I have been asked to give a communion meditation at church this month. While I have done several in the past, this is a first with this congregation. I have been prayerfully considering it for several weeks, but the Lord has given me this to say:
“Communion”
This word comes from the Latin words that mean "to join together." We share in communion as a sacrament of remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ, the True Vine and Bread of Life.
The True Vine
Jesus said, “I am the true vine…Remain in me and I will remain in you.” (John 15:1,4) In verses 4 through 9 of John 15, Jesus used the word “remain” eleven times. Eleven times in just six verses: “Remain in me,” and, “Remain in my love.” One can almost hear the desperation of a weeping Christ as he begs us, like he did his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane. “Just stay with me!” He seems to call out.
When Jesus modeled this sacrament at the Last Supper with His disciples, he presented them a cup of wine. Wine is a product of a fragile vine that requires preparation, patience and diligent attention. The fruit, when it is has matured to perfection under the careful hand of the vinedresser, is torn from the garden, crushed, and its very essence is collected, preserved, and shared on special occasions. The True Vine said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
The Bread of Life
In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, we read, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry…and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
In Matthew’s record, we read that our Lord quoted a scripture from Deuteronomy, “Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” The passage he was quoting was written to the recently delivered Israelites, as a warning not to forget the God who delivered them, the bondage from which He had delivered them, and the promises He kept.
“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deut. 8:2-3)
We, like the Israelites, were delivered from our bondage: bondage of sin. And we, like the Israelites are being led by the Spirit of God, humbled by our humanity, perfected in our faith, tested by our trials, and waiting for the day we can walk into our Promised Land. Sometimes our desert seems so vast, and our forty-year wait seems so long. That is why God has provided us a source of strength for our journey: The Bread of Life. “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Communion Prayer
When Ezekiel called upon Your Name,
You made the dry bones come to life.
So now, as our spirits call on Your Name,
and remember Your broken body,
through the sacrament of this bread,
revive the dry bones of our spirit.
As we reflect on Jesus Christ, the True Vine,
find us wholly connected to you,
in this, our communion.
As we drink this new wine,
cause the blood of Jesus to
course through our spirit
and refresh and renew us
in unity with you, Dear God.
In the very precious name of
Jesus Christ, Amen!
Offertory
As we come to the time of offering,
we thank you for this opportunity
to demonstrate our faithfulness.
We praise you as the giver of all gifts
and the owner of all the universe.
We repent from any un-forgiveness
that would stand between us and You.
Cleanse us of bitterness and sin,
so that our acts of sacrifice
might not escape your attention.
Accept our gifts of worship,
and help us to be good stewards
of all you have entrusted to us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This word comes from the Latin words that mean "to join together." We share in communion as a sacrament of remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ, the True Vine and Bread of Life.
The True Vine
Jesus said, “I am the true vine…Remain in me and I will remain in you.” (John 15:1,4) In verses 4 through 9 of John 15, Jesus used the word “remain” eleven times. Eleven times in just six verses: “Remain in me,” and, “Remain in my love.” One can almost hear the desperation of a weeping Christ as he begs us, like he did his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane. “Just stay with me!” He seems to call out.
When Jesus modeled this sacrament at the Last Supper with His disciples, he presented them a cup of wine. Wine is a product of a fragile vine that requires preparation, patience and diligent attention. The fruit, when it is has matured to perfection under the careful hand of the vinedresser, is torn from the garden, crushed, and its very essence is collected, preserved, and shared on special occasions. The True Vine said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
The Bread of Life
In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, we read, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry…and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
In Matthew’s record, we read that our Lord quoted a scripture from Deuteronomy, “Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” The passage he was quoting was written to the recently delivered Israelites, as a warning not to forget the God who delivered them, the bondage from which He had delivered them, and the promises He kept.
“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deut. 8:2-3)
We, like the Israelites, were delivered from our bondage: bondage of sin. And we, like the Israelites are being led by the Spirit of God, humbled by our humanity, perfected in our faith, tested by our trials, and waiting for the day we can walk into our Promised Land. Sometimes our desert seems so vast, and our forty-year wait seems so long. That is why God has provided us a source of strength for our journey: The Bread of Life. “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Communion Prayer
When Ezekiel called upon Your Name,
You made the dry bones come to life.
So now, as our spirits call on Your Name,
and remember Your broken body,
through the sacrament of this bread,
revive the dry bones of our spirit.
As we reflect on Jesus Christ, the True Vine,
find us wholly connected to you,
in this, our communion.
As we drink this new wine,
cause the blood of Jesus to
course through our spirit
and refresh and renew us
in unity with you, Dear God.
In the very precious name of
Jesus Christ, Amen!
Offertory
As we come to the time of offering,
we thank you for this opportunity
to demonstrate our faithfulness.
We praise you as the giver of all gifts
and the owner of all the universe.
We repent from any un-forgiveness
that would stand between us and You.
Cleanse us of bitterness and sin,
so that our acts of sacrifice
might not escape your attention.
Accept our gifts of worship,
and help us to be good stewards
of all you have entrusted to us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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