Series: Communion Meditations

February 15, 2012

Doug Redford

In the Garden

By Doug Redford Last summer our local newspaper featured an article about urban farming in the Cincinnati area. It described how people began growing gardens in various locations throughout the city, not only as a hobby but also as a way to provide additional food. One man was rather philosophical about gardening. “I started seeing how gardening made people happy,” he said, “how it started changing the whole community, and it just took my heart.” Then he added, “In a garden, you control your own destiny.” That last statement, to use gardening language, deserves some cultivation. It brings to mind

January 7, 2012

Christian Standard

The Old Has Gone, the New Has Come!

By Victor Knowles Today is New Year”s Day, the first day of the year and the first Sunday of the year. What a good way to start the New Year! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Communion is a weekly reminder that in Christ we are a new creation. The old is gone. I remember singing a chorus in youth camp many years ago. “Gone, gone, gone, gone, yes my sins are gone!” The crimson cup reminds us that the old has gone. Jesus

August 27, 2011

Christian Standard

Let All of Us Examine Ourselves

By David L. Eubanks The major focus of Communion is the Lord Jesus Christ. When he inaugurated it, he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” The Lord”s Supper is not primarily about us but about him, what he did for us, and the life he gives us when we feed on him. At the same time, there is a definite element of introspection that goes with this feast. That was true of the meal at which Jesus instituted it. When Jesus told his apostles that one of them would betray him, they immediately began to ask, “Surely you don”t

August 22, 2011

Christian Standard

A Memorial

By Ben Merold I walked up Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to get a view of the path of the first flights made by the Wright brothers. They gave proof to the world that a heavier-than-air flying machine could lift off under its own power, fly, and make a safe landing. This was the place of first flight, and a large monument marks the site. I found myself thinking that the entire area is, in one sense, a memorial. However, everything seems to focus on four large stones that mark the distance of their first flights. On

August 6, 2011

Christian Standard

Discovering the Good in the Bad

By Eleanor Daniel   G. K. Chesterton wrote a series of short stories featuring Father Brown, a little priest with amazing discernment and wisdom. He solves crimes and other puzzling situations easily. He dispenses wisdom freely. These are fascinating stories. In “Father Brown”s Secret,” the cleric explains how he solves the mysteries that regularly come his way. The priest says he imagines himself as the perpetrator of the crime””and that reveals the solution. When someone in the story objected that he could not carry out such evil, the priest observes that no man can know how good he can be

July 28, 2011

Christian Standard

A Place at the Table

By Ethan Magness   Many of Jesus” stories and parables center on parties and feasts. A consistent theme in these stories is that many who attend are unworthy. We see this in the parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:15-24). Many on the initial guest list refused to come, and so many others were then invited. And those invited later were people one would never expect to be invited to a noble event. The great parable of the wayward son (Luke 15:11-32) ends with a surprising feast. The elder son in the parable gives voice to our confusion when he

July 24, 2011

Christian Standard

God”s Great Story

By Ethan Magness There is a great story to be told that the world needs to hear. It is a story of rebellion and loss, chaos and destruction, punishment and fear. It is a story of rescue and restoration, order and repair, forgiveness and hope. It is a story of great redemption purchased at great cost. It is the story of great sacrifice because of a great love. This is the story of God and all people and this is the story the world needs to hear. There is a great story to be told that the church needs to

July 17, 2011

Christian Standard

Making the Father Known

By Ethan Magness Despite our best efforts and fervent hopes, God cannot be fully known. Our questions will never be fully answered. God’s ways are higher then ours and so, in some ways, God will always be a mystery. But God does desire to be known. Christ came, in part, to make God known. In Christ, we know God is good and kind. We know God cares about the lost and confused, the sick and the poor. We know God is love, not because of an abstract theological declaration, but because his love has been demonstrated and incarnated in Christ.

July 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Outrageous, New, and Glorious

By Ethan Magness   We are shocked by Jesus” words about the bread, “This is my body” (Matthew 26:26, author”s emphasis). We are shocked by the is. Much like the crowds who went away sad in John 6, we get lost in parsing verbs and miss the truly shocking nature of this sentence. The disciples were not shocked by the word is. The disciples understood stark metaphors. They were shocked by his use of the word my. This is because this meal already had meaning. The bread had meaning. The wine had meaning. The herbs had meaning. This meal was

July 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Memory Matters

By Ethan Magness Our memory matters to God. After a personal encounter with God, a pillar of rocks would be built so the mercy of God would never be forgotten. In response to the great saving acts of God, festivals were established so the people could celebrate and never forget. Pilgrimages and parties, feasts and festivals were held for the purpose of maintaining the memories that defined God”s people. When the Israelites entered the land, God gave them new disciplines of memory: doorposts and tassels, promises to repeat, stories to tell. All of these were so God”s people and their

May 26, 2011

Christian Standard

Wherever the Table Is Spread

By J. Michael Shannon “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord”s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). The first Lord”s Supper was observed in a relatively obscure room in Jerusalem. It was a private gathering. Very few people were there. Those who were there did not understand its full significance. Jesus was making clear the meaning of his death. In the early church, Jesus” followers each Lord”s Day reenacted what happened in that room. Even though the events were fairly recent, they did not want a week to go by without remembering.

