Memories of Taking Communion

“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.” 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 ESV

When we lose sight of God, and of his divine will and purpose for our lives, and so we end up following the flesh, instead of God, chaos ensues. Nothing is as it should be. For the flesh is in control, and not God. Selfishness takes over, and ingratitude. And people begin to think that their relationships with Jesus Christ, if indeed they have them at all, are all for them, and not for God. They begin to look at what God can provide for them, even despite what they do to him, in return. And that is backwards thinking.

So, rather than the body of Christ coming together as one in Christ, working together to help one another, the body is divided, and some parts will even viciously attack other parts. Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone in this church gathering is truly of God and part of his body. Much of today’s church gatherings are a mixture of true followers of Christ and of those who give lip service to the Lord only, and of those who make no professions of faith in Jesus Christ, but they come to the gatherings for a social experience.

Now Paul said that these “factions” serve to show who are genuine followers of Christ and who are not. Sadly, often those who are following the flesh are the ones accepted, whereas those who are genuine servants of the Lord are often or frequently rejected. But they rejected Jesus Christ. And he said that if we follow him with our lives that we will be treated much the same as he was. And they didn’t recognize him as the “real deal,” did they? And that is why they crucified him, because they thought he was in the wrong.

But continuing on… the people were gathering together as the body of Christ, his church, and this was a time when they were remembering the Lord’s supper, i.e. the death of Jesus on that cross for our sins. At least, that is what was supposed to have been taking place. But instead they were getting drunk and overeating and eating so much that there was not enough for everyone to have something. Now, this sounds much different from any communion service I have ever attended in my life. 

For one, we didn’t have wine, but grape juice, and we didn’t have bread, most of the time, but very small portions of crackers or wafers. So there was no way that anyone would be able to eat too much or get drunk. And when the plate was passed to you down the isle you knew to take only one small piece of cracker or wafer, and the grape juice was already measured out for us in very tiny cups. So it is difficult for me to imagine what Paul described here, for I have never had such an experience as that.

But how else can I relate this to my world? I think, for one, that there are probably people who “take communion” out of some religious ritual that they are used to doing and that they are not fully engaged spiritually in the whole purpose for why we take communion. For, it isn’t just to go through a ritual, and it isn’t just so we remember Jesus’ death on that cross for our sins. But this should be a time of prayer and reflection and heart examination, too, and a time of committal to live the kind of lives God wants us to live.

For me, communion was always a very precious time I had with my Lord and with the body of Christ. While the elements were being passed, sometimes someone would break out in song, or there would be a time of testimonies. I always loved testimony time! It was a very spiritual time for me, and I took it very seriously. And I did examine my heart, and I was so thankful for all that Jesus did for me in dying and in being resurrected from the dead so that I could be set free from slavery to sin and walk in his righteousness.

And I loved the humbleness and the simplicity of it and the worshipfulness of it. So I really cannot relate at all to what Paul described here. But I do understand the idea of people professing faith in Jesus Christ showing disrespect and disregard for the Lord and for others who also profess faith in Jesus Christ. I understand “Christian” against “Christian” and meanness and hate and lack of respect and kindness for one another. I understand utter selfishness and lack of care and concern for others in the body of Christ.

And I understand the idea of Christians taking God for granted, and thinking only of what he can do for them, regardless of how they treat him in return. For this is very popular these days for people to teach that God does it all for us and that nothing is required of us other than a confession of Christ as Savior and Lord (lip service only). And it is a very sad reality! And in that way I can grieve with Paul and with what he said to the Corinthian church. So, we need to be students of the Scriptures so we know the truth!

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for the flesh, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, we have eternal life. For he also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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