Series: Communion Meditations

July 19, 2013

Christian Standard

Hungry or Empty?

By Robert F. Hull Jr. In the Gospel of John, the people who were fed by Jesus chased after him the next day to Capernaum, across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus said to them “You are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you” (John 6:26, 27). The point of Jesus” miraculous feeding of the crowds was not simply that he could multiply

July 12, 2013

Christian Standard

Kingdom Clash

By Robert F. Hull Jr. In the closing of his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul includes this surprising note: “All God”s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar”s household” (Philippians 4: 22). What? There are followers of Christ in the emperor”s household? The same Caesar who is holding Paul in prison and who will eventually see to it that Paul is executed? Talk about a clash of kingdoms! Both Jesus and Paul were acutely aware there could be no merger of the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world, but neither could

July 5, 2013

Christian Standard

Body Language

By Robert F. Hull Jr. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Corinthians 10:16, 17).* In some traditions, the person who hands the worshippers the Communion bread says, “This is the body of Christ.” This body language naturally leads us to think about the body of Jesus given in death on the cross. But perhaps we should also think about what Jesus

June 14, 2013

Christian Standard

My Favorite Meal

By Tom Ellsworth I would be hard-pressed to list my favorite meal. Some days I long for the time when I ate at my grandparents” table and enjoyed a dinner of speckled butter beans, corn bread, and homemade apple pie. Simple fare, to be sure, but few meals ever tasted better. On the other side of the menu spectrum, I have occasionally dined in upscale restaurants on scrumptious treats that my grandparents never tasted. Those, too, were memorable meals. To say the least, there is considerable contrast between the simple and exquisite meals I”ve enjoyed through the years. However, I

June 7, 2013

Christian Standard

Set Free

By Tom Ellsworth The Indiana State Capitol building in Indianapolis is an impressive place to visit; its rotunda and artwork are beautiful. Among its many commemorative statues is a bust of Col. Richard Owen, commandant of Camp Morton, a facility in Indianapolis that housed Confederate prisoners during the Civil War. The bust is more than just a statuette, it is a unique memorial. Prisoner of war camps during the Civil War were horrendous places in both the North and South. Perhaps the most infamous was Camp Sumter military prison in Georgia, better known as Andersonville Prison. Nearly 13,000 Union soldiers

April 26, 2013

Christian Standard

Foolishness and Communion

By Tom Lawson   “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). What could be more foolish than Communion””a little bread and grape juice or wine through which we are invited to experience Christ? Perhaps the only thing more foolish is saving the world with some wood, a few nails, and torn, bleeding flesh. We like to make the chasm between the spiritual and the physical as clear as the difference between day and night. The unseen spiritual is

April 12, 2013

Christian Standard

Remembering or Participating?

By Tom Lawson “Do this in remembrance of me.” Perhaps no words are more closely associated with Communion. Communion is, if nothing else, a time of remembering Jesus Christ. Many people are surprised, or at least confused, by Paul’s teachings in 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17. Here he teaches that the cup is a participation or sharing in the blood of Christ and the bread is a participation or sharing in the body of Christ. To some, this sounds too close to medieval ideas that had the cup and loaf actually changing into the blood and body of Christ. On the

April 5, 2013

Christian Standard

Promises to Keep

By Tom Lawson The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. The last stanza of Robert Frost”s poem holds us balanced between reflection and the unnamed promises we must keep. In Scripture, the faithfulness of God is a transcendent theme from Genesis to Revelation. God is faithful to his promises. He promised that one day all the families on earth would be blessed through Abraham”s faith. He promised David that the kingly rule of one of his descendants would be forever.

March 8, 2013

Christian Standard

His Glorious Body

By C. Robert Wetzel Glory to God in the highest! Coming to the Lord”s table is an occasion to celebrate the glory of God and the promise of our participation in his glory. Traditionally we have often sung in preparation for the Lord”s Supper, “In the Cross of Christ I Glory.” More recently it may be, “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High.” But every Lord”s Day we are reminded in a special way of God”s power, majesty, and love. How extraordinary that the God who created all things should reveal himself in the person of Jesus Christ! How glorious

March 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Wordless Groans at the Lord”s Table

By C. Robert Wetzel “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). We often find our congregations preparing for the Lord”s Supper with an appropriate Communion hymn followed by a meditation that enables us to focus on the meaning of this sacred event. This is followed by what some call the “words of institution,” such as the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. The presiding elder then offers a prayer of blessing over the bread and cup. As we partake, we focus our

