We are now approaching the first Sunday of a new month when traditionally, congregations of the Community of Christ gather together to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of the Community of Christ that has been celebrated from the time the church was established in 1830. This sacrament was instituted by Jesus when he met with his disciples to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. At that time Jesus gave his disciples a piece of bread and a drink of wine and told them, “Do this in remembrance of me”.
Down through the years the intent of this sacrament and the personal preparation needed for us to wholly participate in this sacrament has not changed. However, over more recent times the way in which the sacrament is administered has changed in some areas because of growing understandings and the circumstances that may be present at the time.
At the World Conference in 2010, the delegated membership approved the counsel submitted by President Stephen Veazey that all who believe in Christ, which is usually expressed in baptism, whether members of Community of Christ or not, are welcome to share the Lord’s Supper
For me, this was a freeing of an old tradition that had held back our opportunities for ministry. I vividly recall an incident in my early life that was very upsetting on a personal basis for my family and particularly myself. It must have been in the late 1940’s when I was around 10 or 11. I had a friend Dennis who lived directly opposite our home. We played together and in due course Dennis came to the Boys’ Club at the Leichhardt congregation and was eventually baptized.
The congregation had planned a communion service on a Sunday afternoon and Dennis was to be confirmed in the service. His mother came along to support him. Following the confirmation, the communion emblems were served but when the priest came to Dennis’ mother he refused to offer her the emblems. She was so upset she took Dennis with her, walked out of the church and Dennis was not allowed to come to church ever again. I believe our changed position on open communion has been a blessing for the church’s outreach ministry.
COVID-19 has impacted the way we have been holding our communion services over the past two years. This virus has meant congregations have needed to resort to use different methods for serving the emblems. While worshipping on Zoom we have had to prepare our own emblems, pray with the priest as he/she blesses them and then serve ourselves. If we were at church, because of the rules that have been in place for social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands, the emblems have again had to be served in more clinical ways. However, our participation in communion even though very different from what we have been used to, remained the same as before, that is, to remember the sacrifice of Jesus by dying on the cross for mankind.
I had an inspirational thought about the significance of communion following the reading of a book. It was not a new thought but it was refreshing to be reminded of it. Last year I read the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer written by Eric Metaxas, a book of some 600 pages. Bonhoeffer was a famous Pastor in the Christian church in Germany while Hitler was ruling the country in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Dietrich was a teacher and preacher of the words of Jesus as well as a spy against the Nazi rule.
In the biography Dietrich tells of an experience where he invited a friend to share dinner with him, but the friend declined to come. Bonhoeffer responded by telling him, “It isn’t just my bread, but our bread, and when we eat together there will be 12 baskets left over.” I am sure he was referring to Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5000.
For me, there is a deep meaning behind what Dietrich said to his friend. As we gather to eat a meal together, wherever it may be - in our home or a restaurant or even at a picnic, it is not just the food and drink that nourishes us, but also the connections and companionships and friendships that are cemented in love amongst each of those that have gathered together.
Isn’t this similar to us gathering together for the sacred meal of remembrance? It draws us together as a community in love and with similar purposes to be followers of the Christ. But more importantly it draws us together with our God to receive His promise that He will continue to be with us on our journeys of life.
And just as Dietrich told his friend it’s not just the eating of the blessed bread and drinking the cup, it is also the benefits of love and companionship and community that are displayed and felt amongst us. Let us not consider participating in communion once a month as just a routine event. May we always regard it as sharing in a sacred meal with our God and brothers and sisters in Christ.
Bill Gillard