I am under the predisposition that all of life points to the glory of the Kingdom. No where should this be more apparent than in our worship. This past Sunday we had the opportunity to worship with a body who allowed the Beauty and Truth in the Liturgy to direct our hearts and minds toward God, the Father.
Anyone who knows me understands that I have a very strong opinion on the act of Worship. I believe it is a never ceasing act that encompasses all of our life. However, there are aspects, such as the sacraments, that you can only engage in corporately. In particular, the act of taking Communion has particular importance to me. For it is there that we feast on the Body and the Blood of our Risen King. And a feast it is indeed. It is no meager meal that consists of a flake of cracker and grape juice. It is a sensory filling feast of warm, wonderful bread and rich, full bodied wine. The fact that we live in such an affluent society and reduce the Body and Blood of our Lord to the cheapest of materials is a tragedy. But I digress. What I witnessed and participated in this past Sunday was a beautiful representation of the Gospel.
After the appropriate fencing of the table the body began to come down. One by one down came the sick, the lame, the depressed, the old and infirm, the young and athletic, children and infants, sinners all. But as they came down to partake of the feast there was hope in their eyes. Though many of their bodies had failed them, their Lord had not. He had come to prepare a feast for us all, and it was beautiful. It was good. Thanks be to God.
4 comments:
I want to hear MORE! What made it so set apart as opposed to other churches? The actual body that knew of their Hope, the Meal they shared, or the way the Feast was presented? Do share!!! Praying for you guys daily as you near the day of parting....love you both. J
Jen,
There is something so True about watching the Church come down to be fed. It is not just an impersonal meal that you take by yourself sitting down immersed in your own thoughts. It is the act of actually walking down, together, with your children to feast with the entire congregation. It is then as I would argue it was intended to be, a sign and symbol of the great feast, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, that awaits us when we finally arrive home!
At Parish we partake of the Lord's Supper in the same manner - all crowding together, singing the hymns as we make our way to the front to receive and be blessed. Leaders from other churches who have become aware of our way have been incredulous, asking, "Isn't that confusing? Disorderly?" Well, it can certainly look that way, but isn't the Kingdom messy rather than convenient? Full of life vs. surface-living? It is a wonderful, satisfying way to partake of the Feast.
Ahhh...so you were meaning the act of walking forward to receive versus how many churches pass it out singularly as we all sit in the pews. I get it. Our "home" church did this...I loved it. And even better, they didn't just offer our Living Meal once a month, it was an every week Feast. LOVED that emphasis that EACH time we met it was done. That is one thing I wish our current church would do differently. Thanks for clearing it up! Looking forward to a good chat in the next couple days...we're planning on calling...
love you guys. j
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