Celebrating Communion

During our recent men's retreat at Silver Spur (www.silverspur.com), the director at the camp asked me to lead the men in communion during our final session together. Different churches call it by different names, primarily: Communion, the Lord's Supper or Table, and Eucharist. In a future post, I will do my best to explain how different denominations view Communion, because the way you understand Communion effects your motivations and actions in taking it.

But in today's post, I want to share with you what I explained at the men's retreat. We when we take the bread and drink the juice, I believe that we are making three statements:

(1) We are saying, "We believe." In communion, we join with thousands and millions who have gone before us in expressing our belief in Jesus Christ. We are saying that we believe that Jesus is God become man, 100% God and 100% man. We believe that He lived a sinless life, was crucified, was buried, and on the third day He arose from the tomb. Because of this, we have salvation, which is a free gifts, not earned by our good works, but solely dependent on His grace. We are saying that we believe all of it, that it's real, it's true, and it happened.

(2) We are saying, "We remember." In Luke 22:19, we are commanded by Christ to partake in communion as a remembrance. My view of Communion is called a memorial view. I do not believe that there is anything inherently magical about the bread or juice. It's just normal stuff that we eat on a regular basis in our lives, but when we eat it together as the church it reminds us of the powerful reality of Christ's death and suffering. When I take Communion, I reflect on Christ's suffering, I repent of my sin, and I receive His sufficiency.

(3) We are saying, "We celebrate." When I was younger, I remember the Lord's Supper or Communion always being a serious, somber, dreary event. Everyone was walking around with their heads hanging low, the music was dull and dreary, and it felt as if we were all at the foot of the cross. Although Communion is a very sobering time, I believe it is also a time of celebration. Paul says in Ephesians 1:7-8 that it is because of Christ' sacrifice that we have forgiveness and redemption. That is something to celebrate! As much as I mourn Christ's death, my forgiveness and new life would not be possible if He had not willing gone to the cross and suffered. It is by his suffering that I am healed. I love it at our church because after we've celebrated communion, the band usually leads us in a song of celebration that is made possible through Christ's death. As Christians, we have a reason to celebrate! We have been forgiven and set free!

I hope these thoughts help to add some meaning for the next time you take Communion.