Journey into Joy in Communion – Part 1 Blind Beginning

In The Deal Is In The Meal, I set the background for this short series of entries outlining my journey into appreciating the Lord’s Supper.  As well as Lord’s Supper, it is referred to in other Christian traditions as The Eucharist and as Holy Communion.  I’m not bothered about the interchanging terms though I love the term communion.

I was brought up in a branch of the Church of God (Seventh Day) in the town in which I grew up called Wellingborough.  This was a small church lead by an impressively charismatic and forceful elder.  My Dad was a deacon … the deacon … in the church.  When the folks from Northampton and Bedford popped along for the observance, there would possibly about 20 or 25 adults in attendance.

I don’t have any recollection of the specific dress code that I’ve seen other branches use (as in men in black, women in white) – but it was still a formal affair.  I recall it being a sombre occasion and even the rejoicing and whooping had a sombre quality to it.  People would testify about God’s goodness in the year and care was taken to make sure the service took place at around sunset.

What appeared to be crackers were served and some sort of wine type substance was also shared.  Only to baptised members though.  And of course only those who were pure/consecrated.  So as a child growing up, I just watched on as they ate the little cracker piece, and sipped the wine.  I remember my Dad being involved in its officating, but it being lead by the elder.  I also remember the hymn Break Thou The Bread Of Life being sung  … always … without fail  … year after year  … faithfully … funnily enough before the bread (crackers) was actually … broken.

After the eat and drink there would be the footwashing deal.  Here the men would wash each other’s feet, whilst the sisters did the same to each other. Gotta say as well, those feet got a good scrubbing.  As this came to an end there was the crucial singing of the chorus ‘Together We Walk, Together We Talk, Together We Wash One Another’s Feet‘ even if that would be the only time such humble washing of each others’ feet would take place until the next year.

As I grew up and eventually became a member of the church at about 16, little was explained to me about the significance of the event.  It was assumed I knew and it was assumed the scripture texts about the right way to do it was to be taken as sufficient.  There was nothing in the way of preparing for it as a church in the run up to it, other than the regular logistics of what date it would take place and who would need to do what.  A lot of it was down to something routinely taking place and a lot of assumptions that people knew what was what.

Indeed, on reflection, a lot of my initial years in church once I got baptised was heavily based around assuming I already knew things.  Indeed I assumed I always knew things, because nothing had happened to challenge or upset what had been the regular way of life since birth.

That would soon change, as I’ll explain in the next part.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden