Series: Communion Meditations

Why We Meet

By Mark Krause Why did the early church celebrate the Lord”s Supper every week? The answer to this is very simple, but for some Christians it requires a different way of thinking. Most believers are well acquainted with the church tradition and expectation of meeting together on the first day of the week. This weekly gathering is reflected in a term we sometimes use for a particular, local church, the congregation. This word literally means “those who gather together.” Churches are made up of members who assemble, who come together. But why? If you were to ask believers why they

April 8, 2016

Discipleship & Spiritual Formation

Not Defiance, but Surrender

By Mark Krause I recently read of a young mother who named her son Defy. Yes, I spelled that correctly: Defy, as in “to oppose with an attitude.” She said she wanted her child to grow up knowing he never had to accept the status quo and should always question everything. While I understand the cultural frustration that causes this sort of thing, it seems dangerous to me. If everyone in a society becomes a relentless questioner, pretty soon there is no one left to give answers, and collapse is inevitable. This can happen in the church. Is our first

March 25, 2016

Taken and Broken

By J. Michael Shannon In some ways our Communion service seems a strange thing. We know it has its roots in the Passover celebration, but as we would expect from a ceremony instituted by our Lord, it can speak to us of much more. What is the significance of eating bread and drinking juice? Why does it represent the body and blood of Jesus? Why do we internalize these emblems? All living things, for their survival, depend on other living things to surrender their lives. Whether a person eats meat or is a vegetarian, something that was living surrenders its

March 18, 2016

Whose Supper Is It?

By J. Michael Shannon In 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, Paul describes the proper attitude to exhibit around the Lord”s table. His admonition is to the church at Corinth, a congregation that desperately needs this message. That church has many problems, more so than most any congregation we might attend today. One of the more serious problems is that it fails to take the Lord”s Supper seriously. Here is a church where the rich will not wait for the poor to arrive for the supper and eat all the food before the actual celebration of the emblems. This is a church where

March 11, 2016

A Silent Sermon

By J. Michael Shannon Communion services usually are very quiet gatherings. The music is usually soft, and people do not talk and laugh among themselves. This is almost universally true regardless of the church tradition of those partaking. While there is an appropriate sense of joy in the celebration of what Jesus has done for us, there is also a silent awe that comes over us because of the magnitude of the sacrifice. Our quietness is almost instinctive. And so it was for a monk, as the old story goes, who was assigned to do the homily for the brothers

March 4, 2016

The Cup

By J. Michael Shannon The Christian world has long been fascinated with the cup of the Last Supper. One legend says that Joseph of Arimathea took the cup to England. There, it seems to have gotten mixed up with grail legends and become a part of the King Arthur stories. Dozens of churches claim to have the cup. A seventh-century legend says the cup was at one time in a church in Jerusalem. It was described as a two-handled silver chalice. In Genoa, Italy, there is a hexagon-shaped cup made from green glass that some thought was an emerald. In

February 26, 2016

Examine Yourself

By Tom Claibourne “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28). As the dramatic events leading up to Jesus” death on the cross began quickly to unfold, our Savior caused each person around him to examine himself and make important choices. During his last Passover meal, Jesus prompted uncomfortable introspection for his disciples with his shocking statement, “One of you will betray me.” Stomachs churned. Heart rates increased. Minds raced. Mouths muttered the fearful inquiry, “Lord, is it I?” With a single statement Jesus caused his closest companions

February 12, 2016

Hurting God

By Tom Claibourne When my son, Micah, was 7, he did his best to help me build a baseball backstop. After stapling the fencing to the frame, I let him hammer each staple to further secure it. I pointed each time where I wanted him to hammer, and he would proudly hit that spot. At one point he missed a staple so I pointed my finger near the spot, not realizing his hammer was already racing my finger to that location. Needless to say, I let out a loud wail after the impact. My cry startled him and he realized

February 5, 2016

Unworthy at the King”s Table

By Tom Claibourne He had no business eating at the king”s table. His family background, physical infirmities, and utter helpless-ness should have barred him from such an honored place. But there he sat, day after day, like one of the king”s own sons. Mephibosheth had experienced more than his share of physical and emotional pain. Second Samuel 4:4 briefly recounts the tragic accident that left him unable to walk on the very day he learned of the battle deaths of his father, Jonathan, and his grandfather, King Saul. Now, years later, David ruled as king over all Israel. Second Samuel

January 29, 2016

Christian Living

Slowly Savored

By Rick Chromey From mainstream Starbucks to neighborhood bistros, the local coffee cup has evolved into a symbol of connection, companionship, and community. The coffee experience is about family and friends, because great coffee naturally takes time. The beans must be roasted and ground. The coffee is percolated, heated, and even specially flavored. And, of course, every cup is sipped and savored to the last drop. Consequently, coffee is the perfect nonalcoholic drink of choice. It”s the ideal beverage for gathering because great community also happens with time. Friendships are grounded and grown. Relationships emerge through connection and communion. In

January 22, 2016

Christian Living

Are You Like a Cat or a Dog?

