And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 22:19-20
In this passage, Jesus tells his disciples to "Do this in remembrance of me." I was raised in a home where going to church was expected and I have now begun going to a new church that has communion every Sunday. I have always really liked the concept of coming together as a family in Christ and remembering the sacrifice He made for us. It is a somber experience that makes you think about the deeper things in life. It is a moment to reflect about where you are with God. It is a moment to take a step back from the world and think about eternity and where you stand in it. But I would really like to have a deeper definition of communion than that.
Let's define "communion." Dictionary.com has the following definitions:
1.
(often initial capital letter). Also called Holy Communion.Ecclesiastical.
- the act of receiving the Eucharistic elements.
- the elements of the Eucharist.
- the celebration of the Eucharist.
- the antiphon sung at a Eucharistic service.
2.
a group of persons having a common religious faith; a religious denomination:
Anglican communion.
3.
association; fellowship.
4.
interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication:
communion with nature.
5.
the act of sharing, or holding in common; participation.
6.
the state of things so held.
Number one is obviously describing what we do at church, number two is also describing what we do at church. But now let's look at definition number three. An "association" or a "fellowship." When we take communion, we are coming as close to fellowship with God as we can on Earth. And number four? "An interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication." When we take communion at church, are we sharing out thoughts and emotions on an intimate level with God? We should be.
But to continue this thought process, what about when we are not in church? What about the other 6 days of the week? Shouldn't we still be in or attempting to be in communion with God? Since Jesus used bread and wine, which were two common food and drink items in that time period I would like to think that he wasn't asking his disciples to come up with another ritual to do on a regular basis. I would like to think that Jesus was saying, "Whenever you eat, I want you to remember me." I'm not just saying that we should ask a prayer of blessing before each meal. I'm saying that before we eat we should take a step back and really communicate with God. Really think about where you are with Him. After all, if He gave his son, can't I give a little bit of time each day? Shouldn't I want to be in communion with my creator?
I don't know about you, but this is something that I am most definitely in need of working on. It is easy to forget. It is easy to be too hungry, too busy, too social, to forget to spend time in communion with God.
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41
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Living in Reckless Abandonment for Jesucristo,
Jo
Jo
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