Whether it was looking at the deal in the meal, or the blind beginnings, the journey has truly been one traversing from one state of knowing to another. That has included subtle hints of a need for change, awakening experiences and a present stance of the Lord’s Supper being as much about mission as anything else.
My last statement was there was more to taking the Lord’s Supper than just being a missional declaration.
I am a part of a Body of believers desirous to love each other and love the world around them. A Body of believers gifted and equipped for mutual edification and for whatever service the King sees fit. This time of sweet communion says again my agreement to the prayer that Jesus prayed before His capture where He said,
I in them, you in me, may they be brought to complete unity, so the world may know that you have sent Me and have loved them even as you have loved Me. (John 17:23)
Now with no distinction being above any other – male, female, old, young, black, white, rich, poor, educated, illiterate, able-bodied, disabled, homosexual, heterosexual – we join together and celebrate the victory of the Cross. The victory of the broken Body and the shed blood. The reconciliation between man and God, the reconciliation of man with man, the reconciliation of man with creation.
In this holy act of eating and drinking, we again declare to the world we have taken on Christ – we’ve digested Him, He is in the very inner most part of our being.
He is not just a part of us – He is us. Even in our frailties and weaknesses, in our doubts and fears, in our failures and foul-ups, He remains our Lord, He remains our Saviour, He remains our Friend, He remains our Brother, He remains our Righteousness, He remains the Holy One who sees all who belong to Him safely into His fold. We declare our love for Him and our love for each other.
I have had the pleasure and privilege of taking Communion among saints of other denominations, and these times have really highlighted how important it is to realise that this is not something to be taken in a routine way or as a ritualistic part of the year. This is special. This is holy.
Yet that does not mean it’s got to be formalised and choked up. This is personal and relational – this is God and us celebrating together and He doesn’t want the masks of being religious and pious – He doesn’t want us coming in and playing being solemn and sombre. He wants to engage with us as authentic people in our real authenticity (hence my shrug-shoulders approach to the uniform issue).
Likewise from this engagement He wants us to rejoice in Him, what He has done from eternity past before the foundations of the earth, what He did on the Cross, what He is doing now by His Spirit and how it will all be culminated in the return of His Son.
It can be as vast as the universe, and yet it is as intimate as two close lovers nuzzling up to each other and expressing joy in their oneness.
This has been enjoying the Meal, so much more a bigger deal.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 
One thought on “Journey into Joy in Communion – Part 5 – Universal and Intimate”