February 22, 2013

Christian Standard

Looking Back and Looking Forward

By H. Lynn Gardner Certain events invite us to both look back and look forward””graduations, weddings, New Year”s Day. At these times we consider the significance of the past and anticipate the future. The Lord”s Supper is such an event. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord”s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26, English Standard Version). When we worship through participation in Communion we look back to the cross. We are reminded of our sin that made Christ”s death necessary. As we remember the cross, we must face our unworthiness

February 8, 2013

Christian Standard

Confess Our Unworthiness, Celebrate His Worthiness

By Lynn Gardner Paul warned against partaking of the Lord”s Supper in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27, 29). However, that does not mean we should not recognize our unworthiness as we partake. Our culture stresses self-confidence as a key to success. Proper self-respect as one made in the image of God is not sinful, and recognizing we are unworthy to be saved by God is not having a low self-image or low self-esteem. God places a value on us because he created us in his image, but we stand before him as guilty sinners who do not deserve his favor

December 7, 2012

Christian Standard

The Baby Bears an Apple

By Lee Magness It comes as a surprise in the painting of Jesus” birth by the great contemporary Chinese artist He Qi (pronounced “huh chi”). The baby bears an apple. Most of the features of the painting are to be expected, traditional if not biblical details common to many depictions of the nativity””Mary bending low, Joseph lifting his lantern, animals peering at the peculiar intruders, the manger with its golden straw, and the rosy-cheeked child staring straight into the onlookers” eyes. The painting doubles as an annunciation””an angel soars, shepherds gaze skyward, sheep frolic in the foreground. But there is

November 30, 2012

Christian Standard

Proclaim the Savior

By Diane Stortz I”m sure you”ve seen and heard the recent proclamations. Retailers” shelves have overflowed for weeks with wrapping paper, wreaths, and wind-up reindeer. Carols mingle with Christmas pop classics on the radio and in the grocery store. Advertisements abound online, on TV, and in magazines and newspapers. The cultural celebration of Christmas has begun! There”s another Christmas, of course””the reason for Christmas, the birth of Christ””and angels announced the wonderful event. Have you ever seen an angel or talked with one? Their first words are often, “Don”t be afraid!” The angel Gabriel proclaimed to Mary, “Don”t be afraid!”

September 7, 2012

Christian Standard

Despite?

By Jackina Stark Mama died on July 4, 2011. We almost lost her earlier that year when she went to the hospital with pneumonia. Her doctor told us pneumonia isn”t called the old person”s friend for nothing, but she was treated and released to a nursing home, where she could get rehabilitation. That didn”t go well. She had spent too many years trying to breathe, and she was tired of it. We brought her home, and almost daily she told Dad, who took such loving care of her, that she couldn”t do it anymore. Even walking across a room was

August 30, 2012

Christian Standard

The Language of Loneliness

By Daniel Schantz “Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, “˜What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?”” (Matthew 26:40*). Thomas Wolfe described loneliness as “the central and inevitable experience of every man,” but when we are lonely, we think no one else on earth understands. Loneliness is everywhere, but it wears many disguises. To the teenage girl, loneliness is an overwhelming pressure to be just like her girlfriends, at any cost. To the college student, it”s going home for the summer to find that home has changed. To the housewife, loneliness

August 29, 2012

Christian Standard

Refreshments Are Served

By Daniel Schantz “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19, New King James Version). A little girl was sitting with her mother in church, swinging her legs out and back in time with the music, and singing, “Some glad morning, when this life is o”er, I”ll fly away. . . .” Then the music slowed, and the tune changed to “Beneath the Cross of Jesus.” Suddenly several men got up out of the audience, gathered at the back of the

August 24, 2012

Christian Standard

Something Stronger than Hate

By Daniel Schantz “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34, New King James Version). In William Wyler”s 1959 award-winning movie Ben-Hur, Charlton Heston plays the wealthy prince of Jerusalem who is arrested by the Roman occupiers and thrown into the dark belly of a Roman ship, where he must row his enemies wherever they wish to go. With every pull of the oar, Ben-Hur”s hate of the Romans deepens, especially for Messala, the tribune who made him a galley slave. At last, Ben-Hur escapes his nautical prison, and by a quirk of fate he

August 17, 2012

Christian Standard

Blessed Thirst

By Daniel Schantz “O God, you are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You . . . in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1, New King James Version).   August. Dog days, the dry month. The front yard is like a worn-out carpet from lack of rain. Shrubs and trees are motionless, their leaves layered with dust. You carry a bottle of water wherever you go; it seems to be growing to your hand. You park your car in the shade. You walk slowly, trying not to sweat. Every

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link