Day 86: "Do This In Remembrance Of Me"
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:16 - 17; 11:23 - 29
We do a lot of things in life, and seldom stop to ask why. We
(including myself), our families, our friends, our neighbors, our
communities, our places of work, our places where we go to find joy and
yes, also to mourn, our churches, basically anywhere men or women may
choose to congregate to celebrate or remember develop habits and
traditions. Traditions matter to us. It brings a community of people
together to share in something that has great meaning. Families will come from far and wide to
hold very traditional meals together with very traditional dishes
throughout the year because that is what family does for family. From
generation to generation, we enjoy doing 'traditional stuff' to remember.
However, if we’re not careful, we can forget why we do certain things.
Today, I am going to try to relate to you a lay persons understanding of
the traditional sacrament the church calls Communion. When you hear
the word Communion, you will probably think of The Lord's Supper, The
Holy Eucharist and all these would be exactly right. However, there is
also a sense of the term 'Communion' that implies a close personal relationship. In fact, it is our deeply intimate relationship with The
Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit and with one another that is at the
very core of our beliefs. When we come together as family to participate in a Service of Communion
we're carrying on a 2000 year old tradition.
You have most
likely heard these phrases: "This is My Body broken for You", "Do This
In Remembrance Of Me", "This is My Blood shed for you", "Do This as
often as you drink it", "Do This In Remembrance of Me." But doing it in
remembrance of what? We are remembering the greatest act of sacrificial love in all of history. God's Son, Jesus the Christ sacrificing Himself for the forgiveness of all our sins. An
atoning one and done sacrifice that all those who came to believe in His
love would have eternal life. His 'Body' the Bread of Eternal Life, His Blood the Cup of Salvation are the most visible signs of the fullest length, breadth, depth and height that God will go to show you that love. God desires that you remember this!
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement in England in the
18th Century encouraged his Methodists groups to go to communion as
often as they could at the local Anglican church. In his sermon, “The
Duty of Constant Communion,” Wesley has said: “I am to show that it
is the duty of every Christian to receive the Lord’s Supper as often as
he can. “ The First reason why it is the duty of every Christian so to
do is, because it is a plain command of Christ. Observe, too, that this
command was given by our Lord when he was just laying down his life for
our sakes. They are, therefore, as it were, his dying words to all his
followers. God's fullest measure of love given In Remembrance of You!
Let Us Pray: As we partake of this bread and fruit, we honor Creator and creation. As we bless and share these gifts, we celebrate the table-fellowship of
Jesus Christ who, in the name of all the things Love was always meant
to be, sacrificed His life for the once and for all forgiveness of our
sins that we might have eternal life through Him. We remember with
hearts filled with the greatest thanksgiving of God's love for us. We
remember that by this great love All are worthy, all are welcome to
partake!
As we receive the fruits of Spirit, we remember and
celebrate the communion of all things. God our Creator, Christ His Son,
and the Holy Spirit as they dance as one. As it was written by God on
the hearts of mankind 2000 years ago So may it always be.
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Read: 1 Corinthians 10:16 - 17; 11:23 - 29
We do a lot of things in life, and seldom stop to ask why. We (including myself), our families, our friends, our neighbors, our communities, our places of work, our places where we go to find joy and yes, also to mourn, our churches, basically anywhere men or women may choose to congregate to celebrate or remember develop habits and traditions. Traditions matter to us. It brings a community of people together to share in something that has great meaning. Families will come from far and wide to hold very traditional meals together with very traditional dishes throughout the year because that is what family does for family. From generation to generation, we enjoy doing 'traditional stuff' to remember.
However, if we’re not careful, we can forget why we do certain things. Today, I am going to try to relate to you a lay persons understanding of the traditional sacrament the church calls Communion. When you hear the word Communion, you will probably think of The Lord's Supper, The Holy Eucharist and all these would be exactly right. However, there is also a sense of the term 'Communion' that implies a close personal relationship. In fact, it is our deeply intimate relationship with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit and with one another that is at the very core of our beliefs. When we come together as family to participate in a Service of Communion we're carrying on a 2000 year old tradition.
You have most likely heard these phrases: "This is My Body broken for You", "Do This In Remembrance Of Me", "This is My Blood shed for you", "Do This as often as you drink it", "Do This In Remembrance of Me." But doing it in remembrance of what? We are remembering the greatest act of sacrificial love in all of history. God's Son, Jesus the Christ sacrificing Himself for the forgiveness of all our sins. An atoning one and done sacrifice that all those who came to believe in His love would have eternal life. His 'Body' the Bread of Eternal Life, His Blood the Cup of Salvation are the most visible signs of the fullest length, breadth, depth and height that God will go to show you that love. God desires that you remember this!
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement in England in the 18th Century encouraged his Methodists groups to go to communion as often as they could at the local Anglican church. In his sermon, “The Duty of Constant Communion,” Wesley has said: “I am to show that it is the duty of every Christian to receive the Lord’s Supper as often as he can. “ The First reason why it is the duty of every Christian so to do is, because it is a plain command of Christ. Observe, too, that this command was given by our Lord when he was just laying down his life for our sakes. They are, therefore, as it were, his dying words to all his followers. God's fullest measure of love given In Remembrance of You!
Let Us Pray: As we partake of this bread and fruit, we honor Creator and creation. As we bless and share these gifts, we celebrate the table-fellowship of Jesus Christ who, in the name of all the things Love was always meant to be, sacrificed His life for the once and for all forgiveness of our sins that we might have eternal life through Him. We remember with hearts filled with the greatest thanksgiving of God's love for us. We remember that by this great love All are worthy, all are welcome to partake!
As we receive the fruits of Spirit, we remember and celebrate the communion of all things. God our Creator, Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit as they dance as one. As it was written by God on the hearts of mankind 2000 years ago So may it always be.
http://www.youtube.com/
Do This In Remembrance of Me .wmv
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As
we remember Jesus' sacrifice, let us also remember the very persons
whom He laid his life for. With the same love and compassion, let us
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