Alone in a Crowd

By Tom Claibourne

 

The Lord”s Supper is quite paradoxical. It looks backward and forward. It calls us to look upward but also inward. It is utterly profound yet disarmingly simple. It celebrates life while focusing on death.

The Communion emblems prompt feelings of assurance while also calling for an honest self-evaluation regarding our sin. They honor Jesus” death but also his resurrection. They help us celebrate the forgiveness of our sins while reminding us of our ongoing struggle with temptation.

The Lord”s Supper stirs tears of repentance but also smiles of celebration. It calls forth horror at the intensity of Jesus” suffering yet also gratitude for what his sacrificial death provides for us.

Possibly the most surprising paradox of all is that Communion is a shared meal that has its deepest fulfillment and purpose in the individual heart of each participant. Though we partake in a group of people that may be quite large and diverse, ultimately we are keeping a personal appointment with the Lord of the heavens who has invited us to meet him there.

The prospect of feeling alone in a crowd of people typically isn”t appealing to us, but in this unique setting it is a blessing beyond description. We are privileged to share a common bond with people of varied backgrounds, ages, ethnicity, and struggles, while still knowing we have the personal attention of the Creator of the universe.

We can exchange knowing smiles with those passing the emblems and with those seated next to us, yet still enter a solitary prayer closet to meet with our Lord. We celebrate the unifying power of the Lord”s Supper, but ultimately it is a time to be alone with God at the throne of grace.

The Lord”s Supper is a time of self-examination. It is a time for introspection, repentance, confession, and praise. It is a time for new beginnings. It is a time to be alone with God, no matter how many people are around us. Then after meeting Jesus there, we can live with purpose and power among people who follow Christ and among those who need to know him.

Let”s celebrate solitude and a new perspective, alone in a crowd.

Tom Claibourne celebrates the Lord”s Supper with the Bethlehem Church of Christ in Winchester, Ohio, where he serves as preaching minister.