Remember, Proclaim, Celebrate, Anticipate

When Jesus gave the sacraments to his church, he gave us pictures to go with the message of his life, death and resurrection along with all that means for us.

As we come to think on the sacrament of communion, the catechism teaches us it has at least 4 dimensions!

Q46. What is the Lord's supper?A. Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him and his death. The Lord's supper is a celebration of the presence of God in our midst; bringing us into communion with God and with one another; feeding and nourishing our souls. It also anticipates the day when we will eat and drink with Christ in his Father's kingdom.

The 4 dimensions:

Remember: When we take the bread and wine, we look back to a historical event. We remember Jesus, celebrating the Passover with his disciples, transforming that meal from one which remembers the deliverance of his people the Jews from slavery in Egypt through the death of a lamb. To one which remember the deliverance of his people from slavery to sin and bondage of death, through his death on the cross.

Proclaim: We are called to remember Jesus in this meal. And in particular, the bread and wine, proclaim his death. The speak of his body being broken, and his blood being shed. They declare, he has died, so I can live.

Celebrate: The meal gets to the heart of the good news. We have LIFE in Jesus Christ. We know peace with God, through him. That is not simply a truth to be agreed with, but something to be celebrated.

Anticipate: This meal looks forward, to that time when we shall be free from the fear of death and no longer tripped up by our sins. That day when we shall eat, face to face, with the great host of this meal. Jesus Christ, in his heavenly home. That is a meal to look forward to!

There is more isn't there - a 5, perhaps a 6th dimension this meal speaks of. Perhaps these dimensions can be summed up in words like communion, fellowship or nourishment. It is that dimension which speaks of us being bound together through this meal. It speaks of a spiritual truth, which has a physical reality as we eat from one loaf, and pass the wine from one to another. Like that spiritual truth that this meal brings us into closer communion with God, a fresh taste of his grace, strength to face today as we eat the physical bread and drink the wine. These truths may be simulated at online services which these unique days require... but let us not sell ourselves short. Let us anticipate the day when we can come together in the one building to truly experience the depth of communion with each other and God sharing in the bread and wine brings to us.