The Joyful Feast of the People of God 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 10/7/18 Once upon a time, a woman was hosting a dinner party. And as all the guests sat down to eat, the woman turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, Sally, maybe you'd like to say a prayer before we all eat. But, Mommy, the girl replied. I don't know what to say. Oh, it's easy, sweetheart. Just say what you hear Mommy say, her mother suggested. So Little Sally bowed her head and closed her eyes, and then she said, Good Lord, why did I invite all these people to dinner! As Christians, you and I have also been invited to dinner. The dinner we ve been invited to is called The Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion. In the great big book of all things Presbyterian, Holy Communion is called the Joyful Feast of the People of God. A supper, a feast that's what we're invited to take part in, whenever we celebrate Holy Communion together. And so, for today's message, I thought maybe we could spend a few minutes thinking about Communion in those terms thinking about it as if it were a church supper. And, in particular, along those lines today I'd like to invite you to think with me about three overarching questions, where Communion is concerned. The first question I d like to consider with you is the question: what's for dinner? What s here, waiting for us at this table? Second, I like us to consider another question, and that is: What should I bring to the feast myself?
And then the third question is: who else is here, besides me? Who else is coming to the feast? Those are the three questions. What's here? What should I bring? Who else is coming? So, first: what's here? What do we find up here on this table on Communion Sunday? And I suppose perhaps the most obvious answer to that question is: well, there's some bread up here on the table, and there's some grape juice. Most weeks, the bread's broken up into little bitty pieces. And the juice is in a couple of big cups at the 8 o clock and 9:30 services, while at the 11a.m. service, by contrast, the juice is served in little shot glasses. But, be that as it may: in one way or another, what s up here on the table every Communion Sunday is some bread and some grape juice. So that, if you were a scientist from Mars, say, and you had come here to earth to observe human behavior, that's what you would see: some bread and some juice. As Christians, though, we know there's more to it than that. Because we know that the bread and the cup are here because of something that Jesus said. We know that, during the Last Supper which he shared with his disciples, Jesus took the bread and the cup, he blessed them, he said they were his body and blood, and then he told his followers, Do this in remembrance of me. All of which means that there is something about this table there is something about this table which is supposed to serve as a reminder to us. When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are supposed to remember how, on the cross, Jesus' body was broken and his blood was shed for us to save us from our sins. So, that's the second thing that's here: a reminder.
And the truth is, that is often as far as many people go. And so it often comes as a surprise to them to learn that the original Protestant Reformers back in the 1500s, including the very first Presbyterians, went farther than that. They not only said that Holy Communion was a reminder to the faithful; they went so far as to say that Communion is a visible presentation of the Gospel itself. Just as the Bible tells us, in words, that Jesus died to give us eternal life so the Reformers said Holy Communion uses physical elements (bread and the cup) Holy Communion uses physical elements to tell us the same Gospel. To tell us the same good news: the good news that Jesus died to give us eternal life. What we find here, in other words, is the same thing that we find here [Bible]: what we find here at the Communion Table is the fullness of the Gospel itself. And that's not all at least, not if you take Jesus seriously when he says, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them. Because if that's true, you see if Jesus really meant that when he said it, then when we gather here in his name, we have to believe that Jesus himself is here too. Now, different denominations, different theologians, different branches of the Christian family, have tried to explain how that might work in a variety of ways, which I personally find to be very interesting. But, true as that may be, at the end of the day, the important thing is less how Jesus may do it, and more just the fact that he's here: really, truly, fully present with his people. He is the Host of this feast: the One who greets us as we gather at this, his table. Which is why Holy Communion means what it does to me. I say that because, speaking for myself, Holy Communion isn't just about re-
