WORD AND TABLE

Sermon Summary (7/16/17) “How God Changes Us: Word and Table” (1 Cor 11:23-26)

We’re in a sermon series, “Connecting to Grace: How God Changes Us,” those spiritual disciplines modeled or instituted by Jesus.  When I grew up, we had Holy Communion quarterly, a hold over from when the Ordained Preacher only frequently came by to marry, to baptize, to serve Communion.  If we miss a service or two, it could be a year between Communions.  And yet one of the few true directives, commands of Jesus was “Do this in remembrance of me.”

But if you grew up Roman Catholic you know that the focus of every service is the Eucharist, Greek for thanksgiving.  Somehow, I never think of it as thanksgiving.  What am I missing?

How is it you think of it?  The Holy Mystery? (Mysterion, Greek for sacrament).  Holy Communion? (the giving, sacrificial relationship with God and one another. It is done in community).  The Lord’s Supper? (Christ is the host).  Mass? (from the Latin Missio from which we get mission.  We are equipped by the meal and sent forth).  Eucharist (our hymnal calls it “The Great Thanksgiving”).

So what does it mean to us?  What do we think of when we sit at table?  What does our liturgy say? 

Thanksgiving. We begin by saying “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.”

Fellowship. Communion is not done in isolation.  Jesus gathered his disciples around the table.  We say “Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body.”  We prepare with confession and we become a forgiven and reconciled people ready to greet one another in the name of Christ.

Sacrifice.  This is a re-presentation of “Take, eat, this is my body broken for you; my blood poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Grace.  Holy Communion is a divine act through the ever-present Holy Spirit, the very definition of grace that transforms us.  “May them the  body and blood of Christ that we may be for the world the body of Christ.

Heavenly Promise. To participate at the table is to give us a foretaste of the future.  We say, “Until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.”

And we remember that all are invited.  In the Methodist Church we mean all.  It is our altar call.  Not even baptism is required.  “Christ our Lord invites to the table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another.” You are invited. Amen.