It Is A Strange Sign
If a person with three eyes and four arms flew in on a space vehicle, and came to observe Holy Communion in our church, there would be one puzzled alien! But maybe you are confused too. Does it really mean something? Why in the world, has the Church from century one, observed this phenomenon? Let’s take a look.
1—It is drama: the gospel is acted out here. “God so loved that He gave.” Everlasting life is given through the sacrifice of Jesus. That’s drama and powerful stuff!
2—Sins are forgiven here as well: ours, and all who ask for it from the Giver of forgiveness. Good news, if we just believe and accept it.
3—There is atonement in this observance. Jesus brings at-one-ment. The wall that sin made is broken down. Through confession and forgiveness of sins, I am no longer separated from my neighbor or from my God.
4—And here is magic! As we lift up in memory the one who is more precious than silver, and worth more than all the treasures that earth can produce, we count the coins of our spiritual bank account, and remember Jesus, and what he did for us, and said to us. And that remembrance is magic.
5—In a terribly divided world, this sign tells us boldly that there is no exclusiveness. We must be of one accord. We may not go into rapture at the thought of loving all races and all cultures, or even of loving some of our immediate brethren, but we either learn to do just that, or find ourselves consigned to the Pit! “Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity”, Jesus said. (Lk. 13:27) It’s a bit scary, this food and drink given to us.
6—But finally in this sign, we find ourselves living between two worlds. We look back into the world in which Jesus was crucified and then we look forward to the world in which he is to be crowned Lord of all.
Fortunately, if we have grasped its meaning, we end up taking the “bread”: and the “wine” as we should. We may even find ourselves standing next to that three-eyed, four-legged creature from outer space, or that two-legged hard-to-love neighbor from down the street, and discover that we can get used to it. You see, our God is the Father of all, and Jesus Christ is the Savior of all, and we who go by His name, must be the friend of all.
There’s no doubt about it. It is a strange sign. But I hope we stay in the ranks of those who find life-transforming power in taking “the bread” and drinking “the cup” as new citizens of that brave new world of the Kingdom of Heaven.
1—It is drama: the gospel is acted out here. “God so loved that He gave.” Everlasting life is given through the sacrifice of Jesus. That’s drama and powerful stuff!
2—Sins are forgiven here as well: ours, and all who ask for it from the Giver of forgiveness. Good news, if we just believe and accept it.
3—There is atonement in this observance. Jesus brings at-one-ment. The wall that sin made is broken down. Through confession and forgiveness of sins, I am no longer separated from my neighbor or from my God.
4—And here is magic! As we lift up in memory the one who is more precious than silver, and worth more than all the treasures that earth can produce, we count the coins of our spiritual bank account, and remember Jesus, and what he did for us, and said to us. And that remembrance is magic.
5—In a terribly divided world, this sign tells us boldly that there is no exclusiveness. We must be of one accord. We may not go into rapture at the thought of loving all races and all cultures, or even of loving some of our immediate brethren, but we either learn to do just that, or find ourselves consigned to the Pit! “Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity”, Jesus said. (Lk. 13:27) It’s a bit scary, this food and drink given to us.
6—But finally in this sign, we find ourselves living between two worlds. We look back into the world in which Jesus was crucified and then we look forward to the world in which he is to be crowned Lord of all.
Fortunately, if we have grasped its meaning, we end up taking the “bread”: and the “wine” as we should. We may even find ourselves standing next to that three-eyed, four-legged creature from outer space, or that two-legged hard-to-love neighbor from down the street, and discover that we can get used to it. You see, our God is the Father of all, and Jesus Christ is the Savior of all, and we who go by His name, must be the friend of all.
There’s no doubt about it. It is a strange sign. But I hope we stay in the ranks of those who find life-transforming power in taking “the bread” and drinking “the cup” as new citizens of that brave new world of the Kingdom of Heaven.
posted by Francis Geo. Guither at 6:45 AM
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