membering the Last Supper 2000 years ago. It's not even just about remembering Jesus' death. No, to me, Holy Communion is more than some sort of memorial service for my late friend, Jesus. To me, Holy Communion is an opportunity to receive Christ into my life. After all, we don' just look at the bread and the cup and say, Ah, yes, I remember how Jesus died for me. No, we don't just look at them and remember. They're not just a rather crude mnemonic device. Because we eat them, don t we? We don t just look at them. We take them into ourselves. That's what happens on the mouth-and-belly level of Holy Communion. But what happens (or at least what can happen) on the soul-level is, we receive Christ. We receive him, by faith, into our lives. You know, in some churches they talk a lot about how important it is for every person to receive Jesus into their heart at some point or other inlife. And I for one say amen to that. Of course we all need to receive Jesus into our lives as our personal Lord and Savior. Holy Communion, though, as I understand it, just takes that all a step further. Because every time I partake of Holy Communion, it s like I'm saying to Jesus, Lord Jesus, come into my life. I want to receive you. I want to receive you more and more and more. Lord Jesus, enter me, and be the very life inside me. Come and fill me, Jesus, with yourself, with your saving grace, and with your eternal life. So, put all of that together and what do we find here? Here at the Communion table what we find is bread and juice (yes); and a reminder of Jesus sacrifice of his body and blood on the cross (yes); and a representation of the gospel itself (yes, that too); and on top of all of that, what we find here, most of all, is Jesus himself, when we open our hearts
to him in faith. All of that is on the menu, whenever we share this feast which God in his grace has prepared for us, and invited us to. But, the thing is, if you're like me, anytime you get invited over for dinner, you say to the host or the hostess, Yes, I'd love to come. But then you ask, as I do, what should I bring? What should I bring to dinner? And, the truth of course is that God doesn't require us to bring much of anything to this feast. Because Holy Communion is all about his grace. But, true as that is, there are nonetheless some things which I do bring to the Communion Table with me. In fact, often, I bring eight things with me to the Communion Table. First, I bring my faith. I bring my belief that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. The One who died and rose again for me. I bring my faith. But, second, I also bring my doubts too. Maybe you never have any doubts, but I know I sure do. And I suppose some people might say that having doubts from time to time would make me unworthy to partake of Communion, but I don't think so. Because if Holy Communion really is a time to encounter God s grace, then of course it is a time when anyone ought to be free to honestly say, God, I know my faith isn t all that it could be. In fact, there are a lot of things I'm not sure about, Lord. But I really long to taste and see that you are good. Please, fill my cup. Please, Lord, refill my heart. I bring my doubts with me to the Communion table, because I believe God can and will refill me, with his grace, especially when I am at my driest or emptiest on the inside. Third, when I come to Communion, I bring my sins. I bring my brokeneness. Again, some people might say that sinners dare not draw near to this holy sacrament. But I think the opposite. I think, with the Book of Romans, that it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us.
The point is, when Jesus went to the Cross, that was the supreme embodiment of God's grace and mercy and forgiveness-in-acton. And to the extent that Holy Communion is a representation of Jesus' death for us, it's also all about God's grace and mercy and forgiveness-in-action too. Which of course doesn't mean we should ever have some sort of cavalier, I-don't-care-attitude about sin; but it does mean that this table has been set for sinners like me. This table is a place where Jesus welcomes imperfect people like me. And so, I bring my sins with me, and I give them to Jesus here. I lay them down at the foot of the cross, as I humbly say, Jesus, I sure need that cup of salvation of yours. Forgive me, and heal me, as you fill me. Fourth, along the same lines, I bring my hunger with me to the Communion Table. My hunger not only for forgiveness, but my hunger for Christ himself. Like I said a minute ago, every time I come here, I come wanting more and more and more of Jesus in my life. More love, more power, more of you in my life, Lord, as one popular praise song puts it. Fifth, I bring my gifts. You know, in the ancient church, the offering was actually part of Holy Communion. People literally brought bread which they had packed. They brought wine from their own cupboads. And they brought their tithes and offerings too. They put all those gifts on the altar, and they asked God to pour out his Holy Spirit on all of it: to take it all and make it all holy. To take it all and consecrate it to his purpose. And that's what I want God to do with me, when I come to his table. I want him to take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord, to Thee. Which is why the sixth thing which I bring with me to Holy Communion is my heart. When I come to this table, I come to Jesus. And with Romans