April 29, 2011

Christian Standard

A Visible Reminder

By J. Michael Shannon “Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, “˜Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”” (Matthew 26:27, 28). Sometimes we need a visible reminder of those things we cannot see. A wedding ring can remind us of love and commitment. A flag can be the symbol of liberty and patriotism. A pin can be the symbol of fraternity or fellowship. Since we cannot see the past, we often use symbols to remind us of

March 25, 2011

Christian Standard

He Chose Us

By Trevor Tolley Classes on ethical theory are notorious for presenting students with scenarios calling for difficult decisions. Often these scenarios have no good solutions. No matter what a person might choose to do, someone will die. The especially difficult scenarios pit the choice of saving a family member, such as a son or daughter, at the expense of many others dying, or saving many people at the expense of your own child dying. For example, let”s say a boat capsizes, and your son and his two friends are thrown into the water””your son is in the water to your

February 19, 2011

Christian Standard

The Time for Cross-Examination

By Charles Gerber Examine is a word often used in court proceedings. Examination can be defined as “putting yourself under evaluation, as with a microscope.” This type of examination is for our own good, like when we visit a doctor. Some examinations are done with great care and precision. The word examine is found only twice in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 11:28 and 2 Corinthians 13:5. The word examine is from the Greek word dokimazo, meaning to test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to approve. Cross-examine is another term used in court proceedings. A witness is cross-examined by

February 12, 2011

Christian Standard

He Demonstrated His Love

By Charles Gerber Speaking in public is one of man”s greatest fears. Research shows some fear it more than death. But what do people fear more, standing before a crowd and speaking, or receiving the audience”s negative reaction? The purpose of a speech is to communicate. There are many types of speeches: informative, persuasive, entertaining, tribute, motivational, acceptance, and farewell. One of my favorite types is the demonstration speech. This speech usually includes some type of action or item. Have you given a demonstration speech? Do you remember the topic? Maybe it was on CPR or shining shoes. If you

February 5, 2011

Christian Standard

The Highest Purchase Price

By Charles Gerber People buy and sell some outrageous items on eBay. I heard about someone who tried to sell an elastic band you put around your head to hold your mobile phone to your ear. (It sounded an awful lot like a rubber band.) No one bid on it. (What a surprise!) However, someone actually did buy a half-eaten taco! Yard sales are places you can find some great bargains, but at auctions you are more likely to pay a premium on your purchase. Perhaps the most expensive sculpture sold at auction was L”Homme qui marche, created by Alberto

December 31, 2010

Christian Standard

Better Than a Party

By Rick Chromey Every New Year”s Eve our culture gathers together to toast and celebrate another year”s passing. New opportunities. New friendships. New dreams. Of course, for some, too much imbibing, indiscretion, and insolence sully the festive occasion. Nevertheless, many choose to drown their sorrows in drink or ease their anxiety through gluttony. After all, humans desperately seek to numb our pain and bury the past. Alcohol, food, sex, and entertainment are simply cultural solutions to crisis and conflict. Like Band-Aids on a gaping wound, many try to mask, manipulate, or minimize the bleeding but ultimately fail miserably to find

December 26, 2010

Doug Redford

Return of the Gift

By Doug Redford Now that Christmas Day has passed, it”s time to move from thinking about giving gifts to the matter of returning them. Many of us will need to spend some time during the upcoming week returning a Christmas gift that happened to be the wrong size, color, or style. Stores usually offer tips to keep in mind when returning a gift, including: keep all the tags and original packing when giving and opening gifts (especially electronics, computers, appliances, and games), keep receipts, and check the time limit on returns (some stores limit returns to 30 days after a

November 25, 2010

Christian Standard

A Date with God

By Daniel Schantz “For I have espoused you to one husband” (2 Corinthians 11:2, King James Version). Paul describes our relationship with Christ as a kind of marriage, and marriage goes through certain phases. YOUNG marriage starts out with celestial expectations. You see no reason the honeymoon can”t last forever. Every day is a “date.” She makes breakfast for you, then you go jogging together before heading off to work. You buy each other expensive gifts to prove your love. Passion is strong, and nights are interesting. You talk a lot, but some of those talks turn into quarrels, and

November 14, 2010

Christian Standard

Self-Examination, Not Self-Recrimination

By Daniel Schantz “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread . . . “ (Acts 20:7, King James Version). Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Catholic Jesuits, started life as a fiery, Spanish romantic””womanizer, gambler, warrior. When he was wounded in a battle against the French at Pampeluna, he was carried off to a castle hospital. While recovering, he was given a copy of The Imitations of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis, and he was so moved by it that he resolved to give up his wild living and become a saint.

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