Day 4: Communion
Communion:
1: an act or instance of sharing
2 a capitalized : a Christian sacrament in which consecrated bread and wine are consumed as memorials of Christ’s death or as symbols for the realization of a spiritual union between Christ and communicant or as the body and blood of Christ
b : the act of receiving Communion
c capitalized : the part of a Communion service in which the sacrament is received
3: intimate fellowship or rapport : (Communication) Sat alone on the mountain, in communion with the wilderness
I walked into this journey with a solid understanding of Communion, why we did it, and how to do it in a church setting. I was a credentialed minister after all. There’s so much value to what I was taught about Communion. But it took me by surprise that there was so much more the Lord wanted to show me about what Communion means.
Again the Lord used a challenge to invite me deeper into Communion. One of my first leaders told me that he found new depths of Communion by taking Communion personally every day. This thought intrigued me.
So I did it.
I started to take Communion every day. I enjoyed it so much that I continued to do it for months. Every day I would find a space to sneak away or invite a squad mate to take Communion with me.
While doing this, the Lord began to show me the Joy that is found in Communion. I kept being reminded of Jesus’ Words in Luke 22:15
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
I knew how to Revere the Lord in Communion, but did I know how to Enjoy His Presence?
If I’m being honest, the only place I had learned to Enjoy Him was in Worship, but I did not yet know what it was to Enjoy sitting with Him. I think that was why Jesus taught the disciples Communion at a meal together.
I finally saw the celebration inside of Communion like I never had before. Even in reading Paul’s correction for the church in Corinth concerning Communion was brought to new light. 1 Corinthians 11:17-32 includes the famous quote “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgement on themselves.”
This verse in the past has always scared me. Partly in a healthy way, it taught me to Revere and sit in the Awe of God. But I never realized the total context of this verse. Paul was correcting the abuse of Communion because some people were bringing meals for themselves and not sharing, some people were getting drunk while others didn’t get any food or drink at all.
This is obviously very wrong, but it showed me that Communion for them wasn’t a small cracker and a tiny cup of grape juice, nor was it a certain prayer and solemn atmosphere. It was a shared celebration meal to proclaim what Jesus did until He comes back!
I believe that Communion I have experienced growing up in the church and a celebration meal can both be True Communion to the Lord. Reverence and Awe are just as important as Joy and Intimacy. When we elevate one over the other is where we find ourselves “eating and drinking judgement on ourselves”.
This newfound Joy and Intimacy in Communion did not hinder the Awe and Reverace that I knew before, it actually made it whole! Awe and Reverence position me in Humility, Joy and Intimacy position me in Boldness. Both of these are needed in Communion with the Lord.
There’s so much more I want to say with how the Lord showed me how Good, Fresh, Alive, Miraculous, and Healing His Body is. And how Deep, Sweet, Bitter, Full of Love, Cleansing, and Sacrificial His Blood is. But this is something you have to go find and experience for yourself.
I encourage you to find Communion by reclining at the Table with the Lord. To find a place where you get to share and commune with God like you never have before.
If you’ve never sat in Awe and Reverence, take in the weight of what Jesus did. Not just on the Cross, but that He chose to come and live amongst us. His body and blood were brought into this world by being born, being raised, His hands were hardened by labor, He bore the punishment of what we’ve done, and now waiting in anticipation in eternity for us. To take part in His Body and Blood is to realize all of Him.
If you’ve never accepted the invitation to Joy and Intimacy at the Table, don’t hold yourself back! Go and find His Heart for you! Take in the fullness of His Blood and Body. “For the Joy set before Him, He endured the cross and scorned it’s shame.” You are that Joy that was set before Him! He Gladly wants you to come and take of His Body and Blood so He could even spend a minute with you!