By Rick Chromey Cats and dogs are radically different beasts. Perhaps you”ve heard this joke: Dogs say, “You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, you must be a god,” while cats say, “You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, I must be a god!” Maybe that”s why God gives cats nine lives. They need a bit more grace for such foolish thinking. Nevertheless, a dog is loyal to a fault, protects the master, and loves to be petted. You call a dog by its name and it comes running, eager

January 15, 2016

Christian Living

Let Us Celebrate

By Rick Chromey Every culture has holidays, but few sanctify more special days than Americans. Perhaps it”s because we embrace our past as good and godly. Perhaps it”s because we hunger for any reason to party or get a day off. Or perhaps it”s because we need another special day to capitalize on our consumerism. Regardless of the reason, Americans celebrate famous people like Martin Luther King Jr., St. Patrick, and Columbus. We memorialize Mondays into three-day weekends to rest from our labor. We throw parties on July 4, October 31, and December 31. We love to give thanks around

January 8, 2016

Salvation Theology & Bible

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

By Rick Chromey Blood is indispensable to life. The average human holds 10 pints of blood, which transports oxygen to our body, battles disease, and removes harmful toxins. Blood coagulates and helps form scabs to heal wounds. Recently, science has attempted to create synthetic blood, but there”s simply no substitute for this uniquely divine liquid. Blood is part of our cultural vernacular. It”s in the blood. We”re blood brothers. Blood is thicker than water. Bad blood. Hot-blooded. Sunday, bloody Sunday. Historically, blood sealed contracts, confirmed friendships, and solidified treaties. Today, blood is often the clue that solves crimes through DNA

December 4, 2015

New Testament Theology & Bible

Away in a Manger

By Lee Magness Luke tells us three things about the location of Jesus” birth: the town, the building, and the furniture. First, Luke emphasizes that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, mentioning the town four times (2:4, 6, 11, and 15). Bethlehem was a farming village, insignificant except for one thing””being the birthplace of King David. No, make that two things””Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Jesus, the “bread of life,” was born in the “house of bread.” Second, Luke tells us there was no guest room for Mary and Joseph when it was time for Jesus to be born (Luke 2:7).

November 27, 2015

The Cardboard Lamb

By Victor Knowles When I was a little boy my parents bought a Christmas manger set. On the box were these words: “The Christmas story in beautiful cutout scenes and lifelike figures . . . It tells the Christmas story . . . Fascinates young and old.” I remember how special it was to assemble the cardboard set on Christmas Eve. I would lie on the living room floor, face in hands, and gaze at those familiar figures for hours. In the background was the little town of Bethlehem. To the left were the shepherds, with one little “adoring child”

November 20, 2015

Condescension that Brought Redemption

By Victor Knowles Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death””even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8). Communion is an incredible story of condescension. The Christ, the Son of the living God and the creator of the cosmos, condescended first to a lowly manger and then to a rugged Roman cross. It never happened

November 13, 2015

Wonder Bread

By Victor Knowles Bread has been called “the staff of life.” I loved bread as a young boy. Some of the brands of bread I remember my mother buying were Sunbeam, Butternut, Roman Meal, and Wonder. I still love bread. Bread makes the world a better place. The first mention of bread in the Bible is in Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (New King James Version). The Romans perfected the art of making bread. The process of making bread begins by crushing grains of wheat. Jesus said, “I am the bread of

November 6, 2015

The Cup of Thanksgiving

By Victor Knowles “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf”Â (1 Corinthians 10:16, 17). If there is ever a time to be truly thankful, it is when we gather around the Lord”s table to remember Jesus Christ. Our Savior instituted the Lord”s Supper during the Passover meal. The third cup in the meal was called “the

October 30, 2015

Majestic Quietness

By Greg Swinney Several international students were traveling together to the Rocky Mountains for a weekend excursion during their university”s fall break. In preparation for the trip, they read travel magazines and browsed websites that described the grandeur of the mountains. Inside the church van, the international students asked their American friends about the elevation, climate, and vegetation of the Rockies. The excitement was contagious as the van motored west. As the van crested a small hill, the students got their first glimpse of the mountains in the distance. They grabbed their cameras and noisy conversations stopped. Most students were

October 23, 2015