Communion
Every Friday we had communion at Camp Glisson this summer. We would all file into the large (but not quite large enough) chapel to take communion. It was always the most somber affair the close knit staff could muster up. We worked in boy-girl pairs and every week as each "couple" served their campers communion we would keep score for the "best couple" award. I never won. Even the weeks that I thought I would win for sure I lost miserably. One week the kids went crazy. It all started when one of the exceptional campers started singing a solo and, after messing up, continued to giggle uncontrollably. It went downhill from there when the campers started clapping with every song. It continued when the worship leader started picking songs that people can't clap to ... and the campers proved him wrong. (Lord * Prepa*re Me to * be a sanc*tuary.) It continued going down in flames with uproarious applause after each of the 42 benedictions. We were in the un-airconditioned chapel for almost 3 hours.
My family went to a random church in Washington, PA because we didn't leave early enough to get to Pastor Rod's church. There were obviously some problems in the church. I am guessing that the problems were silly, superficial, and centered around communion. Some people wanted to take communion by "rip and dip" and others wanted to kneel at the altar and recieve communion from the trays and shot glasses. The church compromised by offering either option. They made grazing stations out of the eucharist. They had sullen youth handing out bread and juice or you could go to the altar and kneel to recieve communion. People chose one or the other - and didn't look very friendly towards those who attended the opposite grazing station. My family and I ripped and dipped.
My Godfather(you) tells the story of when one of his daughters was sick and he begged her to drink just a little bit of juice. (I can just hear Rachel politely declining the offer of more jews.) He begged her to try and keep just a little bit of bread down. This was communion.
Pastor David Lake told the (now infamous, lesbian) story about a woman who had lost her partner. She had been going to church for a while, but refused to take communion. The pastor asked her what her partner's favorite food was. Immediately she was taken to that comfortable happy place of sharing a meal with the one she loved so much. The pastor explained communion as our time of remembering God and the comfort His presence brings.
Today my friends and I had a french picnic in the cemetery. We had fake champaign and very tasty sandwiches while we talked, joked, and loved on one another. We invest in each other, love each other, and hope the best for each other. I can't help but file that experience away with my other communion stories.
Several Falls students are repulsed at me because I think that a non-Christian can take communion. They read me scripture that calls down a curse on anyone who abuses communion. I consider their argument a bunch of scat. I think that when Christians get in the routine practice of drinking juice and eating bread that we lose something. When we get in the practice of offering a little fake champaign, a tasty sandwich, and an open heart toward those who do not yet know the Savior ... I believe that will bring life.
My family went to a random church in Washington, PA because we didn't leave early enough to get to Pastor Rod's church. There were obviously some problems in the church. I am guessing that the problems were silly, superficial, and centered around communion. Some people wanted to take communion by "rip and dip" and others wanted to kneel at the altar and recieve communion from the trays and shot glasses. The church compromised by offering either option. They made grazing stations out of the eucharist. They had sullen youth handing out bread and juice or you could go to the altar and kneel to recieve communion. People chose one or the other - and didn't look very friendly towards those who attended the opposite grazing station. My family and I ripped and dipped.
My Godfather(you) tells the story of when one of his daughters was sick and he begged her to drink just a little bit of juice. (I can just hear Rachel politely declining the offer of more jews.) He begged her to try and keep just a little bit of bread down. This was communion.
Pastor David Lake told the (now infamous, lesbian) story about a woman who had lost her partner. She had been going to church for a while, but refused to take communion. The pastor asked her what her partner's favorite food was. Immediately she was taken to that comfortable happy place of sharing a meal with the one she loved so much. The pastor explained communion as our time of remembering God and the comfort His presence brings.
Today my friends and I had a french picnic in the cemetery. We had fake champaign and very tasty sandwiches while we talked, joked, and loved on one another. We invest in each other, love each other, and hope the best for each other. I can't help but file that experience away with my other communion stories.
Several Falls students are repulsed at me because I think that a non-Christian can take communion. They read me scripture that calls down a curse on anyone who abuses communion. I consider their argument a bunch of scat. I think that when Christians get in the routine practice of drinking juice and eating bread that we lose something. When we get in the practice of offering a little fake champaign, a tasty sandwich, and an open heart toward those who do not yet know the Savior ... I believe that will bring life.
posted by Michael Airgood at 3:16 PM
1 Comments:
Yep - that's communion. I get SO freaking sick of people, churches, committees, whatever calling the quarterly herding to the rail our celebrations of communion. If I recall correctly, Jesus said "whenever you do this, do this in remembrance of me." Does ANYBODY only break bread with other people once a quarter. Isn't "grace" before dinner a simple (but many times powerful) reminder of the presence of Christ at our table, in our fellowship, in our "midst"? And isn't THAT communion?
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