Do This...Why?

   Tomorrow is communion Sunday in our church. The mechanics of the day include a time for those who will serve in each service to meet together before the beginning of each, to take communion themselves. One man is designated the leader, to serve the others the bread and juice. On this day. before the 9AM service, that man will be me.

   I do not want this time to be just a perfunctory one for me or for those others who will be participating in the serving of those holy elements. It is important for all of us to be take seriously the command of Jesus when He says to His disciples:

   " And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁰ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying,“This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood."

   "Do this in remembrance of Me."

   How often have I heard those words? What does it mean to remember?

   I have served communion many times. In our old church, the deacons served the elements by passing the plate with the wafers, and the cups of juice in their holders, down the row of people sitting in the pews. In the church that we now attend, the communicants come forward to receive the elements directly from hands of the servers, and I confess that I am partial to this second method.

   I have seen many people come forward, and I have tried to look in the eyes of each one in the attempt to make it as personal for them as is possible. First of all to treat all who come as individual persons, and not just as a mass, and then to remind them of the significance of the taking of the bread and juice, that it is for them, that one individual person, that Jesus died.

   I see folks who come with a look of "let's just get this over with, I'm uncomfortable being here and doing this". I see people, especially kids when brought down by their parent, who look at me with the question "why am I doing this?". I see eyes that are filled with tears, for whatever reason, and I am drawn into their emotion as they receive.

   I remember that Christ calls us as individuals, not as a group. It is to each one that the command comes to take into account what we are doing in this act of worship. To each Jesus says "Do this in remembrance of Me".

   So I try to take this time this morning to do just that. To remember the scene at the Last Supper, the scene in the Garden and the Scenes at the Cross and the Tomb. I attempt to put all of that in perspective as it pertains to one person, me. I confess that I do not understand it all, but I accept it as a fact, and am grateful to be included with His disciples, however unworthy I know I am.

   And I will try to lead others in that preparation time tomorrow, to remember also, not only what the scenes are, but what they mean in their lives, so that the congregation gathered in that place in that hour can hear the command also.

   Remember and then Respond