December 19, 2022
Traveling by Starlight
Ignatius wrote words about a birth on his way to his death . . .
Communion & Lord’s Supper
Communion & Lord’s Supper explores the biblical meaning and practice of the Lord’s Supper in the worship and life of the church. Find Scripture-based articles on remembrance, gratitude, unity, self-examination, and the gospel-centered purpose of communion. You’ll also discover guidance for teaching about the Lord’s Supper, leading communion thoughtfully, and understanding how this weekly (or regular) practice shapes discipleship, worship, and congregational life. This hub equips believers and leaders to approach communion with reverence, joy, and renewed devotion to Christ.
November 7, 2022
Focused on Christ
By Lee Magness Many of us call the meal “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20), but the Greek word translated “Lord’s” is not a possessive noun, but a descriptive adjective. Although the meal does belong to the Lord (Jesus inaugurated the meal, is present in the meal, presides at the meal, etc.), Paul was emphasizing that the meal is characterized by the Lord. It is the Lordly Supper. In every way it is focused on him—past, present, and future. The meal is a remembrance of Jesus past, not just a memorial of the meal he instituted, but a recollection of
November 1, 2022
Communion: The Crown Jewel of Worship
By Victor Knowles The Lord’s Supper is the crown jewel of worship. It should be the central act of our Christian worship. In his foreword to the book The Lord’s Supper: Remembering and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes, Christian educator David S. Dockery wrote, The highest form of corporate Christian worship is the Lord’s Supper. The celebration of the Supper directs our attention backward to the work of Christ on the cross and also encourages a forward look to the Second Coming of Christ. In addition, it provides a time for believers to examine their own personal relationship with God
October 24, 2022
What to Wear?
(We first ran this Communion meditation in January 2014.) By Ronald G. Davis “What to wear? What to wear?” Millions of Americans echo that question, as seasons change, as holidays and holy days loom. “Should it be the floral print?” “Perhaps little Susie would look good in pink?” “Is it a white shirt and tie day or maybe just a striped henley?” Whatever the answer, for many that is a significant issue. Christians need not ask the question. We have other, more significant truth to ponder and celebrate. Long ago, God answered the question through the pen of Isaiah. Isaiah
October 17, 2022
Judas at the Table
(We first ran this Communion meditation in October 2016.) By Ronald G. Davis Because of varying details in the four Gospel accounts, scholars disagree over whether Judas was still present in the upper room when Jesus called for a new bread-and-cup occasion, a new Passover meaning. But we know Judas was there long enough to be given one last, gracious opportunity to repent (see John 13:18-30). When Jesus said, “The one to whom I will give . . . ,” it was Judas’s fingers and thumb that grasped the sop, a grasping motion that characterized his lifestyle controlled by greed,
October 10, 2022
Paul at the Table
(We first ran this Communion meditation in January 2014.) By Ronald G. Davis Paul wrote beautifully and authoritatively of the Lord’s table. But he also sat there. Right across from us, as it were. Was he worthy? Are we? Both he and we are worthy in the gracious eyes of the Lord who invited us here. Paul certainly had sins when he sat here. His tears of repentance were not for imagined occasions he “missed the mark” of God’s righteousness. No doubt, there were occasions at the table he thought about Stephen, the young evangelist, at whose stoning death he
October 3, 2022
Sangre de Cristo
(We first ran this Communion meditation in January 2014.) By Ronald G. Davis In the 16th century, Francisco Coronado and a group of Spanish soldiers explored the American Southwest, looking for golden cities! A priest accompanied them to carry God’s blessing and protection. When they reached the source of the Rio Grande River in what is now central Colorado, as the traditional story is told, that priest was mortally wounded by Native Americans defending their independence. As he lay dying in the Spaniards’ escape southward, he saw a glorious sunset on newly snowcapped peaks. “Sangre de Cristo! Sangre de Cristo!”
August 10, 2022
Communion Survey Results: Prepackaged Cups Widely Used (and That’s Likely to Continue)
A little more than half of the respondents (54 percent) reported their church uses the prepackaged Communion cups (with juice and bread sealed in a single container, purchased from a vendor). Among those folks, 42 percent either “strongly agreed” or “agreed” they were easy to use, while 45 percent either “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed” the prefilled cups were easy to use. . . .
The Most Honored Seat at the Table
The most honored seat for the most respected guest was to Jesus’ immediate left. On this night, Judas sat in that honored position. . . .
The Family Table
Some families still gather around the dinner table at the end of a long, hard day to break bread together. It’s a place to talk, laugh, and cry. In much the same way, Jesus gathered with his disciples around a table at the Last Supper. . . .
In Times of Darkness
The Lord’s Supper was instituted in a time of darkness. And, so, when we are going through dark times of our own, we can partake of Communion and remember Jesus, and what his sacrifice means for us.
November 1, 2021
Battlefield Communion
By Stuart Powell Early in World War I the British army made an amphibious landing at Suvla Bay in what is now western Turkey. The invasion was part of the August Offensive of 1915, the final attempt to break the deadlock of the Battle of Gallipoli. There are numerous descriptions of the Allied forces landing in their battle against German and Ottoman defenders. Among those who landed was a soldier named William Henry Littlejohn. Sargent Littlejohn survived the landing, the months-long stalemate, and the Allies’ withdrawal in December 1915, but he did not survive the war. The company sergeant major
October 11, 2021
He Himself Is Our Peace
It was anything but peaceful when peace came to this world. . . .
October 4, 2021
Flesh and Blood
As Paul was instructing the church at Corinth about the reality of the resurrection of the dead, he declared that our sin-stained physical bodies face a barrier to God’s holiness through which we cannot pass.
September 27, 2021
Visible Reminders
The narrative draws an interesting picture. The curtain hid the mercy seat and ark, leaving visible only the ends of the poles by which the ark was carried. . . .
September 20, 2021
Two Different Men
When we gather for Communion, we focus our thoughts on the historical account of one man’s death on a tree just outside Jerusalem. But the Bible tells of another man who died on a tree that very same day . . .
September 13, 2021
It’s All About Jesus
No person mentioned in the Old Testament or New Testament could have imagined how history would one day come together and finally make sense at the cross.
September 6, 2021
Cleansing
We gather around the Lord’s Table today in a different time and under a new covenant, but in the presence of the same God who cleanses sin.
August 30, 2021
God Is Always at Work
We know God rested from the work of creation on the seventh day, but God continues to “work” in sustaining the universe and advancing his plan of salvation.
August 23, 2021
Which Thief Are You?
One thief chose to believe in Jesus and was saved. The other thief chose to deny Jesus, and in doing so foolishly pushed away the salvation Jesus was willing to give him. Which thief are you?
