Holy Communion

Meditations in First Corinthians

June 3, 2022

Holy Communion 

When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:20

Read: 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

One of my favorite story tellers is Garrison Keillor. In one autobiographical story, Keillor mentions his Uncle John. Every time Uncle John prayed, he would talk about the cross and every time he talked about the cross, he would cry. Keillor’s recollection of this event ends with his comment that “All of us knew that Jesus died on the cross for us, but Uncle John had never gotten over it.”

It is easy to get over important things, isn’t it? There is one part of our church life where we tend to ‘get over it’ more than other parts, and that is the sacrament of Holy Communion. The people who keep church attendance records will tell you that in many churches the least attended Sunday Service is Communion Sundays. That is so sad because a part of the liturgy in many Communion Services says that when we come together in faith to receive the bread and cup, we experience anew the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives as we look forward to his coming again in final victory.  How is it that we’ve gotten over the opportunity to experience anew the presence of Jesus in our lives?

Two years ago, churches closed. After not receiving Holy Communion for six months, we located a church that was open and offering a full Eucharistic service. The first time I knelt at their altar to receive the bread and cup, I sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit and knew I had come home to the Lord’s Table.

My Takeaway: I recall reading that Saint Thomas Aquinas referred to the Sacrament as ‘food for the journey.” He was so right, as our participation in the Sacrament sustained us through the pandemic.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.