12:1, I offer myself here as a living sacrifice to my Savior. Lord, as you feed me here, send me out to feed a hungry world with your grace and love. Seventh, I bring my hope with me to Holy Communion. I bring my hope that one day the hunger of the whole world will in fact be filled. Because that's the thing about Holy Communion, after all. As we talked about last month on Communion Sunday, the sacrament of Holy Communion not only looks back in time and remembers the Last Supper. It also looks forward to the very end of history. It looks ahead to what the Book of Revelation calls the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the heavenly feast which Jesus the Messiah promises one day to share with all his people in glory. And so, for me, receiving Communion here and now feeds and nourishes and renews my hope in that great promise. Finally, eighth, I bring my praise with me to Holy Communion. Because Holy Communion is a celebration. You know, I don't know about you, but for a long time, I didn't get that. When I was a kid, for example, all I ever heard was how Communion was this super-solemn, superserious thing. It was so sober, in fact, that I was afraid to even breathe too loud during Communion, when I was growing up. But the thing is, even though, yes, it is true that Holy Communion does recall some pretty hard-core stuff. Yes, the crucifixion was hard core. But the thing is, the same Jesus who died on the cross also said very clearly that he had come to make our joy complete. Which means that we don't honor the cross by being miserable; we honor the meaning of the cross by celebrating the new life which Jesus won for us there. We are forgiven, because he was forsaken. And during Communion, I celebrate joyfully!-- the amazing love which has made that possible for us all.
So, speaking for myself, that's what I bring with me to Holy Communion. I bring my faith, my doubt, my sins, my hunger, my gifts, my heart, my hope, and my praise. Finally, when I bring all these things with me, who else do I find when I get here to this joyful feast? Well, obviously, like I ve already said: I find Jesus here, the Host at his table. But I also find all of you here too. Look around sometime during Holy Communion; and just let yourself remember that the same Jesus who is here to fill you, is also filling all these other people too. He's not just my life, in other words. He's yours and yours and yours too. And his and hers and theirs: the same Jesus living in us all. More than that, don't just look here. Look all around the world. The first Sunday of October, after all, is traditionally designated as World Communion Sunday: a day when we're all encouraged to remember the way this sacrament unites us all. Different denominations, different countries, different languages, different races we all have a place at the table of our Savior. Because there's one bread, one Body, one Lord of all. Last but not least, don t just look around the sanctuary or even around the world. Look up too. Look toward heaven. Again, remember the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Remember all the parables which Jesus told where he said that his kingdom was like a great feast. What we do here is just the hors d oeuvres, just the first course. The feasting in heaven goes on and on and on, without end. The saints and angels, all the faithful from every time and place they're all there, gathered around the throne, drinking in the glory and splendour of God, and encouraging us to do the same.
So, when you receive Holy Communion, let yourself see their faces too the faces around heaven's banquet table. Maybe you know some of those faces personally: maybe you see your grandparents there, or your parents. Maybe a spouse, or even a child. They're there. They're there, alongside MLK, Mother Teresa, CS Lewis, Billy Graham, St. Francis, Mary Magdalene, the Prophets and Apostles, the Mother of our Lord, and of course Jesus himself, the Lamb upon his throne. They all broke the same bread and drank the same cup; and their communion with Christ on high is simply a richer, fuller, more final form of our own, here and now. When it's all said and done, then, the Sacrament of Holy Communion is really nothing less than an opportunity for you and me to see all of time and eternity in the light of Christ, who's broken body and shed blood have made all things new, forever and ever. Alleluia, amen. So, come, lift up your hearts; and taste and see that the Lord is good...