Communion Part 2

 

Sacraments are ritual actions in worship which, according to Scripture, were instituted by Jesus. In the sacraments of baptism and communion we ask the Holy Spirit to use water, bread, and wine to make visible the grace, forgiveness, and presence of God in Christ.  From the UCC Website

 

There are a variety of ways to celebrate communion; each way communicates something a little different.  The method matters and makes a difference.  For example, this summer, we observed communion through intinction.  You came forward, took a piece of bread, dipped it into a cup of juice, and ate.  What you may not have realized is that this form of communion was about God meeting you individually where you are.  When observed this way, communion is about God’s love enfolding us and sustaining us individually.  The unconditional grace found in bread and juice is elastic and expansive; it is diverse to meet your uniqueness.  This is why I invite you, when you come forward, to form your hands into the shape of a cup ~ this is a receiving posture.  In your hands is your life, which God meets and blesses.  I will add that this reminds us we move toward God.  Recall the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, where the younger son makes the journey back to the home/family he left behind.  One step toward God, and God starts running toward us. 

Contrast that with the way our church practiced communion before COVID, which was passing the bread and tray of cups down the pew.  There was relatively little movement in this way of celebrating communion.  This way reminds us that we can be surprised by grace.  Sometimes we stub our toe on grace without ever intending to do so.  Grace meets us, not because of our agenda or our will, but because of God’s will.  Moreover, often, I would have you all hold the bread until everyone received it so we could eat together, and the same with the cup.  This emphasized the community of communion, the connection of our whole church to the Creator.   

Last Sunday, we mixed and matched these two ways of communion.  You were still invited forward to receive the cup of grace that you carried back to the pew, and then we ate together.  I reminded you of those who worship online because we connected not only to the person beside us, behind us, but also to the very people not in the room, who join us from their homes.  Christ’s table connected to kitchen tables and living room end tables through the screen of livestreaming. 

Pause today, remembering that all theology is autobiographical, that we all have opinions and preferences that we want others to agree with; can you see a time and place for each way of communion?  Sometimes, we need communion with God on an individual level; we need to recall God’s blessing of belovedness on us as uniquely created in God’s image.  Other times, it is good to practice communion as a community ~ the Spirit weaving a thread from my heart to yours to someone worshiping with us in Illinois.  Ponder not only your preferences, but