Communion, or the Lord's Supper, reminds us what is at the
center of our life as a church and of our lives as Christians
- the atoning death of Jesus on the cross. In our celebration
of communion together, we remember, testify, and proclaim Christ's
death and resurrection.
In taking this meal, we remember the cross of Christ. As Paul
said to some early Christians, ". . . you proclaim the Lord's
death . . ." (1 Corinthians 11:26). As Jesus said at the
last supper (which is the model for us), ". . . do this in
remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). So in this church, we remember
Christ's death not so much by physical crosses, but by this shared
meal He left for us. We are remembering the reality which has
created the church, Christ's blood ". . . shed for many for
the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24).
In sharing the bread and the cup, we also testify that we are
united together, a family sharing one table. We are one family
because we are walking together as Christians. So Paul told some
early believers ". . . let a man examine himself. . ."
before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup (1 Corinthians
11:28). From very early on, Christians have realized that to
participate in the Lord's Supper is a statement not of spiritual
perfection (it is a meal for sinners), but of sincere following
after Jesus Christ. Stored anger, nursed wounds, hidden grudges,
deliberate disobedience, and continuing sin should all be in the
process of being dealt with before taking communion; understanding
that communion testifies to the reality which distinguishes the
Christian church from the world.
By sharing this meal, we also proclaim that we, as a church, are
living with heaven in view. Whether by death, or through the
second advent of Christ, this meal proclaims the hope that we
have as we wait for the final consummation of all things. Again,
as Paul wrote, by taking the meal together, we ". . . proclaim
the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). So
we live with the certainty that one day our table will be longer
than we could ever imagine, and that the host Himself will be
Jesus. Communion, then, also proclaims the hope which energizes
the church.
So, remembering the past, testifying about the present, and proclaiming
the future, we celebrate communion. If you are a baptized member
of an evangelical church in good standing, we invite you to join
with us in this celebration.