feel loved, when you ... " and you thought to yourself, this sucks, now i have to do it or they'll think i don't love em! hell to the no, we humans love the opportunity to express our love to those we love, and it is so much easier when we know that it'll be received as such. this was the relationship the law held between YAHWEH and the Israelites.
so... today we have communion and baptism, the only things God specifically told us to observe, and yet His grace envelopes these commands, first when he says to be baptized - He says do it after you become a believer, rather than giving a time frame. and for communion He says, "as oft as ye do it" meaning He leaves it up to us to decide how much we get to enjoy the Lord's supper.
I see the Lord's supper as a command similar to the laws of moses, but created in an age of grace (this is not to say there was no grace from YHWH). I see the Lord's supper as an opportunity for us to express our love to Christ in a way that we know He loves, and with the body of Christ. finally (sorry its wordy) I see communion as maybe the most sacred worship a believer can participate in - it is communal, commanded, expressive, tangible, memorable, available, and often hopefully.
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3 comments:
Well stated Stephan, we observed the Lord's Supper yesterday in our early afternoon service. I always find our "monthly" observance a special time to praise, thank, and simply adore my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Beautifully stated. Communion is a time to reflect on God's grace on us which, as you stated, is accompanied by hope. By taking communion, I participate in a tradition rooted in truth and power, following in the footsteps of Christian brothers and sisters who died, and still die, for their faith. Having this connectedness with the Source of our salvation, communion is a powerful reminder to keep the faith. But it is not in a faith without hope - hope rooted in the truth that He died, rose, and is coming back. It is a living, breathing hope that transcends all other beliefs and futilities.
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